Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14
  1. #1

    Default STi R on sale in NZ.

    It's called the STi XRC over here and costs $1575 plus installation... Ouch!

    Translates to US$1095.

    You can Google it but there's not much info up on the local website.

    Has anybody still got the link to the online manual that Memtek found?

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Good Citizen
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Niagara Region,Canada
    Posts
    90

    Default

    I like that unit. Anybody know what the remote antenna dimensions are and what the mounting brackets look like for the STi-R? (doesn't say in the manual or specifications) Also, if the antenna were mounted behind the mid-grill above the front bumper center (BMW X5) what kind of performance would there be compared to say, a windshield mount? Will this remote unit maybe have some kind of performance boost compensation for the "hidden install" maybe higher output or more powerful scanning?

  4. #4
    Good Citizen
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    184

    Default

    I'm pretty sure the X5's have Athermic windscreens. At least they do here.

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by denaliman
    I like that unit. Anybody know what the remote antenna dimensions are and what the mounting brackets look like for the STi-R? (doesn't say in the manual or specifications) Also, if the antenna were mounted behind the mid-grill above the front bumper center (BMW X5) what kind of performance would there be compared to say, a windshield mount? Will this remote unit maybe have some kind of performance boost compensation for the "hidden install" maybe higher output or more powerful scanning?
    Hi denaliman,

    The STi-R uses the exact same horn and local oscillator electronics as the STi. Thus the STi=R's inherent performance should be exactly the same as the STi. However, either when mounted to the windshield do pick up additional reflections from the hood of your vehicle. The "sweet spot" mounting location between low or high depends on the shape of your car's hood. Depending on the shape of your car's hood, a windshield mounted radar detector can get a theoretical maximum of a 3dB boost in sensitivity due to the additional captured radar reflections off of your car's hood. In reality it is always just slightly less than this.

    On the other hand a radar detector mounted behind the grill or in the area of the bumper can pick up more grazing reflections of radar off of the pavement ahead of your car. This may amount to an extra dB or two gain in sensitivity when driving on fairly flat roads. Why? Because the shallower the grazing angle is when radar strikes a surface, the more the surface behaves like a mirror. A good optical example of this is when examining a flat black painted surface. When looking at this surface face-on, it appears black. If you look at it from a very shallow angle, the surface appears nowhere close to being black and instead looks like a shade of grey.

    For a behind the grill or under the bumper installation, there is no reason why you couldn't also fabricate a horn extension out of thin sheet metal to effectively increase the size of the radar horn and thus the radar detector's sensitivity, since you should easily have the room to install such a horn extension. You could probably double or quadruple the gain.

    As for the size of the STi-R's remote antenna, please see the following photo. The indicated dimensions should be accurate to within 1/8 of an inch. These dimensions are based on the known fact that the two cylindrical condensing lenses are each 1.1 inches wide (the wavelength of X band) and that together they measure 2.25 inches from edge to edge. As far as where the mounting holes are and what the mounting bracket looks like -- I don't have a clue.



    Best Regards,

    --Michael

  6. #6
    Good Citizen
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Niagara Region,Canada
    Posts
    90

    Default

    Mem-Tek,

    Thanks. As usual great explanations. How would one make a horn extension?

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by denaliman
    Mem-Tek,

    Thanks. As usual great explanations. How would one make a horn extension?
    Thin aluminum sheet is the easiest to work with since you can cut it with heavy duty sheers. A few layers of heavy aluminum foil duct tape work well for holding the pieces together in the shape of the horn, and once both the insides and outsides are coated with a few coats of automotive clear coat paint, then the assembly is quite waterproof, thoroughly protecting the tape from peeling away for at least two or three years. Once the thing is made, it can be pop riveted in place in front of the mounted remote antenna using small brackets made from thin strips of aluminum flat bar.

    In other words, a dirt cheap design which is easy to make and which will last for at least a few years. Heck, make two so that you can quickly replace the first one a few years down the road if and when it starts to fall apart due to the elements.

    --Michael

  8. #8
    V1 Zombie
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    2,376

    Default

    IMO If you lived in New Zealand and you paid that much for this new STI remote you would have to be nuts. I do like how you can turn off and on different freq as Bell can't seem to filter out Ka false alerts. I say this because they have done this not doubt for that reason. That never ending 33.8 GHz false will be turn off that's for sure. Now getting to the STi XRC is compelt rubbish as this detector is the very same detector you can buy from this site only much cheaper don't be fooled by the New Zealand built crap this is just another way some fat bottomed salesman trying to rip your hard earned cash, buyer beware of over priced New Zealand detector shop's.
    Thank God Detectors are legal here as I'm sure the the STI range would be priced much higher..Why because they can.

  9. #9
    Professional
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    1,364

    Default

    The best sheetmetal to use in this case is O-material.It is the softest sheet metal aluminum you can find,and is easily workable..(I'm a sheetmetal worker)I don't think a grand is too bad for the STI remote.I bet it'll cost more if they put it on the US market that's for sure..

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ghz1
    Now getting to the STi XRC is compelt rubbish as this detector is the very same detector you can buy from this site only much cheaper don't be fooled by the New Zealand built crap this is just another way some fat bottomed salesman trying to rip your hard earned cash, buyer beware of over priced New Zealand detector shop's.
    Thank God Detectors are legal here as I'm sure the the STI range would be priced much higher..Why because they can.
    Outstanding! Have you got a link to that cheaper US domestic STi R.

    Surely if the govt made detectors illegal over here we wouldn't be able to buy them fullstop and RD shops would simply go out of business... how would they charge us more then?

 

 

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •