Radar detectors - with remote antenna/remote mount

Although you don't want the best, I think the money would be well spent. I believe Valentine One (Valentine One radar and laser detectors) makes the best detectors by far. As the website explains, hidding a detector in the grill is not as effective as a window mount. You can get a remote display so the sheriff can't see any lights from the detector itself, if that's what you are worried about. The V1 will cost you $400 or so, but that's really cheaper than a speeding ticket, especially when you consider the insurance premium increase you are likely to see. The V1's can also be upgraded as technology improves/changes.

 

I've purchased several radar detectors over the years, and never used them more than a few weeks before putting them aside. They detected so many businesses with motion detector burglar alarms that it got ridiculous. Now there are radar driven "Your Speed is xx" signs, and I'd bet that a radar detector would find every one of them.

Once when I was traveling through a small town, the detector went off. As my friend and I searched for the source of the trigger, a cop passed us and waved. Apparently he noticed the detector on the window, and triggered his hand radar gun just for kicks. There is no defense against those hand triggered guns - they watch visually for offenders, and only turn it on to confirm their visual judgment.

These days you'll probably detect every Prius with the radar cruise control system.

Maybe you can set a modern detector to only alarm on the type of radar that your police use. My older units were just so much spam.

 

Well this makes my 1000th Post here on Prius Chat....WooHoo.

Now on to topic. I have installed component systems for years. I have used the Bel 975R. Works VERY well, easy to medium install, and under $400 if you shop around. in fact here is a link to 2 sites that sell it!

Beltronics Vector 975R Radar Laser Detector at BizRate. Compare Prices and Read Consumer Reviews

I posted this sometime ago on my Bel 975R install in my Prius, read and enjoy. Any questions???

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...e-radar-detector-power-cord-5.html#post869836

 

You should have bought a Valenine One. From my experience, it handles all that stuff very well.

False alarms are easy to identify. And it will even identify cop radar trying to hide within those sources.

It can pick up handheld radar use from a couple of miles away.

The radar cruise control is an entirely different frequency.

 

Valentine one user with remote here, it's not that I speed, I like to know where the road is painted so I can be aware of other drivers that are going to slam on their brakes and change lanes before they know they are going to do so

 

The police here confiscate radar detectors ...

... then they modify them into radar detector detectors!! Watch out for them!

 

OK Kids, time for another RF 101 class...

The reason the Radar Detector Detectors work, is that ALL radio receivers work, including Radar detectors, by generating a RF signal in a stage called the "Local Oscillator" This frequency is directly porportional to the frequency that you want to receive.
There are 4 primary frequencys that are used for Radar Detectors in the U.S. All that has happened is someone has a built a receiver to specifically listen for those 4 Local Oscillator frequencies.

However that being said, the folks who make the Valentine 1 took GREAT pains to shield the Local Oscillator section to greatly minimize the amount of L.O. leakage. They have achieved their goal. The Valentine 1 is pretty much Detector proof. That is why is costs a tad more than other units. They are the ONLY mfg that states this!

But on the good news side only 2 states outlaw Radar Detectors, I believe its Virginia, and Wash D.C.

Out of site is out of mind. Thats why I have ALWAYS gone the built in route. You simple have no clue its in the car unless you tear the car apart.

I keep a "Threat Warning Receiver" at the ready at all times. My 4Runner used to just hum along at 82mph. That speed just happened to be the speed the truck ran smoothest. To this date I have beaten CHP with the Bel 975 built in for a total of 7 tickets, that WITHOUT it, I would have been nailed. In fact after I started using the Bel, I have NEVER gotten a speeding ticket. I have gotten tickets for other stupid things, but speed was never one of them.

Now with the Prius, I seem to cruise along at 68-70 just fine, but I know when they are around. Play the find the Chippie game, and I am on my merry way!!!

Pat, you could get a Valentine and the Aussie PD would never know you have it!!!

