MPH Industries Ranger EZ Operation Manual

Industries

™

Ranger

Ranging Directional

Traffic Radar

Operation Manual

Industries

™

Ranger

Ranging Directional

Traffic Radar

Operation Manual

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.

Table of Contents

Getting Started - An introduction to the Ranger EZ........................................................................................ 4

A Detailed Explanation of the Ranger's Features............................................................................................. 9

Practical use of the Ranger ......................................................................................................................... 9

Display...................................................................................................................................................... 11

Remote Control ......................................................................................................................................... 13

Maintenance....................................................................................................................................................... 21

Fuse Replacement ..................................................................................................................................... 21

Remote control batteries........................................................................................................................... 21

FCC Licensing Requirements........................................................................................................................... 22

General Operational Considerations ............................................................................................................... 23

Understanding traffic radar....................................................................................................................... 23

Operational concerns of the fastest and same direction modes................................................................. 26

Speedometer Interface....................................................................................................................................... 28

Installation instructions for the Speedometer Interface ............................................................................ 29

Accuracy Test........................................................................................................................................... 38

Calibrating Speedometer Interface……………………. ........................................................................... 42

SafetyZone Officer Safety Alert ....................................................................................................................... 39

Interference Information and Precautions...................................................................................................... 42

Legal guide ......................................................................................................................................................... 44

Ranger EZ Accessories...................................................................................................................................... 46

Quality Control Procedures and Repair of the Ranger.................................................................................. 47

Quality control procedures........................................................................................................................ 47

Servicing the Ranger................................................................................................................................. 48

Statement of Product Warranty ................................................................................................................. 48

Return Policy ............................................................................................................................................ 49

MPH Ranger EZ Specifications........................................................................................................................ 50

Operational Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 54

Getting Started - an introduction to the Ranger EZ

This step-by-step guide will help you get started using the Ranger EZ 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 Ranger's capabilities. It will take much less time for you to learn the Ranger'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 Ranger EZ

Install the Ranger EZ unit in the vehicle in accordance with the instructions supplied with the radar’s mounting brackets.

Connect the front antenna to the Front port on the counting unit using the supplied cable. Connect the rear antenna (if present) to the Rear port on the counting unit using the supplied cable. Connect the Blue 15-pin connector of the power/signal cable to the blue 15-pin port on the rear of the Ranger. Plug the cigar plug of the power/signal cable into the vehicle. Connect the speedometer interface cord and other wires of the power/signal cable to the vehicle as described elsewhere in this manual.

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 Ranger EZ, 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 Ranger EZ on

Press and release the Power button on the readout unit. This will cause the Ranger EZ to power up and perform a Power-On Self-Test. The radar will light up all of its display segments and then display “RANGER” in its speed windows. The unit will then perform a 32 mph internal test (moving and stationary) and will display “PAS” in the middle window upon completion of the test.

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, very similar to the Power-Up Self-Test. First, the radar will light up all of its display elements in a segment test. Next the radar will display “RANGER”. 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 “PAS” message. 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 __ for details on the tuning fork tests. The unit will stay in the tuning fork mode for approximately 30 seconds.

The Ranger EZ periodically tests itself while the radar is operating. If no errors are detected, the radar will give indication of this by lighting the OK LED, located in the lower righthand side of the Patrol speed window. If an error is detected, the Ranger EZ will immediately 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 Ranger EZ process speeds when an error condition is present.

Select the operating mode

with a beep, letting you know the Ranger EZ understood and executed the action. Now press the OPP button, putting the radar in Opposite Direction

Lo Hi

Range Test

Pat Bl Fork

mode. The selected mode will be illustrated in the Mode window, which is located

Backlt

on the Ranger's front panel. The green car is lighted (meaning that you are not in Standby), and since you are in opposite direction 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.

