Traffic Enforcement in Victoria

Radar Guns

The hand held radar used by the Victorian Police Force is the Kustom HR-4 (Falcon) K-band hand held radar gun. Radar is transmitted in frequencies, and these being:
  • X-band : 10.252 Ghz
  • K-band : 24.150 Ghz
  • Ka-band : 33.4 Ghz to 36.0 Ghz (also know as Super Wideband Ka)
    As of 1989, X-band has ceased to be used for traffic radar in Australia, most, if not all hand held and moving radar units using K-band (that I am aware of), and Photo Radar using both K and Ka band units.

    The Victorian Police are very good in hiding when they use radar guns, often such as on the Hume Highway hiding in behind trees so they can radar you from behind after you have passed, probably unaware that you just passed a police car. In this situation a radar detector will give you a very short warning time, or most often no warning of the speed trap ahead. While the TOG is in charge of patrolling the states roads, doesn’t mean that just they are the sole users of radar units. Sometimes regular patrol cars and division vans will use hand held radar guns, mostly at night.

    Kustom Falcon hand held radar gun as used by the Victorian Police

    An issue of Wheels magazine (about 1989) tested the performance of the KR-10SP and HR-4 radars, and the performance of radar detectors of the time. They measured the KR-4 and the KR-10SP obtaining the speed of a vehicle at about 1.5km.

    Associated reading, How Radar Works