Hey, I hardwired my V1 and mounted it up high on both my cars. I use a double sided tape mount I found on Amazon that i screw the suction cup base directly to. The fritz on one of my cars wouldn't allow the suction cup to stay on the windshield. I started using this setup when my first V1 was stolen since it was easy to see from outside my car. I also added an additional strip of solid black tint strip on the top of the windshield, right above the radar and blackvue, that goes on the outside of the windshield. This helps keep things stealth and keep my devices cooler (temp, not style). I had a friend ask me for help with his auto lights not working and I quickly figured out that he covered the dash mounted light sensor on his car when he mounted his radar down low on his windshield. Keep up the great work with these videos.
I just recently picked up an R7 and I'm testing it out in my area to see how useful it really is. As of right now I have it low on the windshield (Ford F150 so its still higher than a lot of cars highest point) using the 12v cable that was provided with it. I am however, looking to do a mirror tap setup in the future for a clean look and then it will be upper left side or just below the rear view mirror. P.s. Thanks so much for the amazing videos. You helped me chose what detector to buy and helped in the setup process immensely as this is the first detector I've ever owned and they are certainly way more complicated than the old ones my grandpa used to throw on his dashboard.
@@jaystarr6571 pretty cool concept I don't know about the styling though. Electric is amazing but the range just can't compete with the 600+ miles I can get on a tank of fuel. Especially when you throw towing into that mix I'm sure the range is going to drop like a rock.
@@Addingman96 Yeah, good point. But pre-order numbers. Oh, the numbers... carbuzz.com/news/ford-f-150-lightning-pre-orders-hit-100000#:~:text=At%20the%20start%20of%20June,the%20rate%20it%20was%20going.
My R1 is mounted up high over the rear view mirror. I'm using a permanent mount attached with double sided tape. Been quite happy with the performace, maximum detecting range has been around four kilometers or 2.5 miles on normal highway driving. edit: It has the added benefit of being much harder to see from outside, as using a radar detector in a motor vehicle is illegal over here.
Have you looked in from drivers side to see how it looks from the outside? So you have any amount of tint? Im in a similar situation and wondering how much id need to worry or how far I'd have to go to hide it😅
Blendmount install with power cord going to rear view mirror. Cleanest install for me. I have Blendmounts in both cars and move my V1G2 back and forth when needed. Very easy.
Put mine just to the driverside of the rearview, peeking just under my tint brow. From the outside you can't tell it's there, if pulled over really easy to unplug and take it off and they can't see the circles from the outside from suction cups. It's not illegal to have them here, but they really frown on you knowing where they are before they can get a lock on you, much less a history of your speed for a ticket.
Wow! That is just about the exact location where I mount my V1G2 via my home made CB mic holder for quick mount/dismount and capable of swivel left/right just that little bit.. . Another thorough video, exactly what I have been wondering with those "DOTs"/frits... Thank You!! Edit: I mount it high so it is totally off sight while driving and to sorta hide/block it with my sun visor without having to remove it from windshield.
Just got a R7 for my Tesla Model 3 and it’s amazing. I still just have it temporary hooked up suction cup to the bottom of my windshield using cigarette lighter and Bungie power cable. Looking to find a permanent home to clean install it this weekend. Need those “other videos” you kept mentioning throughout this video to hurry up lol. Amazing videos tho. I’m new to this Channel but I found it when we searching radars so thanks, and keep making these great vids, I really enjoy them.
Back in the 80's, I worked a job where I was on the road almost daily. I had the detector in a Ford Taurus, velcroed on the dash as low as possible, in the bottom left corner drivers side, as far left as possible, angled slightly to the other side of the freeway. Then I covered it with a wash rag same color as the dash. Hard wired into fuse box two feet away. No wires were visible. It went off and on when I started the car. No one could tell what was under the rag. Seemed to work fine. These days, I rarely hit 50mph on the freeway and 30mph or less around town. LOL!
My R3 is mounted bottom left of the windshield with the large single suction cup and hard wired. Super clean install. Plus, I live in VA, so I need it as stealthy as possible.
Both of my vehicles have it mounted with a BlendMount, it's like you say a pretty good balance of location. Though I have been wanting to experiment with high mounting above the mirror in one of them as the R7 is a chunky boy and does block a good bit of my already small view.
I bought a Rodenso Visor mount for My Uniden R7. Works Great. Wired in the molding for a clean install and look. Performance is best for me up high like that. I did get a Lazer hit once on it up that high, which was surprising. It would have been too late anyway and Waze had him marked way before the detector went off.