Standard Remote

Press the “Stnby” (Standby) button on the remote. Notice that the red X is lighted, indicating that the unit is not transmitting. None of the arrows are lighted since no traffic is being monitored. You’ll also notice that the radar reads either “Ci”, “Hi”, or “Aut” in the Patrol window; we’ll address this later.

Press the “Rear” button on the remote (if the radar is equipped with a rear

Mode

Mode Window

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.

Press the “Same” button 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” button. 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.

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 button 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.

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 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.

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 the same 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 the selected lane of traffic regardless of whether there is a stronger vehicle moving in the opposite lane of traffic. The Ranger EZ 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.

Press the “Opp” (Opposite) 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” buttons. If you want to go back to monitoring both lanes of traffic, you must press the “Mov/Sta” button twice.

Perform a tuning fork test

Place the Ranger EZ into stationary mode by pressing the Mov/Sta button on the remote. Put the front antenna into transmit mode 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.

Notice the Range bar.

While ringing the tuning fork, look at the range bars at the bottom of the radar display. They indicate the distance of the strongest and fastest vehicles in the radar beam. When you strike the tuning fork and hold it in front of the radar, the radar also indicates the distance of the tuning fork on the range bar. The leftmost bar of the Target row should be lighted, showing that the tuning fork is less than 100 yards (or meters for metric radars) away from the radar.

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 lock, which is located directly under the Ranger EZ 's middle window is lighted, designating that a speed has been locked into the radar.

Place the radar in Standby mode, by pressing the “Stnby” button. Notice that the speed of the tuning fork is now displayed on the face of the radar in the Target window.

Press the “Range” button on the remote. Notice that the target speed has now been displaced by the range (distance) of the tuning fork. The resolution of the radar is 10 yards (or meters), and the distance (0 or 10) corresponds to the distance of the tuning fork at the time the speed was locked in. After a few seconds, the distance information will disappear and be replaced by the speed information. However, the distance information is preserved on the range bar at all times.

Every time that the lock button is pressed, the radar will record the speed(s) displayed in the Target and Fastest windows into memory. When you place the radar into Standby, the locked speeds will be displayed, along with 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.

Locked speeds are also erased in other ways. If the radar is placed into Standby, the locked speed is preserved, but if the Ranger EZ is then made to transmit again, the locked speed is cleared. (This is an IACP requirement.) Also, locked speeds are automatically cleared 15 minutes, unless otherwise requested, after they are locked to preserve the integrity of the evidence. The automatic lock clearing is preceded by a 30 second countdown if the Ranger EZ 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 Ranger EZ into moving mode by pressing the “Mov/Sta” button on the remote. If the radar is not in opposite direction moving mode, press the “Opp” 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 (56 KPH) and 65 mph (104 KPH), the patrol would read 35 (56 )(low speed fork) and the target would read 30 (48) (high-speed fork minus low speed fork).

Find some real targets (stationary)

Place the Ranger EZ into the stationary mode. Ensure that some vehicles are within the radar beam. With a target present, press the “Front” button. The Ranger EZ 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 “Lock” icon will light. After locking a target, the Ranger EZ 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 shown in the Target window. If there was a faster vehicle in the beam at the time, its speed will be shown in the middle speed window. The Range bar will indicate the distances of the strongest and fastest targets at the time they were locked into the radar, and the mode window will show the radar’s mode at the time of locking.

Press the “Range” key. The numeric distances to the strongest (and fastest, if present) vehicles will be displayed momentarily. Distances greater than 990 yards (or meters) are displayed as “999”. The distances will correspond to the distances shown on the range bar.

Locked speeds and distances will be erased when the radar is placed back into transmit mode. They will also be automatically erased 15 minutes, unless otherwise requested, after they are 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. It works just like above, except that the patrol vehicle’s speed is also displayed. The Ranger EZ 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 freeze the speed windows until the unit is placed into standby. Keeping the speeds active allows the officer to continue to verify patrol speed and monitor target speeds, relocking at any time.

