Rd location question for those w/ hardwire....

[ELVATO]

Luckily I live in the great state of Kentucky, so we 0 front plates.

So they definitevely target the headlights OR some fog lights (always located low on the front grill) if any... anything that's reflective, they need the laser beam to bounce back to them (laser gun) in order to read the speed...

I wouldn't say definitely. The LEO I spoke to says he always targets center mass. Then again, he could have been lying..

Then again, with some of the newer guns, I don't think you'd need to target a plate to get a reading. Alot of car's front bumpers are flat and perpendicular to the ground. I'm sure that give back enough reading to get a speed.

I think they just lift up the gun, and as long as the "beam" is somewhere on the car, they'll pull the trigger. I'm sure they figure most people don't have a detector, and that ones that do, well, they figure detectors don't work, so...

[Esoterica]

I wouldn't say definitely.

(He didn't, he said "definitevely")

[jimbonzzz]

And keep in mind that Mike V says that laser reception is improved if you mount your RD behind the tint strip at the top of the windshield.

Is this a typo maybe?

Nope, not a type (and better yet, not BS!) I'm pretty sure this is what he was thinking of:

http://www.valentine1.com/laserhowto/

"Mounting high behind the tint band may reduce the laser signal somewhat, but it reduces the sunlight contamination by the same amount. The result is an unchanged laser-to-sunlight ratio from the scene beyond your vehicle, but with reduced hood reflections owing to a higher vantage point—a net gain. Only in the dead of night would a just-below-the-tint-band mounting position be beneficial. "

[Esoterica]

Thanks for the link Jimbo and the information MEM-TEK.

That certainly raises a rather interesting debate between Valentine and Escort now doesn't it?

Here's where Escort tells you to do the exact opposite of this...

http://www.escortradar.com/detector-school-2.htm#q9

Where should I mount my detector?

Note: Do not mount your detector behind the tinted area at the top of your windshield. This will reduce its laser performance dramatically.

I notice on that same page is where Escort indicates they own 85% of all detector patents. Good laser filtering in the detector must be one of those patents and since they can't patent top window tint the only alternative option Valentine was left with was to suggest you install behind your window tint?

Escorts filtering of sunlight seems to work. I had read people here in the past posting that when they drive into direct sunlight they get laser falses (no specific brand/models mentioned). One day shortly after reading that I found myself frantically reaching for my visor and remembered that. I thought, thats interesting, no laser false and I'm driving right into the sunlight. As I reached my destination and went to take my detector down for safe out of sight storage I rolled my window down and pointed my 9500i directly at the sun while still plugged in and on, held it there a moment and thought hmm, no laser false.

I think I'll continue to keep mounting mine below the tint strip exactly as the manufacturer recommends.

[TSi+WRX]

Practically speaking, I think that something with laser sensitivity as "tremendous" as the V1, an above-tint-line mounting may simply lead to less falsing, while likely not impairing true laser reception by too much.

We've all heard stories of what's potential pickup of laser scatter from the V1 that's gone ignored by even the top-flight jammers of today, and I think that this speaks favorably of this "practical" consideration.

Furthermore, given the "Sunlight Interference Alert" of the LI, again, I think that Mike V.'s advice of an above-the-tint-strip mount, on an instrument as sensitive to laser as the V1, truly carries merit.

[bonecrusher]

picking up on what blocks laser and what dosent guys

is there any way to tint a small section of front windshield but leave laser detection intact ???

i finished my stealth install today of my STi , low down front centre on the dash which is in all honesty the only place it can be sighted in my car without looking pants, it is recessed into the dash and covered outwardly with a custom speaker grill , the front window on the STi just peeks above the black edging that runs around the windshield but from outside looking back in you can stil see the front of the STi

i was hoping to tint somehow this area so that the STi cant be seen at all

possible ??

[RW'07]

picking up on what blocks laser and what dosent guys

is there any way to tint a small section of front windshield but leave laser detection intact ???

i finished my stealth install today of my STi , low down front centre on the dash which is in all honesty the only place it can be sighted in my car without looking pants, it is recessed into the dash and covered outwardly with a custom speaker grill , the front window on the STi just peeks above the black edging that runs around the windshield but from outside looking back in you can stil see the front of the STi

i was hoping to tint somehow this area so that the STi cant be seen at all

possible ??

Sorry, where do you live or are you a trucker, why are you so panicking about using the STI like a normal person? I live in Ontario and have no such issues you have :roll:

[bonecrusher]

the Uk which is soon to outlaw all Rd`s

hanging them of the windshield may be fine in the US in some states where they are legal but personaly i like the clean tidy , no wires , no RD look , i have the display off , audio on and the remote display installed in a nice neat location , there isnt a single wire or any hint of RD visible which also saves me having to remove it every time i park up somewhere

the only part of the STi visible now is viewable from the front back through the WS ....

i was just crawling through some old posts about tinting and it does look like its possible with normal window tint as long as the tint isnt metalic

[RW'07]

the Uk which is soon to outlaw all Rd`s

hanging them of the windshield may be fine in the US in some states where they are legal but personaly i like the clean tidy , no wires , no RD look , i have the display off , audio on and the remote display installed in a nice neat location , there isnt a single wire or any hint of RD visible which also saves me having to remove it every time i park up somewhere

the only part of the STi visible now is viewable from the front back through the WS ....

i was just crawling through some old posts about tinting and it does look like its possible with normal window tint as long as the tint isnt metalic

I live in Ontario, that's somewhere in Canada :wink: RDs have been illegal since I can remember... professionally hardwiring up by the visor=no wires seen from outside, also cover it up with a cd holder and stuff it with some cds, make it very casual, cd holders are very popular nowadays, almost every car has got a cd player inside, also tinted windows help a lot, I got limo tint everywhere behind the front seats and pretty dark for the front ones, drive regularly by police cruisers, either in front of me, behind me, sided, and don't even bother flipping the visor down... bottom line, a smart install along a "smart" car goes a long way :wink:
Running my STI since 09/06 with no issues at all :wink:

[bonecrusher]

i would have gone the RVM route but dont forget UK cars are real small , i just couldnt get the STi anywhere sensible up there , the RVM is close to the headlining and glued to the screen , i dont have the right bonding agent to move it and re-fix , i even thought about cutting the headlining part that houses the map lights which point down but the angle i needed to keep level just wasent there for a good install

where it is now really is the only viable stealth install for my car

here is a pic not of my car but one similar , the red square shows where the centre speaker gril is, underneath is a hollow the RD sits it nicely , the gril on mine has been modified with sides and fitted above the underlying STi which is raised enough to see out the front unrestricted



as i say , i just need to tint the front in that small area and everything is hidden