radar detectors

[UroTrash]

Originally Posted by Adam

Aparently radar detection is more of a priority than have a clear view of the tach eh Euro?

Not really.

From the saddle it only covers up to 4k.

There is a pivot in the platform at the stem head so I adjusted it to be as high as possible without obscuring the important part of the tach, i.e. 6000-11500.

[ukchris]

Originally Posted by Adam

Aparently radar detection is more of a priority than have a clear view of the tach eh Euro?

It only covers the digital display, the tach is still easy to see. When I added cruise and OBC I glued two magnets inside the steering column, I then made an acrylic bracket with matching magnets so it snaps to the column and holds securely without having to make any marks or stick anything to the column.

[ukchris]

Originally Posted by jci-joe

UKChris,

I would love to see more pictures of your V1 installation. I like the idea of the mirror lights for the V1. Is the main unit hidden? Did you have it professionally installed or did you do it yourself?

Also, what was involved with the footwell lighting hack? This would be great. I still can't believe a car that cost over $53k only has one interior dome light.

Any more info on the installation would be appreciated.

There are pictures of the bracket I fabricated in this thread http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10453&pid=58759&st=0&#entry58759 which show it from different angles, I only engraved the logos on the first one I made though, I think they're too much and would also be a copyright issue. I designed the bracket and had it fabricated from acrylic.

The remote display is in the mirror, the mutew button is small and mounted in the back of the mirror so I can easily reach it and there is the jack plug to connect it to the main V1. The display is unobtrusive and IMHO in about the perfect spot to view.

Once I decided I wanted it in the mirror I found out the places that used to make them seemed to have stopped and also they were very expensive ($600 - $1200). Instead I decided to try and do it myself which turned in to a bit of an epic trying to figure out the best way to prepare the glass. After several failed attempts I think I have a multi-stpe process that now works well and have made a few mirrors for other people too.

[ukchris]

Originally Posted by jci-joe

Also, what was involved with the footwell lighting hack? This would be great. I still can't believe a car that cost over $53k only has one interior dome light.

Missed this one... I used two triple LED lamps and mounted them under the dash, the wiring goes under the dash, up the A-pillar to the dome light. Once you get there you can either tap in with wire taps or solder the ends of the wires to the light. It really is quite easy, I have some spare lights if you want some then all you need is a couple of yards of wire.

This picture makes them look much brighter and more defined than they really are because I had to take it with a long exposure so you could see them, the effect is pretty subtle and I really love it.

[mjw930]

V1 all the way. I've been using one ever since Mike Valentine left Escort and created it. The arrows as well as the bogey counter are indispensable and after a short while you'll know just from the sounds what's up around you.

There was a period about 3 years ago when Valentine gave into the POP radar craze (he can be stubborn) and their first 2 attempts at it were a software flop. These have been resolved and the latest units work flawlessly.

I have 2 units, one that goes between the Boxster and the Cayenne, depending on which one is being used and another that stays in the Mazda since the wife uses it everyday to commute to work. One of the units is about 18 months old, the other is over 10 years old (it's been upgraded 3 times and patched once for the POP glitch).

BTW, the "upgrade" actually gets you a brand new unit for a fraction of the cost.

[Dr. Kill]

Originally Posted by jci-joe

I see there are a number of radar detectors with remote mounted sensors including the Passport SR7+ and the Calibre K40. Has anyone installed one of these in a Boxster and what is your opinion. Also, if you installed the SR7+, do you know if the laser shifting has worked? At $1,599, it seems pricey unless it truely works.

Since I have not seen too many comments on these, my assumption is that they are not widely used.

I have no experience with this product, but if I remember right, Radartest.com (in the report version you pay for) did test the shifter and found it to be effective.

[bagwell]

only thing I don't like about the V1 is the little dots that lite up indicating what type of radar you are detecting......next to Laser / X / K / Ka....why not just make the L / X / K / Ka light up????

maybe I'll send this in to Valentine for consideration.

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by bagwell

....why not just make the L / X / K / Ka light up????

maybe I'll send this in to Valentine for consideration.

Include with your sentiments that the volume knob/dial on the left is roughly 10 years outdated. Not even stoves and washing machines use DIALS these days. So class that up with something a bit more elegant Mikey Valentine.

[ukchris]

I just did this as a mock-up for a remote display mirror for someone to make it more stealth... I suppose I might call it "the Virginian". The idea is to make it look like a compass rather than a radar detector display.

[Wonko The Sane]

I've been using the Beltronics 915r for about 6 years now. The current gen model # is 975r I believe. I chose this one over the V1 because I could not figure out any way to make the V1 installed stealth, and all of the detection/falsing/etc were pretty much the same between the two units. Honestly, I can't see how the arrows would be that beneficial to the way I drive, since when my detector says "Cops!", I slow my ass down I have upgraded my receiver 1 time, just like you can do with the V1

I just got done installing this detector in my (new to me) 97 Box. I think this install is rather sweet, and definitely stealth as far as detectors go. Enough with the yappin', more pictures

[ukchris]

Personally I really liek the arrows, I like knowing if I'm heading towards the threat or away from it. I even had them save me once, I was driving in traffic towards the end of rush hour maybe a little over the limit when I got a blip from behind. I eased over to the middle lane and a couple of minutes later a trooper came by then cut across two lanes to exit the highway. The curious thing was the V1 still showed the threat as being behind then low and behold a black Crown Vic appears that had been trailing him.