The patrol blanking function is activated by pressing the “2 control. It works when the unit is in standby with a locked target. Pressing the “Pat Bl” key alternately blanks and un-blanks the locked patrol speed in the Patrol window.

F” key then the “Pat Bl” key on the remote

A Detailed Explanation of the Ranger's Features

Practical use of the Ranger

The Ranger EZ allows the operator to choose various types of use and operation. The radar may be used as conventional MOVING, STATIONARY, or PACING radar. The Ranger EZ also features the SAME DIRECTION MOVING and FASTEST features. Each of these uses is described below.

Stationary radar

As stationary radar, the MPH Ranger EZ 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.

Ranger EZ makes establishing a tracking history for the target vehicles simple. The officer’s job is made easier since Ranger shows the officer the distance of the targets along with their speeds, making the identification more reliable.

Ranging technology also allows the operator to select a lane of traffic to monitor in stationary mode: in the same lane as the patrol vehicle, in the opposite lane, or in both lanes. This selection can be made on either the front or rear antenna. Also, the operator can choose to monitor the fastest target traveling in the selected direction in addition to the strongest target.

Moving radar (opposite direction)

As moving radar, the MPH Ranger EZ 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 officer 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 calibration 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

Historically, traffic radar has displayed the strongest target. Case law has centered on 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 Ranger EZ can process many targets 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 officer an opportunity to view one other target besides the strongest. In this mode, the Ranger EZ considers all possible targets (there may be several in range of the radar) and displays the fastest one. In addition to its speed, the fastest target’s distance is displayed on the Range bar on the face of the radar.

While the speeds indicated in the fastest mode are as accurate as normal targets, visual identification of the offending vehicle can more difficult. Ranger EZ makes this much easier by showing the officer the distance of the target and not just its speed. On other radars, since the fastest target cannot be positively identified, MPH does not allow the fastest speed to be locked. However, due to the high reliability of the Ranger’s distance measurement, MPH allows Ranger to lock the fastest target’s speed. Speed measurement and tracking of the fastest target with the Ranger is just as reliable as measurement of the strongest vehicle.

Fastest mode works in stationary and opposite and same direction moving modes.

Same direction moving radar

Same direction mode allows the Ranger EZ 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 4 mph faster or slower than patrol.

Unlike older radars, the user does not have to press a SLOWER or FASTER button. Ranging technology allows the Ranger EZ to detect whether the target vehicle is moving faster or slower than the patrol vehicle and automatically compute the correct target speed.

Pacing radar

The Ranger EZ radar allows the officer an accurate means of pacing vehicles. In this mode, the Ranger EZ essentially functions as a calibrated speedometer. The radar should be placed in the stationary mode for this type of operation.

Display

The Ranger EZ uses a high contrast LED display with automatic dimming.

Target

HAR

Patrol

Mode

Range

Target

500 1000

Fastest

Mode

The mode section shows what the radar 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 Ranger EZ 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. When the opposite lane of traffic is selected, only the arrow in the left lane lights up. When the same lane of traffic is selected, the arrow in the right lane lights up. When both directions of traffic are selected, arrows in both lanes light up. Stationary mode is indicated by “Sta” appearing below the middle speed display window.

Speed windows

The Ranger EZ 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. This window also displays locked target speeds. If a target speed is locked, the red lock icon under the middle window will be lit. Radio frequency error conditions (rFi) are displayed in this window.

The middle speed window is yellow and displays the fastest target speed. If the Ranger is in fastest mode, the Fast icon below the middle window is lit. The speed of the strongest and fastest target can be locked. If the middle window is being used to display the locked speed of the fastest vehicle the lock icon under the window will be lit. General error conditions (Err) are also indicated in this window. The green window on the right side of the display shows the patrol vehicle’s speed in moving mode and is unused (filled with dashes) in stationary mode. The speed displayed in this window should always correspond with the vehicle’s speedometer. If a low voltage condition occurs, it will be indicated in this window by “Lo” appearing in the window.

