M P H KBEE-003 Revised Manual

Industries

™

™

BEE III

Automatic Same Direction™ Traffic Radar

Operation and Service

Manual

No part of this work, covered by the copyrights hereon, may be reproduced or copied

in any form or

graphic, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information

Industries

™

™

BEE III

Automatic Same Direction™ Traffic Radar

Operation and Service

Manual

Copyright 2001, MPH Industries, Inc.

by any means –
storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of MPH Industries, Inc.

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Getting Started - An Introduction to the BEE III 3
Advanced features of the BEE III 12
Fastest vehicle mode 12
Same direction mode 12
POP™ mode 13
Stopwatch mode 14

A Detailed Explanation of the BEE III’s Features 16
Practical use of the BEE III 16
Display 18
Remote Control 20
Operation 24
Power up self test 24
Tuning fork tests and Tuning Fork mode 24
Harmonic detection 26
Range and radar placement 26
Power source 26
Fuse replacement 26
Remote control batteries 27

General Operational Considerations 28
Understanding traffic radar 28
Operational concerns of fastest and same direction modes 32
Interference information and precautions 35

Legal guide 37

FCC Licensing Requirements 39

BEE III Accessories 40

Quality Control Procedures and Repair of the BEE III 41

Servicing the BEE III 42

Warranty 43

MPH BEE III Specifications 44

Operational Recommendations 48

Introduction

MPH Industries, Inc. designed the BEE III Doppler radar with the police officer in mind. The
radar is easy to operate and includes the performance and features needed for today's traffic
environment. The BEE III is the most useful and flexible radar available; it is a full-featured
moving radar with fastest and same direction capability.

The BEE III utilizes MPH’s patented
Automatic Same Direction™ (ASD™)
technology. ASD allows the BEE III to
automatically measure the speeds of
targets moving in the same direction as
the patrol vehicle, thereby eliminating
the slower/faster button required by the
previous generation of same direction
radars. ASD™ also allows the radar to
measure the speed of targets moving in
one direction while completely ignoring
targets moving in the opposite direction.
In addition, the BEE III utilizes MPH’s
exclusive POP™ technology, allowing it
to measure speeds while simultaneously
remaining invisible to radar detectors.

The BEE III employs state-of-the-art digital signal processing (DSP) technology, which allows the
unit to have both high performance and high reliability in a small package. The digital signal
processor is a specialized microprocessor chip, which can perform the required calculations for
detecting patrol and target speeds very efficiently.

The MPH BEE III is composed of one or two antennas, a wireless remote control (wired remote
optional), and a separable display/counting unit. MPH designed the BEE III using only the highest
quality parts. Combined with the workmanship provided by MPH`s Manufacturing Department,
the BEE III will provide years of high performance.

The MPH BEE III offers more than features and performance. MPH provides training through our
network of experienced field representatives. We know that our success depends upon your
success with our equipment. We are dedicated to keeping our customers satisfied. The following
pages describe the operation of the MPH BEE III radar. We can also provide useful information
on the legal aspects of traffic radar at your request.

We at MPH Industries thank you for purchasing our equipment. We wish you the
greatest success in your speed enforcement program. We are proud that the BEE III
is a part of your department.

BEE III, Automatic Same Direction, ASD, MPH Industries, the MPH logo,

and POP are trademarks of MPH Industries, Inc.

2

Getting Started - An introduction to the BEE III

This step-by-step guide will help you get started using the BEE III and show you
how to operate it in all of its different modes. Working through this tutorial will
take less than an hour, and it will teach you everything that is necessary to take full
advantage of the BEE III's capabilities. It will take much less time for you to learn
the BEE III's functions with this tutorial than it will if you try to figure them out on
your own.

This guide assumes that you are familiar with basic radar operation. It will also be
beneficial if you have experience operating other radar units.

We encourage the customer to copy these pages out and use them as a checklist for
training. Checkboxes are provided to keep track of your progress.

Install the BEE III

Install the BEE III unit in the vehicle in accordance with the instructions
supplied with the radar’s mounting brackets.

