Laser Technology
As the name implies, Laser Technology manufactures laser speed enforcement instruments as well as distance and height measurement instruments. The company's technology is one of the many benefits derived from military and space programs.
Back in the 1990s, NASA needed a way to measure the speed of the Space Shuttle as it approached the Hubble Space Telescope for docking. It couldn't use radar because that would damage the telescope's components, so it hired Laser Tech to develop a way to measure precise speeds and distances using lasers. This same technology was adapted by the traffic enforcement community.
Today, Laser Tech manufactures some of the world's most innovative laser speed enforcement devices. The company is particularly proud of its new Distance Between Cars (DBC) feature.
DBC is a modified version of Laser Tech's Ultralyte 100 LR laser system that measures time and distance between two following vehicles on a highway. Laser Tech's Paul Adkins says that DBC is an anti-tailgating tool. "Using DBC, the three-second following rule can be enforced by more than just a visual determination by the officer," he explains.
Another feature that Laser Tech offers in its systems is Accuracy Validation. "The firmware inside our laser will display an error message when panning or moving the laser from one car to another," Adkins explains. "If the technology is challenged in court, the technology is scientifically reliable."
Laser Tech's top-of-the-line speed laser is the Ultralyte 200, an extremely versatile device that can even be used for crash scene mapping, replacing a tape or wheel for distance and height measurements. Laser Tech sells field software, QuickMap 3D, that easily transfers data into CadZone's desktop software for courtroom-ready diagrams.
Adkins says that one of the best things about the Ultralyte is that despite its name, the device is rugged. "It has an aluminum casing, and is very durable," he says.
Another great feature of the Ultralyte is that it's powered by two C batteries, which means that officers can stop at a convenience store and never experience downtime during their shifts.
Laser Tech's latest release in the speed laser line is the TruSpeed, an economy model that gives smaller departments an opportunity to use lasers for speed enforcement.
Adkins says the best feature of all Laser Tech products is the accuracy they provide the traffic enforcement officer in the field. "All of our speed lasers have accuracy validation," he explains. "It comes down to this: You spend all this time in the field issuing speeding violations, then when you go to court, the last thing you want is to lose the case over inaccurate equipment. Then all your time, effort, and resources are wasted. We take great pride in the accuracy of our lasers."
Stalker Radar
Plano, Texas-based Stalker Radar makes a wide variety of speed measurement tools, including the radar guns used to record the velocity of baseball pitches. Its latest and most innovative law enforcement product is the Stalker II.
The Stalker II is a handheld system with a rear antenna option. A Stalker spokesperson says the rear antenna option gives the handheld all the utility of a dash-mounted two-antenna radar. "You can set it to track a vehicle on both the front and rear," he says.
A Stalker II handheld system can also be mounted inside a vehicle, giving an agency flexibility and a lot of bang for the buck, according to the Stalker rep. "We think that the real appeal to this device is that a smaller department might have a couple of motorcycles and a couple of patrol cars. They can use the Stalker II like a dash-mounted system or the motor officer can use it handheld and stationary."
Stalker also makes a line of vehicle-mounted radar systems. The latest product in this line is the Stalker DSR 2X.
The Stalker DSR 2X combines two direction sensing radars in one package. "In stationary mode, you can track up to four targets at one time. You can track two stronger targets and two faster targets," the Stalker rep says. "In moving mode you are limited to two target zones."
Stalker DSR 2X buyers can choose from two options: Instant-On and Fast Lock. Instant On allows the user to turn the system on very quickly using an infrared remote. Fast Lock lets the system distinguish the fastest target from the largest target. For example, if a Corvette is passing a tractor-trailer truck, Fast Lock will track the 'vette and not the truck. Some systems would be confused in this situation since the truck is so much larger than the sports car.