Range bars

Two LED bars at the bottom of the display show the target distances of the strongest and fastest vehicles detected by the radar. The distance bars display target distances in yards (English) or meters (Metric). As vehicles move closer toward or further away from the patrol vehicle, the lighted segments move left or right on the display.

Each bar corresponds to 100 yards or 100 meters, depending on the unit of measure.

Doppler audio

The Ranger EZ features a speaker on the front panel for Doppler audio. The Ranger's audio 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 speeds.

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. An infrared sensor is also located on the display panel to receive commands from the remote control.

Power button

This button controls the power for the Ranger EZ radar. When the Ranger EZ is turned off, the radar remembers its user settings (volume level, mode, etc.), but it does not remember speeds and it starts up in standby mode. When the unit is next turned on, the Ranger will be in stationary stand-by mode.

Remote Control

The Ranger EZ comes standard with a wireless remote control; however, MPH also offers a wired version of the remote control and a rugged motorcycle version.

The battery-powered wireless remote uses two replaceable AA alkaline batteries, and is an infrared device; much like the one that comes with a television. In order to get the most use out of your wireless remote please try to avoid storing it with any buttons or keys depressed as this will drain the batteries. In the event that the batteries are drained you may purchase new AA batteries at any local retailer.

Both the standard wireless remote and the optional wired remote have identical buttons and keys and neither one require any user action to power them either on or off. The buttons and keys are separated by a heavy line in the middle of the label.

The rugged motorcycle remote functions in the same manner as both the wired and wireless remotes and features a metal housing. The motorcycle remote is only available in a wired version and come with large colored buttons for easy identification and use.

Operating mode buttons

Both the standard wireless and the optional wired remotes feature a contoured soft raised rubber five button cluster that cradles the operators thumb in the center cluster. This allows for easy control of the most commonly used buttons and allows the officer to keep his/her eyes on the road while driving. All of these rubber buttons are backlit for ease of use at night.

Below is a short list of each buttons function:

Front: Places the radar into front antenna mode.

Rear: Places the radar into rear antenna mode.

Stndby: Places the radar into Standby.

Opp: Places the radar into opposite direction mode when moving

or stationary mode is selected.

Standard Remote

Same: Places the radar into same direction mode when moving or

stationary mode is selected.

Lock: Locks the Target speed in the Lock window.

Alert: Activates the rear traffic alert mode. (See the relevant section of this manual for more detail for this

feature.)

Motorcycle Remote

Less-frequently used keys.

These keys are flat membrane-type keys that are embossed around their edges to make them easy to identify by feel.

Some of the keys have two colors of text identifying them. The red text is the default function of the key; pressing the key by itself will cause it to perform this function. The function in blue text is initiated by first pressing the blue “2ndF” key.

Mov/Sta – Toggles the radar between moving and stationary operating modes.

Test – Manually initiates a self-test of the radar.

Range – Displays the numerical range of the locked target vehicles when pressed.

Pat Bl– When the radar is in Standby mode, pressing the “2

radar to blank the patrol speed display. Pressing the key while the patrol speed display is blanked will

F” key followed by the “Pat Bl” key will cause the

cause the locked patrol speed to reappear.

Low/ (-) –Places the radar in City mode, if no menu selection has been made. If a menu item has been selected it

decreases the setting of the selected menu item.

Menu – Allows the selection of modes and settings that do not have individual buttons on the remote. This is

described further in the Menu section of this manual.

High/ (+) – Places the radar in Highway mode, if no menu selection has been made. If a menu item has been

selected it increases the setting of the selected menu item.

2nd F – Allows the operator to select the blue second function of a key instead of the red primary function of the

key. “2nd” appears in the middle window when it is pressed. Pressing this key a second time causes “2nd” to disappear and allows the radar to select the primary (red) function of a key.

Backlt – Manually causes the backlight of the remote control to turn on for 7 seconds. Once activated, the

backlight remains on for 7 seconds after any button is pressed. For wired remote control, Backlit toggles the backlight on and off.