My R3 went off for laser and I dropped 3mph before being pulled over. Sure I still got the ticket but it would have been a 10 over instead of 5, and it would have had 2 points instead of 0. This was a few years ago before waze was as popular and before the r7 was released
Quick compliment and a question for you. Great work thru the years, you are now the internet’s most trusted expert on the subject. My question is how much range do you lose or gain with the different mounting positions? My preferred mounting location is Velcro on the dash. The new detectors are so sensitive, I think they work well enough just sitting on the seat. At some point, too much sensitivity is bad for your speed as the detector is picking up a signal in the next county that is no threat to you. IMO there is a Goldilocks zone and diminishing returns from increased sensitivity.
I like my R3 high and center like yours. Good performance, clean install, and it hides it well since I live in a not so friendly RD state that starts with a V.
@@MrKevinritsema I have seen that too, but it's when they are very very close. I've had troopers drive next to me and no issues. I don't really thing RDDs are that common in NOVA
Due to the intense Arizona sun I have found the best place for the various V1s is the visor mount on the passenger side. This backs them off somewhat from sun, allows the headliner run for the power cord, and I still have the driver's sun visor operational. Range does not seem to be an issue as the V1 and V1Gen2 give plenty of warning. Depending on the vehicle either the remote display or an app was used making the reach to the passenger side a moot point.
Cut a sock and put it around your detector--it will keep the heat off and reduce wear and tear.I even totally covered mine with a sock to test it on a known camera--photo radr and it had no affect on the range--picked up the signal at the same spot--and this was with the radar completely encased.in normal use I have the back cut out so the lense are open and the rest of the detector is covered.I have put this around both a 9500 IX and a Uniden with no problems in detection range.
Great video! Do you have a video that shows which mounts are interchangeable with other detectors? Can the R7 be installed on the R3 mount? Same with dash cams. Can the DR-900s be installed with the DR-750s's mount and power? Thank you!
I mount my escort in the top left corner of my windshield and I can report that there's no degradation on performance. I have a Toyota tundra and the factory sun visors has a little cut out in the top left corner, so even if the visor is down, I have full access to the detector. The biggest reason for mounting it in that location is for the stealth look of it. Its out of site for on lookers and even passengers and thats just the why I like it:)
I like the basic cigarette lighter cable and lever suction cup mount so that I can remove all evidence that I have a radar detector when I park. I center mount just under that the rear view mirror where I can see the display and operate the front buttons. This also minimizes sight obstruction and gets balanced detection as stated in the video. Tapping the rear view isn't an option in my 2005 Chevy...lol. Using R4.
i would love to see a road test to show the difference in performance of a high mounted vs low mounted radar detector. i want to mount mine up high, but it doesn’t fit well in my small car, i’d like to see what i’m missing out on haha
For road-trips in my C7 Corvette, I mount my DRF7 on top of the dash directly in front of me using a sticky pad. The sticky pads lose their stickiness over time, so I usually buy a five pack off Amazon and replace them as needed. Although I only run my detector on long distance trips, this method works well for me.
I’ve used various Escort brands over the years, and also the V1 G2. I mount as low as possible. I do a lot of highway driving and have not had any performance issues, even with my windshield wipers in the way. Range on the Escorts is 1.3 miles (except for the 360c which I have recorded to detect ~2 miles) whether I mount low or mid windshield. The problem with my low mounting location is that the cords can get messy, but more importantly, LEO in VA can easily see that I have a RD. But, I’ve been stopped for that only twice in over 30 years of using RDs. For cigarette lighter use, I think that low mounting is cleanest and stealthiest.
I got a ticket in Emporia, VA for using an RD but prevailed in court by bringing a copy of the Federal CFR (I believe it was in Part 15) and showing the judge that it's codified, only the FCC has jurisdiction on FCC Type Accepted emitting and radio devices. Hence, the VA law is Federally pre-empted and has no standing. He agreed, found me not guilty but did not enter the record into case law so it still stands. I need to research this again and have the document handy. I do carry copied of the judges "not guilty verdict." The cop was really pissed! Too bad...
Great information. In my C8, I currently have my Redline 360 just to the right of my rearview mirror. I use the suction cup. The Blendmount for the C8 is supposed to come out this month. I may consider that, but at $189, I'm not sure it's worth it.
