MPH PYTHON III Operator's Manual
Industries
™
PYTHON III™
Traffic Radar
Operators
Manual
Industries
™
PYTHON III™
Traffic Radar
Copyright 2006, MPH Industries, Inc.
No part of this work, covered by the copyrights hereon, may be reproduced or copied in any form
or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information
storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of MPH Industries, Inc.
Operators
Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................2
A Detailed Explanation of the PYTHON III's Features .............................................................3
Practical use of the PYTHON III.........................................................................................3
Displ ay ...............................................................................................................................5
Remote Control ...................................................................................................................9
Advanced features of the FS version of the PYTHON III .......................................................10
Fastest mode..................................................................................................................... 10
Same direction mode ..........................................................................................................10
Operation............................................................................................................................. 12
Power up.......................................................................................................................... 12
Tuning Fork Tests and Tuning Fork Mode ........................................................................... 12
Harmonic detection............................................................................................................ 13
Range and radar placement ................................................................................................13
Power Source ................................................................................................................... 14
Fuse Replacement............................................................................................................. 14
General Operational Considerations........................................................................................ 15
Understanding traffic radar ................................................................................................ 15
Operational conc erns of the fastest and same direction modes..............................................19
Interference Information and Precautions ............................................................................22
Legal guide ....................................................................................................................... 24
FCC Licensing Requirements ................................................................................................ 26
PYTHON III Accessories .................................................................................................... 27
Quality Control Procedures and Repair of the PYTHON III ....................................................29
Servicing the PYTHON III ................................................................................................... 30
Operational Recommendations ...............................................................................................36
Warranty.............................................................................................................................. 37
Return Policy........................................................................................................................ 38
Introduction
MPH Industries, Inc. designed the PYTHON 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 PYTHON III is the most useful and flexible radar available; it is a full-featured
moving radar.
The basic version of the PYTHON III is available in X, K, and Ka bands. An “FS” version of the
PYTHON III is also available which allows manually operated same direction speed
measurements and fastest vehicle speed measurements. The “FS” version is only available in K
and Ka band models.
The PYTHON 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 PYTHON III is composed of one or two antennas, a wired remote control and a
display/counting unit. MPH designed the PYTHON III using only the highest quality parts.
Combined with the workmanship provided by MPH`s Manufacturing Department, the PYTHON
III will provide years of high performance.
The MPH PYTHON 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 PYTHON 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
PYTHON III is a part of your department.
PYTHON, MPH Industries and the MPH logo are trademarks of MPH Industries, Inc.
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A Detailed Explanation of the PYTHON III's Features
Practical use of the PYTHON III
The PYTHON III allows the operator to choose various types of use and operation. The radar
may be used as a conventional MOVING, STATIONARY, or PACING radar. The PYTHON
III also features the SAME DIRECTION MOVING and FASTEST features. Each of these
uses is described below.
Stationary radar
As a stationary radar, the MPH PYTHON III allows the officer to monitor traffic coming or
going, while the patrol vehicle is stopped. This type of operation is usually carried out in known
locations of high-speed traffic or complaint areas. In the stationary mode, the patrol window is not
used.
Moving radar (opposite direction)
As a moving radar, the MPH PYTHON III allows the officer to monitor traffic speeds, while
carrying on other routine patrol activities. The unit monitors the speed of each approaching
vehicle, displaying that vehicle's speed in the target window.
The patrol vehicle speed is continuously displayed so that the operator may check the speed
displayed against the speedometer reading. If these two speeds correspond, then the officer is
assured that the reading of the violator's speed is correct at the instant of determination.
In opposite direction mode, care should be taken by the operator to recognize that the violator is
traveling at a higher rate of speed than the norm; that the vehicle is out front, by itself, and nearest
the radar; that proper identification of the violating vehicle is made; and at the time of speed
determination the patrol vehicle's speed indication on the radar is the same as the reading on the
speedometer. If these steps are taken, and the radar was properly checked for calib ration
beforehand, the officer knows the radar was operating properly and that the radar made a true
and accurate determination of the vehicle's speed.
Fastest Mode (FS version only)
Historically, traffic radar has displayed the strongest target, case law has centered around the
ability of the radar operator to confidently identify what vehicle is associated with that indication.
It was relatively simple for analog radars to process this method.
Modern DSP radar such as the PYTHON III can process many ta rgets at the same time, but
there is no practical way to display multiple targets and associate them with the correct vehicles.
Fastest mode gives the operator an opportunity to view one other target besides the strongest. In
this mode, the PYTHON III considers all possible targets (there may be several in range of the
radar) and displays the fastest one.
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While the speeds indicated in the fastest mode are as accurate as normal targets, visual
identification of the offending vehicle is more difficult. For this reason, the PYTHON III only
displays fastest targets on request when the mode is enabled and does not allow them to be
locked. It is intended to be used as a way to gather additional information about a specific
situation.
Fastest mode works in stationary and opposite direction moving modes, but not in same direction
mode.
