V1 with Remote Display hard wire install MY 2010

[Peaty]

Did a quick Scoobymods page on installing my V1 with a remote display in my 2010 Legacy:

 

http://www.scoobymods.com/my-2010-valentine-one-t12595.html?p=94660#post94660

[TSiWRX]

Very nice, Peaty! It's great having you here, BTW.

 

Also, if you wanted to mount the unit up high (not that you'd need to, as the V1 is so sensitive - but it may help the unit to give it more shade or concealment), there's a quick option:

 

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/radar-detectors-general/29822-mounting-rd-above-your-rvm.html

 

^ Actually, I'd recommend going to the SuperLock fastener, outright, even if you plan to keep the detector on the dash. Even with "industrial" Velcro, the backing adhesive still tends to soften with direct sun exposure and closed-cabin temperatures...the 3M-VHB adhesive that's on the SuperLock will really help with that one, and the "hook-and-loop" interface also will be more "solid." It'll also give the unit slight upward displacement, to help it clear the windshield wipers.

 

The SuperLock's "hook-and-loop" structure will make it harder to remove the unit, though, if you prefer to do that when the vehicle's parked...you'll likely want to shave/cut off some of the "hooks-and-loops" to facilitate removal.

 

That idea, along with others, are also referenced in this thread and its own outlinks:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2-radar-detector-mirror-mount-134353.html?t=134353&highlight=high+mount

 

There's also a slightly longer read, here, which offers a few more options:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/easy-radar-detector-install-45289.html?highlight=high+mount

[Peaty]

I've been using the same spool of velcro on my Miata's detector and so far it's been okay for the past few years. I agree that the super lock is good stuff. I have some and used it in the past. It's a little harder to separate though. I found if I have to yank the detector off rather than peel it, I end up pulling the cord out from behind the dash. Even so I do like the idea of raising it up some. When this stuff eventually gets ratty I may switch to it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I've seen the type of mount that attaches to the stalk of the RVM

 

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/BlendMount-Beltronics-Escort-Detector-Quality/dp/B002J47Q3O]Amazon.com: BlendMount Your Beltronics / Escort Radar Detector. High Quality Custom Mount: Automotive[/ame]

 

But I really don't like the way it blocks the view plus putting the extra stress on the mount I don't think is a good idea. Down low where I have it it can get an okay view front and rear. I've had it mounted like this before and like you say it's sensitive enough that putting it up high isn't really needed. What I really wanted to do was this:

 

http://www.scoobymods.com/v1-radar-detector-stealth-t2121.html?t=2121

 

But with the light interior it's not an option. I usually drive alone so that worked really well for me. No one saw it there till it made noise

 

Where it is now I can move it back a little and put up my sunscreen shield and it hides it nicely plus it's pretty much out of my field of view.

 

One thing I wanted to mention is how well Valentine treated me. I've had a V1 since they came out in 92. Over the years, I've sent it back 2 times to be retrofitted with the latest technology. It's been some time since I sent it back so I wanted to do it again. I had the older larger cased version. The only option this time was to get a whole new one with a trade in. All I sent was the unit, not cords mounts or whatever. The cost was about half price. What I got back was the latest detector with all the hardware including mounts cords just like you would with a new one. I expected just a new detector case in the box. It was a pleasant surprise. I've gotten very use to the V1 over the years. We have an Escort X50 in the wife's car and it's a very good unit. Personally I like the V1 better. It could be because I've had one so long though.

[BAC5.2]

How often do you find a radar detector actually saves your butt? I think it would just piss me off if it were beeping all of the time. cops tend to use LIDAR and Laser around here, and those that do use RADAR often use instant-on. I feel like a detector, even one as advanced as a V1, will really only let you know that you are about to get pulled over.

