Where to place radar detector and power cord?

Well, in the next month or two, you will come to the realization that speeding lowers your gas milage, and like everyone else here, you will become obsessed getting the highest gas milage you can. In fact, you will probably discover that you have started driving 41 mph in a 45 mph zone because you can get better gas milage at that speed. You will eventually discover that you have stopped speeding altogether and don't need that radar detector after all.


So, the best place to put your radar detector is probably at home on a shelf.

 

:iagree Dang Marlin. You beat me to it.

I would have suggested mounting the radar detector in the trunk, which would have been the same answer to a Hummer driver when he asks where to place his Sierra Club sticker.

I wonder which are more common:
A Sierra Club sticker on a Hummer, or,
A radar detector on a Prius.

The force is not yet with RClarkofNC. :wink:

 

If you must use one why not get a Solo cordless unit and mount it up behind the rearview mirror - that is what I do in my BMW. But like others I don't use it in the Prius.

 

I'm going to side-step the whys, but yes I have a Valentine One in my Prius. The detector is mounted to the underside of the horizontal bar in the rear window. From this location it's well hidden from view yet still receives signals well. I ran the wire under the headliner up to the left rear C-pillar, then down along the doorsill up to the front. The unit is currently powered from the cigarette lighter (the remote display is there too), but when I get some time I'll hardware it into the harness. If there's enough interest I'll post photos.

 

I use it, and I mount it forward and low. Yes, it's out of reach, but I don't need to use the buttons. I also use the reflective subshade upside down,a nd the mitrror cutout fits around the detector mount perfectly.

A better solution would be to mount it high, and tap into the 12V wire for the dome lamp or homelink. Haven't tried that yet.

 

I use my radar detector mostly for the compass display, but also because of city cops. I don't need to reach the buttons as mine remembers the settings last applied...I have it mounted low in the center of the windshield, with the cord tucked in the gap between the windshield and the top of the dash. The only place you can see the cord is when it runs along the side of the black part of the dash in front of the tiny window on the passenger side, and I have it secured with double-faced tape. The cord then goes into the door jamb, and I removed that vent to route the cord in behind of the glove box...a lot easier than it sounds, especially for anyone who's replaced the interior air filter. I then simply have it plugged into the outlet under the glove box until I have time to install a splitter to the interior wires of the outlet to keep it out of site.

 

Well, I have a Valentine One as well. I mount it high, just to the left of the rear view mirror, as per the instructions. I don't care about the cord. As for whether or not they're useful. Even though I do not generally speed, I've still had it warn me when one of the local towns has their speed trap in operation, and even just recently caught a state patrol off guard, when I told him exactly the speed I was doing when he lit me up. He wasn't expecting that statement, and had "pulled me over for 60 in a 50, never mind that I was doing 51 (gotta love a digital speedometer), when the V1 went off. So, even though I don't speed, I still have my sruveillance equipment around to know where the bullies with badges are out hiding.

 

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Hatfield, please post pics! I am putting my V1 in my Prius when I pick it up later this month and I am shooting for the stealthiest install possible.

 

I installed my Valentine One just using suction cups just under the rearview mirror. I was considering left of the rearview mirror, but it seemed the rear sensor would be blocked by my head, while directly under the rearview mirror would have a clear view out the rear window.

For a clean, but not stealthy install, I used the direct power adapter which t-taps off the an ACC or IG-ON (can't remember which) wire going to the rearview mirror (Homelink/electrochromatic). The ground is from a screw into the chassis (V1 direct power adapter has only one t-tap). The wires then run through the rearview mirror black plastic cabling conduit. The direct power adapter box is affixed to the back of my rearview mirror and I made a short telephone cord to go directly to the V1.

I only use the V1 on long road trips, since I drive at the speed limit locally. Mounting it anywhere on the front windshield is a bit of a nuisance since it prevents the Heatshield from being installed, so I'd normally put the V1 away.

 

OK, here they are.

I had an extra V1 visor mount, so I put the metal part (spring steel?) into a vise to flatten it out. Once that was done I drilled a small hole it in, and drilled a small pilot hole in the underside of the plastic in the rear window bar.

So, the radar detector basicaly hangs from the lower rear window support. It's important to me that the detector be visually hidden, so for the moment I have it shrouded in thin black cloth. Eventually I'll do something better, and hide the remote display. But considering how little time this actually took the results seem OK.

You can see the outline of the detector in the rearview mirror, but it's in the lower half of the rear window, which as we all know is almost useless anyway. Because the lower half is tinted, the detector is not visible at all from outside the car. You'd have to be looking really hard to find it.

I get plenty of warning front and back. It's not like I flog my Prius, but I have frequently been grateful to get advance warning of speed traps.

I still think my MINI stealth install beats it, but oh well.

 

Just a thought... why not leave the radar detector on your living-room table. The latest speed recording systems are being developed which these detection units cannot alert you in time to beat the ticket. Something to do with digital imaging of an approaching or departing vehicle.

 

Nice job on the installation! Looks good.

I stopped using my Valentine one a few years ago. I was getting lots of falses around town and continuously running into "instant on" on the highways with no early warning. I sent it back to Valentine and they said it was working OK.

I know the Valentine unit is considered the best by many people but I was just not impressed.

 

I too have a V1. In our Prius I modified the included Visor clip to mount at the top of the winshield directly above and slightly left of center of the rear view mirror. I then ran the power cord along the top of the winshield (tucked into the headliner) to the passenger side, down the A-Pillar (clear of the airbags), under the dash and tapped into the 12v plug.

