radar detector mounting
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Racer
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Seattle
radar detector mounting
i just picked up a passport x50 but had a quick question about mounting. I have seen people mounting it high on their windshield (close to the rear view mirror) and i've also seen them down low, right above or even sitting on the dash. can you guys tell me which is more effective?
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Originally Posted by achen0122
i just picked up a passport x50 but had a quick question about mounting. I have seen people mounting it high on their windshield (close to the rear view mirror) and i've also seen them down low, right above or even sitting on the dash. can you guys tell me which is more effective?
I got my radar from a friend with no mounts so I got it sitting on top of my dash with some sticky velcrow thingies. Works great.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Kansas City, MO
I still have mine about an inch from the dash in the center (I have suction cups). Actually, what I want to know is:
Does anyone have a good reccomendation as to where to route the power wire when hard-wired?
I don't really see any space where the dash meets the windshield - other than the duct for defrost. Any help would be great...Thanks!!
Does anyone have a good reccomendation as to where to route the power wire when hard-wired?
I don't really see any space where the dash meets the windshield - other than the duct for defrost. Any help would be great...Thanks!!
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Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Appleton WI
The higher the better for radar, the lower the better for laser. I have mine mounted lower. Believe me, you wont see the difference in high and low for radar as the passport picks it up so damn well. Laser is much more dangerous and i want that to detect easier.
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The detector in my Legend was built in and while I was told it was top-of-the-line, I endured 4 speeding tickets in the 18 months I kept it. It obviously does nothing to combat a triggered speed check and I finally got tired of it going bananas with alerts about the same time I saw lights in my rearview mirror. Of course, having a license plate of "XLR8" didn't help me talk my way out of many tickets.
That said, when I switched to a mounted detector I had better results with the laser detector on the dash than pasted to the window. It was also a little more discreet. Oh, and by better results I simply mean that I got FEWER tickets.
That said, when I switched to a mounted detector I had better results with the laser detector on the dash than pasted to the window. It was also a little more discreet. Oh, and by better results I simply mean that I got FEWER tickets.
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From: Appleton WI
Originally Posted by FlyinLowTL
I still have mine about an inch from the dash in the center (I have suction cups). Actually, what I want to know is:
Does anyone have a good reccomendation as to where to route the power wire when hard-wired?
I don't really see any space where the dash meets the windshield - other than the duct for defrost. Any help would be great...Thanks!!
Does anyone have a good reccomendation as to where to route the power wire when hard-wired?
I don't really see any space where the dash meets the windshield - other than the duct for defrost. Any help would be great...Thanks!!
I mounted the remote display here
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 250
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From: NC
with mine, its not in the greatest for picking up anything from behind, but has still saved my arrs a few times. as for the mute button, i took the old cig lighter plug apart and flushed into the blank under the dash.
Be kind to us truckers !
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: New Albany,IN
Originally Posted by achen0122
i just picked up a passport x50 but had a quick question about mounting. I have seen people mounting it high on their windshield (close to the rear view mirror) and i've also seen them down low, right above or even sitting on the dash. can you guys tell me which is more effective?
Senior Moderator
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Appleton WI
Originally Posted by achen0122
ice2fire, thats actually a cool idea! but im guessing yours is hardwired? i dont have enough electrical know how to do that though.
Full of water...
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Michigan
actually, you want it high to pick up radar,and low to pick up laser. so you just have to decide which one you want to pick up more better 
but if you are picking up a laser signal, you are already caught....so place it high.
but if you are picking up a laser signal, you are already caught....so place it high.
Something is missing...my
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: New Mexico
I hear high is better for laser too for the fact that the blue tint will help do decrease scatter from daylight. Center mast, yes. the beam is typically around 6 ft when they hit you and so figure that from bottom to top your windshield is maybe 30" (guess) tall (not length of glass, but height). So you should be within the beam (unless they're aiming at your undercarriage!). Besides, if you hear your laser warning, chances are WAY high, it is not a warning but a notification. Think about the beam, 6 ft diameter; that is one car - the one they aim at - you - your detector is notifiying you that you just got hit and they know your speed. There was some tests done to make light of this point where they took two cars and drove them through a course of lasers where cops were aiming at the lead car many times and the car behind never had a warning. If you here your laser warning check your speedo and look for where the cop is hiding 'cause he knows your speed.
