Radar detector ... somewhat custom
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Radar detector ... somewhat custom So I got one of those nifty 4 switch panels for the ashtray on my 'bird... and I was thinking, what about wiring up a radar detector to it?
so first off, on a regular cigarette lighter plug, what would you have to do to get it to wire up? Does that module that has the contacts and everything serve any other purpose besides that, or could I just cut it off and wire directly to the panel (which goes off a fused power block, that I could put like a 5amp fuse on that channel...?)
My other question, what is the best radar detect under 150$?
so first off, on a regular cigarette lighter plug, what would you have to do to get it to wire up? Does that module that has the contacts and everything serve any other purpose besides that, or could I just cut it off and wire directly to the panel (which goes off a fused power block, that I could put like a 5amp fuse on that channel...?)
My other question, what is the best radar detect under 150$?
i have mine hard wired to the ign so as soon as i turn the car on, the detector turns on, and it is hard mounted to the windshield. also, if you are going to get a detector, it might as well be a good one... mine has saved me from many high dollar tickets
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And I was thinking about doing something like that, but I figured I want to be able to turn it off if need be, same functionality as yours though for the most part...
What is the higher end of radar detectors nowadays?
You'll see a lot of people prefer the Valentine 1 radar. I don't have any personal experience with it, but from the tests I've seen, and what I've heard, it's one of the best. What I actually have is a Escort Passport 8500 x50, bought it 2 or 3 years ago for around $150 and it's served me well. If I were to look into anything more than what I'd spent though, it would have been the V1.
And just so you know, I too have mine hardwired, and simply unplugging the power cord from the radar will shut it off. Hope some of this helped,
-Brandon
And just so you know, I too have mine hardwired, and simply unplugging the power cord from the radar will shut it off. Hope some of this helped,
-Brandon
i have a blendmount attached to my rear view mirror and routed the power wire through the head liner and down the pillar and tapped into my ignition power as well. takes 5 seconds to attach/detach it. I have a V1.
I have the Passport 9500 ix blue... it was like $400-$500, but like I said, it has saved me at least 4 times that in tickets. Passport sells a wire that is like 10 ft long... I have it ran from above my rearview mirror, down the a arm, across to the center console, where I have the silence button... then tapped in to an IGN power source (radio maybe? dont remember). It can be going off... and push the button and it still work, but is silent until the next radar hit comes up. I got an extra mounting bracket and molded it to a rearview mirror mounting lug, so it will be stuck to the window without those damn suction cups. and the cig lighter plug is still retained for use in another vehicle.
It has alot of good features, along with speed trap camera and redlight cameras as well. When I get the car back in a couple weeks, Ill take some pics of my setup if you would like... so you can have an idea of what it is like.
It has alot of good features, along with speed trap camera and redlight cameras as well. When I get the car back in a couple weeks, Ill take some pics of my setup if you would like... so you can have an idea of what it is like.
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I have the Passport 9500 ix blue... it was like $400-$500, but like I said, it has saved me at least 4 times that in tickets. Passport sells a wire that is like 10 ft long... I have it ran from above my rearview mirror, down the a arm, across to the center console, where I have the silence button... then tapped in to an IGN power source (radio maybe? dont remember). It can be going off... and push the button and it still work, but is silent until the next radar hit comes up. I got an extra mounting bracket and molded it to a rearview mirror mounting lug, so it will be stuck to the window without those damn suction cups. and the cig lighter plug is still retained for use in another vehicle.
It has alot of good features, along with speed trap camera and redlight cameras as well. When I get the car back in a couple weeks, Ill take some pics of my setup if you would like... so you can have an idea of what it is like.
It has alot of good features, along with speed trap camera and redlight cameras as well. When I get the car back in a couple weeks, Ill take some pics of my setup if you would like... so you can have an idea of what it is like.
That would be great actually,
My goal is to completely eliminate the plug, they use 12v right? so they should just splice right in.... But maybe the idea of just getting a silence button would be preferable? either way would require me running a wire down to my center console.
I'm interested in this mirror molded mount though!
Anyone got pics?
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here is a link to the wiring to do what i was talking about... https://www.escortradar.com/store/di...cord-blue.html
It just goes to any switched 12V source... I have mine going to the fuse panel if I remember right. And you dont have to run the wires to your center console... that is just where I ran mine to have the button out of the way, in sight and easy to reach while driving.
and the mount I made is from the small suction cup bracket and I epoxied it to a rear view mirror button... so it is tucked up above my mirror and out of sight from anyone
It just goes to any switched 12V source... I have mine going to the fuse panel if I remember right. And you dont have to run the wires to your center console... that is just where I ran mine to have the button out of the way, in sight and easy to reach while driving.
and the mount I made is from the small suction cup bracket and I epoxied it to a rear view mirror button... so it is tucked up above my mirror and out of sight from anyone
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Brett Foote Thread Starter
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here is a link to the wiring to do what i was talking about... https://www.escortradar.com/store/di...cord-blue.html
It just goes to any switched 12V source... I have mine going to the fuse panel if I remember right. And you dont have to run the wires to your center console... that is just where I ran mine to have the button out of the way, in sight and easy to reach while driving.
and the mount I made is from the small suction cup bracket and I epoxied it to a rear view mirror button... so it is tucked up above my mirror and out of sight from anyone
It just goes to any switched 12V source... I have mine going to the fuse panel if I remember right. And you dont have to run the wires to your center console... that is just where I ran mine to have the button out of the way, in sight and easy to reach while driving.
and the mount I made is from the small suction cup bracket and I epoxied it to a rear view mirror button... so it is tucked up above my mirror and out of sight from anyone
And that is a slick little spot to put it! I like your style
I hardwired my Beltronics RX65 on the cheap. The power cable port is just a phone line connector. So I pinned out the cable, chopped up an old phone line, and wired it in to the rear view mirror dome lights.
