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Kustom Signals Talon Radar Operator's Manual

Manual is about: Traffic Safety Radar

Summary of Talon Radar

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    Talon traffic safety radar operator’s manual p/n 006-0604-00 rev. 6 1010 w chestnut chanute, ks 66720-0947.

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    Copyright © 2003, kustom signals, inc. All rights reserved. Printed in u.S.A. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permi...

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    Table of contents 1. Introduction .......................................................... 1.1 2. Specifications ........................................................ 2.1 2.0 general ..................................................................... 2.1 2.1 operational .........................

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    Table of contents 6.4.4 tuning fork test failure ............................... 6.5 6.5 speedometer verification......................................... 6.5 6.6 minimum patrol speed set ...................................... 6.7 6.7 moving mode test ...................................................

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    Table of contents 9. Care of the talon................................................ 8.1 9.0 routine care............................................................. 9.1 9.1 equipment repair/return......................................... 9.2 9.2 battery disposal ....................................

  • Page 6: 1.   Introduction

    Section 1--introduction 1.1 1. Introduction the kustom signals talon radar system comes from a long standing commitment to the law enforcement community to provide quality, state- of-the-art speed measuring equipment. The talon offers features never before available on a moving/stationary handheld k...

  • Page 7: 2.  Specifications

    Section 2--specifications 2.1 2. Specifications 2.0 general type: one-piece, moving/stationary true doppler radar system frequency: ka-band 33.4-36.0 ghz +100 mhz tuning forks forks stamped “ksi ka-band” are for units with microwave frequency 35.5 ghz. Forks for any other ka- band frequency will hav...

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    Section 2—specifications 2.2 nominal power requirements: voltage (vdc) current (ma) without target present: 13.6 510 with target present: 13.6 560 without target & backlight: 13.6 520 with target & backlight: 13.6 570 standby (hold): 13.6 100 reverse voltage protection: diode protection. No damage i...

  • Page 9: 2.1  Operational

    Section 2--specifications 2.3 2.1 operational speed processor: digital signal processing (dsp) performs all signal analysis. Operational all functions are microprocessor processor: controlled. Manual test: all display segments checked; checks internal calibration and performs a cross check of quartz...

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    Section 2—specifications 2.4 speed range: meets iacp/nhtsa specifications. Stationary: target channel sensitivity of 10 db from 35 to 90 mph (56 to 144 km/h); 5 db from 60 to 90 mph (96 to 144 km/h). Moving (opposite direction): within 10 db for targets between 40 to 90 mph (64 to 144 km/h). Maximum...

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    Section 2--specifications 2.5 low battery flashing “batt” displayed and an audio warning tone sounds every 2 minutes when internal battery voltage falls below approximately 6.6 vdc. Operator is prompted that approximately 15 minutes of transmitter operation remains. Low voltage: steady “batt” displa...

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    Section 2—specifications 2.6 opposite: “opp” displayed when in moving- opposite direction mode. Same: “same” displayed when in moving- same direction mode. Lock: “lock” displayed and flashing indicating locked target speed. Fastest: “fast” displayed when fastest mode (stationary or moving-opposite) ...

  • Page 13: 3.0  Initial Inspection

    Section 3—inspection and installation 3.1 3. Inspection and installation 3.0 initial inspection before installing your talon, please take a moment to carefully inspect the shipping carton for damage. Contact the shipping carrier at once if you notice any damage. Remove the unit from the shipping car...

  • Page 14: 3.2  Cable Installation

    Section 3—inspection and installation 3.2 3.2 cable installation 3.2.1 auxiliary power receptacle cigarette lighter receptacles have been the traditional source of power for traffic radar over the years. In newer vehicles, it is possible that poor grounding of this receptacle and electrical noise fr...

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    Section 3—inspection and installation 3.3 3.2.2 speedometer pulse cable this cable sends information about patrol speed from the vehicle speedometer cable to the processing circuitry. The radar then can find and display patrol speed faster. 1. The speedometer pulse cable has a connector at one end w...

  • Page 16: 3.3  Radar Installation

    Section 3—inspection and installation 3.4 3.3 radar installation 1. The talon is shipped with the handle (corded or cordless) attached. For dash mounting, remove the handle by pressing the blue release button (latch) on the bottom of the indicator and sliding the handle backwards. 2. Locate the dash...

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    Section 3—inspection and installation 3.5 6. Start the patrol vehicle and position the a/c-heater fan to a mid-range speed. Move the talon left or right of its initial location and listen for any raspy sound (fan interference) in the audio. Position the talon to minimize the amount of interference. ...

  • Page 18: 4.  Unit Description

    Section 4--unit description 4. Unit description 4.0 side view when the handle is attached, the talon operates in stationary mode only. The trigger is used to: • activate the transmitter • lock the active target speed • control the optional fastest vehicle feature trigger 4.1.