Something is missing...my
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: New Mexico
Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: New Jersey
I have mine mounted high right under my rear view, and it works well with laser and radar, i'v heard that it's better to mount it higher so when you are going over hills the first thing over the hill would be your roof so mounting it higher is good. As for hard wiring, you can pretty much bring it to any car place and theyll do it for $20-30
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: NC
Originally Posted by achen0122
ice2fire, thats actually a cool idea! but im guessing yours is hardwired? i dont have enough electrical know how to do that though.
just like fsttyms1 said, acc/switched power and ground. i used a regular telephone cord and a telephone coupler to extend the power wire, because it would be impossible to run the original cord all the way up there.
they have hardwire kits out for them now. which makes this a lot easier, i did mine before we began to carry them.
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From: Appleton WI
Originally Posted by bibledriver
I hear high is better for laser too for the fact that the blue tint will help do decrease scatter from daylight. Center mast, yes. the beam is typically around 6 ft when they hit you and so figure that from bottom to top your windshield is maybe 30" (guess) tall (not length of glass, but height). So you should be within the beam (unless they're aiming at your undercarriage!). Besides, if you hear your laser warning, chances are WAY high, it is not a warning but a notification. Think about the beam, 6 ft diameter; that is one car - the one they aim at - you - your detector is notifiying you that you just got hit and they know your speed. There was some tests done to make light of this point where they took two cars and drove them through a course of lasers where cops were aiming at the lead car many times and the car behind never had a warning. If you here your laser warning check your speedo and look for where the cop is hiding 'cause he knows your speed.
Also you can do things like remove license plates to help shorten the range, Black cars are also better at it. If you can put a bra on. it helps absorb it and shorten the distance.
Ive posted it before in other radar threads.
Originally Posted by fsttyms1
Get either the Passport 8500 or the V1. I have both and prefer the 8500 (this has been discussed and debated aton on this forum). Both are awsome units.
As for this comment, i dont agree with it 1 bit. First that may be in the area you live in but not where i live. laser/lidar isnt widely used, most cops still use k and ka band radar. Laser isnt as great as cops would like you to think. (i know because i have 5 friends that are cops, from local to county to 1 state) we have played around many times up north trying different things to see what works and doesnt as far as making it hardest to get cought by radar/laser and in almost every test we did they were able to get us on radar on a empty/busy road far before laser. Laser at its best was around 1000 feet to 1320 no cars with license plate. Put a bra on and no license plate and it droped to around 700-1000 ft no cars. (1320 is 1/4 mile) Radar was consistantly farther than that with and with out plate (but not having a plate and having a bra on did shorten the distance considerably with radar) While none of this is scientific nor proven, this is just what me and abunch of friends found out 1 night. (oh and for the record 1 cop has a black WS6 TA and his TA was the hardest to get on radar and almost impossible to get on laser-only was taged once all night)
Radar when used smartly Will allow you to drive faster and not get tickets. Ultimately its the driver who will insure a ticket or no ticket drive. Always be looking for them and learn where they like to sit (like on on ramps, on top of bridges and in the ditches) and they will help, no matter the distance
As for this comment, i dont agree with it 1 bit. First that may be in the area you live in but not where i live. laser/lidar isnt widely used, most cops still use k and ka band radar. Laser isnt as great as cops would like you to think. (i know because i have 5 friends that are cops, from local to county to 1 state) we have played around many times up north trying different things to see what works and doesnt as far as making it hardest to get cought by radar/laser and in almost every test we did they were able to get us on radar on a empty/busy road far before laser. Laser at its best was around 1000 feet to 1320 no cars with license plate. Put a bra on and no license plate and it droped to around 700-1000 ft no cars. (1320 is 1/4 mile) Radar was consistantly farther than that with and with out plate (but not having a plate and having a bra on did shorten the distance considerably with radar) While none of this is scientific nor proven, this is just what me and abunch of friends found out 1 night. (oh and for the record 1 cop has a black WS6 TA and his TA was the hardest to get on radar and almost impossible to get on laser-only was taged once all night)
Radar when used smartly Will allow you to drive faster and not get tickets. Ultimately its the driver who will insure a ticket or no ticket drive. Always be looking for them and learn where they like to sit (like on on ramps, on top of bridges and in the ditches) and they will help, no matter the distance
Something is missing...my
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,081
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From: New Mexico
If you were to remove your reflectors from your HL housing to clear them, it would also decrease the return. It would also decrease cars seeing yours parked at night coming at you.
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