just installed my bel 985 - the clip that came with the bel 985 makes it very cumbersome so i decided to throw it off to the left, it's very comfortable there, doesnt interfere with anything and the speaker is on the right too so i can hear it...was wondering if this placement to the left mattered in terms of its ability to properly detect radar, as i know most have theirs mounted in the center near their rear-view mirror.....thanks

 

I got my radar detector right in front of my mirror. It detects radar
signals from a long way plus I place it there so I can put up my window
shade when the car is parked.

mike

 

Your radars sensitivity is not good there. Mount it in the center either above or below your rear view mirror. You can tap into the dome light for power. Check here on the org for wiring instructions

Here is mine...

 

thanks dave, i'll move it sometime in the next week or so....is yours just velcro'd to your mirror then i assume?

 

I mounted mine just like Maximadave did - seems to work pretty well.

Use some heavy duty velcro and it'll be fine.

I was thinking about mounting it on the left, but I didn't want to be blasted by the speaker when it went off. Having it centered just blasts my passenger instead...heh.

I still have the voice enabled for when it goes off. My mom got in the car and it went off and said "K band." She swore it said "CAVEMAN!"

Yeah mom, this thing detects cavemen...

 

What is the best brand and best model, cost's and where to buy. Thanks.

 

check ebay

Escort 8500, Bel 985, or Valentine V1 are top sellers

 

V1 rules all and it will pay itself off. Iv only had mine for a month and it saved me a approx 250 dollar ticket, my license, and 8 hours at a driver retraining course. I was doin bout 70 in a 30 and out of no where my V1 starts goin nuts bout a KA band ahead of me i slow down and the cop was bout 400 to 500 yards ahead of me around a turn and over a hill. sik huh. btw Dave is right. In the actual manual it sez to place ur radar high in the middle of your winshield for best detection.

 

i have mine just above the clock in the middle of my dashboard. works just fine for me. I like the featherfoot method of avoiding tickets tho (usually)

 

That may work, but it's not very stealthy - to cops and potential thieves.

I've heard that if a cop approaches your car and they see it on the dash - it usually means you're getting a ticket.

The ideal position is dead center of the windshield, but I know I don't want it standing out and then you have to look at the stupid wire. Mounting it lower on the dash near the clock is a little better but I think the metal in the wipers can only hurt the performance of the detector.

 

you know, i'd like to know if there's a model out there (or an add-on for the abovementioned) that will allow you to remotely install the sensor array. most people wouldn't go thru one a year anyhow, and it should be a simple matter of running the wire either to the grill or behind the mirror. either way, the display could be placed more discreetly. i know i've seen ads for on in like c&d or r&t, but i don't know that they were any good.
suggestions??

 

dave, just went out and tried to find an acceptable spot like is shown on yours on top of the mirror....i guess in the '00 either the mirror is larger or placed differently, or else the bel 985 is so much more massive than your 980...it wont fit anywhere above the mirror unless it's ****-eyed and resting on the windshield too....i'll fool around with it some more trying it to one side or the other.....will it really reduce the effectiveness of the radar that much to have it in its current position? i definitely want to maximize my investment thanks again for the help and responses

 

V1 comes with a hard wiring kit. Im gonna hook it up to my rear view once i get sum time. They also have a "concealed display kit".

 

I have a radar detector but still have to be careful. In my town the cops are sneaky, they have that "instant on" radar and they wait until you're right next to them to clock you. No radar detector can help you in that case.

 

My radar does overlap a little bit over my rear view mirror. I just used h/d velcro and works just fine. If your worried about it just mount it below the mirror. I have the top 10" of my windshield tinted for a stealth look from thieves and cops.

 

check out this site for reviews and explanations on radar detectors

http://www.speedzones.com/

 

Check out my website for the wiring instructions...

G

 

Nice!!! I finally hard wired my V1 to my rear view mirrow. Took me bout 3 hours but thats cause i wanted it to look perfect. No extra wires hanging around and everything is firm and in place. Ill post sum pics this week.

 

Very easy to do. Only reason it took me so long is because i have never modded or touched any thing in my car myself and was cautious doin so.

V1 pic1

V1 pic2

First, i unscrewed and took out the above head storage compartment. You can easily access the wires you'll need to plug into from there. Any knows that red is positive and black is negative so using the red V1 wire i tapped into the red striped wire. I wanted to run my 2 V1 wires down with the rear view mirror wires so i sliced open the black tubing and fit them in and did a very neat and clean electric tape job closing it up. It really does look super clean but even if you are sketched about using electric tape cause of the look well dont worry bout it cause the plastic extendable peice that holds the black tubing along your winshield completely seals it up. While replacing the above head compartment i decided to ground my black V1 wire behind the screw that holds the compartment up. Clean up shop and you set. Now you no longer have queer wires dangling all up in your face. Also because of the tint on the top of the winshield it is almost invisible from the outside. Even if a cop ever did pull me over for any reason the fat a$s would neva see it.

Wish i took pics while was doin it but i hope my instructions help out at least a little bit.

Gluck, BeRTo

 

I hardwired my Bel 940 today, pretty easy to do. Only problem I had was that the 940 came with a spiral cord. So I cut the straight ends off and put them together to make it long enough to wire into the mirror. I barely had enough cord!

The 940 sits on top of my mirror w/ velcro, same as everyone else.

I'm a little uneasy about the ground wire since it barely made it to the screw, so I hope it's secure. If the ground wire isn't secured to the screw...what would happen??

Thanks.

 

According to Escort, my new Passport 8500 shouldnt be mounted there. It says that mounting it behind any tinted portion of your car will decrease the range of your RD....We both have the same tint strip Dave.... ..Any comments guys ?

 

I have no problems with range kloogy. Shall we take a run down the 15 tonight?

 

I already took one today, went to get new front Tire....caught one HP at the same exact spot where you got your wreckless driving ticket ! .....Im gonna watch the game now..... go Yanks !

 

Go Marlins

 

Why are you guys so worried about cops seeing your detector? They're legal in every state except Virginia and in Washington DC

My V1 sits just below my rear view mirror and i've sat next to cops at red lights and they've checked out my ride with detector in plain site....no worries here cuz it's a legal device

 

I'm worried about theft.

 

i feel ya.. i was in boston outside jillians and i can back to my car and theybroke into my car and took my 3 yr old cheap radar detector.. i was heated.. cuz thats all they took it was worth about 10 bux...

and they broke my window in my then 2 month old car..

 

no way!!....in jillians?...wtf, i thought that place was pretty safe.

the radar shouldnt be behind the tinted part of the glass for maximum performence....if oyu got theft probelms, take it out, put it in the glove box department. but i am pretty sure that the tinted part of the window will loose up some of the performence. the best place is below the rearview mirror in the center of the windshield.

also, sometime i see cops trying to speedtrap but the radar doesnt beep, they just sit there. could that mean that they are using laser?

 

I know the reflective type tint makes a difference in the range of the RD. I think it's because of the metallic particals in the tint that screw up the range.