[TSiWRX]

I've been using the same spool of velcro on my Miata's detector and so far it's been okay for the past few years. I agree that the super lock is good stuff. I have some and used it in the past. It's a little harder to separate though. I found if I have to yank the detector off rather than peel it, I end up pulling the cord out from behind the dash. Even so I do like the idea of raising it up some. When this stuff eventually gets ratty I may switch to it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

NP. I didn't learn of the SuperLock stuff until just a couple of years back, thanks to MEM-TEK. It's really become my favorite thing, even though I don't use it for any of my countermeasures, I do use it for other interior accessories - some of which gets mounted "upside down" under the dash!

 

I've seen the type of mount that attaches to the stalk of the RVM

 

http://www.amazon.com/BlendMount-Beltronics-Escort-Detector-Quality/dp/B002J47Q3O

 

But I really don't like the way it blocks the view plus putting the extra stress on the mount I don't think is a good idea.

 

My problem, in the BL, has been the height of the inside RVM, so I know exactly what you mean. Even though I'm not a tall guy (I'm about 6', even) and I've got the mirror pivots (both of them) all the way "up," with my use of the Cheetah GPS Mirror, I really can't spare any more intrusion into that area of vision. As-is, I already double-check cross-traffic from the right.

 

Down low where I have it it can get an okay view front and rear. I've had it mounted like this before and like you say it's sensitive enough that putting it up high isn't really needed. What I really wanted to do was this:

 

http://www.scoobymods.com/v1-radar-detector-stealth-t2121.html?t=2121

 

But with the light interior it's not an option. I usually drive alone so that worked really well for me. No one saw it there till it made noise

 

Where it is now I can move it back a little and put up my sunscreen shield and it hides it nicely plus it's pretty much out of my field of view.

 

^ That's trick, indeed, but like you said, in a lighter interior....

 

Looks like you've considered everything. <--- And that's really all that I ask for, that people who invest in such good countermeasures take the few minutes (or more ) to consider its placement and usage, and it's more than obvious that you've put quite a bit of thought into your setup.

 

 

One thing I wanted to mention is how well Valentine treated me. I've had a V1 since they came out in 92. Over the years, I've sent it back 2 times to be retrofitted with the latest technology. It's been some time since I sent it back so I wanted to do it again. I had the older larger cased version. The only option this time was to get a whole new one with a trade in. All I sent was the unit, not cords mounts or whatever. The cost was about half price. What I got back was the latest detector with all the hardware including mounts cords just like you would with a new one. I expected just a new detector case in the box. It was a pleasant surprise. I've gotten very use to the V1 over the years. We have an Escort X50 in the wife's car and it's a very good unit. Personally I like the V1 better. It could be because I've had one so long though.

 

I truly believe that detectors, at this level of the game - the "top dogs" - is more about finding a good match between the device and the owner, more than anything else.

 

It's about matching the right person to the right detector's features and strengths.

 

And in this way, I truly believe that *all* of the "top dog" detectors exist on a nearly equal plane.

 

But in terms of customer service?

 

For as long as I've used Escort/Beltronics products, and for as much of a loyalist I am to the brand, I truly believe that they still, despite recent changes for the better, have some catching-up to do, to get to Valentine Research's level of post-purchase customer satisfaction.

 

 

----

 

 

How often do you find a radar detector actually saves your butt? I think it would just piss me off if it were beeping all of the time. cops tend to use LIDAR and Laser around here, and those that do use RADAR often use instant-on. I feel like a detector, even one as advanced as a V1, will really only let you know that you are about to get pulled over.

 

^ To a certain extent, that is true, and I think that this is actually a fair point that many who either are convinced that a detector will do them absolutely no good or have had negative experiences with them keep coming back to.

 

Remember, the detector is just a tool - it's how you use it that will determine its usefulness.

 

Yes, when you're the target of the RADAR/LIDAR, you're, most likely, "fried," and indeed, the detector will do nothing more than serve advance warning that you're about to be interviewed, at best.

 

But that's not proper use of the detector.