Care should be exercised to ensure that none of the radar components or cables
are placed in the vehicle’s airbag deployment zones. Otherwise, the radar may
become detached during the explosive deployment of the airbag and become a
dangerous projectile that could seriously injure the occupants of the vehicle.

If you have any questions regarding the proper installation of the BEE III,
please contact MPH. If you have any questions regarding the airbag
deployment zone of your particular vehicle, we suggest that you contact the
vehicle’s manufacturer.

Turn the BEE III on

Press and release the Power button on the readout unit. This will cause the
BEE III to power up. When first turned on, the BEE III will start up in the
mode in which it was turned off, except that the unit will always power up in
standby with the range set to maximum. Selected antenna bands are displayed
for both front and rear antennas.

3

Perform a self test

Press the Test key, located approximately in the middle of the remote control.
This causes the radar to perform an internal test of the processing circuitry.
First, the radar will light up all of its display elements in a segment test. Next
the radar will tell you the software revision, for example “bEE III 010” for
BEE III revision 1.0. Finally, the radar will test itself with two Doppler tones,
first in stationary mode at 32 mph and then at 32/32 in moving mode. You will
also hear the Doppler audio associated with these test speeds. If all of the
checks are successful, the radar will respond with a double “test OK” beep.
Otherwise the radar will indicate a “fail” condition by displaying “Err”.

Immediately after passing the internal test, the letter “F” will be momentarily
displayed in the target window. The “F” indicates that the radar is in the tuning
fork test mode. See page 24 for details on the tuning fork tests. The unit will
stay in the tuning fork mode for approximately 30 seconds.

The BEE III periodically tests itself while the radar is operating. If no errors
are detected, the radar will give indication of this with a “test OK” tone set. If
an error is detected, the BEE III will indicate this by displaying “Err” and
ceasing to display target speeds. In the event of a test failure, the radar should
be removed from service until the problem can be remedied. In no case will
the BEE III process speeds when an error condition is present.

Select the operating mode

Look at the radar’s remote control. You will notice a cluster
of raised rubber buttons on the top portion of the remote.
Two of these buttons, the half-moon shaped ones, are used
for used to select the operating mode. The left button selects
opposite direction moving mode (normal moving radar), and
the right position selects same direction moving mode.

Press the Front button. This causes the front antenna to
transmit, if one is connected to the radar. Notice that the
radar responds to all wireless commands with a beep, letting

you know the BEE III understood and executed the action.

The selected mode will be illustrated in the MODE window,
which is located on the BEE III's front panel. The green car is
lighted (meaning that you are not in Standby), and since you

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are in opposite direction moving mode on the front antenna, the arrow in the
opposite lane of traffic ahead of the patrol car is lighted. In all cases, the
arrows indicate the traffic that is being monitored.

Now, press the Standby (Stndby) button on the remote. Notice that the red X
is lighted, indicating that the unit is in standby. None of the arrows are lighted
since no traffic is being monitored. You’ll also notice that the radar reads
either “Ci” or “Hi” in the Patrol window; we’ll address this later.

Now press the Rear button on the remote (if the radar is equipped with a rear
antenna). The arrow that is behind the patrol car in the opposite lane of traffic
is lighted, since the radar is in opposite direction moving mode and
transmitting on the rear antenna.

Now press the Same key on the remote. The lighted arrow behind the car
moves from the opposite lane of traffic because the same direction traffic
behind the patrol vehicle is being monitored.

Press the Front key. The lighted arrow moves to the front of the green patrol
car since same direction traffic in front of the patrol vehicle is being monitored.

You will notice that there is not a “Slower” or “Faster” key on the BEE III like
there is on other same direction radars. This is because the BEE III has
Automatic Same Direction™ technology, a patented technology that allows it
to process same direction targets automatically, so you do not have to press a
button to tell the radar whether the target vehicle is moving faster or slower
that your patrol vehicle is.

Try out Stationary mode

The operator can toggle between moving mode and stationary mode using the
Mov/Sta button on the remote control. This button is located in the upper left
side of the flat keypad. This key can also be used to access the stopwatch
mode, which will be discussed later.

