Best radar equipment?

[slingnit]

Have the Pocket Radar and find it easy to use. Stood behind the gun(Stalker) at one of the camps and several coaches clocking my kid right after we bought it and it was within 1 mph every single time. Only problem I have had is after about 5 months it was giving, what I thought were low reading. Standing side by side with other Pocket Radars and being 2-3 mph off, consistently. Tech support said send it in and they would replace it, so customer service is excellent!

 

[JAD]

A Rev Fire is great for practice (especially with the spin measurement), but it is not useful in game situations. Santa just brought me a pocket radar, so I have not gotten a chance to use it, but I am looking forward to giving it a try! In the past I have used a Bushnell with pretty good success, but it is bulky.

 

[Ken Krause]

I had a Bushnell at one time but didn't like it. It read slower than other guns and was inconsistent.

I've used the Glove Radar before and like it when I had it. But it's only good for when you're catching. Great for practice, not for games. I agree with Amy that you have to add a few MPH to make it comparable to better guns.

I have a Jugs gun which is great, but expensive. I also have a Pocket Radar, which I've used side-by-side with the Jugs gun. It gives pretty comparable readings. Sometimes the same, sometimes 1 mph slower. And about $600 cheaper. For the parent who just wants to get a good reading I'd recommend the Pocket Radar. It takes a little practice -- you have to push the button when the pitcher is at the top of the circle -- but once you get the hang of it the PR works well. It's also less obtrusive than a Jugs or Stalker. For all anyone knows you're shooting video of the pitcher instead of taking readings.

If precision is your goal, and money is not a problem, get a Jugs or Stalker.

 

[cuzmail]

A Rev Fire is great for practice (especially with the spin measurement).

Recording ball spin is why I originally picked up the Rev Fire. Never intended to use it for speed since it is calculation based. It was just too easy!

 

[cuzmail]

I had a Bushnell at one time but didn't like it. It read slower than other guns and was inconsistent.

I've used the Glove Radar before and like it when I had it. But it's only good for when you're catching. Great for practice, not for games. I agree with Amy that you have to add a few MPH to make it comparable to better guns.

I have a Jugs gun which is great, but expensive. I also have a Pocket Radar, which I've used side-by-side with the Jugs gun. It gives pretty comparable readings. Sometimes the same, sometimes 1 mph slower. And about $600 cheaper. For the parent who just wants to get a good reading I'd recommend the Pocket Radar. It takes a little practice -- you have to push the button when the pitcher is at the top of the circle -- but once you get the hang of it the PR works well. It's also less obtrusive than a Jugs or Stalker. For all anyone knows you're shooting video of the pitcher instead of taking readings.

If precision is your goal, and money is not a problem, get a Jugs or Stalker.

Good info. Thanks. Looks like I need to get the PR back out of the box and become friends with it again this week. The key may be your point about starting at the top of the windmill. If that doesn't work, then I may have to go to the Jugs or Stalker. Any model numbers available on those?

 

[AthlaVelocity]

If you have an iOS device, can I dare recommend something less expensive yet more accurate? (Disclosure - I am the CEO)

It is a hands-free iOS speed radar app that has been calibrated to within +/- 0.7 mph of a $1,200 Stalker II Pro - but it costs less than a movie ticket.

Athla Velocity Webpage

 

[BT3100]

I am on my 3rd Glove Radar. They are only $80.00. One would probably last you longer than it does me, though.

It captures the speed as the ball hits your glove, so add 5 MPH to the pitcher's speed. It has always been pretty accurate. If not, my girls celebrate each gain in speed, anyway.

I agree with Amy!
I love my Glove Radar.. DD's PC was give me hell about it a year ago. Today we was asking me to use it to tell him the difference in speeds between DD's FB and C/U. It's a great device. Good Price and pretty accurate.

 

[Perfect Circle]

The video camera is the most accurate JMHO.... count the frames, or calculate the distance. You'll always have something to gauge the differences... dah Clip

 

[JJsqueeze]

I tried out that Athla app- here is my review.

Pros-

Cheap-$2.99 for the in app baseball purchase
Reasonably accurate if set up with a lot of care.
Hands free and it calls out the pitch speed so no need to go read it

Cons-
It is highly sensitive both to the distance from the pitch and the angle of the device to the line of the pitch. So you will get a different reading between an outside pitch and an inside pitch.

Cannot pick up the ball out of hand, you get the middle to the end of the pitch. If the pitcher is in too much of the frame then it does not read.

Highly sensitive to background motion (I mean branches gently blowing in an 8 mph wind)

I wish it had the ability to give the actual data points used so you could get a beginning of frame pitch speed and an end of frame. I assume it is using several frames in order to average them and do error correction on any misreads.

Overall I think it is great and measured DDs speed right around where she has been measured with guns. I mean it's $2.99 and is as good as a Bushnell at $99 accuracy wise.

 

[AthlaVelocity]

@JJsqueeze,

Thanks for the great review. We would agree with all the strengths and weaknesses you mention.

You are correct that the app is using linear regression across multiple frames to determine the speed. That means that the speed you see is exactly the speed at the center in front of the device.

We are considering an optional "Release Speed" mode. This mode would show and announce the speed of the ball as it enters the frame - thus capturing the speed almost exactly at the release of the ball. It should calibrate highly to the release speeds from a Doppler.

As phone camera resolutions increase, we will be able to turn on the code we have that will adjust for inside and outside pitch distance. Right now, there is just not enough pixel resolution to make the correction completely accurate. In the meantime, the variation should just be 2-3 mph or less, and if the pitcher works on just one or the other pitch types during a practice session, the absolute increase or decrease in speeds will still be relevant.

It sounds like you were you interested in an "Exit Speed" from the camera frame as well. How might you use that?

We were also considering an automatic pitch counter. Helpful?

Thanks again for taking the time for the review.

Best,

Mike
CEO & Founder, Athla