The first thing you should do before you start using a radar gun is to check that the batteries providing the power to the radar gun have sufficient charge in them, otherwise you may get false speed readings when using the radar gun.
After it’s been established that the batteries have sufficient charge then you can turn on the radar detector and select the desired mode.
Most radar guns these days will have a continuous and trigger mode option. The continuous mode option allows you to detect the speed of an object without having to press a trigger or any buttons to get a reading.
Alternatively, when the radar gun is set to the trigger mode option, you have to then press the trigger of the gun each time at the moving target in order to detect the speed of the moving object.
Most radar guns have a range limit of around 150 feet, standing too close to the moving object doesn’t mean that you will get better readings. It is always better, and safer to have a distance of at least 25 feet between you and the target object.
Of course the bigger the detection range of your radar gun the greater the distance you can put between yourself and the moving target.
To take a speed measurement, aim the radar gun so that the object is either moving directly toward the radar gun or directly away from the gun.
So for example, if you wanted to find out the speed of a pitch, then if possible you should stand directly in front of or in most instances behind, but just slightly to one side of the pitcher. This will enable the radar gun to have a clear line of view of the moving target ball enabling a reading to be taken and then displayed in the radar gun display screen.