Press the Mov/Sta button. The radar will enter stationary mode. You can tell
this because the “Sta” icon is lighted below the middle window and the Patrol
window is filled with dashes. In moving mode, the “Mov” indicator would be
lighted.

5

In stationary mode, you can select the direction of the targets that you want to
monitor. When you first enter stationary mode, you will notice that both
arrows in the display’s Mode window are lighted in the direction of the
antenna that you have selected. This indicates that the radar will measure the
speeds of targets moving in both directions, just like a normal radar will. As
soon as a target is measured, the radar will tell you in the mode window the
direction that the vehicle is traveling in addition to the speed that it is traveling.
This unique feature helps you to positively identify the vehicle being measured.

Now, press the Same button on the remote. You will notice that only the arrow
corresponding to the patrol car’s lane is illuminated. This indicates that the
radar will only measure the speed of vehicles moving in that direction (moving
away from the patrol vehicle on the front antenna and approaching the patrol
vehicle on the rear antenna). The radar will only measure the speeds of
vehicles moving in that lane of traffic regardless of whether there is a stronger
vehicle moving in the opposite lane of traffic. The BEE III allows the radar to
look past traffic moving in the other lane of traffic to see only the traffic in the
lane that interests you.

Now press the Opposite (Opp) button on the remote. You will notice that the
arrow moves over to the other lane of traffic in the Mode window. In this
mode, the radar will only display the speed of vehicles moving in that direction
(moving toward the patrol vehicle on the front antenna and away from the
patrol vehicle on the rear antenna). Like in the previous case, the radar will
only measure the speeds of vehicles moving in that lane of traffic regardless of
whether there is a stronger vehicle moving in the other lane of traffic.

You can toggle between the lane you want to measure by pressing the Same
and Opp keys. If you want to go back to monitoring both lanes of traffic, you
must press the Mov/Sta key twice.

6

Perform a tuning fork test

Place the BEE III into stationary mode by pressing the Mov/Sta button on the
remote. Place the front antenna into transmit by pressing the raised Front
button. Place a ringing fork in front of the antenna. The radar will read the
speed marked on the tuning fork, within one mile per hour, in its red Target
speed display. You may have to move the tuning fork gently toward and away
from the antenna in order to get the radar to read it properly. This is because a
tuning fork vibrates both toward and away from the radar, and the radar is
expecting to see a target moving either toward it or away from it, but not both
directions at once. Alternately, you may place the radar into Tuning fork mode
to perform the test, as is detailed on page 24 of this manual.

Notice again that the radar gives two indications that it is operating in
stationary mode. Firstly, the Sta icon under the middle speed window is
lighted. Secondly, the Patrol window is filled with dashes, indicating that the
radar will not pick up a patrol speed. When you are in moving mode, the Mov
icon under the middle speed window is lighted, and there are no dashes in the
Patrol window.

Try locking in a speed.

This is a good time to try the lock function. Place a ringing fork in front of the
antenna again. While the readout is displaying a speed in the Target window,
press the remote’s Lock button. Note that the tuning fork’s speed is locked in
the middle window. Also, the T-lock icon, which is located directly under the
BEE III's middle window is lighted, designating that the speed in the middle
window is a locked target speed.

Every time that the lock button is pressed, the radar will transfer the speed in
the Target window over to the middle window. Also, if you place the radar
into Standby, the operating mode at the time the speed was locked will be
displayed in the Mode window.

To clear a locked speed, press either the Front or Rear antenna button. This
will clear the locked speed regardless of whether or not there is a target speed
displayed in the Target window.

Locked speeds are also erased in other ways. If the radar is placed into
Standby, the locked speed is preserved, but if the BEE III is then made to
transmit again, the locked speed is cleared. (This is an IACP requirement.)

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Also, locked speeds are automatically cleared 15 minutes after they are locked
to preserve the integrity of the evidence. The automatic clearing is preceded by
a 30 second countdown if the BEE is in Standby to inform the officer of the
imminent clearing of the display so the officer can record the speed before it is
erased.

A double click of the lock button will also clear the lock window.

