My Valentine 1 install (remote display)

Just got my LGT today, so I had to re-install my V1.

 

I used this method: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45289 but I also had a remote display, so I wanted to find a place for it.

 

Came up with this

http://www.bwanasvx.com/pics/lgt/01/IMG_3040.jpg

If you take the ashtray out, there's a hole in the top of the "shell" just big enough to fit a phone cord connector through. I then ran the cord back through the dash and over to the fuse box. Oh yeah, the door can still be closed.

 

Here's where i put the radar itself (up at the top)

http://www.bwanasvx.com/pics/lgt/01/IMG_3041.jpg

sweet install. looks really clean.

After driving it tonight, I need to go back behind it and take out that lightbulb in the ashtray. Shines around the display.

i don't know, to me it seems just as easy to look up (hear up if you will) to where the V1 is in my car) than it would be to look down at the shifter and see the display, even though most of the time i know where the radar is coming from? if someone put the unit in the back window i could see more of a point to the unit being where it is, but right in your line of sight as it is...why move the display? not to be a naysayer! sorry :-)

It's not so much the looking part, it's the reaching for the mute button part.

i don't know, to me it seems just as easy to look up (hear up if you will) to where the V1 is in my car) than it would be to look down at the shifter and see the display,

Another advantage of the remote display is that you maintain a little more stealth from outside the car. There are people on the highway that will tail your ass if they see a radar detector thinking they get a free ride.

Just got my LGT today, so I had to re-install my V1.

Here's where i put the radar itself (up at the top)

http://www.bwanasvx.com/pics/lgt/01/IMG_3041.jpg

Did you just use the visor clip and slip it in above the headliner?

Did you just use the visor clip and slip it in above the headliner?

 

 

No, it's suction cupped up there. It's just as high as I could get it. The visor still works, but when down, it blocks the rear facing sensor.

 

And yeah, a big reason for the remote display is what fweasel said...way more stealth.

Looks good!

+1 on "nice install!"

 

The bulb in there is pretty easy to remove. Just pop the entire panel (around the shifter) out, and you'll get to it quite easily.

 

I also used a twin-thickness pad of double-sided 3M Automotive Trim/Mo(u)lding tape to help the outer "ashtray liner" stay in the "down" position, since finger pressure actuating the mute button (I currently use an Escort 8500 x50, and this setup is utilized for its hardwired SmartCord mute as well as for the mute on both my LPP and ZR3 jammers) can cause that inside section to want to "tip up" and away from your fingertip.

 

+1 on "nice install!"

 

The bulb in there is pretty easy to remove. Just pop the entire panel (around the shifter) out, and you'll get to it quite easily.

 

I also used a twin-thickness pad of double-sided 3M Automotive Trim/Mo(u)lding tape to help the outer "ashtray liner" stay in the "down" position, since finger pressure actuating the mute button (I currently use an Escort 8500 x50, and this setup is utilized for its hardwired SmartCord mute as well as for the mute on both my LPP and ZR3 jammers) can cause that inside section to want to "tip up" and away from your fingertip.

 

 

I used a pretty thick phone cord (all I could find), so going through that hole it jams the tray pretty well. When I open the door, i have to pull the tray back down. Not a problem so far.

I'd move the unit to the other side of the mirror, so there's no interference from putting the visor down. Nice install - exactly what I'm going to do once it warms up a bit.

I have also have my V1 remote display mounted in the ash tray, but I have been wanting to move it.

 

My idea is to take a part the instrument panel, and mount the remote display inside the RPM gauge. I would also put the mute button in the empty spot next to the windshield wiper defrost button.

 

Obviously this would be a time consuming and very patient relocation (not much room for error), which is why I have been looking for a MT instrument panel to practice on first. So if you see any for cheap let me know

 

But the benefits would be complete stealth when the unit is turned off, and you can look at the direction and your speed at the same time.

 

Here is my idea. This is not to scale, but good enough for the general idea.