This concludes RF 101 for today, to see the built in, look at the second link in post 4

 

I would HIGHLY advise against this, unless you are trained in Surface Mount Tech and have the proper tools to dissasemble the thing. It would also help to have knowledge of how the unit you are disassembling routes signals.
First obsticle you have to overcome is WATERPROOFING the feedhorn. ANY WATER, DIRT etc that gets into the feedhorn, it is not going to work. You also have to figure what kind of output the receive horn puts out. When the Feedhorn picks up the microwaves, does it put out a contact closure, which is what the Bel remote heads do, or does it just downconvert the RF into a lower frequency signal. If the system takes that route, you will need a coax cable to get the downconverted signal to the decoder section of the radar detector, as well as power and ground. The more coax you use, the less signal there will be to detect. This could seriously degrade the operation of this system. What about LASER, does your unit have the ability to detect that? Again, you will have to remote those sensors, and see what they put out, contact closure, or +5 volt logic pulse.
While it sounds like a simple thing to do, it simplely is not that simple!

Running the display remotely, brings up a a complete different set of problems. Is it just simple LED's? or are we talking about a LCD type display. If it's LCD, you are going to have to worry about getting the data to the display. Usually there is a integrated circuit that decodes the data you see on the display. If that chip is built into the display, good. All you would have to do is run a pair of wires to transfer the display data to the display itself. If it's a seperate decoder chip, you will have to run the multiplexed data out of the chip through ribbon cable to the display. Lots of room for disaster here.

For $350.00, is the dedicated Remote Bel 975 starting to sound a little easier to deal with.
A Valentine with remote head runs around $600 or so...

I do wish you GOOD LUCK, and please let us know what you accomplish.
If I can assist further, PM me!!!

 

Trust me , go with the V1. I have one in my truck, for me it's not to speed, it's just that I fell like if THEY are allowed to monitor me, I should be allowed to know I'm being monitored.
Your doomed to fail in your attempt and if you succeed you may create what I hate more than anything, a "leaky" detector that sets off all of the good detector's around.
Years ago, better detectors were sold as having "radio shack" filters because the cheap detectors leaked so bad.
http://www.valentine1.com/
Plus the V1 tells you where the threat is, and they can be upgraded years down the road when better technology becomes available. They are also registered by serial number, he will not repair one unless your the registered owner
One more thing, ocasionally the third brake light on some GM SUV's will set off the laser detector.

 

Wanna have some fun? Build a barrage jammer

 

That woud be a helluva use for a Sweep Generator.
10.475Ghz thru 36 Ghz......take out X, K, and Ka!
I like your thinking. HP makes a nice unit, it costs more than the car. Now if I could get the boss to let me build it into the Prius.
I would think 5 watts out would pretty much mask any usable return at the receiver!!!

 

Not to mention that the Sheriff should be able to detect you coming from a distance. So the result could be more tickets, not fewer.

 

BTW, I show this V1 mirror mount in a banner ad for this thread: MGT Motorsports.com | BlendMount Your Valentine One Radar Detector

It looks like a better idea than the suction cups or clip and puts it in a good spot. Has anyone used it?

 

As a matter of fact YES! I love it!!! I use mine to hold the Control Head of my Dual Band XCVR. I put the mirror a little lower than you would normally place it. Then attached the mount to the shaft that extends the mirror from the windshield. Its made of Anodized Aluminum, with hex head cap screws. All the correct Allen wrenches are included (3), as well as extension hardware. In my application I mounted the Head above the mirror, I wanted it out of my direct line of sight. Here is a photo, problem is, it works so well when properly installed ...

YOU NEVER SEE IT!!! Great Design!!

 

Oh, I think you could do it with far less than one watt. Remember you only have to overpower the return, which has to be very low power indeed.
Way back in the day, a friend built a transmitter that xmitted the freq that was something above 100MPH. It was fun driving around setting off the comic alarms on the cops radars.
Of course such things are illegal X band only back then

 

The FCC would like a word with you.