Perform moving mode tuning fork tests

Place the BEE III into moving mode by pressing the Mov/Sta button on the
remote. If the radar is not in opposite direction moving mode, press the
Opposite button. Turn the transmitter on to the front antenna by pressing the
raised Front button. Strike the lower frequency fork on a hard nonmetallic
surface and hold the ringing fork in a fixed position two or three inches in front
of the antenna with the narrow edge of the fork facing the antenna. The speed
will be shown in the patrol window. You may have to move the tuning fork
gently toward and away from the antenna in order to get the radar to read it
properly. This is because a tuning fork vibrates both toward and away from the
radar, and the radar is expecting to see a target moving either toward it or away
from it, but not both directions at once. While continuing to hold the ringing
fork in place, strike the other fork and hold it next to the patrol speed fork.
Both forks must be vibrating while being held an equal distance from the
antenna. The radar should display the difference between the forks as the
target speed. For example, for forks marked 35 mph and 65 mph, the patrol
would read 35 (low speed fork) and the target would read 30 (high-speed fork
minus low speed fork).

8

Try the menu system

Press and release the Menu button on the remote control. The middle speed
window of the readout will indicate “S n”. This indicates that the squelch is on
and Doppler audio is only present when a target speed is being displayed.

Now, do not push any buttons for 5 seconds. You will notice that the “S n” in
the middle window disappears. In all cases, after the menu buttons have not
been pressed for 10 seconds, the BEE III will revert back to its normal
operating mode.

Press the Menu key again. While the “S n” is being displayed, press the “—”
key on the remote. The middle speed will now read “S f”, indicating that the
squelch is now turned off and that the Doppler audio will be amplified at all
times, even when no target is present. As you have noticed, the “—” key also
acts as an “off” key for the menu. You can turn the squelch on by pressing the
“+” key while the “S” is present in the middle window or turn it off by pressing
the “—” key.

Now try pressing the “+” button without pressing the Menu button first. The
middle speed window of the readout will indicate “A 5”. This is the volume
adjustment, and the current volume setting is now one notch higher than it
previously was. Now wait for the text in the middle window to clear itself
again. Press the “—” button. The middle speed window of the readout will
read “A 4”. The number will be reduced by one from the value that was
previously displayed, indicating that the current volume setting is now one
notch lower than it previously was. Pressing the “+” and “—“ buttons without
pressing the Menu button first is the easiest way to adjust the audio volume.
You can also adjust the volume by pressing the menu key until “A _” is
displayed, where the “_” will be the current volume setting. You can adjust the
volume with the “+” and “—” buttons.

Wait until the middle window clears again and then press the Menu key twice.
The middle window will display “R __”, where the “_” is the current range
setting. Pressing the “—“ button will decrease the range setting by one each
time the button is pressed. To increase the range setting, press the “+” button.

If you press the menu key three times, you’ll notice that the radar will display a
“P” in the middle window. This initiates the POP™ mode, which will be
discussed in the section on advanced features of the BEE III.

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Place the radar back in standby. You’ll notice the word “Ci” or “Hi in the
Patrol window. This is an indication on whether the radar is in City mode or
Highway mode. City mode should be used for patrol speeds of 45 mph or less,
and it causes the radar to resist false speeds due to combining. Highway mode
should be used for patrol speeds over 40 mph, and it causes the radar to resist
shadowing.

Take a look at the remote control. One of the keys is marked “Pat Bl” in red
and “Low/Hi” in blue. When the key is pressed by itself, it performs the patrol
blanking function, which will be described later. When you press the blue “2nd
F” key and then this key, it allows you to toggle the radar between city and
highway modes using the “+” and “—” keys.
Try it now. Press the 2nd F key. You will notice that the radar reads “2nd” in
its middle window. Now press the Low/Hi button. The middle window will
display “P L” or “P H”. The “L” will be present if you are in city mode and
the “H” will be present if you are in highway mode. Pressing the “+” places
the radar in highway mode, and pressing the “—” key places the radar in city
mode.

Fastest button

The button with the rabbit icon on the remote control activates the fastest target
mode while the BEE III is transmitting. Fastest mode works in stationary and
opposite direction moving mode, but not in same direction moving mode. The
use of this feature will be described later.

