Best place to mount radar detector?

[queenstown3]

Hey, i recently just bough a Escort x50 8500 Radar detector. I have mounted to the middle of the dashboard just above the clock with double sided tape in my 04 wrx sti. I was thinking that maybe the hood scoop would intefare it from detecting properly? Is this the best place to mount it?

[EJ257]

What does the manual tell you?

From my Valentine 1 manual (pg. 18):

Valentine One works best when mounted high in the
windshield, and toward the center between the windshield
pillars.
...
Detector performance is enhanced by a high mounting
position. Two reasons. For radar, a longer sight line to
the horizon always helps. For laser, moving away from
the hood and its sun reflections helps a lot.

[queenstown3]

"The rear panel of your Passport should have
a clear view of the road ahead. For best
performance, do not mount Passport
directly behind windshield wipers
or tinted areas."

So i'm guessing i should move it somewhere else where their is no hood scoop blocking it from the road?

[EJ257]

"The rear panel of your Passport should have
a clear view of the road ahead. For best
performance, do not mount Passport
directly behind windshield wipers
or tinted areas."

So i'm guessing i should move it somewhere else where their is no hood scoop blocking it from the road?

My V1 is hardwired, and sits above my mirror.

Use the suction cups and mount it in the center of the windshield as high as you can.

[MainFrame]

Above the rear view mirror is usually a good place for the sensor. Like mentioned, generally the higher the better.

[STiDriven]

Above the rear view mirror is usually a good place for the sensor. Like mentioned, generally the higher the better.

Yes, higher is generally better. But if the 04 STi is like the 05 you can't put it above the rearview mirror - and I don't like it below it.

The 05's have some black like tint surface along the windshield above the rearview. No good there.

I've use mine, hardwired up behind the dash, mounted off-set of the center windshield toward the drivers side. So the scoop isn't directly in the way.

I haven't ever had an issue picking up on radar even laser in 2+ years located there. (no tickets ever while using it; knock on wood)

[silverbullet207]

I too have the V1 in my '06, i have it mounted just next to my mirror (drivers side). It has a clear path in front and there is no obstruction to the rear sensor.

[EJ257]

Yes, higher is generally better. But if the 04 STi is like the 05 you can't put it above the rearview mirror - and I don't like it below it.

The 05's have some black like tint surface along the windshield above the rearview. No good there.

I get the same signal strength with my V1 above my mirror as I did below...

[MULEZSTI]

My V1 is hard wired in and mounted above the mirror on the passenger side in my 06 STi. I have 50% tint and 5% tint strip and a BFGoodrich sticker on that tint strip. Which gives a very clean look from the outside. You can't see my detector or my ezpass. And I've never had a problem picking up "boggies" way down the road. However I believe there's a right time and a wrong time to speed. (sorta speak) the detector is designed I believe to catch the cop hitting the car that's speeding in front if you to warn you to slow down. If your on a road all by yourself doing 95mph in a 55mph zone. I don't care if you have a $1 million radar detector you won't be able to detect the POP signal from a cop who turns it on really quick. And if your POP does go off quicker than the cop receives your speed I don't think your reaction will be fast enough. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and get a cop like I did with my ride along and if we noticed on the radar you slowing down, we didn't want to give up out spot. So my recommendation is to move it up to where your mirror is and good luck.

But just my two cents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MainFrame]

I don't know if they've recently changed radar technology, but as far as I know radar guns take a while to warm up, at least 30 seconds. If a cop is shooting radar somewhere the gun is generally going to be on the whole time, so you should pick it up from a long ways away. If they try to switch it on when you show up you're going to be long gone before they even have a chance to get an accurate reading.


Now if they are shooting laser that's a different story. They can be sitting with the laser gun off, and switch it on and shoot you in a matter of seconds.

[MULEZSTI]

I don't know if they've recently changed radar technology, but as far as I know radar guns take a while to warm up, at least 30 seconds. If a cop is shooting radar somewhere the gun is generally going to be on the whole time, so you should pick it up from a long ways away. If they try to switch it on when you show up you're going to be long gone before they even have a chance to get an accurate reading.


Now if they are shooting laser that's a different story. They can be sitting with the laser gun off, and switch it on and shoot you in a matter of seconds.

I agree with the LASER, and every state is different, but when I did my ride along he turned the radar on and it was ready and he pointed it where he wanted to pick up a signal. And he had it off when no one was on the road and turned it on when he saw head lights. There are some that just leave it on and I thank them every time I pass them LOL The trick is the radar just displays a speed from the traffic. that's why I say speed with a group of people because the cop has to determine, which can be a very far distance who is in fact speeding and the radar gun will always pick up the "bigger target" ie a truck or something. So that might help in court. or you could just do the speed limit

[teflon_jones]

I get the same signal strength with my V1 above my mirror as I did below...

Well then you should put it higher up so you get the longer line of sight right?

[Uh Oh]

Let me know what ends up working best for you. I just bought the same detector off of WRXDrummer, and he had it mounted above the rearview as well and said he liked it there.

[EJ257]

I just bought the same detector off of WRXDrummer

Well then you should put it higher up so you get the longer line of sight right?

[silverbullet207]

So to everyone out there with a V1, which setting do you use:
- The one that looks like an "A"
- The one that looks like a lower case "L"
- The one that looks like an upper case "L"