Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors *Merged*

[kbmuenkel]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

John,

Your rear-mount is very clever. How would having the sunshade in the up position affect its ability to detect radar/laser threats from behind?

Also, some States have laws against detectors. I would think it would be difficult, if not impossible, to discretely hide it when you get pulled over.

 

[gentau]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

John,

Your rear-mount is very clever. How would having the sunshade in the up position affect its ability to detect radar/laser threats from behind?

Also, some States have laws against detectors. I would think it would be difficult, if not impossible, to discretely hide it when you get pulled over.

I can't answer your question about the sunshade. However, my rear window is tinted with 20% tint and it still picks up radar signals just fine.

I don't have the need to drive in states where radar detectors are illegal so that is a non-problem for me. OTOH, my mounting is already quite stealthy. My right knee easily blocks the view of the remote switch on the console, the main unit can only be seen if someone leans into the drivers window and looks toward the rear package shelf. Although the remote display on the steering column is within plain view, it is quite small and could, I suppose, be easily removed and hidden if it was deemed necessary.

 

[PINGGOLF]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

i have the BELTRONICS PRO RX65. You can order the hardwire kit. I have it wire to my ignition fuse. When the key comes on so does the detector. Had this unit for 2-3 years now. Still no ticket! On straight interstate you can smell them a good 1-2 miles.

I drove from Birmingham, Al to Decatur, Al everyday for 3 years. About 200 miles round trip at a consistent speed of 90 mph.

Still waiting for this one to die so I can get the new one.

 

[work-n-show]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

I definitely respect the Valentine's performance, but I wanted something that looked built in, so I went with the Passport SRX.

Yes, it definitely costs more, but it was proven in independent tests to be an excellent performer and it includes laser diffusers.

I ordered a new center dash bezel for my GMC Envoy and had a fiberglass piece fabricated to house the SRX control unit as well as some other goodies.

When I purchase my Genesis, I will also purchase the 9500ci. I think the GPS integration is an excellent idea for minimizing falses and the test results were very impressive.

Here's the SRX in my Envoy. Since the Parrot CK3100 (blue tooth phone interface) is obsolete in my car, I'm thinking about having the bezel remade, or taking the SRX apart and really going custom.

Cheers!

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

You should find several unused slots in your fusebox, which is on the "side" of the dash, visible when you open the front passenger door. With my trusty ohm meter, I found a slot that was switched with the ignition (there are several), and I was good to go.

Running the wire was easy, too. Just pop off the little "SRS" button along the passenger-side "A" pillar, which exposes a screw that allows you to slip off the covering and get the wire behind it. There was just enough slack in the headliner that I could tuck the wire behind it without taking it down.

20 minutes total...

Hi Musher, Finally got around to wiring the Valentine in to the Genesis. In the end I went with your exact installation (right of the mirror, and I was able to follow your method removing the SRS button etc. I now have the wire round to the passenger side. But I am not sure how to get it into the fuse box.

Is there a way to get behind the plastic surround to the fuse box? Also did you wire straight into a fuse box slot or attached to a wire with the Valentine clamp adapter? There do not appear to be any wires to clamp to.

Did you try to remove the glove box door? (Looks like you could get to the back of the fuse box if it could be removed). But I did not want to "force" anything.

Any additional information you could provide would be great.

Thanks

 

[BaywayRic]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Did you try to remove the glove box door? (Looks like you could get to the back of the fuse box if it could be removed). But I did not want to "force" anything. Any additional information you could provide would be great.

To change the climate control air filter you have to drop the glove box door. Here's how you do that. May work for your wiring issue too.

1.Open the glove box (A). Lower the glove box down completely by removing the glove box stopper (B) to the glove box.

2.Remove the glove box lift(A).

3.Remove the filter cover (A) with pushing the knob.

4.Replace the air filter (B), install it after making sure of the direction of air filter.

5.Installation is the reverse order of removal.

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

BaywayRic,

Thank you for the additional info. This is great !

I looked at the lugs in the glove box and they looked like they should be movable (item B in the first step in your post). Do you have any experience in removing them? They did not seem to want to move very easily though.

They have a square shaped socket in them and there appears to be a gap to the side in the glove box. So to remove them I am not sure if I should twist them (with a square ended screwdriver), push towards the gap or just pull them out.

I will try playing with each direction, but if anyone has done this already let me know.

Thanks again for the detailed diagrams.

 

[BaywayRic]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

No experience with it here. That would be the dealer guys!

 

[musher51]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Hi Musher, Finally got around to wiring the Valentine in to the Genesis. In the end I went with your exact installation (right of the mirror, and I was able to follow your method removing the SRS button etc. I now have the wire round to the passenger side. But I am not sure how to get it into the fuse box.