When the radar is in tuning fork mode, the Fastest button in used in same
direction mode to cause the radar to subtract the speed of the target speed fork
to the speed of the patrol speed fork, simulating a target that is moving slower
than the patrol vehicle. This will also be explained later.

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Find some real targets (stationary)

Place the BEE III into the stationary mode. With a target present, press the
Front button. The BEE III will beep and turn the front antenna on, and if the
target is strong enough a speed will be displayed in the TARGET window.

If you want to lock in the speed, press the Lock button. The target speed will
move to the middle display window, and the “T lock” icon below that window
will light. After locking a target, the BEE III will continue to track it until the
radar is placed into Standby. The target may be re-locked at any time by
pressing the Lock button again.

Now place the radar into Standby. Notice that the locked speed is preserved in
the middle window. It will be erased if the radar is placed back into transmit
mode. It will also be automatically erased 15 minutes after it is locked in if the
radar is not placed back into transmit mode.

Find some real targets (opposite direction moving mode)

Operating in the opposite direction moving mode shouldn't hold any surprises.
The BEE III works like other moving radars. It can be used in an instant-on
mode by waiting to turn the transmitter on until a speeding target is close
enough to lock in, or it can be operated in continuous transmit mode.

Note that locking a target speed does not lock the patrol window until the unit
is placed into standby. Keeping the patrol window active allows the officer to
continue to verify patrol speed and monitor targets, re-locking at any time.

The patrol blanking function is activated by pressing the “Pat Bl” key on the
remote control. It works when the unit is in standby with a locked target.
Pressing the Pat Bl button alternately blanks and unblanks the locked patrol
speed in the Patrol window.

Shut the unit off

The BEE III is turned off by pressing the Power button on the display unit.
There is no need to unplug the unit, it draws very little power. There is no
power down action required on the remote.

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Advanced features of the BEE III

These modes are useful tools, but many officers have not been exposed to them so they require
more explanation. Please don’t tackle these until you have a few hours of practice using the BEE
III in the conventional modes. A detailed explanation of these more information on modes is
contained in the Operational concerns of the fastest and same direction mode section.

Fastest mode

When the BEE III is in any transmitting mode, fastest mode is available by pressing the fastest
key, which is located in the upper right hand corner of the remote control. This will cause the
middle display window to be labeled as FAST. The unit will remain in fastest mode until the
fastest button is pressed again or until a target speed is locked in.

The middle speed window will display the speed of the fastest target, while the normal target
window continues to display the strongest target. If the strongest target is the fastest target
within the range of the BEE III, the fastest window will be filled with underscores. The
Doppler audio and the mode window will continue to track the strongest target when the radar
is in fastest mode.

Locking a target while the BEE III is in fastest mode will lock the strongest target. The BEE
III will not allow the locking of the speed that is displayed in the fastest window.

In stationary mode, the radar only looks for faster targets in the selected direction, either Same
or Opposite. If the radar is being operated in both-direction stationary mode, the radar only
looks for faster targets moving the same direction as the strongest target is moving. It
therefore may not show the speed of the absolute fastest target in this case. If you observe a
faster target that you want to observe, it is recommended that you place the radar in directional
stationary mode and select the direction in which the particular vehicle is moving.

Same direction mode

The BEE III is unlike other same direction radars. It has Automatic Same Direction™
(ASD™), which allows it to sense the relative direction a target is moving in relation to the
patrol vehicle. Older, less versatile same direction radars cannot detect the relative direction
that the target vehicle is moving, so they require the officer to press a button to tell the radar if
the target vehicle is moving faster or slower than the patrol vehicle.

The BEE III incorporates an advanced, patented technology called Automatic Same Direction™
(ASD™) processing. This allows the BEE III to know the absolute speed of a same direction
target without needing any input from the officer. In other words, same direction operation is
AUTOMATIC. This makes same direction operation simple, and will remove any questions in
court about the officer making the right decision on whether the target vehicle was moving
faster or slower than the patrol vehicle.

