motocross416

iTrader: (6)

I'm getting a valentine pretty soon. I'm going to a different college after next year that is 7 to 8 hours away, might as well get it now. Where should I mount it? I don't want police to be able to see it coming towards me. I found this on valentines website. Test was done by Car and Driver. I wanted to mount it behind the tint but it says not much get through the tint on a maxima

HOW WINDSHIELDS CHOP LASER DETECTION RANGE...what's left after passing through the windshield, arranged from best to worst.
(First % is through windshield, second is through tint band)
CAR MAIN AREA TINT BAND

1989 Toyota Camry 40% 40%
1995 Nissan Maxima 40% 16%
1998 Olds Silhouette 40% 14%
1987 Corvette 32% 32%
1998 BMW 740i 32% 32%
1998 Porsche 911 Turbo 28% 28%
1998 Porsche Boxster 28% 28%
1995 Dodge Neon 28% 28%
1998 Chevrolet Cavalier 28% no tint
1998 Mercedes Benz SLK 27% no tint
1998 Honda Accord 27% 27%
1998 Honda Prelude 25% no tint
1998 Audi A8 25% no tint
1998 Corvette 24% 19%
1998 Ford Taurus 20% 13%
1998 Chrysler Concorde 18% 8%
1998 Toyota Camry 15% 6%

sachmo12345

so wha exactly is that saying

quasidynamic

iTrader: (2)

Put mine on the dash close to the glass with a hardwire. Turns on with the key... ( can't stand those spiral cords hanging in front of the dash.)

.

Mr.Duck

iTrader: (8)

valentine suggests you put it on top of your windshield for certain reasons, read on it in the manual when you get it, i have my placed directly next to the rear view mirror, which is right under the tint part(i have a V1 also hardwired cuz i couldnt stand that damn spiral cord thing)

WaarrEagle

iTrader: (1)

A32Matt

i have mine mounted the same as quasidynamic. no wires or cords showing except for a small bit going down behind the vents where the clock is.

TJ_Max

iTrader: (10)

same here....

SPiG

iTrader: (7)

Yeah mine is in a similar spot. I have it right at the top of my field of vision. I want to be able to see it. I wouldn't really worry about laser detection too much. 99.9% of laser detections are false alarms. And when you do get a hit, it will be too late to do anything. My V1 has saved me a lot of times, but the few times I have been lasered I was not speeding Luckily. The cops around here are too broke to use laser extensively.

Tyrexx

iTrader: (23)

Hardwired.

motocross416

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for all the replys

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

don't speed.

djshawnee

iTrader: (2)

where else have people mounted their radar detectors? ugliness is the main reason why i haven't bought a radar detector yet. quasidynamic's looks OK, but i think WaarrEagle's placing is ugly (no offense). does your radar detector work fine in that position quasidynamic? are there any less noticeable places to hardwire a radar detector?

wasn't there some kind of radar detector where the display had a separate console, so you could build it into your dash? or did i just dream this up?

Mr.Duck

iTrader: (8)

the valentine ones do have an option for a concealed display, i was thinking about getting that.... the beauty of where i have my V1(posted above) is that when your walking right next to the car, or even up to the car, you cant see it unless your looking into the windsheild(and even than you can barely see it) ive never driven behind myself, so i dont know if ppl behind me can see it, but i dont think so... ill post up a picture of where i have it later tonight

Maxima lover

Make sure you mount it where it can receive the radar signal from behind. I have a radar detector (not a great one but works for radar coming from the front) and I just got a ticket because the cop got on the highway on ramp and I didn't see him. Got pulled over. Then I had to listen to the cop say, "Your radar detector didn't go off"? "No it didn't officer, if it had I wouldn't have cut across 4 lanes and speed up to 93 in a 60 and I would have seen you in my mirror if this wasn't a speed trap and you were in a dark purple unmarked Impala!" Wrote me 6 tickets, 4 illegal lane changes, 93 in a 60, and expired insurance.

Lessons learned:
-Get a radar detector that looks for radar coming from behind and mount it where it can pick it up
-Don’t talk back to cops

chrish09

I have mine hardwired and mounted in the bottom left corner of the windshield, to the left of the steering wheel. its pretty discrete and still gets 360 degree protection, iv gotten a lot of compliments on the range and position.
i have a Beltronics Express 926

99 SE-L

My Cobra ESD-9215 IS HARDWIRED LOOKS Nice AND CLEAN ,SAVES ME ALL THE TIME.

willis

iTrader: (2)

Radar detectors will get better range mounted high right next to or under the rearview.. yes it's in the way, yes it's a bit ugly, but after a week you won't even notice it..

