Bushnell radar.

Intlwaters

Help Support Intlwaters:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
no. my experience is that it never reads more than about 40 mph, probably seeing the roostertail more than the boat.
 
Tow things about radar guns:

1) if the boat isn't coming straight at you and/or the gun isn't down just above the water, the reading will be inaccurate. This is due to to the parallax effect. IF you're standing on the bank, taking a speed reading using a radar gun, the distance traveled will be distorted since the distance traveled and the distance measured won't be the same. The further out the boat is from the bank, the more the distortion.

2) water will reflect the radar signal and, as said above, can affect the results. This is even the case in the high powered radars used on ships and military aircraft. They refer to it as "ground clutter"

Since I don't have a radar gun and haven't done any research on which ones are more or less affected by parallax, I won't say one is better than the other. I'm just putting this out so that it's a known issue with radar guns and their use
 
I see more using GPS today then radar. Dose a GPS have issues with accuracy?
The problem is that people use radar and or GPS as the holly grail and state oh my boat runs 90 mph because my GPS or Radar Gun says so.

I have checked my GPS in my vehicle and it is accurate however I wasn't doing tiny circles like we do when running boats and tiny circles may not be as accurate as a run down the highway in a vehicle.

I simply use Radar or GPS as a reference tool, I don't care what the number is and I don't state that my boat goes xx MPH. I use the number it gives me on that day with a particular prop or setup then change the prop or setup and see if that number goes up or down. Also those who go long to check top speed are only fooling themselves, run the course as you would while racing and you get a better idea of how your boat is running as it would in a heat race.

Edit to add: The only way to truly get your MPH is to run at a Record Trials with certified NAMBA or IMPBA timing system.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Terry, I run normally with rpm and speed telemetry using the Multiplex radio but not logged, just max speed, actual speed and rpm on the screen.
 
The Dayton pond set along interstate 70. Me and a friend of mine was doing props testing on my 21 blackjack and looked up on the interstate and a Ohio state patrol was setting there.10 minutes later heard someone say how fast is it.So the officer got his lazer gun and clock the speed.I ask how close the reading was and he said it is right on.By using a rader gun is not the way to go.For every 10 Deg the speed is different.

Dave Roach
 
Your get more useful info from a stopwatch if improving speed / lap times, is the goal.
 
Terry, I run normally with rpm and speed telemetry using the Multiplex radio but not logged, just max speed, actual speed and rpm on the screen.

Oh, so why the radar gun?
A GPS tells you how fast you are going, a radar can show how fast the other guys are going...
default_tongue.png
 
Timed laps on a given distance only accurate measurement of lap speed.....,lots of people have so called 80+mph boats,check lap speed and you will be very disappointed,i ts only doing 55-60mph average at best,10 seconds on 1/3 mile 60mph average....,most boats cannot even do that!,not saying some can't,just before bragging on speed know the obvious!
 
My Stalker(calibrated) reads the same as my Eagle Tree telemetry shows when I'm testing my saw boats..otherwise I only care my heat boats finish the six laps. Gill
 
I always use a GPS and some common sense. If its not VERY repeatable you most likely didn't obtain that speed.

But on a nice clear day where u can get a good signal and going straight and able to hold the speed for a few seconds with GPS u will get an accurate speed reading.

I use my GPS for testing just like i use my engine dyno for testing engines. you don't ever go off a glory # or just one run/reading you go off the consistent #
default_smile.png
 
Back
Top