General

Can Radar Guns Be Accurate In Recording Speed?

Radar guns are used in recording speed of the vehicles, by the traffic police personnel. These guns need to be highly accurate in recording the speed of the vehicles, since speeding beyond the permissible speed limit set by law, is considered to be punishable by law. Though these guns are being used day in and day out, it is not necessary that the speed recorded by these guns is accurate every time. It has been found that over 25 % of the speed tickets issued by the traffic police are given out in error.

Now 25% is a really high proportion, and considering that repeat offences are liable to attract severe penalty, it becomes all the more important that these radar guns show accurate speed. Similarly the sports radar guns can also sometimes record wrong speed. The errors can be caused by a wide variety of reasons. It may be due to the interference with a transmission angle between the radar gun and the vehicle and is called as Cosine error. The other most common error is the RFI or the Radio frequency interference. Shadow error is another common form of error which may be caused due to the interlocking of the moving radar waves on to another huge vehicle.

The sports or baseball radar guns are frequently used by baseball clubs and also by the coaches of the baseball teams to register and compare the speed of the pitched ball by each player of the team. Since it is used to compare the speeds of players, it needs to be accurate.

Choosing a Proper Reel

Going fishing requires proper equipment. The equipment greatly depends on the type of fish you are going after. In this regard, there are two types of reels you can choose from.

1. The open faced spinning reel
2. The baitcasting reel

Spinning reels – For smaller test lines like 14 pounders or lower, spinning reels are the best choice. Keep the gear ratio to around 5.1 : 1, as anything faster will mean that you are sacrificing power. The problem with these spinning reels is that they tend to get tangled sometimes. Untangling them is annoying and tedious. To avoid tangles or snarls as they are often known, try spraying the line with silicone. You should also close the bell manually after you finish casting. This will avoid most cases of snarling. You should also avoid filling the spool completely for a better experience. One other issue with these reels is that they don’t heavy lines and lines with larger memory very well.

Baitcasting reels – Keep the gear ratio the same as for the spinners (again based on the power issue). These reels can handle much heavier lines like the 20 pounders and above. So you can put on heavier bait and go after bigger fish like tiger muskie or northern pike. This reel is great for fighting fish that are in heavy cover or in the weeds. The key with these reels is setting the tension. If you get that right, you can avoid the dreaded backlash.

Entering and exiting Locks – Part 2/2

Wrap the lines around a cleat at the bow and the stern and ensure that a crew member is stationed at each position. Once the boat is secure, turn off the engine and the radar (if you have one). The lock gate behind you will now be closed and after that the opposite gate will be opened. Depending on whether you are going from a lower to a higher level or vice versa, you will experience an inflow or outflow of water. This is where having crew members stationed at the bow and stern becomes crucial.

This is because of two things. The first is that the water level is either rising or falling. Because of this the lines holding the boat secure are either getting very taut or very loose. The crew members have to adjust the lines accordingly otherwise you might be hung out on the wall of the lock or drift into other boats secured there. The second issue is that the rapid movement of water will cause a current to flow. This will move your boat around, thus requiring the crew members to keep it steady. This is also why you need the fenders, because it will protect against any scraping.

Once the water level reaches the desired level, the gates are completely opened. You may then start the engine and after that hand the lines back to the lockmaster or if they are yours, take them in. Thereafter you will have to follow the lockmaster’s directions and exit the lock using caution. Be aware that there may be boats waiting to enter the lock from the other side. When you clear of the lock, you finally take off the fenders and get underway with your journey.