Main Menu Functions

Settting City or Highway Patrol mode

Highway - Pressing the “+” button places the radar in the Highway Patrol mode. The radar will momentarily

display “PtL HI” in response to the command. When the radar is in Standby, it will display “Hi” in the Patrol window. Highway Patrol mode reduces the occurrence of “shadowing” errors at highway speeds

City - Pressing the “

–” button places the radar in the City Patrol mode. The radar will momentarily display “PtL

LO” in response to the command. When the radar is in Standby, it will display “Lo” in the Patrol window. City Patrol mode reduces the occurrence of “combining” errors at city speeds

City and Highway Patrol Modes are only used when no Speedometer Interface is present, since the Speedometer information automatically suppresses both “combining and shadowing”. If the Speedometer Interface is present and working properly, the City/Highway setting will have no effect on the radar’s operation.

Note: If the Menu button is pressed 4 times, the Patrol mode setting is also shown.

Adjusting the audio volume

Press the menu key one (1) time to enter the audio volume function, then press either the lower the volume or the “

+” to raise the volume. Each press of either the “—” or the “+” key will adjust

the audio level by one. The audio volume function has 9 levels, with 0 being “mute” and 8 being the maximum “loudest” level. During volume adjustment, “Aud” is displayed in the left window of the radar, followed by the current setting. On subsequent power-ups, the Ranger EZ retains the volume setting it had when the radar was turned off. A few seconds after making an adjustment, the radar will return to its normal operating mode. Pressing the Menu key again causes the radar to move on to the squelch menu setting.

Adjusting the squelch

Press the menu key two times (2) to enter the squelch function, then press either the squelch off or the “+” to turn squelch on. 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, “SCH” is displayed in the left window of the radar, followed by the current setting (“ON” or “OFF”). On initial power-up squelch is turned on. On subsequent power-ups, the Ranger EZ retains the squelch setting it had when the radar was turned off. A few seconds after making an adjustment, the radar will return to its normal operating mode. Pressing the Menu key again causes the radar to move on to the range menu setting.

Adjusting the range

Press the Menu key three (3) times to enter the range function, then press either the “—” key to decrease the range or the “+” key to increase the range. Each press of either the“—” key or the “+” key adjusts the range one level. The range function has 8 settings, with 1 minimum distance and 8 being the maximum distance. The range setting does not affect the transmitted power, only the sensitivity of the radar. During range adjustment, “rAn” is displayed in the left window of the radar, followed by the current setting (1 thru 8). Upon initial power-up, the range is set to maximum. A few seconds after making an adjustment, the radar will return to its normal operating mode. Pressing the Menu key again causes the radar to move back to the city or highway patrol menu setting.

Setup Menu

The Setup menu is entered by pressing “2 items that an operator would only rarely adjust can be accessed.

If the remote being used is for a motorcycle, the set-up menu is entered by pressing 2 button. For the following section, if a motorcycle remote is used, press “2 all the setup options.

F” followed by the Menu button. From this menu, a number of the

Menu”, instead of Menu to go through

“—” key to

“—” key to turn

F followed by 2nd Menu

Immediately after pressing “2

F” and then Menu – Adjust the rear alert speed

This allows the operator to set the speed above which the SafetyZone rear traffic alert will warn him of oncoming speeders (see the SafetyZone section of the manual for further details).

When setting the activation speed, the radar shows “SAF” in the left window and “SPd” in the middle window. The number in the right window is the current alert speed threshold. Pressing “+” causes the speed setting to increase, and pressing “—” causes the speed setting to decrease. The speed setting can be adjusted to any speed between 30 and 90 mph.

Two presses of the menu button – Adjust the rear alert distance

This allows the operator to set the distance for which the SafetyZone rear traffic alert will warn him of oncoming speeders (see the SafetyZone section of the manual for further details).

