Accessory for the glider that has everything

bystander · 06-26-2006, 03:24 AM

Accessory for the glider that has everything
One more way to ascertain the HT's velocity.

Mattel recently came out with this:

http://www.hotwheels.com/showcase/pr...&category_id=6

A toy radar detector. It costs around $25-$35. Uses 10.525 GHz (apparently the "X" band). Max effective range 39 feet. Reads in MPH or KPH. Max speed detected: 100 MPH according to the front of the box. Can also be set to read 1/64 scale model speed (which would be 6400 MPH max?). 1/64 is the scale of "Hot Wheels" toy cars - it just multiplies the speed by 64 Minimum age requirement 7+ years. The RF power is so low, it's covered by part 15 of the FCC rules, and no license is required. Uses 4 x AAA batteries. The instructions say not to use it in or near the street.

Someone on the radar detector forums asked whether it could be used to "paint" other driver's radar detectors (trying to get them to brake). But they think it may be too weak or too drifty to be effective.

The effective range for getting a stable speed may only be 39 feet, but the distance it could trigger a radar detector could be further, depending on conditions.

KPH is about 1.6 times mph, so when it is in both x 64 mode and KPH mode, it indicates about 102 x MPH. So when a glider sees 1280 on the display, it's the same as 12.5 MPH, or only 0.3 MPH high. When gliding in 1 x MPH mode, the fastest it read when gliding past a stationary object (red key) was 11 MPH. In 64 x KPH mode, I was seeing figures in the 1250 - 1350 range. It seems that the 1 x mode rounds down a bit. I'll try to do more extensive checks later and make a follow up report.

Standing still in regular 1x mode, I was able to measure passing cars on a nearby posted 40 MPH street at 25 - 42 MPH. Confirmed that the "good reading" range isn't much past 40 feet. Only worked well on traffic one lane over, sometimes two lanes over. Seldom worked on traffic 4 lanes away. It's kinda late though, not too many cars out right now. I was expecting some higher readings, but few cars were rushing this evening.

Oh, and I concealed the radar gun in a plastic bag to avoid drawing too much undesired attention. Will have to work out a mount for the handlebar that doesn't look so "gun-like". I haven't dismantled it yet.

I haven't tested the upper limit of this detector. The instructions don't seem to list it, just the outside packaging. I suppose I ought to visit a batting cage and see if I can get a reading on a baseball or something.

To check higher traffic speeds, I'm not sure it would work well on a freeway overpass, because an overpass is about 25-30ft above the freeway, and due to the short range, the angle would be severe enough that some kind of compensation would have to be made. (Like if it was pointed down at a 45 degree angle, the reading would have to be multiplied by 1.41.)

I don't have a radar detector to test with, I'll see if anyone at work has one to see how far away this can set it off.

The next level up - the least expensive non-toy radar gun starts at around $85-110 - from Bushnell, typically used for baseballs or tennis balls.

Disclaimer: even though this is a toy, it may not be a good idea to use it while driving or gliding, as it's operation could prove distracting. If it were higher power, I'm sure it would be considered illegal without the proper license, such as what's covered by "Part 90" of the FCC rules. Just because a seven year old is allowed to use it, doesn't make it safe for anyone to use it in an unsafe manner.

bystander · 06-26-2006, 08:07 PM

Two of my co-workers have radar detectors. The toy radar gun failed to register on either one. Either it is too weak, or has drifted off frequency.

Works fine as a HT speedometer though - when there are metal obstacles alongside the pathway. Haven't tried it on a baseball yet.

06-26-2006, 03:24 AM	#1
bystander Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Southern California, USA. Posts: 1,921	Accessory for the glider that has everything Accessory for the glider that has everything One more way to ascertain the HT's velocity. Mattel recently came out with this: http://www.hotwheels.com/showcase/pr...&category_id=6 A toy radar detector. It costs around $25-$35. Uses 10.525 GHz (apparently the "X" band). Max effective range 39 feet. Reads in MPH or KPH. Max speed detected: 100 MPH according to the front of the box. Can also be set to read 1/64 scale model speed (which would be 6400 MPH max?). 1/64 is the scale of "Hot Wheels" toy cars - it just multiplies the speed by 64 Minimum age requirement 7+ years. The RF power is so low, it's covered by part 15 of the FCC rules, and no license is required. Uses 4 x AAA batteries. The instructions say not to use it in or near the street. Someone on the radar detector forums asked whether it could be used to "paint" other driver's radar detectors (trying to get them to brake). But they think it may be too weak or too drifty to be effective. The effective range for getting a stable speed may only be 39 feet, but the distance it could trigger a radar detector could be further, depending on conditions. KPH is about 1.6 times mph, so when it is in both x 64 mode and KPH mode, it indicates about 102 x MPH. So when a glider sees 1280 on the display, it's the same as 12.5 MPH, or only 0.3 MPH high. When gliding in 1 x MPH mode, the fastest it read when gliding past a stationary object (red key) was 11 MPH. In 64 x KPH mode, I was seeing figures in the 1250 - 1350 range. It seems that the 1 x mode rounds down a bit. I'll try to do more extensive checks later and make a follow up report. Standing still in regular 1x mode, I was able to measure passing cars on a nearby posted 40 MPH street at 25 - 42 MPH. Confirmed that the "good reading" range isn't much past 40 feet. Only worked well on traffic one lane over, sometimes two lanes over. Seldom worked on traffic 4 lanes away. It's kinda late though, not too many cars out right now. I was expecting some higher readings, but few cars were rushing this evening. Oh, and I concealed the radar gun in a plastic bag to avoid drawing too much undesired attention. Will have to work out a mount for the handlebar that doesn't look so "gun-like". I haven't dismantled it yet. I haven't tested the upper limit of this detector. The instructions don't seem to list it, just the outside packaging. I suppose I ought to visit a batting cage and see if I can get a reading on a baseball or something. To check higher traffic speeds, I'm not sure it would work well on a freeway overpass, because an overpass is about 25-30ft above the freeway, and due to the short range, the angle would be severe enough that some kind of compensation would have to be made. (Like if it was pointed down at a 45 degree angle, the reading would have to be multiplied by 1.41.) I don't have a radar detector to test with, I'll see if anyone at work has one to see how far away this can set it off. The next level up - the least expensive non-toy radar gun starts at around $85-110 - from Bushnell, typically used for baseballs or tennis balls. Disclaimer: even though this is a toy, it may not be a good idea to use it while driving or gliding, as it's operation could prove distracting. If it were higher power, I'm sure it would be considered illegal without the proper license, such as what's covered by "Part 90" of the FCC rules. Just because a seven year old is allowed to use it, doesn't make it safe for anyone to use it in an unsafe manner. Last edited by bystander; 06-26-2006 at 03:39 AM..

06-26-2006, 08:07 PM	#2
bystander Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Southern California, USA. Posts: 1,921	Update Two of my co-workers have radar detectors. The toy radar gun failed to register on either one. Either it is too weak, or has drifted off frequency. Works fine as a HT speedometer though - when there are metal obstacles alongside the pathway. Haven't tried it on a baseball yet.

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