Radar invisible car???
 

For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
35-40.

I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
bad at reading a low profile car like mine.

"Larry Bud" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
> neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
> incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
> 35-40.
>
> I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
> bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
>

About a year ago, I was walking down a street in Central MA (forget the
town, but Northeast of Southboro). As I passed a radar trailer with NO
automobile traffic on the road, it flashed me as "38". Remember, I was
walking, and I wasn't even walking at a brisk pace, probably 3MPH at best.

Several months ago, I passed a radar trailer on I-90W driving a Ford Ranger
(about as UN-low profile as you can get). I believe I was still in NY state
at the time. I had the cruise control set on 72, and my speed was pretty
close to that, according to my speedometer. According to the radar trailer,
I was driving 86MPH. (I don't THINK so!!!) Yeah, the speedometer could
have been a little off, but not that far. At 60MPH in the same vehicle, it
takes 60 seconds to travel one mile. (I did this test to double-check it)

It's not your car. Radar is very inaccurate. In fact, it probably
shouldn't be used for speed measurement at all. -Dave

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> On 31 May 2005 05:57:45 -0700, "Larry Bud" >
> wrote:
>
> >For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
> >neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
> >incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
> >35-40.
> >
> >I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
> >bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
>
> Don't I wish! :)
>
> Despite the plastic body, low profile, and HID projector headlamps
> (which lack the huge reflectors of older types of headlights) I've
> driven past those signs and they have shown an accurate reading on my
> C6.
>
> I think that sign is just on the fritz.

It seemed to be reading accurately on the cars that were in front of
me, however.

"Larry Bud" > wrote in
oups.com:

> For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
> neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
> incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
> 35-40.
>
> I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
> bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
>
>

Vettes have a fiberglas body,a radiator that leans downward,thus creating a
low radar profile. I read that in a Car and Driver mag several years ago.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

In article >,
Scott en Aztlán <newsgroup> wrote:
>On 31 May 2005 05:57:45 -0700, "Larry Bud" >
>wrote:
>
>>For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
>>neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
>>incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
>>35-40.
>>
>>I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
>>bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
>
>Don't I wish! :)
>
>Despite the plastic body, low profile, and HID projector headlamps
>(which lack the huge reflectors of older types of headlights) I've
>driven past those signs and they have shown an accurate reading on my
>C6.
>
>I think that sign is just on the fritz.

The radar trailer that sometimes appears on my street gives
rapidly varying readouts most of the time. It can lock onto
a very nearby car.


--
John Carr )

Jim Yanik wrote:
> "Larry Bud" > wrote in
> oups.com:
>
> > For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
> > neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
> > incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
> > 35-40.
> >
> > I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
> > bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
> >
> >
>
> Vettes have a fiberglas body,a radiator that leans downward,thus creating a
> low radar profile. I read that in a Car and Driver mag several years ago.

The radiator in a C4 is not slanted at all.

In article .com>,
says...
>For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
>neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
>incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
>35-40.
>I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is inheriently
>bad at reading a low profile car like mine.

How do you know the speed reading is for your car? Radar will usually read
the strongest signal that gets reflected back. If your car has a small radar
profile, than your car may not get picked up when there is a stronger signal
being reflected off of another vehicle. If your car has a non-metallic body
and the radiator is angled down, then you will have a smaller radar profile
than most other cars.
--------------
Alex

In article ws.net>,
says...

>It's not your car. Radar is very inaccurate. In fact, it probably
>shouldn't be used for speed measurement at all. -Dave

Radar is actually very accurate. What is inaccurate is the interpretation
of the readings. Traffic radar does not tell you what object is causing the
reading, so you have to guess. The guessing part is where most mistakes are
made.
------------
Alex

>>It's not your car. Radar is very inaccurate. In fact, it probably
>>shouldn't be used for speed measurement at all. -Dave
>
> Radar is actually very accurate. What is inaccurate is the interpretation
> of the readings. Traffic radar does not tell you what object is causing
> the
> reading, so you have to guess. The guessing part is where most mistakes
> are
> made.

But if you are the only moving object in the area and the reading is wrong,
that means that the radar is inaccurate, and there is nothing to interpret.
It is not uncommon for a radar reading to be WAY OFF, even if it is reading
the only moving object in front of it. -Dave

"Larry Bud" > wrote in
oups.com:

>
>
> Jim Yanik wrote:
>> "Larry Bud" > wrote in
>> oups.com:
>>
>> > For the last couple of weeks there's been a roadside radar in my
>> > neighborhood. I've driven by it about 5 times and it COMPLETELY is
>> > incorrect in reading my vette. It reads 18-20 MPH when I'm going
>> > 35-40.
>> >
>> > I'm certainly not complaining, but wondering if radar is
>> > inheriently bad at reading a low profile car like mine.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Vettes have a fiberglas body,a radiator that leans downward,thus
>> creating a low radar profile. I read that in a Car and Driver mag
>> several years ago.
>
> The radiator in a C4 is not slanted at all.
>
>

Note I was referring to an article SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
Forgive me for trying to help you.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net