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And how does your RX65 perform? I want something thats top notch.. but that V1 is going to crack my wallet nerve dead on. lol
I hope its not going to boil down to 'You get what you pay for' ... but probably is going to.
No, there are 3 wires up there. One is 12v at all times. Just use that and the ground up there.
The Beltronics definitely saved my butt a few times. There are a few false alarms with X and K bands (mostly X), but the Ka band detection is awesome. It also picks up laser.
I've heard the V1 is still better than it, but I got a deal on the Beltronics, so I went with that.
The Beltronics definitely saved my butt a few times. There are a few false alarms with X and K bands (mostly X), but the Ka band detection is awesome. It also picks up laser.
I've heard the V1 is still better than it, but I got a deal on the Beltronics, so I went with that.
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No, there are 3 wires up there. One is 12v at all times. Just use that and the ground up there.
The Beltronics definitely saved my butt a few times. There are a few false alarms with X and K bands (mostly X), but the Ka band detection is awesome. It also picks up laser.
I've heard the V1 is still better than it, but I got a deal on the Beltronics, so I went with that.
The Beltronics definitely saved my butt a few times. There are a few false alarms with X and K bands (mostly X), but the Ka band detection is awesome. It also picks up laser.
I've heard the V1 is still better than it, but I got a deal on the Beltronics, so I went with that.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
sort of...
It is constant (battery) power that is controlled by the BCM as part of the courtesy light circuit. It is available at all times until the battery protection circuit shuts it down about 10 minutes after the ignition is switched off. That means you either have to manually turn the detector on and off each time or you let the battery protection turn it off. In the latter case, the detector will come on every time you unlock or open a door or pop the hatch.
Using the power at the mirror isn't any cheaper, it's just lazy. It is better to run the power wire down the left A pillar to the fuse panel so that you can use an ignition-switched source. The detector will go on and off with the ignition. After all, who needs to use a radar detector when the engine isn't running?
It is constant (battery) power that is controlled by the BCM as part of the courtesy light circuit. It is available at all times until the battery protection circuit shuts it down about 10 minutes after the ignition is switched off. That means you either have to manually turn the detector on and off each time or you let the battery protection turn it off. In the latter case, the detector will come on every time you unlock or open a door or pop the hatch.
Using the power at the mirror isn't any cheaper, it's just lazy. It is better to run the power wire down the left A pillar to the fuse panel so that you can use an ignition-switched source. The detector will go on and off with the ignition. After all, who needs to use a radar detector when the engine isn't running?
I didn't say running it the way I did was cheaper. I said using phone cord was cheaper.
And with the way I wired it, it stayed on unless I turned the detector off. I know, because I left it on quite a few times, and went back to my car to get stuff hours later, only to see the detector still on.
And with the way I wired it, it stayed on unless I turned the detector off. I know, because I left it on quite a few times, and went back to my car to get stuff hours later, only to see the detector still on.
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sort of...
It is constant (battery) power that is controlled by the BCM as part of the courtesy light circuit. It is available at all times until the battery protection circuit shuts it down about 10 minutes after the ignition is switched off. That means you either have to manually turn the detector on and off each time or you let the battery protection turn it off. In the latter case, the detector will come on every time you unlock or open a door or pop the hatch.
Using the power at the mirror isn't any cheaper, it's just lazy. It is better to run the power wire down the left A pillar to the fuse panel so that you can use an ignition-switched source. The detector will go on and off with the ignition. After all, who needs to use a radar detector when the engine isn't running?
It is constant (battery) power that is controlled by the BCM as part of the courtesy light circuit. It is available at all times until the battery protection circuit shuts it down about 10 minutes after the ignition is switched off. That means you either have to manually turn the detector on and off each time or you let the battery protection turn it off. In the latter case, the detector will come on every time you unlock or open a door or pop the hatch.
Using the power at the mirror isn't any cheaper, it's just lazy. It is better to run the power wire down the left A pillar to the fuse panel so that you can use an ignition-switched source. The detector will go on and off with the ignition. After all, who needs to use a radar detector when the engine isn't running?
Maybe the ignition switch would be the easier route though. I already have my radio ran off of it (there was a short somewhere that kept turning it off, so I fixed it... the easy way lol.)
Either way, I have to run wire all the way up to the mirror from under the dash.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I didn't say running it the way I did was cheaper. I said using phone cord was cheaper.
And with the way I wired it, it stayed on unless I turned the detector off. I know, because I left it on quite a few times, and went back to my car to get stuff hours later, only to see the detector still on.
And with the way I wired it, it stayed on unless I turned the detector off. I know, because I left it on quite a few times, and went back to my car to get stuff hours later, only to see the detector still on.
There must be something wrong in your BCM. After the ignition has been shut off and the RAP has been disabled (a door is opened or 10 minutes expire), the battery protection circuit should shut off power to the courtesy light circuit. This is designed to prevent a dead battery should you happen to leave a door open or the map lights on.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Looks good.
You went through all that, so I would recommend to drill a small hole n plug it with a rubber grommet to run your aux cable for ipod and the wires from the radar mute button.
The suction cup mount that comes with the passport is cheap.
This is what I got for my old 9500i
You went through all that, so I would recommend to drill a small hole n plug it with a rubber grommet to run your aux cable for ipod and the wires from the radar mute button.
The suction cup mount that comes with the passport is cheap.
This is what I got for my old 9500i
Last edited by bad_408_vert; Aug 21, 2011 at 11:20 AM.