 

What I say to people who ask for advice is to drive - with the detector - as if you did not have a detector. Use the same level of caution and the best driving practices possible: slow around a blind curve/overpass/ramp, use a "rabbit/bird-dog" and never speed alone, etc. Allow the detector to exist as an extension of one's level of alertness and awareness, to "see beyond" the horizon, if you will.

 

I'm out of time, now, but I'll be back in a little to give some examples.

[BAC5.2]

I'd appreciate more examples/convincing. I'm not opposed to the use of a detector, I'm just not convinced something like the V1 is really worth the $400 pricetag.

 

My main concern:

 

Getting pulled over while using a detector will reduce the likelihood of getting let go with a warning. You are using a device that, essentially, helps you break the law.

 

So that means a stealthified install. How do you do THAT while still retaining the usefulness of the detector? The remote mount is a good idea, but its still blatantly obvious that you are using a law-breaking enabler.

 

Plus, in the state of Virginia, where I travel often, detectors are illegal and punishable by a fine I'd rather not pay. So an install would have to be stealth enough to not get noticed in the event of a pull over. It's not enough that the detector "wasn't on". Presence of one in the cabin, apparently, is enough to warrant a massive fine.

 

And don't cops have "radar-detector-detectors" that can be used? Is there any defense against that?

 

Is it really worth $400 for all of the potential headache?

[TSiWRX]

I'll tackle your questions a bit backwards - it'll be easier that way, trust me.

 

My main concern:

 

Getting pulled over while using a detector will reduce the likelihood of getting let go with a warning. You are using a device that, essentially, helps you break the law.

 

So that means a stealthified install. How do you do THAT while still retaining the usefulness of the detector? The remote mount is a good idea, but its still blatantly obvious that you are using a law-breaking enabler.

 

Whether you're cited or not is too flexible of a "win/lose" situation for me - for me, the simple act of being pulled-over for an interview is the "lose" situation. You may or may not wind up losing money and/or a few points on your license. You may or may not wind up losing some time in driving school after a no-contest plea. To me, that all comes after you've already LOST TIME at the roadside stop. Even if that interview lasts only for a minute, that's a minute that you'll never get back - and assuming that your "speeding" is at least in-part tied to either a need or desire to arrive at your destination either early or by a set time (i.e. that there's a quantifiable "goal" to your exceeding the posted legal speed limit) - that's my definition of "losing."

 

So, with that in-mind, I'm not here to debate the relative chances that you will or will not be issued a ticket, based on whether or not you've got a detector present/visible. To me, that's too flexible, and too complicated and fraught with individual variances that will be different between each and every roadside encounter to draw any firm conclusions from.

 

What I can help you with, instead, is your question about "stealthifying" the install. That's a technical question, and thus, within my bounds.

 

What you need to remember is simple:

 

(1) RADAR will pass through some objects but not others, and with a few glaring exceptions, the trim material that makes up the inside of the vehicle offers little resistance to the passage of RADAR. Thus, "stealth" installs such as those where the detector is stuffed into the headliner, crammed inside a headrest, or sits in a "false-floor" type extension on the dash (i.e. say, the back of a dash-mounted auxiliary-gauge bezel) or even the rear CHMSL housing, all becomes not only possible, but more than viable.

 

Again, if you will, please revisit those two in-links that I'd cited in my original reply to Peaty. In those threads, I've cited, with outlinks to RadarDetector.net threads/posts, some of the best and most ingenious examples of such "stealth installs" in terms of concealment of the detector (if you want to get really crazy, look for posts by REBinc, who also sought out factory switchgear to further camouflage his setup).

 

(2) LIDAR requires that the unit's receiver see the incoming light - and while this makes the stealthiest of installs cited above rather impossible or otherwise may be well-compromised, it also should stand to-note that virtually all in-cabin stand-alone detectors are, to some degree (yes, even the V1), "compromised" in terms of conferring best-possible LIDAR detection.