When setting the activation distance, the radar shows “SAF” in the left window and “dIS” in the middle window. The number in the right window is the current alert distance threshold (in yards or meters, depending on the units of measure). Pressing “+” causes the distance setting to increase, and pressing “—” causes the speed setting to decrease by 20 yards or meters. The distance setting can be adjusted to any speed between 100 and 990 yards or meters.

Three presses of the menu button – Turn automatic moving/stationary mode on or off

When the speedometer interface of the Ranger is properly installed, the radar can be programmed to change from moving to stationary mode automatically. This menu option allows enables or disables automatic mode switching.

The radar will show “Aut” in the leftmost window and “StA” in the middle window, followed by the current setting for the mode (“On” or “OFF”) in the right window. To turn automatic moving/stationary mode on, press “+”. To turn the mode off, press “—”.

Four presses of the menu button – Turn Fastest mode on or off

The radar will show “FSt” in the leftmost window, followed by the current setting for Fastest mode (“On” or “OFF”) in the middle window. To turn Fastest mode on, press “+”. To turn the mode off, press “—”.

Five presses of the menu button – Enable fan defeat mode

The radar will show “FAn” in the leftmost window, followed by “dEF in the middle window and the current setting for the mode (“On” or “OFF”) in the right window. To turn fan defeat mode on, press “+”. To turn the mode off, press “—”. Fan defeat mode suppresses speed readings from very close to the vehicle, including those readings caused by the defroster fan.

Six presses of the menu button – Selects the type of speedometer interface

This chooses the type of vehicle that the speedometer interface is attached to. When the unit is initially delivered, the selection is “no cAr”. This means that the speedometer interface is disabled, and the setting is used whenever the speedometer interface is not connected to the vehicle.

The following interface selections are used when the vehicle speed is sensed through the VSS signal.

Pressing “+” or “—” causes the radar to pass though its interface selection possibilities. The installed interfaces are

No Car: Speedometer interface not active Car 1: Dodge Intrepid (all) and 2004-2006 Durango Car 2: 2000-2004 Ford Mustang Car 3: Ford Mustang 2006 + Car 4: Chevy Tahoe (all) Car 5: Chevy Impala (all) Car 6: Chevy Camaro (all) and 2500 HD pickup Car 7: Harley Davidson (all) Car 8: Ford Crown Victoria and Police Interceptor (all) Car 9: Ford Explorer 2002-2004 and 2007 +, Ford Expedition 2007 + Car 10: Ford Expedition 2004-2006 and Ford F-150 2004-2006 Car 11: Ford Explorer 2005-2006 Car 12: Dodge Charger (all) Car 13: Dodge Magnum (all) Car 14: Silverado Car 15: BMW Car 16: Ford Mustang GT 2004 and 2005

When the vehicle speed is sensed over the Control Area Network (CAN), the following selection is made,

Car 5: GM/Chevy models Car 8: Ford Models up till 2010 Car 10: Ford Models, 2011 and above

A few seconds after making an adjustment, the radar will return to its normal operating mode. Pressing the Menu key again causes the radar to move on to the next menu setting.

Seven presses of the menu button – Testing of speedometer interface

The radar will show “SPd” in the leftmost window, followed by “OFF”. Press + to turn the speedometer test mode on. Then the radar will display the radar-measured patrol speed in the Patrol window and the speedometer interface speed in the middle window. The radar will persist in this mode until one of the antenna buttons or the standby button is pressed.

Use this mode to verify the proper operation of the speedometer interface. At a patrol speed of 40 mph, the two speeds should match within +/- 4 mph.

Eight presses of the menu button – Radar Protocol Selection

This will select the type of serial protocol that the radar will output. Selecting “SPr 01” will output the standard serial protocol. On pressing the “+”, “SPr 02” is displayed and the radar will output an extended serial protocol that will include range information for target, fastest, locked target and locked fastest vehicle.

+ 38 hidden pages

MPH Industries Ranger EZ Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual