Sports Radar SR3600 Radar Gun

The Sports Radar SR3600 is a full size trigger radar gun built for baseball coaches who want a real pistol grip instrument with a data output instead of a pocket device. It reads from 10 to 200 MPH, holds a baseball out to 60 feet, and puts a three digit speed on the display every time you pull the trigger. That combination fits the places velocity work actually happens: the bullpen, the cage lane, a flat ground session, a camp station or a speed pitch booth.

The feature that separates it from other guns in its price class is the RadarDataPort on the back of the housing. That port sends every reading out to a remote LED speed display or, with the correct adapter, to a computer. A program can buy one gun now, read speeds by hand all season, and add a scoreboard style display later without replacing the radar. The SR3600 is made in the USA and runs on two 9V batteries or on external power.

Trigger and Continuous Modes on the SR3600

Trigger mode is the reading on demand: aim, pull, release, read. It is the mode for a coach standing behind a pitcher in the bullpen or a parent charting a session from beside the cage.

Continuous mode is the hands free mode, and it is the one that makes solo training possible. The gun reads on its own with nobody holding it, and it enforces a three second gap between readings so a catcher's throw back does not overwrite the pitch you just threw. Mount the gun on a tripod behind the mound or beside the plate, throw your work, and read the number between pitches. The housing carries a standard 1/4-20 thread on the bottom, so the Sports Radar tripod or any camera tripod holds it steady at the height you want.

Readings display in MPH or KPH. You choose the units by holding the trigger while powering the gun on, and the choice stays put, so a program that tracks in metric sets it once and forgets it.

Reading Range and Where to Stand

Range on a baseball is 60 feet in typical conditions, and the engineering documentation is honest that a small or poorly aligned target can pull that down toward 30 feet. Sixty feet is a bullpen, a cage, a flat ground session or a booth. It is not a distance for sitting behind the backstop and scouting a full game. If you need that reach, the SR3800 reads a baseball out to 150 feet at its lowest noise filter setting. Range is greatest between 15 and 100 MPH, which covers every pitch a staff throws and most batted balls off a tee.

Alignment matters more than distance. A radar gun measures the part of a ball's motion heading directly toward or away from it, so a gun placed off to the side or well above the flight path reports less than the true speed. Line the gun up with the ball's path horizontally and vertically, keep the angle tight, and readings stop drifting low. Nearly every complaint that a gun reads slow traces back to where the operator was standing, not to the hardware.

The RadarDataPort and What Connects To It

The RadarDataPort is an RS232 serial output built specifically for Sports Radar equipment. Wire it to a red LED speed display and every reading appears in numbers the whole cage, or a whole line at a fundraiser booth, can read from a distance. Wire it through the Sports Radar computer adapter and the speed acquisition software records readings on a Windows machine instead of a clipboard. The SRDL-36-KIT pairs this same gun with a 4 inch red LED display, and it is the kit version built to work with inflatable speed pitch setups.

One caution is worth repeating: the port is for Sports Radar displays and adapters only. Running a standard serial cable straight from the gun into a computer can damage the gun and the computer. The computer path is the adapter that comes with the software package.

Power Options for the Cage and the Booth

The gun runs on two standard 9V alkaline batteries, which are not in the box. Expect over five hours of continuous running and roughly 50 hours of typical trigger use, so one pair covers a long stretch of normal coaching. The display flashes when the batteries get low, and an audible tone confirms each reading so you know a speed registered without watching the screen.

For a booth, a cage or an all day camp station there is an external power jack. The gun senses external power and switches to it automatically, so the batteries can stay installed as a backup. A 9V wall adapter or 12V vehicle adapter covers indoor and field setups without opening the battery door.

Who This Radar Gun Is For

The SR3600 suits high school and travel baseball programs, pitching instructors, camps, cage operators and parents who want a durable full size gun with a path to a display later. It fits if you work inside 60 feet, want hands free readings, and care that the unit is made in the USA and built to be serviced rather than thrown away.

It is the wrong gun if you plan to work from behind the backstop at game distance, or if you want pitch speed and plate speed from the same throw. Both of those point to the SR3800. If you need to measure things moving slower than 10 MPH, such as soft toss, tee ball arms or adaptive sports drills, the SR3600-LS is the same gun with the floor dropped to 4 MPH.

Training Applications

Bullpen charting is the everyday job. Read every pitch in trigger mode and write the number next to the pitch type. The velocity separation between a fastball and a change up is the figure most pitching coaches want, and it takes one gun and one sheet of paper to get it.

Flat ground and mound work read differently, and having both numbers from the same session tells a pitcher something useful about how he is using the slope. Keep the gun in the same spot for both so the comparison means something.

Exit velocity off a tee or front toss is well inside the gun's ability, because a Doppler radar reads the speed of a moving ball whether a hand or a bat put it in motion. What it does not read is bat speed, which is a separate measurement taken with a different class of device.

Speed pitch stations for camps, clinics and fundraisers are where continuous mode and a remote display earn their keep. Set the gun on a tripod, aim it down the lane, and the operator never touches it again.

Return to throwing programs benefit most from a fixed setup. Same distance, same angle, same mode every session, and the week over week trend becomes meaningful because the geometry stopped changing.

Sports Radar SR3600 Radar Gun Specifications

• Speed range: 10 to 200 MPH (16 to 322 Km/H)
• Units: MPH or KPH, selected by holding the trigger while powering on
• Greatest range: between 15 and 100 MPH
• Accuracy: 3%, resolution 1 MPH or 1 Km/H
• Reading range on a baseball: 60 feet typical, 30 to 60 feet depending on the target
• Radar band: X band, 10.525 GHz
• Display: 3 digit LCD
• Modes: trigger and continuous, with a 3 second delay between continuous readings
• Power: two standard 9V alkaline batteries, or external DC through the power jack, which the gun senses and switches to automatically
• Battery life: over 5 hours continuous, about 50 hours in typical trigger use
• Data output: RadarDataPort RS232 serial, for Sports Radar displays and adapters
• Mounting: standard 1/4-20 tripod thread
• Indicators: audible tone on each reading, flashing low battery warning
• Dimensions: 10-3/4 in L x 2-3/4 in W x 7-1/4 in H
• Origin: made in the USA
• Warranty: 1 year limited

What's Included

• SR3600 radar gun
• Instruction manual
• Warranty registration card

Batteries are not included, and the gun needs two 9V alkaline cells to run. Also 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

Are batteries included with the SR3600?

No. The gun takes two standard 9V alkaline batteries and they are not in the box. Add a pair to your order, or run the gun from a wall or vehicle adapter through the external power jack if it is going to live in one place.

How far will it actually read a baseball?

Sixty feet is the working number in typical conditions, and the honest floor is closer to 30 feet when the ball is small in the frame or the angle is poor. Plan your position around 60 feet rather than hoping for more, and step up to the SR3800 if you need to read from behind a backstop at game distance.

Can one person use it alone?

Yes. Continuous mode plus a tripod is exactly that workflow. The gun reads by itself, holds a three second gap between readings, and shows the number when you walk back to it. A remote display makes it easier still, because the number is visible from where you are standing.

Does it read bat speed?

No. It reads the speed of a moving ball, which covers pitch speed and exit velocity off a bat, but bat speed itself is a different measurement and needs a different device.

Does it give both pitch speed and plate speed?

No. The SR3600 reports one speed per reading. Pitch speed and plate speed from the same throw is an SR3800 feature, and it is the main reason to step up to that model.

Will it read fastpitch softball or slow youth throws?

The floor is 10 MPH, which sits far below any real pitch, so fastpitch softball and youth baseball arms read normally. The SR3600-LS exists for measuring things moving slower than 10 MPH, which is soft toss and drill territory rather than pitching.

How do I know it is still reading correctly?

Use the 65 MPH X band tuning fork. Strike it, hold it in front of the gun, and the display should show 65. That is a verification check rather than a calibration, because there is no user calibration on these guns; a reading that is off means the unit needs service.