The best location is behind the driver vanity mirror. Two reasons: 1) up high to see first over hills and 2) concealable by a simple mirror flip if you're being tailed. Blendmounting does anything but blend
I had always been a low center mount user (for convenience and "laser performance"). I've since started mounting high near the rear view mirror. I have several vehicles, some of which can't have blendmount style mounts installed, so currently in using the provided suction cups. One problem I do find with high mounting is that, with a dash camera is hard to have 2 things dead center up high, one or both need to move left/right a bit. I will say that you can hide your cable in a low mount situation (run down from the detector then tucked across the back of the dashboard), but it's just about the same effort as doing that for a high mount.
Mount and location varies by vehicle. In my 2021 Subaru Outback there isn't room above the mirror due to the top-mounted release on the R7 I'm using. So here's how I'm set up in that vehicle: 2021 Subaru Outback Location: under mirror Mount: BlendMount (works *really* well in the Outback) Wiring: BlendMount mirror wiring kit I ran it for a while with good luck just above the dash using an aftermarket sticker mount that was basically an R7-compatible prong on a GoPro foot. That worked great and had great range but in theory I like the better range mounted higher. I've also read at least one comment about poor range that I think resulted from mounting it really low on the dash and picking up interference from the windshield wiper heaters in the windshield.
I mount my V1 Gen2 above the mirror towards the driver’s side. I use a dab of clear silicone caulk on the suction cups for reliable mounting retention.
My radar detectors, in all my cars/trucks, are mounted: high, on the driver's side of the rear view mirror and hard-wired to the ignition off/on system.
Thanks so much for all the helpful advice and video man, I appreciate it! I was wondering if my ceramic visor tint would mess with my radar detector as I was watching your video and you just answered it with as long as it's not metallic tint.
No discussion of windshields that block reception except in specific locations. For my GLS,, I had two choices: to the right of the mirror, or low in the center of the windshield. I chose the latter with a hard wire install.
Back when the Passport (9V battery vs wired) was all the rage, I mounted it *on* the visor and had it angled horizontally. Expanded that to other RDs as long as lightweight enough. But with my last Cobra, I took to mounting it on the dash right in front of the IP for a few important reasons. First is that a cop who's got something against people using RDs could also cite you for a blocked windshield. If it's on the dash, it's *not* on the windshield. And looking past the RD from the driver's position, all you see is top-of-hood, ie, nowhere that you'd be looking for pedestrians or cars. It's also easier to grab vs leaving in the car as a thief-magnet. And it's incredibly easy to bap the buttons stealthily vs reaching way up onto the windshield, whether high or low.
I just purchased a Blend mount and mirror tap for my Escort, because I live in Florida and the sticky mounts from Escort are nice but seem to break easy in the heat. This would have been my 4th sticky mount. Now with the blend mount I dont have to worry about buying more sticky mounts. Plus its a nicer look without the cigarette lighter cord.
I mount my R3 low and center. I had 1 laser detection where I was able to drop 3mph before the LEO got my speed. Still a ticket but 0 points instead of 2. The radar range of the R3 is good enough even mounted low. I consistently get 1mile+ detections on radar mounted low.
I have mine right on the dash. 90% city driving. Works great. Uniden R3 has the sickest range anyway, so I don’t worry about losing anything on the mount.
It really depends on your vehicle. When I had a Nissan Titan I used industrial Velcro to the bottom of my rear view mirror. No vibration and it looked clean.
Watched and liked, thanks. Use blend mount to rear view mirror for R7 as suction cups come off in cold weather. Best spot for front and rear detection. Then run front and rear ALP with TX Black heads. All on F150.
So I watched a bunch of test videos and all here, bought a G3, and mounted yesterday. Of course I used the large suction cup with the sticky. OMG that is really sticky. I might never be able to unmount the mount now to change the location. LOL
R3 mounted high with double suction cup mount right near roof liner. Has added benefit of being in shade and therefore not in direct sunlight. A great advantage in hot Australian summers - and more stealthy - because RD’s are highly illegal here.
I’m also surprised that you didn’t mention two other factors in placement selection, namely outward vision obstruction and rear antenna reception. In my Alfa Giulia, a small sedan, I mount my Max360 above and to the right (pass. side) of the rearview mirror, hardwired into a powersource at the mirror mount. It’s easy for me to reach in my small car, optimizes forward radar reception, has a clear view out the back window along the centerline of the car, and does not interfere at all with my outward vision or driver’s sunvisor use. It does limit the passenger visor from folding all the way to the windscreen, but it’s rare that I have a passenger needing the visor at all, and when they do, it drops forward far enough to reach its lowest point and maximum blockage, so it’s a terrific compromise.