 

Thus, to speak truly of LIDAR detection - and protection - one has to move outside the cabin and beyond the firewalls, and, at the very least, utilize the various remote-mounted jammers as detectors, if nothing else.

 

And in this respect, their concealment becomes a matter of integrating them well into the body-work while insuring that they retain full and unobstructed sightlines. Tucked into the front grilles and under trunk trim overhangs, many such installs are all but invisible, even to trained eyes, and again, a peek on the RadarDetector.net Forums, a sub-section which showcases individual installations/setups, will show you what you can expect. Even more directly, on the Laser Interceptor Forums, in the "Other" brands installation section, Smile's LI install on his BL-Legacy, in a spot which was recommended by both myself and others, again works to show how well-concealed such an item can be, and that's even without considerations for active concealment (i.e. "retracting" mounts).

 

Plus, in the state of Virginia, where I travel often, detectors are illegal and punishable by a fine I'd rather not pay. So an install would have to be stealth enough to not get noticed in the event of a pull over. It's not enough that the detector "wasn't on". Presence of one in the cabin, apparently, is enough to warrant a massive fine.

 

And don't cops have "radar-detector-detectors" that can be used? Is there any defense against that?

 

Is it really worth $400 for all of the potential headache?

Radar-Detector-Detector, or "RDD," technology is, as you know, not new, and in this cat-and-mouse game, the side that's occupied by common citizenry has actually had the advantage for quite a few years, now.

 

To-date, modern RDDs are still unable to detect "leaked" signals from Escort/Bel's M3-platform detectors, which now includes not only the grandfather (I don't recall the exact DOB of the Bel STi-Driver, since RDD cloaking has not been a high concern of mine , but it does date from the front half of this decade) of them all, the Beltronics STi-Driver, but also the "new" Escort RedLine, which is also an in-cabin standalone device - as well as the Escort 9500ci remote-mounted unit, plus its counterpart, the defunct Bel STi-R (and the as-yet Stateside unavailable R-Plus).

 

How undetectable?

 

You could have the latest RDD, the Spectre IV+, sitting right next to an operational and receiving unit of the former devices, point blank, and the Spectre will not alert.

 

But remember, RDD are also just a tool. In the usage of the tool, the enforcer could very well not be alerted by the device as to your detector usage, but rather, be alerted by your reactions to your detector alerting to his RADAR transmission. For example, if you're the only vehicle out of a speeding pack to suddenly haul-down to-PSL from 15+, even if he doesn't get a blip on his RDD, he'll know that you likely have an illegal detector powered-on.

 

Remember, it's not just about the tools, but also how you use them.

 

And that brings us back to:

 

I'd appreciate more examples/convincing. I'm not opposed to the use of a detector, I'm just not convinced something like the V1 is really worth the $400 pricetag.

 

Again, we go back to the fact that the detector - or even LASER jammer - is only a tool.

 

Improper use of the tool is, unfortunately, how most people use it. They suction-cup it to their windshield "sunny side up" and just blitz along thinking that simply because they've got a $200, $400, or $500+ detector that they're somehow invisible to enforcement action.

 

That's simply not so.

 

As you cited before, if the enforcer is able to single you out for their action - i.e. you're "the only car on the road" - the moment that your countermeasure(s) alert(s) is the precise moment at which you are being engaged. You're already in the fryer. You're already cooking.

 

The purpose, thus, of a RADAR/LASER detector isn't that it somehow makes you invisible. Rather, it makes it so that you can "detect" what you otherwise would not have been able to, with your human senses, but that it should still be a supplement to your senses - your overall driving techniques and awareness.

 

Yes, that enforcer around the blind curve, if he/she is smart and uses RADAR in an "instant-on" (I/O) fashion, won't be detectable until it's too late: but if you had a "rabbit" that you were chasing - a "bird-dog" to scout the road ahead of you - that other car/driver may will cause the enforcer to trigger a shot, and thus give you the warning you need.

