Hack a Radar Gun

Video: Radar Gun
What You'll Need:
Hot Wheels Radar Gun
Drill with various bit sizes
Cheap plastic bottle at least 8" long X 3 1/2" in diameter
Assorted screwdrivers
Dremel and hack saw
Soldering gun with solder
Assorted wire
DPDT Toggle switch Radio Shack #275-0663
4-AA Battery holder
1/4 X 20 Coupler nut and bolt with washers
Altoids tin
JB Weld
Heavy duty Velcro
Steps:


Using a drill, drill out the plastic filler caps that cover the screws holding the Radar Gun together. There are a dozen or so screws. After you open it up, remove the waveguide, LCD display, switch and battery compartment connector.

Cut off the open end of a drink bottle and then drill 4 holes: one should be dead center on closed end of the bottle and one should be slightly off-center. Now turn the bottle sideways, the next two holes should be drilled near the closed end of the bottle; one on top and one on the bottom.

Kip JB Welded a bolt at the back of the waveguide to be used to fasten the waveguide to the drink bottle. Any size bolt will work as long as you have a matching nut.

After making a note of where all the wiring is, unsolder all of the connections. You will end up with a waveguide, switch (not used), LCD display and battery compartment connector (not used). Solder new wire to the new toggle switch following the same pattern as the old one. Solder new wire to the waveguide.

Cut a square in the Altoids tin bottom to match the size of the opening in the back of the LCD display and then mount the display on the tin using screws. Kip also used a little bit of hot glue to be sure. Drill two holes the top of the tin to match the holes drilled in the bottom (closed end) of the drink bottle. Make sure things are lined up before you drill and hole!

Install the tripod mount (coupler nut, bolt and washers). Install the toggle switch and route the wiring out the back. Install the waveguide, route the wiring through the hole in the Altoids tin, route the wiring from the waveguide through one hole in the tin and secure the waveguide with a nut over the other hole.

Solder all of the wiring to the back of the LCD Display. Run two wires from the red and black power wires to the 4-AA battery holder. Kip hot glued and taped the connections so there would be no shorting going on inside the Altoids tin. He also secured the battery holder to the side of the new waveguide housing using heavy duty Velcro.



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