Nice I’m actually going to buy god willing an Alfa if you have any advice or recommendations or just let me know how long you’ve had it and what’s your experience
I use the low center location because I like to remove it from view at malls and high theft locations. I drive an suv and have a uniden R7 so the performance is great already.
Installing the detector on the corner by the A pillar is going to turn the RD into a proyectile and potential body hazard if the side curtain airbags deploy during an accident, I still like the Blendmount for its practicality and convenience.
One thing you don’t mention that is a negative to running the detector up high above the rear view mirror is that many vehicles rear glass starts lower than the windscreen. This will limit the optimal ability to pick up radar from the rear as it is partially being blocked. I found the optimum to be the highest possible point on the windscreen where it still has direct visibility out the back.
Just under rear view mirror - suction cup - has a voltage reader setting - local PD and neighboring PD has a gun using K band (24.120 v) - state police undercover vehicle, has radar and is occasionally used in area
Glad to see you don't have a lot of wires hanging down. Having been a professional speeder for 25 year, selling custom chemical plant equipment in three states, and driving 100,000 miles per year. I mount my Valentine on the passenger visor. I made a slip cover to cover the entire visor and detector with a cloth similar in color to the head liner. The remote display is placed next to the left windshield column. I place a baseball hat over it with the brim facing the rear giving me a clear view, yet it is not visible from outside the car. Neither the detector or remote display are visible. The remote display is close so I can hit the mute button if needed. All cables were run in the headliner or side pillar. and under the dash for power. Only got stopped a couple of times and the police was never able to see I had the detector. I even had one officer tell me how to get out of the ticket by going to their defensive driving course.
I have always mounted my high just upon the rearview mirror hardwire and since I have a dodge ram 3500 it make it an ideal place to put it and living in the PNW make it ideal also.
I hope you get your commission! I just got the V1Gen2 from the link you provided. The MaxCam 360C is too sporadic in its operation. Today it showed the PSL as 66 MPH.
I use a permanent stick-on mount to my windshield as high up and close to the center as possible. Although due to my interior design, no matter what, if I want it as high as possible, I will have my sun visor blocking the back. So I can't really use my sun visor, and always have to rely on sunglasses.
dont currently have one in my car, but i had read or heard somewhere that to get your speed they aim for something like a headlight, which you mentioned, so i would think low would be better.
I run the R1 with an aftermarket single suction mount (charger city branded) due to my car (03 Crysler Sebring Convertable) having a slope that doesn't allow for a straight angle, just under the rearview mirror because I run my dashcam (some AQP one that is 3m adhesive mounted that I got for free) on the upper left and my E-ZPass on the upper right above the windshield, and I only use my detector when I go on the highway so I use the cig adapter
Very curious about mounting positions with detectors that have front and rear antennas. I have mine installed just under my rear view mirror for 'optimal' front and rear detecting as I have an Escort 360, with the provided cable and easily accessible mute button via cigarette plugin. I would be very curious to see some actual on the road tests as it will all be compromised, not only by terrain, tint, vehicle and detector. Although, it is good to know that it can be fenagled and maybe slightly increase/decrease performance of the myriad of options that are out today.
The layout of one's car and the brand of detector are key. I have a 2021 Santa Fe and my R7 is mounted on the dash, just to the right of my shoulder so it has a clear line of sight to the rear as well as ahead. The power cord is plugged into the cigarette lighter socket which is under the center console (which, by luck) makes the cord almost invisible. The stealthiness of the cord's path has to be seen to be appreciated. The R7 (which you once described as "kind of flimsy") is also key because it is so lightweight. Affixed with high-temp velcro there is no way it will fly off if I slam on the brakes. This could not be done with my old Valentine-1 with its heavy metal case. So, the advantages (in the case of my detector/car combo) are: 1) The screen is directly in my line of sight. 2) The buttons are easy to reach (which I almost never need as the R7 has auto-mute). 3) It is not "trapped" and baked between the windshield and my windshield sunshade which I use often. 4) It does not interfere with use of the visors (and vice versa). 5) It can be removed in seconds when needed. 6) I cover it with a baseball cap if I have any concerns about heat or visibility. 7) I can cover with the cap if I don't want it seen by LEO at night from the rear. 8) The entire mounting system costs about 75 cents😃! So as you say at the start of the video, everyones needs and circumstances vary.
Back when I had a detector, mine was mounted by my rearview mirror so it was hidden by the mirror mount while driving in town and it was easy to disconnect when it wasn't in use.
