What is a “ghosting” error?
This is a false reading caused by a manmade object and gets its name from the fact that a target may not be visible even though a reading is being displayed. This can occur with the patrol car’s blower motor being “clocked” as a small portion of the radar beam bends downward into the windshield vents and picks up the revolving blades on the fan. This is most noticeable when no vehicles are in range and the radar is transmitting. This problem is increasingly rare with today’s solid state radar circuitry although it can still occur and is addressed in operator training classes. This is what happened in the infamous palm tree clocked by radar in Florida in the late 1970’s. A reporter aimed the radar at a tree and keyed up a nearby radio causing the radar to give a false reading. It should be noted that if a reporter knew the reading was bogus then certainly a novice radar operator would too.