 

The display inside the instrument panel:

http://deniscoan.googlepages.com/conceal.JPG

 

The mute button

http://deniscoan.googlepages.com/mute.JPG

Now that would be bad ass

 

I have also have my V1 remote display mounted in the ash tray, but I have been wanting to move it.

 

My idea is to take a part the instrument panel, and mount the remote display inside the RPM gauge. I would also put the mute button in the empty spot next to the windshield wiper defrost button.

 

Obviously this would be a time consuming and very patient relocation (not much room for error), which is why I have been looking for a MT instrument panel to practice on first. So if you see any for cheap let me know

 

But the benefits would be complete stealth when the unit is turned off, and you can look at the direction and your speed at the same time.

 

Here is my idea. This is not to scale, but good enough for the general idea.

 

The display inside the instrument panel:

http://deniscoan.googlepages.com/conceal.JPG

 

The mute button

http://deniscoan.googlepages.com/mute.JPG

Bwana - Cool.

 

puzzled - That would be very, very sweet.

 

There's a how-to write-up on "gauge recessing" the display on a Porsche-enthusiast website, which includes wiring tips on remote-locating the mute switch.

 

It's only going to be the most basic of help, though, as I'd imagine that pulling apart our dash cluster - and then cutting it, no less! - is going to be your biggest worry as well as most time-consuming steps.

 

Something cool that a fellow countermeasures enthusiast did with the mute button, which you may be interested in, is that he relocated it to the DEAD PEDAL - a pretty nifty idea.

Something cool that a fellow countermeasures enthusiast did with the mute button, which you may be interested in, is that he relocated it to the DEAD PEDAL - a pretty nifty idea.

CRAP. I was just thinking of that placement the other day and thought I was a genius. Come to find out that some manhood challenged Porsche owner beat me to it. Oh well, I'm still looking into it though...

 

puzzled - That would be very, very sweet.

 

It's only going to be the most basic of help, though, as I'd imagine that pulling apart our dash cluster - and then cutting it, no less! - is going to be your biggest worry as well as most time-consuming steps.

 

Which is why I would first like to experiment on a used cluster (need to start checking the junkyard). At the very least I would take mine a part to see the thickness of the face and the amount of room inside. With that i would make a mock up front and place the v1 display on that. Much easier to replace the V1 display over the cluster.

 

 

Something cool that a fellow countermeasures enthusiast did with the mute button, which you may be interested in, is that he relocated it to the DEAD PEDAL - a pretty nifty idea.

 

Now that is an idea too...

fweasel - Brother, it's worse than that...it was an Audi guy!

 

, J/K, I truly love Audis. But yes, it was an Audi guy who did that.

 

The guy's initial execution wasn't great and I helped him tidy it up a bit, but his idea really was brilliant!

So.. if you have a permanent installation like that and you drive somewhere that doesn't allow radar detectors.. how are you going to let the officer confiscate it if he pulls you over for it?

 

"I'm sorry officer, but you are going to have to take my gauge cluster too"

 

 

That is just a remote display that connects into the radar detector. All i need to do is simply unplug the actual unit and toss it in the trunk.

Holy sweetness, Batman!

 

The cluster install is way beyond my competence, but beautiful. Seductively beautiful. I just know I'd get it wrong, though. I had been thinking of simply mounting it above the steering column.

For brother puzzled and others:

 

http://p-car.com/diy/v1/remote/

 

^ That's the tach install for the remote display on the Porsche.

 

You'll see that near the end, he showed how he spliced-out a remote mute button to go near the vent.

 

And here's that Audi guy's trick dead-pedal mute install:

 

http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=21436&highlight=grommet

 

^ Sorry, I had to search for the term "grommet" to bring it up.

 

He only went with part of my advice in the thread, which was to simply replace the glue/silicone caulking sealing the button's surround with the grommet. Here in NE-Ohio, if I were to copy that install, I'd definitely need the "sealing" dust-cover that I'd recommended to go overtop the button, as it wouldn't last long, otherwise.....

