Law enforcement agencies often ask about the setup, installation and use of the Radarsign TC-400. The TC-400 is a portable, battery-powered radar speed sign that is designed to be transported in an ordinary vehicle (back seat or trunk). The signs are lightweight, easy to carry and can be installed by one officer.
Georgia’s Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was kind enough to help answer these questions. Like many other law enforcement agencies across the U.S., the Hall County Sheriff’s Office was using a very old radar speed trailer to slow speeding drivers. At 20 years old, the trailer was no longer dependable. It was big and bulky, required a special vehicle for transport and a large, level space on the side of the road for placement. The county had no other radar driver feedback device and needed to replace the trailer. However, the Sheriff wanted something smaller that was easier to transport and use.
Sgt. Todd Casper and Dep. Jeff Sherrill, both with HCSO’s Traffic Unit, share their first-hand experience as they open, setup, program, install and operate the TC-400 for the first time. This is their first-hand experience.
Links
- RS TC 400 overview http://www.radarsign.com/radar-speed-...
- TC-400 Spec Sheet http://www.radarsign.com/wp-content/u...
- Hall County Sheriff's Office website http://www.hallcountysheriffsoffice.org/
- HCSO FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/hallcountysh...
- Radarsign FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/Radarsign/
- Radarsign website http://www.radarsign.com/
- Radarsign Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/radarsig...
Outdated speed trailers come with some big problems:
- SIZE - big clunky trailers require a large, level spot on the roadway shoulder. So placement sites are limited
- PORTABILITY - A special vehicle—a truck or SUV equipped with a hitch—is required for transport. The process to set up and stabilize the device is time consuming.
- POWER - When trailer batteries need to be charged, the entire device must be transported to an appropriate facility, like a police or fire station, with adequate space for storing and access to AC power. This takes the trailer completely out of commission.
- COST - Replacing an old speed trailer with a new one will cost from $6000 to $12,000. Operationally upkeep can be costly for speed trailers that operate with expensive marine batteries.
Radar speed signs from Radarsign are being used for traffic calming to slow speeding drivers by: local police, county police, state police, campus police, sheriff’s officers, DOT, corporate campuses and more.
Special thanks to the HCSO in Georgia for the exclusive access.