Is there a way to get behind the plastic surround to the fuse box? Also did you wire straight into a fuse box slot or attached to a wire with the Valentine clamp adapter? There do not appear to be any wires to clamp to.

Did you try to remove the glove box door? (Looks like you could get to the back of the fuse box if it could be removed). But I did not want to "force" anything.

Any additional information you could provide would be great.

Thanks

Uh oh, a memory test. It's been ~3 months since I installed the detector, Matt, and the car's not close by right now to refresh my memory. FWIW, I worked the other way (from the fuse box to the unit), and yes, I inserted the wire directly into an open switched fuse, and then worked my way up to the "A" pillar from there.

I don't recall exactly what I had to disassemble to get the wire past the dash, but I don't think I popped the glove box out. If memory serves, there's a cover below the glove box (i.e. right above where a passenger's feet would be) that I removed. With that cover off and the glove box open, I think I could see well enough to feed the wire up towards the "A" pillar, and then grab it once I removed the pillar cover.

Give that a try, and repost if it doesn't work. Since you're coming from the top down, you may be able to benefit from gravity by adding a weight to the end of your wire.

BTW, do you mean "left of the mirror" (which places the unit above and just to the right of the driver's line-of-sight)?

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

FWIW, I worked the other way (from the fuse box to the unit), and yes, I inserted the wire directly into an open switched fuse, and then worked my way up to the "A" pillar from there.

Hi Musher, Thanks for the additional information. It was the lower plate under the glove box I was missing I could then feed the cable down easily.

I still need help with how to connect to the fusebox. I have the direct wire unit from Valentine. This has a black wire that needs to be grounded under a screw. Where did you attach?

The red wire has an inline fuse and adapter that slides on to a clamp connector. In reference to your quote above this does not appear to fit a fuse socket. Did you modify a fuse box fuse to attach it to the Valentine wire?

Hope you can help, looks like I am almost there.

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[musher51]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Ah, the fuse box connection. Well, I cheated a bit there. My neighbor has an extraordinary collection of electrical odd n' ends (he's both an MSEE and a car nut), and from his workshop I picked up a small connector - with the same dimensions as the fuse - that accepts a wire input at the "head" of the connector. I'm not sure where he got this, but it's likely that a well-equipped auto parts store (or perhaps even Radio Shack, etc.) might have one.

Otherwise, a bit of solder oughta do the trick, too.

I can take a picture of the connector and post it, if you'd like, but not until tomorrow (Dylan's in town tonight ).

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Hi Musher51, Thanks again for all your help.

I am all done and the Valentine and concealed display are all wired in and everything back in place. I found a fuse box plug in connector at NAPA this evening (Mini Add-A-Line part # 782-2226 for anyone interested).

This worked great and is a very neat way to hook in to the electrical system.

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

I fabricated a bracket for my concealed Valentine 1 display

Here is the finished painted item with the display mounted and a foam pad to protect the interior of the Genesis

Here is the concealed display mounted in the Genesis. I used the storage slot below the DVD loader.

 

[musher51]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Nice job, Matt. Given the placement of the remote display unit, does that mean the main unit is completely out of sight? I've lived with having that big ol' thing hanging off my windshield for years, but your arrangement is certainly more subtle...I'll have to look into something similar.

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Nice job, Matt. Given the placement of the remote display unit, does that mean the main unit is completely out of sight? I've lived with having that big ol' thing hanging off my windshield for years, but your arrangement is certainly more subtle...I'll have to look into something similar.

Hi Musher51, Thanks. My main unit is high on the windshield (see photo) similar to how you had previously diescribed your installation. One advantage with the concealed display is that no lights appear on the main unit when the concealed display is plugged in. So this makes the main unit very unnoticable for cars following.

 

[tripod]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Hi Matt really like that bracket would you make me one

jerome

 

[tripod]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

why do you go up the right side piller when the fuse box is on the left side

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

why do you go up the right side piller when the fuse box is on the left side

Hi tripod, There are fuse boxes on both the drivers side and the passenger side. So given the position of the detector, and that there will be less electronics to navigate past on the passengers side (as no instrumentation etc) I thought it would be easier to plug in to the passenger side.

But you are also right you could go to the driver side too.

 

[MattP]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

Hi Matt really like that bracket would you make me one

jerome

Hi Jerome, Will send you a PM shortly.

 

[tripod]

Re: Hard Wired Radar / Laser Detectors

just had my car a few days dint know they had a fuse box on both sides nice