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Just spoke with Garmin on the Xero. The support guy said it will not work with “multiple projectiles.” So no-go on saboted bullets (or bullet and wad). I’m thinking a workaround may be to set the radar unit out past where the sabot/wad discards - say 20 feet or so and to the side of the projectile path.
Just spoke with a couple shooters using the new Garmin and shooting with wool wads. Neither that I talked to shoot sabots, others may.
THE WOOL WADS DO NOT AFFECT THE UNITS ACCORDING TO THOSE OWNERS/SHOOTERS.
JUST RECEIVED WORD FROM ANOTHER OWNER/SHOOTER WHO IS SHOOTING SABOTS AND THE UNITS WORK PERFECTLY WITH SABOTS.
Hmmm.... Wonder if the Garmin support guy has enough technical background to understand that wads and sabots are made of non-metallic materials, that they aren't additional bullets, and whether the radio frequencies that the radars use are reflected/scattered by wool or plastics?
I can't imagine that these things operate at radio frequencies which are reflected/scattered by non-metallic materials... they would be utterly swamped by reflection and scattering from vegetation, the ground, butterflies, etc. Because the device is looking for doppler-shifted returns, you might be able to dig the signal out of all that noise by using heterodyne detection techniques.... but why not make life easier by just choosing a wavelength that isn't reflected/scattered by most of what's in the background?
Because my background is in optical physics rather than radio frequency (RF) physics, I don't have a good feeling for how hard it is to choose an RF frequency which isn't reflected/scattered by non-matallic backgrounds, but gives adequate reflection from metallics to pick up tiny bullets. I'm pretty sure, though, that it can be done, because millimeter wavelength RF is what's used for the new generation of airport personnel screening devices which penetrate clothing, luggage, etc. to create images of any weapons that are being carried (along with images of everything else under the clothes....) : A colleague at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who worked for me for several years was the principal scientist who invented and developed that technology, just before he started working on my projects. Wish I was still in contact with him so I could ask about the radars.