I assume it's some sort of decoy trick where people are supposed to feel reassured after they see the trooper exit and pick up speed again, really made me smile at the time.

Each to their own.

Chris.

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by ukchris

Personally I really [like] the arrows, I like knowing if I'm heading towards the threat or away from it. I even had them save me once...

Technially, the arrows didn't save you, it was the detection. Arrows satisfy a curiosity.

When it indicates Ka band is near, is there ever a direction it points to that prohibits one from slowing down?

[ukchris]

Originally Posted by Jeph

Technially, the arrows didn't save you, it was the detection. Arrows satisfy a curiosity.

When it indicates Ka band is near, is there ever a direction it points to that prohibits one from slowing down?

Without the arrows I might have reasonably assumed the alert was from the cruiser that exited the highway and might have accelerated, with the arrows it was clear the alert was still behind me.

[RandallNeighbour]

The rear arrow really came in handy yesterday with me too. I got a forward reading that was just a beep or two and then it went dead. I slowed to the speed limit, and he was sitting on my right side on the shoulder. I crept past him with everyone else and maintained my speed, thinking he might be pacing me back a bit without the radar to get me "the old fashioned way."

Then he started turning his radar on and off to monitor the oncoming traffic, which I saw had a rear arrow lit.

Now if I didn't have those arrows, I would have been looking for another threat ahead of me because he was out of sight in my rear view mirror.

After seeing Wonko's pictures, I wonder if I could tear down my V1 and solder wires to the front and rear sensors and move them the front sensor to the back of my mirror and the rear sensor to the top of my mirror and put the remote down to the top of my shift column and the rest of the box under the dash. Anyone thought of this, tried this, or decided it was a crappy idea?

[Wonko The Sane]

That is exactly the kind of thing that I planning on doing if I bought a V1... what I came up with:

Obviously, this void any and all warranties from valentine. Not that this is a huge concern, normally, but one of the selling points of a valentine was that they get to be upgraded. This wouldn't allow that to happen, which could potentially get you stuck with an outdated detector.

The other thing that I couldn't verify at the time: How sensitive are these devices to external interference? I would imagine that extending the antenna to the reciever like that would open it up to all kinds of interference. In the Beltronics one, the whole sensor assembly is actually built into the front radar detector, and then only the output (that triggers the band and led displays) is run back to a very small display piece. I don't believe that the display piece in the dash does any of the processing.

Just some food for thought...

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Then he started turning his radar on and off to monitor the oncoming traffic, which I saw had a rear arrow lit.

Now if I didn't have those arrows, I would have been looking for another threat ahead of me because he was out of sight in my rear view mirror.

Since the arrow was pointing behind you, did you speed back up to your cruising speed? No, you probably waited until the signal was gone, right?

Again, it satisfies curiosity. Arrows aren't saving. If you are in range of a threat, you lay low -regardless of where the signal was.

Think of a smoke detector and imagine if it had arrows. It goes off. Do you exit the burning building, or do you check forward, to the sides, or behind for smoke?

I dig the V1. I'd probably have one if it wasn't so ugly (what can I say, I'm a designer -and my X50 hasn't let me down yet). I'm curious as to the source of the signal. But the fact is, it alerts, you slow down. Not "where is it, should I slow down." Maybe my point is one of semantics. Is this making sense to anyone?

[Wonko The Sane]

Originally Posted by Jeph

But the fact is, it alerts, you slow down. Not "where is it, should I slow down." Maybe my point is one of semantics. Is this making sense to anyone?

That's exactly my take on it too Basically, regardless of direction, if my little Beeper goes off, my arse is suddenly going the speedlimit I assume that if I'm in radar-range, I'm in visual range, and I behave when johnny-law is around..

[ukchris]

Originally Posted by Jeph

Think of a smoke detector and imagine if it had arrows. It goes off. Do you exit the burning building, or do you check forward, to the sides, or behind for smoke?

If my smoke detector had arrows I'd make sure I took the most appropriate exit to avoid the fire, unless there was an obvious and immediate exit available of course

At the end of the day it's all personal preference and I think we all have a tendency to justify what we have to ourselves. The best defense is to drive at or under the speed limit of course but let's avoid that option for now at least!

My V1 came with my car, if it hadn't I might very well still be driving with no radar detector to be honest.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

There are some neat installs of the V1 on Renntech.org
One 911 guy mounted it above his rearview mirror (the best spot) and hardwired it so it fires up on ignition with all wires hidden under the pillars.

I mounted my Escort 8500 using the guide there and I love it. Mine mounts to the right of the rear view mirror and with no wiring visible, is almost unnoticeable. Having it turn on automatically is a real plus, but getting the power outlet back under the glove box was a real boon also.

As far as the sensitivity? Man, some of it is quite subjective, imho. All I know is I've had it in my Dakota before i got the Boxster and it paid for itself first time. Laser radar is the worst. By the time you get a signal, you have most likely been spied. No scatter is the big problem. It's a very concentrated beam.

[David N.]

Nice motorcycle mounting UroTrash!

Although a good biker friend of mine stands behind an interesting statistic concerning bikes and speedtraps, that of all the bikes that are flagged and chased for speeding, only 15% actually get caught. Which with a decent sport bike is certainly possible, if a ZX-14 wants to lose a Crown Vic, there's not much the cop can do short of calling for a block or a chopper or something.

Ghostrider anyone?

-David