  • Page 19: 4.1  Rear Panel

    Section 4—unit description 4.1 rear panel a b w c 4.2 v d u s e t r f g q h p o i n j m l k.

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    Section 4--unit description 4.3 a. Target displays target vehicle speeds in stationary and moving modes. B. Rfi indicator lights when an excessive amount of rf interference is present. C. Err indicator lights when an internal error has occurred. D. Batt indicates when the battery or indicator extern...

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    Section 4—unit description 4.4 m. Speedometer accepts speedometer cable input connector. N. Data port rs232 i/o port which provides patrol and target speed information to an eyewitness in-car video system or other equipment. O. Aud (audio) displays the audio level currently selected. Secondary funct...

  • Page 22: 4.2  Remote Control

    Section 4--unit description 4.2 remote control 4.5 e a d b c the remote control operates through the mounting pod. The unit plugs into the pod and allows direct control of the following functions: a. Hold turns the microwave transmitter on and off. B. Same/opp switch selects either the (target) same...

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    Section 4—unit description 4.6 d. Fast/slow 1) in stationary or moving/opposite direction modes, turns fastest vehicle mode on or off. 2) in moving/same direction mode, tells the processor the patrol vehicle is traveling slower than the target vehicle. Note: fastest can be operated one of two ways. ...

  • Page 24: 5.0  General

    Section 5—general theory of operation 5.1 5. General theory of operation 5.0 general the talon radar system transmits a radio frequency on ka- band, in compliance with the federal communications commission (fcc) regulations. In stationary mode, a portion of the transmitted signal strikes a moving ta...

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    Section 5—general theory of operation 5.2 after receiving the “high” doppler signal, the talon automatically computes the difference between the speed of the patrol vehicle and the target vehicle. The speed of the approaching vehicle registers in the target display. If for example, a patrol vehicle ...

  • Page 26: 5.1  Microwave Rf Emissions

    Section 5—general theory of operation 5.3 5.1 microwave rf emissions traffic radar operators may have some questions about the biological effects of exposure to the microwave energy produced by traffic radar devices. According to all credible evidence, the emission levels resulting from traffic rada...

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    Section 5—general theory of operation 5.4 another reference document on this topic is a dot publication entitled “field strength measurements of speed measuring radar units” (nhtsa technical report #dot- hs-805 928). This report documents a series of tests performed by the national institute of stan...

  • Page 28: 6.  Testing Procedures

    Section 6—testing procedures 6.1 6. Testing procedures 6.0 general the internal test and tuning fork tests explained below should be conducted at the beginning and end of each patrol shift to ensure the accuracy and functionality of the unit. The results of these tests may be recorded in a radar log...

  • Page 29: 6.3  Manual Test

    Section 6—testing procedures 6.2 6.3 manual test the operator can manually perform the indicator and internal tests at any time during normal radar operation— just press and release the test switch. The indicator test will be performed followed by the display of “32” in the target window in stationa...

  • Page 30: Fork Test

    Section 6—testing procedures 6.3 6.4.1 stationary tuning fork test 1. Place the talon in the stationary mode of operation. 2. Verify the range level is set to maximum. Press the rng switch to display “rng”, then use the up arrow to increase the range level to maximum. 3. Lightly strike the lower spe...

  • Page 31: Test

    Section 6—testing procedures 6.4 4. Lightly strike the lower speed tuning fork on a hard, nonmetallic surface and place it in front of the antenna. The patrol window should read the speed stamped on the tuning fork, +1 mph (+1 km/h). 5. While holding the lower speed fork in front of the antenna, lig...

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    Section 6—testing procedures 6.5 6.4.4 tuning fork test failure if the proper speed readings are not obtained during the previous tests, check the following: 1. Verify that the tuning forks are the proper tuning forks supplied with the unit. 2. Striking the tuning fork too hard or on a metallic surf...

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    Section 6—testing procedures 6.6 2. Verify the patrol speed displayed matches the speedometer reading, and press the lock/rel switch. This tells the dsp processor that the current speedometer reading and the low doppler patrol speed reading agree, within speedometer tolerance limits. 3. After approx...

  • Page 34: 6.7  Moving Mode Test

    Section 6—testing procedures 6.7 6.6 minimum patrol speed set 1. When the speedometer input feature is not used, the talon allows the operator to set a minimum patrol speed of 10, 20, 30 or 40 mph (16, 32, 48 or 64 km/h). 2. To activate this feature, place the unit in the moving mode and press the p...

  • Page 35: 7.  System Operation

    Section 7—operation 7.1 7. System operation 7.0 operating modes the talon radar system offers the operator one of the most versatile ka-band traffic radar systems available today. Use it as a handheld or dash-mounted stationary radar. Use it with the battery handle or corded handle. Use it dash- mou...