Same direction moving radar (FS version only)
Same direction mode allows the PYTHON III to track targets moving faster or slower and in the
same direction as the patrol vehicle. This mode is best used in light traffic where visual target
identification is easier. With this feature active, the target speed range is limited to patrol speed
±70%. The target must be moving at a speed at least 3 mph faster or slower than patrol.
Pacing radar
The PYTHON III radar allows the officer an accurate means of pacing vehicles. In this mode,
the PYTHON III essentially functions as a calibrated speedometer. The radar should be placed
in the stationary mode for this type of operation.
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Display
The PYTHON III uses a high contrast LED display with automatic dimming. The label also
contains eight select / control buttons, Power, Test, Mov/Sta, Aud/Sq, Range, Up arrow, Down
Arrow and Patrol.
X
Target
Power
Test
Mov
Sta
Fast
PYTHON III
HAR
Aud
Sq
Mov Sta
Mode
Range Patrol
Patrol
Mode
The mode section shows what the rada r is doing. The display is set up like a roadway. A large
red “X” icon in the left lane tells at a glance that the transmitter is in standby. A large green car
in the right lane indicates that the transmitter is on.
The operating mode of the PYTHON III is illustrated with the scene of a patrol car and selected
targets. In opposite direction moving mode, the scene shows an arrow in the left lane of traffic; it
is ahead of the patrol car if the front antenna is selected and behind the patrol car if the rear
antenna is selected. In same direction moving mode, the arrows target vehicle is shown moving
the same direction as the patrol car. In addition, moving mode is indicated by “Mov” appearing
under the middle speed display window.
In stationary mode , the Mode window works similarly. Indicators appear in front of or behind the
patrol vehicle icon to indicate the selected antenna. Stationary mode is indicated by “Sta”
appearing below the middle speed display window.
Speed windows
The PYTHON III has three windows for speed display. These are arranged by function and use
color for quick identification at night.
The leftmost display is a dedicated red target window. This window always displays the strongest
target’s speed, even in fastest mode. Radio frequency error conditions (rFi) are displayed in this
window.
OK
5
The middle speed window is yellow and performs three functions; an icon located directly below
the window indicates each function. If the window is being used to display a locked targe t speed,
a T-lock icon is lit. Only the speed of the strongest target can be locked. If the middle window is
being used to display the speed of the fastest vehicle (fastest mode), a FAST icon is lighted.
General error conditions (Err) are also indicated in this window. “RFI” is indicated in the leftmost
window. A decimal point on the right side of display labeled HAR is activated when a harmonic
condition is occurring. If a low voltage condition occurs, it will be indicated by “Lo bAt” in the left
most and middle windows.
The green window on the right side of the display shows the patrol vehicle’s speed in moving
mode and is unused (two dashes) in stationary mode. The speed displayed in this window should
always correspond with the vehicle’s speedometer. The OK indicator (decimal point on) indicates
that the continuous test is passing.
Display dimming and infrared remote sensor
A photocell is located on the display panel to automatically adjust the brightness of the display to
the ambient light conditions.
Power button
This button controls the power for the PYTHON III radar. When the PYTHON III is turned off,
the radar remembers it’s user settings (mode, etc.), but it does not remember speeds and it starts
up in standby mode. When the unit is next turned on, it powers up using the same settings, saving
the user the trouble of resetting the radar to his or her desired settings.
Test button
Manually initiates a self-test of the radar. The radar will momentarily light all of its displays.
Then it will test itself at various speeds. If no problems are found, the radar will return to its
previous mode of operation. If a problem is found, the radar will display 32 in the target and lock
windows and cease to measure speeds.
The radar performs additional self -tests continuously during normal operation. The radar lights the
“OK” indicator if no problems are detected and emits a beep if a problem is found.
Mov/Sta button
Toggles the radar between moving and stationary operating modes.
Aud/Sq button
Pressing the Aud/Sq button once will display the audio volume level. The audio volume has 9
settings (1 through 9, with 1 being “mute”). During volume adjustment, “A udio” is displayed in the
left and middle window s of the radar, followed by the current setting in the remaining window.
On its initial power-up, the volume is initially set to level 6. On subsequent power-ups, the
PYTHON III retains the volume setting it had when the radar was turned off.
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Pressing the down arrow button lowers the volume one level; pressing the up arrow button raises
the volume .
Pressing the Aud/Sq button again will bring up the squelch setting. The squelch has two settings:
on and off. Squelch on causes the radar to only produce an audio tone when a target is present,
while Squelch off causes the Doppler return signal to be amplified at all times. During squelch
adjustment, “Squ” is displayed in the left most window of the radar, followed by the current setting
on or off.
On its initial power-up, the squelch is initially on. On subsequent power-ups, the PYTHON III
retains the squelch setting it had when the radar was turned off.
Pressing either the down arrow button or the up arrow button causes the radar to toggle between
Squelch on and Squelch off.
Range button
The range has 9 settings (1 through 9). The range setting does not affect the transmitted power,
only the sensitivity of the radar. During range adjustment, “rAngE” is displayed in the window of
the radar, followed by the current setting.
On pow er-up, the range is initially set to maximum.