WaarrEagle

iTrader: (1)

The manufacturers tell you to mount your radar detector as high as possible for a reason - it works better there. At least mount it off the dash so it can see out the rear. Where I have mine mounted (next to the mirror) it is VERY hard to see from the outside of the car - that thing is the most valuable piece of equipment in my car and I don't want every person walking past my car to see it. It is also less noticable to cops for those who have to worry about that. It is very easy to see when it goes off b/c its up at eye level right next to the rear view mirror. A couple of my friends made fun of where I mounted it at first but they now have their's up there.

motocross416

iTrader: (6)

For the people that have their detector behind the tint band, do you get less sensitivity comapared to if it was mounted just below the band?

Mr.Duck

iTrader: (8)

tests have been done that show that if the detector is behind a tint, than it will hinder the sensitivity, so mine is right next to my rear view mirror....

djshawnee

iTrader: (2)

what kind of options does the v1 have for a concealed display? are there any others like this?

chrish09, how is the range on your radar detector with where you have it mounted? that seems like a pretty inconspicuous place... i dont have to worry about cops seeing the detector...

quasidynamic

iTrader: (2)

Yes it seems to work very well where it is. Although I have never tried ot place it anywhere else so I can't say for sure. The range is pretty decent on it, i would say at 1/8 mile. I actually looked for one with an external display. I was interested in putting the detector up by the rear view mirror (supposedly better detection) and the display where the OEM clock is above the climate control. That would be slick to see the readout there, almost like the car was made that way. But I havent found one yet...

willis

iTrader: (2)

unless you live in a state where they are illegal, why would you worry about the cops seeing your radar detector?

I really don't think you having a dectector up or not is going to make a huge difference in what ticket they give you.. most likely, they will laugh at you for getting caught. The cons of shortened range and not picking up any signals from the rear definitely outweight the cosmetic of having the radar down low like that..

motocross416

iTrader: (6)

It is best to not have the cops see your detector. If they see it when they are pulling you over, you are pretty much guaranteed a ticket.

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

willis

iTrader: (2)

I don't buy that.. i've been pulled over a few times since i've had the radar, gotten a ticket once (not speeding, tint), gotten warning a couple other times..

if you're doing 30 over the speed limit, you're most likely getting a ticket for something radar detector or not..

and honestly, if you're going to mount it so low that is lacks range, why bother having it at all.. sure it's low so the cops can't see it when they are pulling you over.. but it can't see the cops either, so it's just sitting there doing nothing..

TJ_Max

iTrader: (10)

ive got a whistler and its on my dash, thats considered "too low"? it picks up too much stuff, even in city mode, i keep getting taxis and stuff.....i guess ill only turn it on when im on major highways and stuff.....wide open areas....and they are illegal in only like 3 states or something like that, so i agree with who gives a F*ck if htey see it or not....this is just like the conversation about im scared to get tints because of cops, they got betta **** to do in NYC so they dont care about illegal stuff on cars, only thing i ever seen is someone pulled over for using strobes, he hit the switch by accident.....and ppl worry about getting hids because they dont wanna blind the other.....GIMME A BREAK!

maybe outta state crops are huge ******, but i guess im speaking to tri-state area guys...

HomerMAC

iTrader: (5)

hmm so scratch the paln for putting it into the car behind the grille... dammit.. thats what i wanted to do next..

image

iTrader: (6)

how well does that pcik up?



Btw, anyone got any pics of there escort 8500 mounted???? I'd like to see some creative looks.

willis

iTrader: (2)

how exactly would you see the readout with the radar detector behind the grill??

chrish09

djshawnee- the range is just as good as it was when i had it mounted in the center of my windshield, iv also been pulled over twice (not for speeding) and the officers didnt even mention it, hopefully because they didnt see it. it blends in with the black interior

willis

iTrader: (2)

You have it mounted on the bottom of the drivers side windshield you said?.. basically on the dash?.. the range isn't as good as if it were in the center of the windshield.

It doesn't have 360 degree coverage because it's facing right into your back seat (and possibly your front seat)...

and in all likelihood, the officer saw it when he pulled you over.. they're not dumb, and they make sure to look around the car when they're walking up. He didn't say anything, because why should he.. they're not illegal. Mount it up high to get any sort of effective use, if you're paranoid about a cop seeing it, take it down as you're pulling over.

endus

iTrader: (1)

amulla01

the radar detector i got says to mount it in the center of windshield

MrDicks95SE

iTrader: (23)

heres my escort 8500 x50 mount:

Nismo98

iTrader: (7)

Andrei

chrish09

easssy does it willis, the reason i have it there is because i dont like the look of it in the center of my windshield, i still get the same 360 degree protection as i did before (i have tested it), but i really appreciate your concern, keep up the good work

Mr.Duck

iTrader: (8)

here is where i mounted mine

endus

iTrader: (1)

BTW the key when you mount it high is to get the remote display so you don't have this huge set of lights shining out your rear window. You can see the remote in my pic just in front of the guages.

ThurzNite

iTrader: (13)

My V1 automatically dims. Barely visable LED out the rear window. I have tint, so maybe that's why it can't be easily seen.
Jae