The detector is in easy reach and very unobtrusive when a cop looks into your car. I've found this to be very effective if/when you do get pulled over as most cops don't look towards the ceiling of the car when they poke their head in to talk to you. The height also makes the detection more effective and the detector has a clear line of sight front and back. The little black shaded dots on the top fo the windsheild doesn't seem to affect rader or laser detection.

If you want to mount your detector like this, then I'd suggest going to your local hardware store and buying a metal plate (I used a flat metal wood brace). Cover it with something rubber or cloth (prevent scratches). Take your visor clip and flatten the clip out with pliers. Then drill two holes in the plate and the clip and attatch them with small bolts/nuts. Then slide the plate into between the headliner and the roof. You may need to work it around a little to get it right and/or slightly bend the palte to keep it from sliding back out.

The pwoer cord can be any standard 4-wire telephoen cord (if you need a longer cord.

--GD

 

I like the Mini install, but the Prius one seems a bit unsightly with wires running about and the black shroud. I think it would look nicer if it was just the bare box in the back. If you don't find a way of hiding it as elegant as the cap for the Mini, maybe you could move it to the metal frame which holds the pull-out trunk cover and also do the cap hide.

Here's a pic of my install, which I think turned out pretty clean and professional.

I decided to put the direct power adapter box on the back of the rearview mirror so that it is hidden from view from inside. Since it is black, it is relatively camoflouged from the outside as well. The wire can be hidden from view behind the mirror as well depending on placement of the V1. This has the nice advantage of allowing you to put the V1 wherever you choose especially if you change your mind. You can place it easily within reach and make a wire that is just long enough. It does not take up an accessory outlet, automatically powers on/off with the car, and can be removed quickly if you decide you ever want to hide it (I've heard people break into cars to steal V1s, so I tend to hide it when parked, more to protect my Prius from getting broken into than the V1 from getting stolen).

The power wires for the direct power adapter run discreetly through the black plastic cable shield of the rearview mirror where they tap into the appropriate power and ground connections above the map light/sunglass unit. Alternatively, the direct power adapter could be hidden in the ceiling there as well, but I wanted to be able to disconnect the cable at the direct power adapter, so I wouldn't have a dangling wire when the V1 wasn't mounted (which is most of the time, actually). Putting the direct power adapter in the ceiling may be preferable if you want to install the concealed display, since running the power wires alone through the black plastic cable shield was a bit tight, but having to run a telephone wire too may just not fit.

Since you were asking for a clean/good mount of the V1, I think you'll be happy with the results if you choose this install. Lots of flexibility for this install.

 

I mounted mine with velcro on the dash in the very laft most part of the window. I then ran the cord completely hidden down the door jam, across the back of the dash and spliced it into the wiring of the lighter.
Auto on, out of sight, barely shows through window.
Someone once posted a photo of how to splice into the lighter wires.

 

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Yeah, I agree. It could be nicer, but it's a start. The location doesn't bother me so much because it really is out of the way where it is. I'm a big fan of mounting the detector at the rear of the car because nobody looks for it back there. As for the black shroud, well, think Kabuki theatre. If it's dressed in black, it doesn't exist.

I'm torn about the remote display. Part of me wants to mount it inside thestorage compartment below the stereo - that way when you close the door it's completely out of view, although with luck you might still be able to see the lights thru the tinted plastic. Also, it would solve the wire problem because they'd be completely hidden from view. On the other hand, it would mean cutting holes in the inside of the storage compatment, not to mention giving up space. I guess there's enough storage elsewhere in the Prius that it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

:car: Hi a newbe here.

I have had a v1 since they first made them. My favorite place to put them is above the rear view mirror, just to the left of center using the suction cup mount. Most of the time you can tap off of the wiring in the reading lights in the ceiling console. But since I prefer to have the radar detector come on when the car is started and turn off when I leave, sometimes the lights are not connected to the ignition key.

The prius is one of these that the overhead light wiring is always on. So I run the telephone cord (this is the power cord for those who don't own a v1) accross to the drivers side A pillar under the headliner, then down the A pillar under the airbag cover, then down and under the dash and stop at the cigar lighter panel. That is where I connect the assy for the hidden display. I put the hidden display in the smokey drop down door so it can be seen at night through the cover or with the cover open during the day.

This way the lights in the detector are muted (off) and the lower display shows the alerts (out of sight from nosy people and cops). This has worked for me many times in all of my former autos.

The radar detector is for hwy use and mostly to do counter survelence on the enforcers, so I don't get screwed by the local law man with the (never wrong radar set).

 

Velcro'ed.

 

I mount my V1 on the passenger visor with the cord running to the normal 12 V auxiliary spot. The only tickets I've ever gotten are when I didn't think I was pushing it, so ignore any misguided comments about putting away the V1. The closer you drive to the limit, the more likely you are to get a ticket, that's what I learned the hard way. The V1 gives good warning of problems ahead and will generally keep you safer than driving without (not talking about ticket-wise, but safety wise.)

The V1 does a good job mounted high where it can see front and rear, but I like to keep it on the passenger side so that the cord doesn't interfere with the driver.

If you haven't upgraded for POP mode, do so now. Some officers in podunk areas (Southwest Georgia for example) use POP mode illegally and you won't even get a warning on the older tech. They are assholes too so it won't matter what the circumstances are. Use better tech so you know what the highway robbers are up to.