Thinthi

I have been lucky so far with no speeding tickets, but i'm getting to the point where i realize i should be a little safer. I'm no a crazy speed demon but at the same time comming hom on the LIE in NY at 2 am in a 45 zone i can get a hell of a ticket for doings 65 (double for work zone, even though noone is working there and the roads are virtually empty). So my question is there anyone who has installed the Valentine1 RD and the Concealed Display with band identification in an intersting manner? Anything special, or any advice of how to run the wires. My other question is is the concealed display worth it cause from what i can see you still have to put the unit somewhere along the windshield which means the concealed display would be pointless. Correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks in Advance, oh and pics would be nice if you did anything cool.

New Yorker

The concealed display is not pointless.
With the big red arrows, numbers, and other LEDs on the main unit, it lights up like a Christmas tree—particularly at night. Highly visible to cars behind you.
So yes, the main unit does need to be mounted up on the windshield—but with the concealed display switched on, the main unit goes completely black; all the info moves to the concealed display, down near your gearshift, where it's not visible to other motorists.
So at night, at least, the concealed display makes the main unit virtually invisible.

Sorry, don't know about the wiring. I have no trouble using the coiled "telephone" cord.

Thinthi

well thanks, after all the reaserch i did i'm surprised you are the first person to tell me it shuts off the leds of the main unit. in hynesite i guess that makes perfect sense, but for someone who didn't knwo that it was a preety hard assumption to make. either that or i'm an idiot and i'm trying to make excuses, either way you've convinced me the concealed display is worth it, i'm going to put my order in tomorrow morning

New Yorker

You won't regret it - I've had 'em for almost 10 years. Another cool thing: it's the only radar detector that's upgradable. When Valentine upgrades the electronics (about every 2 or 3 years or so), you can send in your unit and they'll upgrade it for a not-so-small fee (but still cheaper than getting a new one).

Punksux

old thread, but when you say a not so small fee, will that upgrade still be under $150. I was just wondering how much the upgrades usually are.

RX-8 friend

They want $180 or so to upgrade mine (they actually give you a new unit most of the time). They told me there is no need to upgrade because the only thing mine is missing is "Bee pop" detection. When you upgrade you also get a full set of new accessories - the mounting clips and cables. So if you subtract that cost it's probably under $150 for the unit. Mine is the older thicker unit (laser detectors mounted under the radar unit) so for me the thinner unit would be nice - less visible.

If you are cleaver, you can install the unit in a plastic roof console, or modify the current roof console and put it inside. You'd have to have windows on it if you wanted laser to work. To run the cable, pull off the "A" pillar plastic and run the cable inside it, exiting at the visor, route over the passenger visor pivot to the centre where you mount the detector. You can run the cable between the "A" piller and dash to under the dash so it doesn't show there. A dangling cable is a dead give-away that you're using a detector, if you care if anyone knows. I just use the visor clip on the inside edge of the passenger visor. I made a "wedge" out of ethafoam to move the visor to level so the detector stays level. Also put a small piece of velcro (the hook part) on the front top of the detector - it grabs the visor so the detector doesn't pivot when you're "playing" on windy roads.

Hard 8

Here's how to do it in about twenty minutes with no cutting, drilling or splicing:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-radar-detector-hard-wired-installation-8242/

(Scroll down a bit.)

Simply get a fuse adapter, plug the V1 power block into the fuse box, run one line up the A-pillar to the V1 and another line to your steering column for the remote display, and you're done.

I have it this way and a cop would never be able to see it without getting down and looking into the passenger compartment very carefully, yet it works perfectly and has saved my bacon repeatedly.

[Edit: Oops! Ancient thread.]