 

I've actually thought about rigging up my x50's remote mute this way, but I'm very hesitant to do so as I actually do - on the blue moon days when I do drive the car that hard, use the dead-pedal, and I don't always mind where my foot is placed on said device. In other words, I'm afraid that "I'd punch the button through the floorboard" , if you get my drift.

 

In any case, I do appreciate his thoughtfulness at this setup, it's definitely a great place to put it - both well-hidden as well as easy-to-actuate, after some getting used to.

 

I personally prefer to have the mute on my RIGHT hand side. Since I also practice the "downshift to PSL/reasonable" method, I thus often need to have my left hand on the wheel to maintain vehicle control, and a left-sided mute mount will not give me a "spare hand."

 

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I've also been punting around the idea of getting a V1 - not to run both of my detectors at the same time (that's not a good idea, BTW, because your detectors will interfere with each other on a rather unpredictable basis), but rather, so that I can run one "long distance trip" setup (V1) for open highways, and my current x50 for my usual in-town commutes and side-trips.

 

My concern would be whether or not I can get accustomed to the V1 enough as to make this worth it. I've always been taught by various martial teachers to "carry your load-out the same way, every day, day-in, day-out, so that you'll instinctively react to threats in the drilled manner" - call it "reversion under stress," if you will. With such a dual-detector setup, especially with the V1 being only occasionally used, I'm not sure that I would have sufficient experience with it to respond to its alerts in the proper way, nor to have it properly set-up to maximize performance for my needs (i.e. not the detector's fault, but rather, MY shortcomings as a human-being).

 

OK, enough of that....back on-track.....

 

In my fantasy, I would place the remote display pretty much right at the base of the windshield center-on with my line-of vision. Sure, it wouldn't be the best for "security" or stealth, nor a super-clean install, but it would allow me to co-visualize the road and the detector's display at the same time, which is my personal preference.

Some Bimmer guy integrated the remote display into the rear view mirror, very slick. I think he was selling it for a while, and wrote a DIY guide once he stopped doing it.

 

It looks something like this:

 

http://www.ecisbmw.com/product_files/accessories/V1%20Display.htm

Some Bimmer guy integrated the remote display into the rear view mirror, very slick. I think he was selling it for a while, and wrote a DIY guide once he stopped doing it.

 

It looks something like this:

 

http://www.ecisbmw.com/product_files/accessories/V1%20Display.htm

that is flippin sweet

 

http://www.ecisbmw.com/product_files/accessories/v1%20mirror_lg.jpg

kick a$$ this thread is full of all sorts of sweet ideas. March is going to be a good month.

Some Bimmer guy integrated the remote display into the rear view mirror, very slick. I think he was selling it for a while, and wrote a DIY guide once he stopped doing it.

 

It looks something like this:

 

http://www.ecisbmw.com/product_files/accessories/V1%20Display.htm

 

^ Totally forgot about that one. Thanks for the pick-up!

 

I really like that one, too, in terms of "integration."

 

My concern for that particular one is that it does place the indicators rather far outside of peripheral vision (especially for eyeglass wearers), and also requires a big focal-plane change.

 

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And while we're on this topic, let's not forget about the different-colored LEDs that's a part of the Lifespeed mod:

 

http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=3487&highlight=lifespeed

 

^ What I really like about this is that it gives a MUCH clearer visual alert than the standard "all-red" V1 remote display (or onboard display, for that matter). Also of-note is the ability to order customized-color alert "strength" bar.

 

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There's also Jim Mitchell (aka "The Professor" jimbonzzz, on RD.net) - with his Software One ( click on the pertinent link from his personal website: http://www.kc8unj.com/radar/index.html ), which allows integration with your laptop, emulating the remote display as well as serving as a "datalogger" for threats/alerts.

 

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Finally, there's the V1VD (V1 Virtual Display) - http://www.exitzer0.com/