Sports Radar SR3800-LS Low Speed Radar Gun
The Sports Radar SR3800-LS is the low speed version of the SR3800, and it is the only gun in the line that combines a 4 MPH floor with pitch and plate speed from the same throw. It reads from 4 to 200 MPH and holds a ball out to 100 feet, which makes it the model for a baseball or softball program that charts real pitching one hour and measures tee ball tosses, slow pitch arcs or drill feeds the next.
Pull and hold the trigger and the display reports the speed out of the hand and then the speed at the plate. Pull and release and it reports the fastest speed the way any gun does. Continuous mode reads hands free from a tripod. At 0.85 pounds it is the same light housing as the standard SR3800, with the same RadarDataPort for driving a remote LED display, and it is made in the USA.
Pitch Speed and Plate Speed on the SR3800-LS
The pull and hold trigger is what separates the SR3800 family from every other gun here, and the LS keeps it. Hold the trigger through the pitch and the readout toggles twice: pitch speed first, then plate speed from that same delivery.
The difference between those two numbers is the coaching information. Every pitch sheds speed on the way to the plate, and how much it sheds depends on the pitch. A fastball that holds its velocity plays faster than the release number suggests, which is what hitters mean when they say a ball gets on them. A change up that gives up more separates properly. Charting both ends of the flight makes that visible rather than something a coach has to argue about from the side of the mound.
Two practical notes. Pitch and plate is a trigger mode feature; continuous mode reports the fastest speed. And when readings are sent to a computer through the data port, only the pitch speed is recorded, because plate speed lives on the gun's own display.
What the 4 MPH Floor Is For
A standard SR3800 starts at 10 MPH, which is below every pitch thrown in a baseball or softball game. The LS drops the floor to 4 MPH, and that band matters in specific places rather than everywhere.
Tee ball and coach pitch stations sit down there, where a slow lob from a young player would leave a standard gun blank. Underhand and front toss feeds fall in the same window when the feeder is close. Slow pitch softball deliveries arc slowly enough to need the low end. Fielding drills built on rolled grounders have a speed worth knowing. Adaptive and wheelchair programs and early return to throwing progressions are deliberately gentle, and being able to chart a 5 or 6 MPH throw climbing week to week gives an athlete a number to work toward.
If you only ever point a gun at pitching, the standard SR3800 is the better instrument and reaches further. The LS is for programs whose day includes both ends of the speed range.
Reading Range and Where to Stand
Reading range is up to 100 feet on a baseball or a tennis ball. That is short of the standard SR3800's 130 feet and well past the 60 feet of the SR3600, so it covers a bullpen, a cage, a full speed pitch lane and most backstop positions on a youth or high school field without asking the operator to crowd the pitcher.
Angle governs accuracy more than distance does. Radar reads the part of a ball's motion travelling straight toward or away from the gun, so an operator standing to the side reports low. That error costs proportionally more at the bottom of the range, where a couple of miles per hour is a large share of a 7 MPH toss. Set up in line with the ball's path, keep the gun near the height of the ball, and readings stay consistent from station to station.
Modes, Settings and Power
Trigger mode covers coaching one on one. Continuous mode is hands free, so the gun can sit on the 52 inch tripod at the end of a lane and read every throw with nobody holding it, waiting either 0.5 or 2.5 seconds between readings depending on how you set it. A short delay suits a fast moving station; a long one keeps a catcher's throw back from overwriting the pitch.
Power comes from two standard 9V batteries, which are not included, and they run up to 12 hours continuously or around 60 hours in typical trigger use. An external power jack takes a wall or vehicle adapter for stations that run all day, and the gun switches to external power on its own so the batteries can stay in as backup. An audible tone confirms each reading and a low battery indicator warns before the readings stop.
The Data Port and Remote Displays
The RadarDataPort is an RS232 serial output made for Sports Radar equipment. Wire it to a red LED speed display and a camp station, cage or fundraiser booth shows the number in figures a whole line can read from where they are standing, which is what turns a gun into an attraction rather than a clipboard. The same port feeds the speed acquisition software on a Windows computer through the serial adapter that ships with that package.
Use only Sports Radar adapters and displays on this port. A plain serial cable run from the gun into a computer can damage both, so the adapter is required rather than optional.
