Anyone with a radar gun they'd be willing to lend?

Submitted by alwaysUseATryCatch t3_zhf860 in CambridgeMA

Hi!

I'm a local college student working on an urban planning project for which it would be very useful to use a radar gun to conduct a speed study on traffic. If anyone has a radar gun and would be willing to lend it, I would be incredibly appreciative. I'd only need it for a few hours and would be willing to deposit something like my student ID or some cash with you (as collateral). Thanks!

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realvladdiputtn t1_izm59cl wrote

I’d recommend calling city hall or the non emergency police number. They may be willing to help

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greyfiel t1_izm9sxk wrote

I don’t, but you could try calling the Waltham or Watertown libraries — both have a very dedicated “Library of Things” selection, and you can get a library card for the Minuteman Library Network (Cambridge, both libraries listed above, and several more) for free, even as a college student.

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alwaysUseATryCatch OP t1_izmiqwd wrote

Thanks so much! I looked at the online catalog and looks like none of the Minuteman libraries have one, but I might call just to see :)

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greyfiel t1_izn6yct wrote

Some libraries don’t post local tech online — for example, you can’t book the Cambridge laptops or hotspots through the website.

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These-Assignment-936 t1_izmuaq3 wrote

Radar guns can be tricky to use and often need to be calibrated to be accurate. I’d suggest that your “Plan B” of tape measure and timer be implemented anyway as part of your experimental design, to help you assess and correct for any systematic bias in radar gun readings.

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DJFurioso t1_iznbobg wrote

Does your school have a baseball team? Pitching coach might have one to lend during off season.

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WaitForItTheMongols t1_izo76rk wrote

Radar guns are hard to use - it's hard to know if you're measuring what you think you're measuring.

You'd be much better off making marks on the road (piece of masking tape or something) spaced out by a known distance (30 feet or something), and then take video and count how long it takes for a car's front tire to go from one mark to the next.

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fragglet t1_izp92uk wrote

Maybe also let the local police know before you start pointing a pistol shaped thing at people in public. Wouldn't want a misunderstanding

Maybe put on a hi-vis jacket

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randomdragoon t1_izmmfl1 wrote

If you can't find a radar gun, you could probably also deduce the speed of things if you take continuous video of them.

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