Operational concerns of the fastest and same direction modes
Description of the fastest mode
Historically, traffic radar has displayed the strongest target. Case law has centered on the ability of the radar
operator to confidently identify what vehicle is associated with that indication. It was relatively simple for analog
radars to process this method.
Modern DSP radars can process many targets at the same time, but there is no practical way for most of them to
display multiple targets or associate them with the correct targets (like air traffic control radar does), since the
radar only measures speed and/or direction, but not distance.
Fastest mode gives the operator an opportunity to view one other target in addition to the strongest. In this mode,
the RANGER EZ considers all possible targets in range (there may be several) and displays the strongest and
fastest ones.
Ranger EZ overcomes the difficulty in target identification associated with non-ranging radars. Ranger reports
the vehicle’s distance along with its speed, so there is little question of which vehicles are being measured, even
in traffic. With Ranger EZ, speed enforcement of the fastest target is as accurate as for the strongest vehicle. For
this reason, the Ranger EZ allows fastest targets to be locked. Fastest vehicle mode is a primary operating mode
of the Ranger.
Important points to remember regarding fastest mode:
1) Ranger EZ ’s target window always displays the strongest target in the selected direction of travel. The
middle window always displays the fastest target’s speed.
2) If the strongest target
is
the fastest target, the speed will not be duplicated in the fastest window.
3) In some situations, such as a car passing a large truck, the fastest target (the car) will
never
be the strongest
target, and with a non-ranging radar there might not have been any opportunity to lock it. With Ranger, the
fastest target can be locked in at any time, and a tracking history can be developed using the track-through-
lock speed and distance information that continues to be displayed on the radar.
4) While visual identification of the strongest target is straight forward, identification of the fastest requires more
attention and information. Use the information from the Ranger’s range bar to determine the identity of the
fastest vehicle.
Description of the same direction mode
The Ranger EZ allows the tracking of targets moving in the same direction as the patrol vehicle. Because of the
Ranger EZ ’s patented Ranging technology, same direction operation requires only a little more attention from the
operator than opposite direction. The target distance information on the Range bar even makes the mode useful in
heavy traffic where visual target identification is not as easy.
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