  • Page 36: 7.1.1  Battery Charging

    Section 7—operation 7.2 7.1.1 battery charging for cordless operation, the talon battery handle must be charged before use. Remove the battery handle by turning the unit upside down, and press the blue handle release button (latch) located directly behind the handle. Slide the handle off the unit an...

  • Page 37: 7.1.2  Battery Operation

    Section 7—operation 7.3 7.1.2 battery operation the talon has an onboard battery monitor that notifies the operator when battery voltage (internal or external) is approaching or has fallen below the talon regulation threshold. First the monitor senses the condition where 15 minutes of transmitting b...

  • Page 38: 7.1.4  Adjusting Audio

    Section 7—operation 7.4 7.1.4 adjusting audio adjust the doppler audio for the desired listening level. Press the aud switch. The target window will display “aud” and the patrol window will display the current audio level. This display will remain for approximately two (2) seconds unless another swi...

  • Page 39: 7.1.7  Backlight

    Section 7—operation 7.5 7.1.7 backlight for low light operation, press and hold the test switch for approximately 1 second, then press the mode switch to turn the backlight on. Repeat to turn off. 7.2 operation - handheld 7.2.1 setup 1. Attach the corded or battery handle. Turn the unit on. It shoul...

  • Page 40: 7.2.2  Target Lock

    Section 7—operation 7.6 7.2.2 target lock 1. To lock the target speed reading, release the trigger. A short audio alert tone will be heard in the speaker and the target speed will be locked and flash in the lock window. 2. To allow additional tracking of the target vehicle, the talon will continue t...

  • Page 41: 7.3.1  Setup

    Section 7—operation 7.7 7.3 operation—dash mounted 7.3.1 setup 1. Turn unit off; unplug power cord. Remove the handle from the talon by pressing the handle release button (latch) on the bottom of the indicator. 2. Slide the indicator onto the mounting pod, pushing rearward until the release button c...

  • Page 42: 7.4.1  Hold Mode

    Section 7—operation 7.8 7.4 moving mode—opposite direction 1. Place the talon in the moving mode by pressing the mode switch, if needed, so that both the target and patrol windows’ indicators are lit. Select opposite direction mode by pressing same/opp if necessary on the remote control (the opp ind...

  • Page 43: (Optional Feature)

    Section 7—operation 7.9 3. When the patrol vehicle’s speed has dropped 10 mph (16 km/h) below the speed when lock was activated, or the talon is placed in hold, the patrol vehicle’s speed, at the time of lock, will flash in the patrol window. Note: this allows the operator to continue to track the t...

  • Page 44: Feature)

    Section 7—operation 7.10 7.4.5 moving mode – fastest vehicle lock 1. To lock the fastest vehicle speed, momentarily press the lock/rel switch on the remote control. 2. After a short alert tone, the fast display will indicate lock, the target window will track the fastest speed and the patrol window ...

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    Section 7—operation 7.11 4. If the target vehicle is traveling slower than the patrol vehicle, the operator should press and hold the fast/slow switch on the remote control. The slow indicator will be lit. 5. When the switch is released, it will remain active for approximately two (2) seconds. This ...

  • Page 46: 8.0  Natural Influences

    Section 8—influences and interference 8.1 8. Influences and interference interferences from external sources may affect the standard operation of any radar device, including the talon. These influences can be natural or man-made, however the digital signal processing circuitry will eliminate most of...

  • Page 47: 8.1  Man-Made Influences

    Section 8—influences and interference 8.2 8.1 man-made influences 1. Radar units may display incorrect speed readings from various sources. These include shadowing, combined speeds, moving cosine and fan interferences (splitting speeds). Unlike other radar, the dsp processor in the talon can sense a...

  • Page 48: 8.2  Groundspeed

    Section 8—influences and interference 8.3 5. Radio frequency interference (rfi) exists when there are strong rf transmitters in the immediate area of the radar unit, such as the patrol vehicle’s transmitting radio, high power radio or television stations. The talon will detect these sources of inter...

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    Section 8—influences and interference 8.4 the talon will always look for and display groundspeed before displaying any targets. The groundspeed radar signature is unlike any target or interference signal. The dsp can identify this pattern, which is helpful in situations such as shadowing or combined...

  • Page 50: 9.  Care of The Talon

    Section 9—care of the talon 9.1 9. Care of the talon the talon radar system is designed for long reliable use by law enforcement agencies. Following basic care guidelines will ensure the unit gives many years of trouble-free service. 9.0 routine care 1. Use a damp cloth to clean the outside of the r...

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    Section 9—care of the talon 9.2 6. If the talon exhibits decreased range over a period of time, the unit should be examined by an authorized service center for possible receiver diode degradation. Receiver diode degradation has no effect on the unit’s accuracy, but will result in unsatisfactory targ...

