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What are
radar certifications?
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A
series of diagnostic tests performed on police radar
equipment to verify that the unit is functioning in
accordance with the equipment manufacturer's
specifications. |
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How are
"certification" and "calibration" different?
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Although the terms are often used interchangeably in the
field, they have distinctly different meanings. Radar
calibration involves physical or electronic
adjustments to the unit's circuitry and is typically
performed by the manufacturer, whereas certification
is a test to ensure the unit is functioning within its
design specifications. |
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Why are
radar certifications important?
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Legal Implications: Numerous state and local
governments require police departments to perform
periodic, comprehensive certifications of radar. This
certification guarantees equipment accuracy and court
acceptance when cases involving speeding tickets are
presented. |
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Investment Protection: Periodic radar certifications
can give police early warning that units may be in need
of repair. |
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Accuracy Assurance: Radar units that pass
certification tests can be relied upon to provide
accurate measurement of vehicle speed. |
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Does
dBInnovations equipment certify with any radar unit
or tuning
fork?
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Yes,
our equipment will work with any radar brand or model
including all hand held and dash mounted units. It also
handles all X-band,
K-band and Ka-band radar
transmitting frequencies. |
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Our
equipment does not certify laser or lidar units at this
time. Support for these types of units is currently
under development at
dB Innovations and will be
available in the future. |
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How often
should radar be certified?
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This
will vary depending on state requirements. Some
states (FL) require testing every six months. In
the absence of any statutory requirement, we recommend
that units be tested at least annually. |
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What
happens when a unit fails certification?
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The radar unit will need to be sent
in for repair. DB Innovations does not repair radar but
we do provide referrals upon request for reliable repair
centers. |
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Why is center frequency testing
needed?
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Using Doppler shift theory as a
guide, the center frequency test is the optimal manner
to verify that the known value of a radar’s center
frequency (outgoing signal) is correct. If a radar
unit’s outgoing signal is not measured, there can be no
assurance that a radar unit is measuring correct
speeds. To help in this area, DB Innovations offers
equipment of PRO-TECT, VOCAR HR Enhanced and VOCAR HR
Enhanced Plus that will measure center frequency |
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Will the Pro-Tect and VOCAR
series meet my legal requirements?
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Within the United States different
certification requirements exist as these can vary from
state to state. To help determine which of our units
will meet your local requirements, please call us at
(800) 371-3758 or fax us for review a copy of one of
your recent certification forms at (877) 906-7016.
Contacting your local district attorney or judge can
also help in this area. |
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How do I know your equipment is
accurate?
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DB Innovations ships all new units
NIST certified for a period of year with supporting
documentation. This ensures our equipment meets
national standards and can be relied upon for generating
accurate results. DB Innovations also highly recommends
each unit be sent back to us for optional annual NIST
testing to ensure your equipment continues to yield
accurate results. (NIST stands for National Institute
of Standards and Technology.) |
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Are PRO-TECT and the VOCAR-HR
series suitable for field use?
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Yes. they can also be used
within a patrol car for dash mounted radar units.
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