Radar and laser defense

So i will soon be working on a small project for our new prius v:

-Beltronics STI-R Plus installed radar detector
-AL Priority parking sensor (laser jammers)

I will post pictures of the complete install once its done.

 

It wasnt that much! I ended up getting a deal on the system since i purchased the ALP system as well. I believe total price for both units was about $1500.
I made a mistake, its the Beltronics STI-R plus system, but same pricing.

Its still a lot of money, but considering a speeding ticket cost and potential insurance price increase, its a worthwhile investment.

 

Yes there is! its called not speeding!

The problem we have in CT is the back roads have very slow limits, 20-30mph. Just flowing with traffic, you are easily going 40-45. LEO's in our area use laser a lot, so once you are tagged, you are getting a ticket. With this system, im just hoping to avoid this issue.

I didnt buy this system to purposely speed, its just to keep us in check in case we are just going with the flow.

 

This is another reason i went with this system, it "invisible" to radar detector detectors, meaning it can be used in VA. Since its an installed unit, there is just a tiny display which could be hidden.

 

Laser jamming is illegal in a few states, but the system im getting doesnt even send a jam signal, it just doesnt allow them to read, then in 3 seconds, it turns off and they can get a reading. Hopefully i was smart enough to ensure im doing the correct speed.

Here is a link to a map with all radar and laser jamming laws.

RDF Geographical Survey - Radar Detector & Laser Jammer Forum

 

The system uses specific gun algorithms to prevent jamming codes and just makes it appear as the target was missed.
See demo video below of a test with the ALP system.

It show the laser gun not receiving a signal, a cheaper system could show a jam, which then the LEO could go after you for, but a ---- reading is similar to just missing the target.
In the video, they dont disable the jammers, then just run through

 

Here is the beginning of the install.

First order of business was to remove the plastic shroud over the grill/bumper bu removing the factory pop clips.


I was torn where to put the STIR head, there was a nice spot behind the toyota logo upfront, but with the "chrome" trim around the symbol, i didtn want to chance it, so i mounted it so the head has a clear opening to the road in one of the bottom slots. I used the 2 brackets that came with the STIR + and used the 3m double sided tape right to the front aluminum support "bumper". I will buy some self tappers tonight and add some screws just to be safe. (i tend to over engineer things)

You can see the STIR head in this pic from the outside.

Next was install the ALP heads, what a PITA that turned out to be!! I originally was just going to use 3m tape to the upper part of the grill slot, but found ut it was not level, so i had to use alp brackets. I had to bend them and curve them to the right angle to get them to sit level. I then used another self tapper to secure it to the aluminum internal bumper. The heads protrude about 1/8" from the "pocket" so off axis hits should be ok.

The heads are level pointing down the road, this was the hardest part as after bolting them down, they needed major adjustments, which required me to remove the bolt, bend the bracket, and reinstall. This happened 2-3 times per side!

Here you can see the bracket screwed into the bumper support. Imagine a 260# guy using a drill, right angle bit and sausage arms in this location! Not fun!!!

This is the final setup, although day, you can still make out the alp's. The STIR is hidden pretty well.

Also note the 2 heads are spaced just a hair under 24", which is the recommended max distance.




Tonight I will run the wires into the car, make all electrical connection and mount the brains, speakers, and GPS. Still ironing out the locations for the display and controls, so that may not happen until thursday night.

 

Ok, here is day twos progress!


Ran the wires from the inside out, using the boot above the gas pedal. Needed to run the 2 alp wires and the stir head. it was a tough position to run through, i tried the snake, but the heads were too big, and didnt want to risk damaging the rj45 connectors on the other end. I ended up using a silicone spray to "lube" things up.



Next was the concealed display in the mirror, considering the car is brand new with less than 800 miles, i was a bit weary of doing this, but decided to pull the trigger and give it a try. The mirror comes off the window with a simple torx bit, which was nice! The most challenging part was removing the frame around the mirror with minimal damage. Id say i was 90% successful, as you do have to pry the plastic a bit, but once it starts coming off, the rest of the clips follow.



This is the back side of the mirror, the display will be going on the upper left, which while looking at the mirror in the car, translates to the upper right.

Back housing



I ended up keeping the whole housing intact at it fits perfectly behind the mirror, I used some double sided tape from the ALP package to secure it to the mirror.


I was debating on how to run the display wire out of the mirror, I could have gone through the factory route, and cut and spliced the display cord, but i didnt want to void the warranty on the display, just in case. So i drilled an opening on the back just big enough for the rj11 to fit through. I did reattach the mirror and hat how the wire looks coming out the mirror, so lesson learned! Id take the chance of voiding the display warranty for a cleaner solution.



Day 3 will involve extending the display module cord (using and rj11 coupler and new cord), mounting the speakers and controllers, and powering it all up. Im hopeful I will be able to finish this all up tonight!

 

So last night i was able to finish it all up! I loaded all the new firmware, setup, voicepaks and sti-r files as well! ALP only took about 2 minutes to load everything, once it was done i got the voice confirmation!!

I gave a demo to my wife on how to use it. First thing she asks is why doesnt she have rear sensors on the alp Guess i'll be ordering those in a few months!

I was very happy how it all finally came together, i didnt even need to extend the display cable from the mirror! It was long enough to reach the module. I ended up taking it on a road trip last nigh past some know false areas and a known K speed sign. The STI-R is ridiculously quiet, I almost thought something was wrong. I think this is going to be the perfect setup for her!


Here is where the GPS got mounted for the sti-r. There was a nice plastic area that i was able to wedge it under. Its right under the windshield and a few inches from the top of the dash. GPS acquires in about 15 seconds, and no signal lose when driving! Pay no mind to the crooked ALP sensor, the tape fell off and waiting for it to warm up and reapply with 3m vhm.


Here is a shot of the display behind the mirror, dont mind the redenso in the background, i hadnt removed it at this point.


This is where the sti-r usb plug was mounted, behind the panel is where its brains and speaker are located. ITs not shown, but power and ground were tapped at the cig lighter below the radio.


Final shot of the completed system, sans properly aligned alp controls

 

Yes, it links to their defender and RLC database, same as the 360.

Some of the guys have already tested the 360, and it doesnt do any better than the maxx/maxx2, only difference is the arrows.
The setup i have is whisper quiet, especially with the auto GPS lockouts!