  • Page 52: 9.2  Battery Disposal

    Section 9—care of the talon 9.3 9.2 battery disposal it is a violation of federal regulations to dispose of rechargeable batteries in a landfill. They must be recycled at an appropriate facility or otherwise disposed of in accordance with local ordinances, or they may be shipped back to kustom signa...

  • Page 53: 10.  Case Law

    Section 10—case law 10.1 10. Case law this section is included so radar operators and those individuals responsible for prosecuting traffic arrests can familiarize themselves with the more important legal cases involving the use of traffic radar. To obtain additional information on the referenced ma...

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    Section 10—case law 10.2 the court held and took judicial notice of the accuracy of doppler radar in both the stationary and moving modes of operation. Reference e – samuel knight vs state of new york superior court. 72 n.Y. 2d 481, 530 n.E. 2d 1273 (1988). The court ruled that a trained operator, w...

  • Page 55: 11.  Fcc Rules

    Section 11—fcc rules 11.1 11. Fcc rules 11.0 transmitter rules amended the federal communications commission (fcc) has amended its rules to eliminate the required annual measurement of transmitter power, frequency and modulation and to specify transmitter power in terms of output power for licensees...

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    Section 11—fcc rules 11.2 11.1 radar unit licensing amended (part 90) the commission has eliminated the requirement for local governmental entities licensed in the public safety radio services to obtain a separate authorization for radar speed detection devices. This change reduces paperwork for the...

  • Page 57: 12.  Troubleshooting

    Section 12—troubleshooting 12.1 12. Troubleshooting if an operating difficulty is encountered, check the following list of possible problems and solutions before returning the unit to the factory or local service center. Problem possible solution no power indication check for proper voltage at cigar...

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    Section 12—troubleshooting 12.2 no patrol speed during verify the proper tuning forks are tuning fork test (cont.) being used. Lightly strike the tuning forks and retest. Remove unit from service if above tests fail. No target readings in verify unit is not in hold. Stationary mode. Verify range con...

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    Section 12—troubleshooting 12.3 no patrol speed (cont.) verify speedometer input is synchronized properly. Verify the patrol speed is above 10 mph (16 km/h) and below 100 mph (160 km/h). Place unit in stationary mode and drive patrol vehicle. Verify target window displays proper groundspeed. If no s...

  • Page 60: Note:  Use A Shielded Power

    Section 12—troubleshooting 12.4 remove unit from service if above tests fail. Short range verify the range control is properly set for the desired distance to target vehicles. Verify the unit is aimed properly. Verify there are no obstructions between the unit and the target. Weather conditions (hea...

  • Page 61: 13.  Options

    Section 13—options 13.1 13. Options 13.0 options setup the talon radar unit allows the operator to change certain operating parameters of the unit. The following is a list of the available parameters. Each has a number after the option. An example will be given to instruct the operator how to change...

  • Page 62: 13.1 Options Descriptions

    Section 13—options 13.2 13.1 options descriptions the following is a description of the function of each one of the options the operator can set. 13.1.1 automatic unlocking of locked speeds the talon defaults to not automatically unlocking speeds the officer has locked. If automatic unlocking is req...

  • Page 63: 13.1.4 Patrol Blank

    Section 13—options 13.3 13.1.4 patrol blank the talon defaults to allow the operator to blank the locked patrol speed. If it is required that the lock patrol speed cannot be blanked, add 8 to the options total. Note: due to international regulations, if this option has been turned on at the factory,...

  • Page 64: 13.2 Options Examples

    Section 13—options 13.4 13.2 options examples using the above options list, add all the numbers for the options you want active. Note: default options, such as mph and patrol blank, have a value of zero (0). To enter the options menu mode, power the unit off, then press and hold the power switch unt...

  • Page 65: 14.  Warranty

    Section 14—warranty 14.1 14. Warranty 1. Warranty coverage. The kustom signals radar and laser system (“equipment”) is guaranteed to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two (2) years from date of shipment to the owner or lessee. This warranty applies only to the original ...

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    Section 14—warranty 14.2 failure of the owner or lessee to observe any conditions set forth in this warranty; or equipment damage arising from flood, fire, vehicle collision, act of god or similar event or catastrophe; or tampering, abuse, or misuse of the equipment by owner, lessee or third party w...

  • Page 67: Airbag Caution

    Airbag caution equipment mounted in 1994 or later series police vehicles may interfere with the operation of passenger side airbags. Information is available directly from the automobile manufacturers regarding areas for safe mounting of equipment such as police radar. Since this information will va...

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    Unit serial number _____________ on duty test off duty test date test fork/ read drive/ radar sign test fork/ read drive/ radar sign comments.