First, vehicles traveling the same or very near the same speed as patrol are not sensed by the
BEE III as targets. Since the speed differential is small, so is the Doppler shift. The radar
could not easily separate such targets from the reflections of stationary objects like the

12

windshield or hood ornament. Please keep this fact in mind, because the vehicle nearest you
may not be the target displayed by the BEE III if it's speed is within 3 mph of your patrol
speed.

The range of the BEE III is greatly reduced in same direction mode. This makes target
identification easier by reducing the number of potential targets.

POP™ mode

This MPH exclusive feature utilizes the latest technology to stop speeders from buying their
way around the law with a radar detector. Using the POP mode, an officer can do quick,
accurate speed checks on traffic without alerting approaching vehicles. When a speeding
vehicle is detected, the radar can operate in the conventional mode allowing the officer to check
audio, tracking history and lock the target.

With a conventional radar, placing the radar into transmit activates the transmitter. This
allows the user to control the length of time the transmitter is on. The shortest practical time
the user can fire and read a speed is about ½ second. Most radar detectors easily recognize
this, not just alerting the target vehicle but every detector within a mile.

POP mode is turned on by pressing the Menu button three times, until a “P” appears in the
middle window. The operator must then press the “+” key to turn the mode on. The middle
speed window will display “POP”.

If POP mode is turned on, then a momentary press of the Front or Rear antenna button will
only turn the transmitter on for the time the radar needs to acquire a target. This is much
shorter than humanly possible. Radar detectors do not recognize this. If the detected speed
warrants more investigation, the user simply presses the corresponding antenna button down
again while the POP speed is displayed and the radar will commence normal operation. “POP”
will disappear from the middle speed window, and you can then monitor the target, develop a
tracking history, and lock in the vehicle’s speed. If the antenna button is not pressed again, the
transmission is limited to the single short pulse and does not alert speeders down the road.

In order to lock in a speed, you must allow the radar to enter continuous transmit mode. Since
Doppler audio is not present during the POP pulse and no tracking history is produced, the
speed from the POP pulse cannot be locked in. This is done to prevent any legal concerns
regarding speeds locked in on the BEE III radar.

POP mode can be turned off in several ways. If you place the radar into continuous transmit
mode as described above, the radar will exit POP mode. You can also get out of POP mode by
hitting the Menu or Standby buttons on the remote. When you exit Pop mode, “POP”
disappears from the Lock window.

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Effective use of POP mode

Radar detectors are most effective against stationary radar on long stretches of road with light
traffic. In this situation, each time the speed is measured on a car passing the radar, all cars
with detectors within a mile or more are alerted. This is a perfect application for POP mode.

POP mode is most effective at short range (up to ¼ mile) and where there is some separation
between targets.

Degree of effectiveness

When using POP mode, most radar detectors (95%) will not detect anything, even at point
blank range. Some (5%) will detect it when pulses are repeated quickly (less than a few
seconds between pulses). A few (less than a few percent) will give a minor alert, similar to
what door openers and other sources cause. POP mode is invisible in most cases, but always
substantially less detectable than conventional radar.

It is recommended to try it on several models of detectors to get a feel for its effectiveness.

A note of caution

Information derived during the POP burst is non-evidential and to be used as advisory
information only, in much that same manner as fastest mode is. Citations should not be
issued based solely on information derived from the POP burst since there is no tracking
history developed. If the speed is a violation, the radar must be allowed to enter the
continuous transmit mode (by pressing the corresponding antenna button again while the
POP speed is still being displayed) so that the tracking history may be developed. There is
no case law allowing traffic radar citations to be issued without a tracking history, and
MPH will not assist in the prosecution of citations issued without a proper tracking
history.

Stopwatch mode

Stopwatch mode makes use of the precision counters in the BEE III unit in order to
measure vehicle speeds without any microwave transmissions. The function allows an
operator to measure the amount of time it takes a vehicle to travel a known distance
and then performs a speed measurement using the formula:

Speed = (distance traveled) ÷ (time required to travel that distance)

To enter stopwatch mode, you must press the blue “2nd F” key on the remote control
followed by the “Stopw” button. You should see “.0” in the Target window and a
number in the Patrol window. The Target window is the time window and the Patrol
window shows the distance that the measurement will be performed over in yards.

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