What I would like to see in a future RD design...

[MEM-TEK]

Hi everyone,

There are a couple of things which I would like to see in a future radar detector design. Such a design should be targeted to current RD users who are looking for their second RD to replace the one they are currently using. Well, here goes...

After someone has used their first RD for a while, it becomes obvious that a somewhat more stealth installation is preferable -- usually either above or to either side of the rear view mirror. So, to make such an installation much more convenient:

-- I would like to see a RD which is very thin yet wider, similar in layout to this very old Maxon RX-XL radar detector:



Note that the above photo shows the Maxon RD-XL's auxiliary battery pack attached underneath what is obviously a very thin radar detector. Such a thin RD should be at most 5/8" thick. This would allow it to be easily mounted above or adjacent to the rear view mirror in most vehicles.

-- Such a thin and wide RD would have less depth since most of the internal electronics could be shifted to one side of the radar horn. This would make the radar detector far less likely to be hit by the sun visor when the sun visor is swung down. This was an issue when I went on my recent road trip from GA to TX and back.

-- All control buttons should be conveniently mounted on the front face, rather than on top, of this thin yet wide radar detector. A thin yet wide RD would provide plenty of "front face" room for a group of push button controls plus the alert display. These front face buttons could be easily accessed since they wouldn't be blocked by either a sun visor or by the headliner within a car.

-- Its obvious that such a radar detector is best suited to being powered by a hardwire installation. But hardwiring a RD isn't very difficult, and it is something which a RD owner is likely to do when purchasing their second RD to replace their first RD.

Rather than overall features, I am mostly focusing on an ergonomic RD design which I think would be superior.

What do you all think?

--Michael

[Jabomb9]

That sounds great! I have to "pick something that I use everyday and make it better" for my engineering graphics course for my major and I was planning on doing something with a radar detector. I absolutely love some of those ideas and was thinking of some features along those same lines. I'm going to model it in SolidWorks later and I'll be sure to post it here when I'm done. I'm trying to think of a good design though, since I have to have a sketch for Monday.

[MEM-TEK]

That sounds great! I have to "pick something that I use everyday and make it better" for my engineering graphics course for my major and I was planning on doing something with a radar detector. I absolutely love some of those ideas and was thinking of some features along those same lines. I'm going to model it in SolidWorks later and I'll be sure to post it here when I'm done. I'm trying to think of a good design though, since I have to have a sketch for Monday.

It sounds like your project is meant to focus on ergonomics as well as aesthetic appeal. There is no reason why the RD couldn't be designed to fit above the RVM and around the RVM post which generally descends down to the RVM from an overhead roof attachment point or from a a higher window attachment point. Thus, something like a rounded and notched out area in the middle of the RD's front face, the notched out area splitting the push buttons and alert displays to either side of the RVM post.

Be sure to cad up both sun visors in their up and down positions to show that they don't hit the front face of the radar detector. And put a speaker grille on the bottom of the radar detector.

Go for it and show us something neat!

--Michael

[Jabomb9]

Will do. My professor has a lot of military engineering experience. He made the casing for the heads down display for Apache helicopters and the motor for the Segway.

It's my first time using SolidWorks though, so it might be awhile.

[QuickCummins]

why not the whole mirror be the RD! build it with everything in it rd ,gps,everything, a whole new mirror to replace the factory ones, it looks likea mirror so there for it is stealth....

[jimbonzzz]

The closest thing to that is the Cheetah GPS Mirror.


BEL used to have a mirror detector, but no GPS:

[MEM-TEK]

The closest thing to that is the Cheetah GPS Mirror.


BEL used to have a mirror detector, but no GPS:

The funny thing about that old Bel RD model is that, according to Bel's old patent for this design, is that they expected most of its RF shielding to be provided by the RVM to which it was attached to. It was an interesting design though.

[jimbonzzz]

The funny thing about that old Bel RD model is that, according to Bel's old patent for this design, is that they expected most of its RF shielding to be provided by the RVM to which it was attached to. It was an interesting design though.

WOW MEM-TEK, that is pretty funny