 

What do I mean?

 

On the PA Turnpike, enforcement is via RADAR only.

 

Most enforcers selectively engage via I/O, while staying behind cover of blind overpass embankments and the like.

 

With enough traffic, it's pretty easy for virtually any detector to give a driver advance warning.

 

But with light to no traffic, such I/O encounters are a virtual guaranty of "win" for the enforcer.

 

On a recent road-trip through PA, I kept my detector on the windshield all the time, but when traffic thinned, I started drastically varying my road speed each time I approached an area where I did not have the necessary sightlines to pick out a trap - thus, when engaged with I/O, I was already at-PSL.

 

I relied on the detector only in so much as its technical capability was able to extend to me - and no more - and that's why I wasn't subject to enforcement action. As my detector went off, my wife looked over at me, and asked me how I knew a cop was there. I looked at her and asked a simple question in return: "how many other places are there to hide?"

 

The lucky thing for most average detector users - those who do not understand the limitations of their chosen device - is that most enforcers are not playing their "A-game." They're either are not that dedicated or are bored enough, or simply know that there will be drivers stupid enough to not need to play the game at such a high level. As a result, this, in-turn, feeds a bit into the public perception that, somehow, having a detector can confer to one a degree of invisibility, as well as, ironically, also give the direct opposite impression: that detectors just don't work as-advertised.

 

So, where's the "worth" in all of this - i.e. do you - or anyone else, for that matter - need to spend $400+ for a "top-flight" detector?

 

I truly do NOT think so.

 

Yes, to a degree, the more you spend, the higher the detector's raw sensitivity and the better its reactivity. But neither are guaranties, and what's more, like I keep nagging, if you decide to speed along in blissful stupidity, with a V1 stuck to your windshield, sooner or later, you will trip over a trap set by an enforcer, who, for whatever reason, happens to be on his/her A-game that day.

 

Conversely, if you're an alert driver, and you have given thought to the strengths and weaknesses of your countermeasures compliment, you can easily make excellent use of a second or even third-tier detector. And to be absolutely honest, if you're a guy like me, who has only a 10-mile commute to work on city streets, you really don't even need a detector, if you've already memorized where all the potential trap spots are.

 

It's not necessarily about the tools, and it's *all* about how they're used.

[Peaty]

I've been using radar detectors since the late 70's in one form or another. I can say that a V1 in the 18 years that I've owned one has paid for itself a few times over. I use to live in PA and the cost of a ticket was very high. They even posted it on billboards along the road. The one ticket I did get in PA was due to VASCAR and it was a known speed trap outside of Harrisburg (dauphin I think) I'm not really a speed demon either. For me it's the places they hide around town where you may be doing a few over in a 35 or 40. On the highway I usually go with the flow. One standing rule I have is to never be the first one in line. I find someone that is going the speed I want and follow about a 1/4 mile behind. And basically don't drive like a butt-head. Weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating and not signaling your intentions are a quick (and justifiable IMHO) to get a ticket. I also like to run this app on my Palm Pre

 

http://www.trapster.com/rl/Trapster.php just for fun.

[TSiWRX]

^ Trapster has *huge* potential.

 

I truly think that the "community" aspect of it, particularly in real-time, is where the best capabilities of Trapster rests. I've been eager to upgrade my cell so that I can take advantage of this, but that's an area where, with my wife and I, we tend to trail the population by several years, in terms of technology.

 

The flagged "cops often hide here" and camera-enforcement information can often be less-than-accurate or outright ridiculous, though.

 

Example: a couple of years ago, when Trapster first started, I registered and flagged the known speedtrap spots ("cops often hide here") on my frequented (weekly, if not daily) commute/errand routes. While some were eventually voted higher confidence, others were voted down. Given that I travel those routes so frequently, and that my now 4-year old daughter had, when she was only 2, already been able to spot enforcement vehicles and traps better than average adults (our relatives and friends are constantly amazed by this), well, you get the idea.... Similarly, when I went back about a year later to look and see how things were developing, there were marked enforcement camera locations which were completely erroneous.

 

When I expressed this concern to the Admin, his response was that the public aspect of it does require more participation, so that the checks-and-balances start to truly balance. Furthermore, that if I were to become more active in that community, to join "Groups," then it could also further increase confidence-interval.

 

Sadly, while I agree with both, I simply have not had the interest/time to do so...hopefully, once I get a cell-phone/PDA that has GPS capability, I will start becoming more active there.

 

In the mean time, just a word of caution, Peaty, to not totally bank your trust on the information there - especially when it comes to camera enforcement. If that's one of your bigger concerns, I would highly recommend that you look at the SpeedCheetah line of GPS-enabled accessories, as their Trinity database is currently the industry-standard (Escort's "Defender Database" is currently simply licensed from Trinity), and is truly very well maintained.

 

And as for the speed-traps, remember, people's skill at finding and identifying traps will vary!

[Peaty]

I live in KS where so far LIDAR is very limited. On my way to work I have one traffic light. I go about 40 miles one way and can make it to work in about 30 -35 min. Unlike when I lived in Jersey and PA there are very few obstacles in the way to block RADAR in KS As for Trapster, it's more of a novelty to me at this point.

[TSiWRX]

^

[TSiWRX]

^ Coming back to add, as I ran out of time before - Peaty - and forgot to address that part of your prior post:

 

I've been using radar detectors since the late 70's in one form or another.

 

I'm really jealous that you had such a long history with RADAR detectors.

 

I came to the States when I was 9, in the winter of 1984. My first automotive love - my first realization that I loved cars, actually - was a 1985 Corvette that shared the same showroom with the Cavalier that my parents were ordering. It was also what triggered my interest in automotive accessories, specifically RADAR detectors, in that it was then-equipped with the dealer add-on K40, and I was witness to my father's first speeding ticket only months before.

 

My parents left my grandparents to come to America without permission/blessings, so we were quite poor at the beginning. As-such (and combined with my father's lack of interest in this area), stuff like RADAR detectors were something I'd only seen in car magazines, and never experienced, first-hand, until very late in the game.

 

My first detector was a simple two-band Uniden, and that was in 1991, so it was, by far, nowhere near "the best" at anything. Luckily, with the Internet picking up speed right around then, I was able to enjoy a crash-course, and by '95, I was already an entrenched Escort user, which is a trend I've continued to this day, chiefly due to my need for more aggressive filtering, as based on my typical driving environments. [ To-confess: Lately, I've been more and more thinking about finally dis-integrating from my 9500i/ZR3 setup, as the ZR3 is again starting to malfunction; given the increasing integration capabilities of my LI setup (and since I also have a LPP setup onboard as "backup"), I'm more and more thinking about giving a V1 a good try, and also finally exploiting more of the GPS/filtering capabilities of my Cheetah GPS-Mirror, with further detector integration. ]

 

While I'm essentially "grandfathered" into active LASER jammers, I'm truly still very green, when it comes to the RADAR side of the equation. I'm more or less up-to-date and up-to-par, tech-wise and relating to know-how, but I lack, sadly, historical perspective.

 

I'm jealous that you've been able to see things develop, over the years.

 

I've had the luck to "live through" many of the most interesting developments in the LASER jammer world first-hand... The first-iteration ZR3s and Blinders, both their initial fanfare and later (not only initial troubles, such as weathersealing and performance versus the Stalker, but also repeated, more recently: i.e. the ZR4 and the Mx5 J11/J13 controversy) disappointments and, in some cases, redemption; the AL/LPP drama; the LI storming the grid; the LaserStar/PASS shams; the TruSpeed saga; and the yet on-going Blinder/LI litigation side-show. It's my first-hand participation in many of these events which have given me a lot of unique insight.

 

I can only wish the same of my experience with RADAR detectors.