When I had my Valentine one Gen 2 mounted low on my windshield of my 21’ bmw 5 series sedan when I first got it and was using the 12v plug I had to disable rear laser because it was falsing rear laser off the idrive computer screen. But then once I hardwired my Valentine 1 Gen 2 up high suction cuped just to the left of the rear view mirror high mounted I had to disable front laser detection because it would false alarm laser but only at night time. But I was able to turn rear laser back on. Now on my F150 I can have my Valentine 1 Gen 2 with laser on for front and back detection and it gets zero false alarms whether high mounted or low mounted. So it must be just the shape of the bmw glass and also the big idrive screen.
Have you considered making a similar video for dash cam placement? With the multiple cams you've run plus the GoPros, you probably know better than others
You know I never thought about it, but there are some considerations I’ve noticed in terms of field of view, running cables, removing dashcam mounts safely when upgrading or selling your car, etc. I can add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion!
does windshield "frit" interfere with radar detectors? sorry should have finished watching the video, you just answered the question picking up the R4 on Amazon right now great deal! I am going to try to direct wire into the mirror power!
I prefer in the tint strip because of the high location and stealth. It seems to be harder to spot from outside and I can quickly hide it from the inside via a quick visor pull down. That’s the location in the SUV with power running from fuse box. In one car, I struggled with suction cups sticking, so I have a Blendmount with power running from fuse box. The other car is much smaller and a tint mount isn’t practical. I didn’t want to invest in a Blendmount for a car that seldom speeds and seldom has a detector, so it is center mount with suction cups just below the rear view mirror with a mirror tap. I used your mirror tap diagram for your Miata to tap into my car. That being said, I wish mounting in the tint strip was practical for all of my vehicles. I like the convenience and I prefer that if you or someone else is driving around looking for detectors, I slip by unnoticed.
I really would like to know how performance is affected when the detector is e.g. between the front passenger seat and headrest or on the rear deck (between rear passenger headrests). Any possibility of testing that? 🙂
No plans, but if you wanna see how it performs in your vehicle (results will likely be different than me testing in mine), you can test it and share your results with us!
Hey vortex I think a great test would be a tint test. I know most films now a days are are a hybrid of metal materials. I assume most of us have some type of window film on our vehicles and would love to see a comparison. I will attempt to test this myself and report back.
A friend of mine got a secondary ticket for his dashcam mounted to the windshield and included was the fuzzy dice on the mirror.. Here in Florida if you get stopped. .better have doughnuts and coffee for the bribe ..
Is there any way we could get a video for when officers use instant on till they get your speed and turn it off shortly after so we can see which RDs react or which ones do not.? I appreciate your videos and educating all of us on the best use cases for all scenarios.
I put my R3 On the left dash just above the (turn signal ) on a bing bag mount…… …. hard wired ………it’s out of the way …. also I can put up my window sun shade and it also protects the detector….. ….. Can’t do that mounted on the window ……..it’s hot here in Southern California ………thanks for sharing
Thanks for the informative video. One could argue that there is minimal blockage from the A pillars at the left mount versus the center. One inch, possibly? I’m thinking that if you are getting hit from the A pillar angle it’s too late for anything other than putting on your signal and pulling over when the blue lights start flashing. Thoughts?
A dab of Velcro on the dash and on the bottom of the detector and that's it for me. Suction cup mounts haven't worked for me. If I had a dollar for every time my suction cup mounts have fallen...I'm talking multiple cars and detectors.
Hey...first off thank you greatly for the videos. I picked up a R7 yesterday for my Q7. I see you're driving the same. I was wondering how well it picks up rear detection with how our rear windshield is set up and with the rear shade in use. Do you notice any degradation in use or is this another reason to high mount with our vehicles? Thanks for any input provided. Your videos helped me decide on which detector to get as well.
Valentine one will lose rearward coverage if mounted too high. It needs clear line of sight to the rear window. Under the rear view mirror (mid-mount) is optimum for V1 - the only 360° detector on the market. Other front aspect only detectors work best higher up.
This will vary based on the design of your vehicle. Many vehicles let you do a high mount with clear rearward visibility. Additionally VR’s patent on arrows expired years ago which is why multiple manufacturers produce detectors with a second rear antenna now. Valentine is not the only “360 degree detector” (which is also a bit of a misnomer, but I understand what you’re trying to say).
mount is just above my rearview mirror dashcam's front camera that sticks out from the left of the mirror, with a rearview mirror adhesive square securing the bracket. I gave up on everything else because the heat in the summer or the cold in the winter would result in my radar just falling off of the glass.
Doesn’t matter where you put it because the sensitivity is so good that you can put it on the passenger seat and they will still pick up radar and laser.
