Okay, sure, everyone agrees the Valentine One is the best.

But day-yam, it's expensive, even on ebay. And its remote-display mount is rather bulky.

My goal: A completely stealth install, so that even someone who is combing my car LOOKING for a detector will not see it. I want to run some very small unobtrusuve LEDs to the instrument cluster, and have them be behind the panel in such a way as to not be visible until they light up. I think I can handle this part myself, as long as I can do it as individual loose LEDs and wires (as opposed to some sort of a velcro-on-box-kit).

So. Advice on what to get? Something with remote-mount capability that's reasonably priced?

Although I have to say, this guy's install of the V1 is rather cool...

What? You don't like my V1 installation Tony? Almost nobody notices.

Here are some pictures from the meet.

http://www.riocar.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album82&id=aad&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

You can just barely see it in this photo with you in it:
http://spmicro.com/gallery/empegmeet_052502/aam
http://spmicro.com/gallery/empegmeet_052502/aaj
http://spmicro.com/gallery/empegmeet_052502/aak
http://spmicro.com/gallery/empegmeet_052502/aal

:-p

Calvin

I didn't say I didn't like V1 installations, it's just that it has a rather bulky remote-display which won't fit in the places in my dash that I want to put it.

I'm reading up on stuff at www.RadarTest.com and one of the first things I've decided is that I don't want a V1. I'd prefer to have a less "chatty" detector than that.

/me wonders if any of these things could be hacked to talk to the empeg in some way??

I'm sure they could, but I wouldn't want to. I need the displays and audio output to be separate from the stereo.

Gets me thinking, though... If the empeg puts out a little bit of RF interference while driving, would it affect the range of a detector?

No information but I saved this picture from somewhere...



Tom

Oh YEAH, now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Here's a similar install. It was actually bookmarked from the link Tony posted.

http://apexcone.com/Radar/RadarLove.html

Cool. I found some more pictures I saved. Looks like it could be the same mirror as the one in the link.



Tom

Tom

Tom

You might want to check out K40 - they have front/rear remote mount units. All you see is 2 small led's (can even be mounted in the instrument panel) and an on/off/volume knob. We used to use them a couple of years ago and ISTR their stuff worked very well... Here's a link to their website.

Cheers.
Phil

Their stealth mounting is pretty much what I'm looking for, but they seem to be more pricey and did not get a good review at radartest.com.

Take the remote display apart. It's just a bunch of LEDs. You have enough technical knowledge to remount each of those lights anywhere you want. :-)

Calvin

You have enough technical knowledge to remount each of those lights anywhere you want. :-)

Please also keep in mind that in addition to relocating the display in a stealthy position, you also have to mount the receiving antenna (or in the case of the V1, antennae) somewhere stealthy. This will not be easy to do, as the antenna is built into the case itself, and the unit (with or without the LEDs) is not designed to be mountted outside the friendly environs of the car's interior.

tanstaafl.

The Valentine1 has a separate remote display that doesn't require digging into the actual unit. Remounting the V1 is completely out of the question. I e-mailed the V1 designer and he says opening the unit will eliminate the shielding and vastly reduce the efficiacy of the whole detector. Remoting the antennas (there are several) -- will cause problems because the code in the box depends on timing characteristics that will be affected by adding length to the wires.

However, remoting the display is not an issue since the V1 uses ordinary phone line cable to send serial bits to light up the remote display...

Calvin

I wouldn't put much faith in most review summaries of the V1. All of the reviewers claim to hate the ergonomics, because they seem to prefer fiddling with tiny little buttons rather than a nice quick twist of the knob on a V1. I've had both kinds, and the V1 is WAY simpler to use.

My suspicion is that since V1 sells direct, with few ads and no middlemen, the magazines/sites don't like them so much cuz they don't get a "cut" from them. Same as any PC mag comparing MS products with others.. MS always wins because they buy the biggest ads.

Back to that site.. they claim the "locator" feature to be not worthwhile.. Excuse me? Driving without those arrows is like driving blind. You've got no idea at all where the source of the radar is, and without that information.. any detector is damn near useless.

They also complained about 3 bogus alerts in a hick town somewhere.. the V1 is very sensitive, and reports EVERYTHING, unless you tell it not to. Two presses of the knob and it's then in "Logic" mode where nearly all bogus warnings disappear, leaving only the "real" ones, and the occasional too-strong-to-ignore bogus source.

Sheesh! If you need an Empeg in your car, then you could not possibly be happy with anything less than a V1.

I keep my V1 remote display stuck to the dash with black peel-and-stick velcro, with another patch of velcro under the dash for discreet storage. Works great, took 20 seconds to install.

Concealing the main unit is trickier, but I do like the idea of installing it into the ceiling trim.

Cheers

Plastic wrap is your friend -- instant environmental enclosure. But there are lots of places INSIDE most vehicles for a V1 as well.

The problem is the magnesium case is also the shielding. Exposing the guts will allow the microwaves to leak out allowing the unit to be detected by radar detector detectors of all things.

Calvin

Tony,
I have to agree with Mark on this, the reviews don't tell the whole story. For whatever reason they are biased by something, most likely $$$. I have owned or currently own the Escort, K40 and the V1 and the V1 is my hands down choice when it comes to detectors. The K40 (which was already installed in a car I purchased) was the worst one when detecting radar, missed it or found it too late in more cases than I care to hit the brakes for. The Escort (my wife bought it for me for x-mas, and now it's in her car) was good at detection but leaves you with a neckache looking for the coppers. Not to mention, it was the king of false alarms while driving around town. It was so bad that most of the time I drove around with it turned off, and that's not very helpfull. The V1 pulls in radar early enough to give you ample time to do something, plus tells you where it is (this is a very nice feature no matter what anyone else says). It's often super helpful to have the most info about the radar your trying to dodge to make your efforts more effective, the V1's directional reminder makes it easy to fully examine the "danger" you're in. For me, the V1's ergos are fine. I haven't found it hard to use at all. To address something you mentioned in your post, the V1 is not "chatty". When used in "logic" mode the V1 eliminates 99% of bogus warnings. I run mine in "logic" mode all of the time and never change it. The mute feature is helpful too if your worried about the "chatty" V1.

On a recent trip from So.Cal. to Northern Utah, I was able to AVERAGE 87mph over a 696 mile trip, due mostly to my confidence in the V1 (the 75 gallon gas tank in my truck didn't hurt either). While blasting up the 15, the V1 "saved" me at least 8 times that I would have definately gone "downtown" and probably more. With a minimun of those annoying false alarms.

Unfortunately, I can't afford a V1 at this time. I'm going to have to find something cheaper.

I know, I know, you get what you pay for. I totally understand this. But I'm at a point now where I think that any radar detector would be better than none.

I know how you feel... I've just dropped $600 getting my car chipped. I definately need a radar detector now!

And can anyone answer my wife question as to why I can't buy anything without upgrading the firmware?

Not with out using extrem sarcasim!
What chip did you get put in? and how big is the grin on your face?

Hehehe... Same here. The g/f always laughs when I get a new computer. The FIRST thing I do is take it apart and move everything around until it's how -=I=- like it. and that's before I even turn the thing on once. -=shrug=-

Hey cool... That was post 200. Now I'm enthusiastic.

APR 93 octane program...It rocks.



I've noticed a strange side effect though - a desire to drive at least 10 miles to buy convenience items that I'd normally just go down the road for.

Did you check out the superprogramers before you bought that chip.I was told that the programmers are better than the chips.