Pressing the down arrow button decreases the range one level; pressing the up arrow button
increases the range.
Up arrow button
Sets the patrol speed range to the highway values. This button also works with the Aud/Sq,
Range and Patrol buttons to increase or toggle the settings.
Down arrow button
Sets the patrol speed range to the city values. This button also works with the Aud/Sq, Range and
Patrol buttons to decrease or toggle the setting.
Patrol button
The Patrol controls the City / Highway mode setting and provides the patrol blanking. Pressing
Patrol button when the unit is not in standby mode will allow you to see the Patrol City or
Highway setting and adjust it using the up or down arrow. The up arrow = Highway (“Hi”), down
arrow = city (“Lo”).
The city or highway filter helps reduce patrol speed shadowing or combining. The highway mode
helps reduce shadowing that can occur during fast closing highway speeds. The city mode helps
reduce the chance of combining that can occur at the lower patrol speeds. In general, if the patrol
speed is typically 60 MPH or less, the radar should be in the city (“Lo”) mode. For patrol speeds,
predominately greater than 60 MPH use the highway (“Hi”) mode.
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When the radar is in Standby mode, pressing the Patrol button will cause the radar to blank the
locked patrol speed display. Pressing the button while the patrol speed display is blanked will
cause the locked patrol speed to reappear.
Doppler audio
The PYTHON III features a speaker on top of the unit is for Doppler audio and tone beeps. The
PYTHON III's audio is derived directly from the received Doppler signal (not synthesized) and is
useful as an aid in target identification. The loudness is proportional to the strength of the received
signal and increases as the target vehicle approaches. The pitch of the audio signal increases with
higher closing speeds. The Doppler audio always corresponds to the strongest target, even when
the radar is in fastest mode.
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Remote Control
The PYTHON III is supplied with either a FS or standard remote.
The FS remote has two extra buttons to control the fastest and same
direction modes The remote provides easy access to the essential
radar functions. The remote is designed to use with gloves and the
buttons provide an intuitive feel. This allows the officer to keep their
eyes on the road.
Standard Remote Operating Mode Buttons
The red buttons control the antenna, these are:
Front: Places the radar into front antenna mode.
Rear: Places the radar into rear antenna mode.
Standby: Places the radar into Standby.
The top blue button is:
Lock: Causes the radar to lock the Target speed in the Lock window.
A target locked for 30 minutes (this time will vary on specia l department requests) will
automatically be cleared. If the unit is in standby, a countdown will be shown in the target
window along with an alerting tone informing the officer that the locked speeds are going
to be cleared soon. For example: the target window will display L30 at 30 seconds from
clear, L20 at 20 seconds from clear and L10 at 10 seconds from clear, then the locked
speeds are cleared at 0 seconds. This feature allows the officer time to note the speeds
before they are cleared.
FS Remote (Additional Buttons, Available for K and Ka-bands only)
S/O: Toggles the radar between opposite or same direction when moving mode is selected.
FAST: Toggles the radar between fastest vehicle mode and strongest vehicle mode. Also
used in same direction mode to tell the radar that a target is moving faster than the patrol
vehicle.
LOCK
S/O FAST
FRONT
S
T
B
Y
REAR
S
T
B
Y
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Advanced features of the FS version of the PYTHON 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
PYTHON III in the conventional modes. A detailed explanation of these and more information on
modes is contained in the Operational concerns of the fastest and same direction mode
section.
Fastest mode
When the PYTHON III is in stationary or opposite -direction moving mode, fastest mode is
available by pressing the FAST 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 PYTHON 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 PYTHON III is in fastest mode will lock the strongest target and
the radar will immediately exit the fastest mode. The PYTHON III will not allow the locking
of the speed that is displayed in the fastest window.
Same direction mode
Same direction moving radars like the PYTHON III have two major differences from
opposite direction moving radar.
First, vehicles traveling the same or very near the same speed (under 3 mph) as patrol can not
detected by the PYTHON III as targets. The speed differential is very small, and so is the
Doppler shift. A radar can not easily separate such targets from the reflections of stationary
objects like the windshield or hood ornament. Please keep this fact in min d, because the
vehicle nearest you may not be the target displayed by the PYTHON III if it's speed is within
3 mph of your patrol speed.
Second, the radar cannot distinguish if the targeted vehicle is moving faster or slower than the
patrol vehicle. Because of this, you must judge whether the vehicle is traveling faster or
slower than the patrol vehicle and you must communicate this to the PYTHON III. If the
target is traveling faster than you are, press the FAST button until the Fast indicator is
displayed under the Lock/Fastest target window and the radar will calculate the correct
speed. If you don't press the button, the radar will assume that the target vehicle is moving
slower than you are and the Fast indicator is not lit.
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The radar will stay in faster mode until the FAST button is pressed again, at which time it will
toggle slower mode. In other words, the Fastest/Slower button toggles the radar between
Faster and Slower mode when the radar is in Same Direction mode.
The range of the PYTHON III is greatly reduced in same direction mode. This makes target
identification easier by reducing the number of potential targets.
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