Who This Radar Gun Is For
The SR3800-LS suits baseball and softball organizations that run every age group, training facilities that measure hitting and pitching plus slow drill work, showcase and camp operators who want one gun for the whole day, and institutional buyers who also need a slow speed instrument on site and want the data port to drive a large display for it.
Three honest comparisons keep buyers on the right model. If maximum reach matters most, the standard SR3800 reads to 130 feet and to a higher top end. If you want low speed capability at the lowest cost and do not need plate speed, the SR3600-LS has the same 4 MPH floor. If the target is slower than a walking pace, the SR3800-ULS resolves to half a mile per hour, but it tops out at 25 MPH and cannot read a pitch at all.
Training Applications for the SR3800-LS
Pitch and plate charting is the headline use. Track both numbers by pitch type across a bullpen and you learn which pitches hold their speed and which ones die on the way in, which is the difference between a fastball that plays and one that only measures well.
Age group speed stations run on one gun instead of two. The same unit reads a varsity arm and a six year old's toss, which matters at a camp or a clinic that moves every age through the same lane.
Drill calibration is quietly useful. Front toss, machine feeds and short hop work all have a speed, and putting a number on the feed keeps a drill the same on Tuesday as it was on Saturday.
Slow pitch and rec league softball delivery work reads cleanly with the low floor, so a coach can measure arc consistency instead of guessing.
Return to throwing progressions get the most out of the bottom of the range. Early sessions are intentionally soft, and a chart that climbs from 6 MPH to 40 MPH over a rehab block is far more motivating than a note that says the athlete threw easy.
Sports Radar SR3800-LS Low Speed Radar Gun Specifications
- Speed range: 4 to 200 MPH
- Accuracy: 1 MPH
- Reading range: up to 100 feet on a baseball or tennis ball
- Modes: trigger with pull and release for fastest speed or pull and hold for pitch plus plate speed, and continuous hands free operation
- Continuous mode delay: 0.5 or 2.5 seconds, user selectable
- Power: two standard 9V batteries, or external DC through the power jack
- Battery life: up to 12 hours continuous, up to 60 hours in trigger mode
- Data output: RadarDataPort RS232 serial, for Sports Radar displays and adapters
- Weight: 0.85 lb
- Indicators: audible tone on each reading, low battery warning
- Mounting: standard tripod thread
- Origin: made in the USA
- Warranty: 1 year limited
What's Included
- SR3800-LS low speed radar gun
- User manual
Batteries are not included, and the gun needs two 9V cells to run. Sold separately: the hard carry case, the 52 inch tripod, wall and vehicle power adapters, the 65 MPH tuning fork, remote LED displays and the computer software package.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the LS still give pitch speed and plate speed?
Yes. Pull and hold the trigger and the display toggles from pitch speed to plate speed on the same throw. It is the feature that separates this family from the SR3600 models, and the low speed version keeps it.
How does it compare with the standard SR3800?
It trades reach and top end for a low speed floor. The standard gun reads to 130 feet and up to 250 MPH; the LS reads to 100 feet and up to 200 MPH, and it starts at 4 MPH instead of 10. Everything else, including pitch and plate, the data port and the 0.85 pound housing, carries over.
Will it work for fastpitch and slow pitch softball?
Yes to both. Fastpitch deliveries sit comfortably inside the range on any gun in this line. Slow pitch arcs and coach pitch are where the 4 MPH floor earns its place, because those speeds fall below where a standard gun starts reading.
Are batteries included?
No. It takes two 9V batteries, sold separately. A wall or vehicle adapter through the external power jack is the better option for a station that runs all day.
Can one person use it without help?
Yes. Continuous mode reads with nobody holding the gun, so a tripod behind the mound or at the end of a lane is a complete one person setup. A remote LED display lets players read their own number without walking to the gun.
Can it drive a large speed display?
Yes. The RadarDataPort connects to Sports Radar LED displays with a cable, which is how cages, camps and fundraiser booths show speeds to a crowd. The port is for Sports Radar equipment only.
How do I check that it is still reading correctly?
Strike the 65 MPH X band tuning fork and hold it in front of the gun; the display should show 65. That is a verification check, not a calibration, because there is no user calibration on these guns.