Sports Radar SR3800-ULS Ultra Low Speed Radar Gun

The Sports Radar SR3800-ULS is an ultra low speed radar gun that reads from 0.5 MPH to 25 MPH and resolves speed to half a mile per hour. Read that range twice before buying, because it is the whole story: the ceiling is 25 MPH, so this gun cannot read a pitch. It is not a slower version of a pitching gun. It is a precision instrument for measuring things that move slowly, and it is the only model in the line built for that job.

What it does instead is resolve small differences at low speed that no other gun here can see. Half a mile per hour is the difference between compliant and non compliant in a lot of facility speed rules, and it is the difference between a controlled roll and a fast one in any setting where slow means safe. The gun keeps the RadarDataPort, the tripod mount, trigger and continuous modes and the 9V power system from the rest of the SR3800 family, and it is made in the USA.

Why the SR3800-ULS Costs More Than a Faster Gun

Buyers ask this immediately: why does the slowest gun in the line carry the highest price. The answer is resolution. A standard gun rounds to the nearest mile per hour and starts reading at 10 MPH, which is fine when the target is a fastball and useless when the target is moving at 3. The ULS resolves to 0.5 MPH and reads down to 0.5 MPH, and getting a stable number out of a slow moving target takes different signal processing, not less of it.

That 0.5 MPH figure is worth being precise about, because the internet routinely confuses the two meanings. The floor is 0.5 MPH and the resolution is 0.5 MPH. They happen to be the same number on this model, and claims that other Sports Radar guns read down to 0.5 MPH almost always trace back to somebody copying this specification onto the wrong product page.

Reading Range Depends on What You Are Pointing At

At these speeds the size and reflectivity of the target dominates range far more than distance settings do, which is why the ranges are published per target rather than as a single number. Typical reading distance starts at 60 feet and up for forklifts and other slow moving equipment. Keep forklifts close, with 100 feet as the maximum. Trains read up to 500 feet. Slow moving ships read up to 500 feet, small boats of metal construction up to 250 feet, and fiberglass boats up to 150 feet, since a hull that reflects poorly gives the radar less to work with.

Alignment still governs accuracy. Radar measures the part of the target's motion travelling directly toward or away from the gun, so an operator standing well off the line of travel always reads low. At 4 MPH, losing a mile per hour to a bad angle is a quarter of the reading, so position matters proportionally more here than it does on a pitching gun.

Modes, Mounting and Power

Trigger mode is a pull and hold operation, and the gun beeps when the speed is taken so an operator knows a reading registered without watching the display. Continuous mode reads hands free, waiting either 0.5 or 2.5 seconds between readings depending on how it is set, which suits an unattended position watching a lane, a gate or a doorway.

The housing carries a standard tripod thread, so the 52 inch tripod holds it at a fixed height and angle for repeatable readings. At 1.5 pounds it is the heaviest gun in the SR3800 family, which is worth knowing if the plan is to hold it by hand for a long stretch.

Power is two standard 9V batteries, and they are not included. They run up to 12 hours continuously or up to 60 hours in trigger mode. An external power jack takes a wall or vehicle adapter for a permanent monitoring position, and a low battery indicator warns before readings stop.

The Data Port and Speed Warning Displays

The RadarDataPort is an RS232 serial output built for Sports Radar equipment, and on this model it is more useful than usual. Wire the gun to a red LED speed display and you have an unattended speed warning setup: the gun reads continuously and the display shows the operator or driver their own speed in numbers readable from a distance. That is the standard configuration for facility traffic monitoring, and it is the same display hardware used behind a speed pitch booth.

The port also feeds the speed acquisition software on a Windows computer through a Sports Radar serial adapter, for sites that need readings logged rather than shown. Only Sports Radar adapters and displays belong on this port; a plain serial cable run into a computer can damage both ends.

Who This Radar Gun Is For

The SR3800-ULS is for facilities, institutions and operations that need to measure slow movement accurately: warehouse and plant traffic, loading areas, rail yards, marinas and harbor operations, and any site where a posted slow speed limit has to be verified rather than estimated. Schools, municipal departments and athletic facilities that already run Sports Radar displays sometimes add one for exactly this reason, since it shares the same cables, displays and adapters as the guns on the field.

It is the wrong product for pitching, and there is no version of the math where it is not. Anything thrown competitively is well past 25 MPH. For youth baseball and softball speed work, the SR3600-LS reads from 4 MPH to the top of the pitching range. If you also want pitch and plate speed from the same throw, the SR3800-LS does that with the same 4 MPH floor. For straightforward baseball charting at distance, the SR3800 is the right gun.

How to Use the SR3800-ULS

Start by setting the distance from the published range for your target rather than from what a faster gun would manage. A forklift is a small, irregular target and wants to be inside 100 feet; a train or a ship can be read from much further because there is far more metal to reflect.

Position the gun in line with the direction of travel, at roughly the height of the target, and leave it there. Fixed geometry is what makes repeated readings comparable, and it is doubly true at low speed where small angle errors are a large share of the number.

For monitoring, use continuous mode on a tripod with external power and a remote display, and choose the 2.5 second delay when traffic is intermittent so one vehicle does not produce a stream of readings. For spot checks, trigger mode plus the confirmation beep is faster and easier to hold steady.

Sports Radar SR3800-ULS Ultra Low Speed Radar Gun Specifications

• Speed range: 0.5 to 25 MPH
• Resolution: 0.5 MPH
• Typical reading distance: 60 feet and up on forklifts and other slow moving equipment
• Range by target: forklifts up to 100 feet, trains up to 500 feet, slow moving ships up to 500 feet, metal boats up to 250 feet, fiberglass boats up to 150 feet
• Modes: trigger, pull and hold with a confirmation beep, 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: 1.5 lbs
• 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-ULS ultra low speed radar gun
• User manual

Batteries are not included; the gun takes two 9V cells. Sold separately: the hard carry case, the 52 inch tripod, wall and vehicle power adapters, remote LED displays and the computer software package.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can it read a baseball or softball pitch?

No. The ceiling is 25 MPH, which is below any competitive pitch in either sport. If you want a gun that reads slow targets and pitching, choose the SR3600-LS or the SR3800-LS, both of which start at 4 MPH and cover the full pitching range.

Is 0.5 MPH the minimum speed or the accuracy?

Both, which is where most of the confusion online comes from. The gun reads down to 0.5 MPH and it resolves speed in 0.5 MPH steps. Other models in the line round to 1 MPH and start at 4 or 10 MPH depending on the version.

Why is it more expensive than a faster gun?

Because measuring slow movement precisely is harder than measuring fast movement. The signal processing that produces a stable half mile per hour reading at 3 MPH is what you are paying for, not the top speed.

How far will it read?

It depends entirely on the target. Forklifts should be read inside 100 feet, trains and slow moving ships up to 500 feet, metal boats up to 250 feet and fiberglass boats up to 150 feet, because reflectivity matters more than distance at these speeds.

Are batteries included?

No. It takes two standard 9V batteries, sold separately, or it can run from a wall or vehicle adapter through the external power jack for a fixed monitoring position.

Can it drive a large speed display?

Yes. The RadarDataPort connects to Sports Radar LED displays, which is how an unattended speed warning setup is built. Use Sports Radar cables and adapters only.