Radar Certification
All police traffic radar requires certification. Radar certification is the process of ensuring the radar performs to its manufacturers specifications. It basically is a check of its accuracy. This check is normally performed at regular intervals such as once a year in most cases. This is not a requirement of the radar manufacturer but one of the local justice system. The intent is to reduce or discourage the contention of ticketed speeding offenders.
When searching for a radar certification provider it is important to insure that their certification equipment is, in turn, traceable for accuracy back to the National Institute for Standards and Technology in the last 12 months. If you get your radar certified by equipment that hasn’t been checked for accuracy itself, the certification will not hold-up in court. Therefore, it is imperative to request proof of accuracy of the equipment used for certification.
A legitimate radar certification will test the transmitting frequency of each antenna to make sure it falls within the manufacturers specifications. It will also check the accuracy of the receiving circuitry of each antenna using calibrated tuning forks. And of course, the radar cannot be certified if there some type of malfunction of the unit.
A certificate of accuracy from Precision Radar provides a thorough function check prior to any accuracy checks. These include function-checks such as insuring volume is present when a target is acquired, all indicators are present and working and other tests that are needed for a proper accuracy check.
Precision Radar will also offer, if required, a sworn statement or testimony in a court of law to the accuracy of the radar in question. A radar certification and/or testimony of accuracy does not address whether a motorist ticketed for excessive speed is guilty or innocent. It is merely a statement claiming the radar was within the manufacturers specifications at the time of incident.
A radar certification from Precision Radar provides the following:
- A complete function check
- Microwave frequency check of each antenna to manufacturers specifications
- Antenna power tested to manufacturers specifications
- Receiver accuracy tested to the manufacturers specifications
- Receiver sensitivity tested to ensure adequate range
- Tuning fork accuracy check