ornitz@kodak.UUCP (barry ornitz) (11/23/87)
I have been asked to place this "For Sale" notice for a friend. Please
direct all inquiries to me as my friend does not have net access (or even a
telephone). If interested, you may send email or call me in the evenings
after 7:00 PM EST at 615/288-7803. This notice is being posted to several
newsgroups other than "rec.autos" because of its interest to experimenters.
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FOR SALE: Kustom Electronics MR-7 Moving Radar Units
These units were removed from service with the Virginia highway patrol and
are complete with the external horn, the internal digital readout, cables,
calibration tuning forks, and carrying case. All units show cosmetic
damage from normal usage and wear; however, all are believed fully
functional since they indicate the proper speeds with the calibration
tuning forks. A number of operating modes are supported including
stationary and moving radar, lock reading, and alarm above a preset speed.
In the moving mode, the speed of the measuring vehicle is subtracted from
the apparent speed of the approaching vehicle as measured by its doppler
shift to give the true speed of the approaching vehicle. In the stationary
mode (which is the most foolproof), the measuring vehicle is parked and the
measured speed is the true speed of the approaching vehicle. The stationary
mode is much more sensitive than the moving mode.
The external horn unit, which is designed to clamp on the side window of
the auto, contains the Gunn diode transmitter and the receiver with some
associated electronics. The horn antenna is about six inches in diameter
and about 16 inches long making the radar beam quite directional, and when
combined with the high power of the transmitter, a long detection range is
possible. A cable connects this unit with the internal readout. The Gunn
diode transmitter operates at 10.525 GHz which is the standard X-band
police radar frequency.
The internally mounted digital readout unit contains the remaining
electronics for the radar unit. A large, bright, light emitting diode
display is used to indicate up to 199 MPH. A two digit thumbwheel switch
is used to set the alarm speed above which the unit will alarm. The
readout unit also contains a speaker to listen to the doppler beat tones.
A skilled patrolman [oxymoron ;-) ] will listen to the audio tones to
determine if the reading is reliable. This unit is powered by 12 volts,
negative ground, at 2 amps via a short cable plugged into the automobile
cigarette lighter. The readout box, which is usually placed above the
dashboard of the vehicle, is about 3 inches high by 10 inches wide by 6
inches deep.
Two tuning forks are used to check the calibration of the radar unit. A
wooden carrying case is used to hold all of the components. This box is 18
inches wide by 8 inches high by 13 inches deep. Total weight of the boxed
unit is approximately 20 pounds. No manual or schematic is available.
Kustom Electronics still manufactures police radar units, so it is possible
that manuals are available through them.
As stated above, these units were removed from service and are assumed to
be operational. Each unit has been checked to give the proper speed
reading with the calibration tuning forks, but no guarantee is made beyond
this. The major problems seen with most units have been with broken wires
near the connectors.
The price for each unit is $225 plus UPS shipping. Approximately 10 units
are available. Quantity discounts may be negotiated. Several non-
functioning units may also be available at greatly reduced prices. I am
only compiling a list of potential customers at this time; please do not
send any money yet.
These units should be useful to racing clubs, hobbyists, and experimenters.
Imagine having a complete radar unit for less than the price of a good
radar detector! It should be noted that the operation of these units will
cause interference to other nearby radar units operating on the X-band; you
are responsible for any interference caused by your operation of these
units. If you are an amateur radio operator, it is a simple matter to tune
the units into the 10.0 to 10.5 GHz amateur band. Using two units offset
by the IF frequency, it should be possible to modify these units for use as
Gunnplexers for voice or data communications.
Please direct any inquiries to me via email or by telephone; do not post!
If additional postings are necessary to answer common questions, I will
post them in "rec.autos" only.
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P.S. If you are wondering about the fact that my friend does not have a
telephone - he lives about 50 miles from here in some fairly rugged
mountains. I went to a land auction near his home recently out of
curiosity; 350+ acres were sold for $19.3K. Of course, all but about 50
acres were too steep to walk on!
Disclaimer: I am posting this message as a personal favor to my friend.
Eastman Kodak or the Eastman Chemicals Division is in no way associated
with this offer.
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| ___ ________ |
| | / / | | Barry L. Ornitz UUCP:...!rutgers!rochester!kodak!ornitz
| | / / | | Eastman Kodak Company
| |< < K O D A K| | Eastman Chemicals Division Research Laboratories
| | \ \ | | P. O. Box 1972
| |__\ \________| | Kingsport, TN 37662 615/229-4904(work) 288-7803(home)
| |
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