Hardwiring Radar Detector VE SS

[skydog]

:driving: Well... This has been a long time coming... My first post!! I have had my Redhot SS VE for approx 3 months now and am just coming up on the magic 5000 k's. (Trully a Love Affair).. Up until now I have had my radar detector plugged into the accessory plug/power feed in the middle console. I have just purchased a hardwire kit for the detector and was wondering where to hardwire the power and earth to? There seems to be a slot cut out of the front of the hood lining, possibly for a wire, but wiring to the interior light would mean continuous power even with key off. Has anyone come across this and if so, any help would be much appreciated...

[Ryzz]

Try grabbing power from the back of the radio or you ignition. On the radio you SHOULD have (dunno with the VE with it being all intergrated) a Constant 12V+, Earth, Accessories (only on when the key is turned).

Use these wires to source your power from as needed. It your really not sure then you would be best to consult an Auto Electrician before doing anything, just to be safe.

[EXCESSV]

i had my car stereo mate do this at his work.
i have the bel STi radar detector and hardwired it to my VE SSV.
the hardwire kit is the one with the remote.

we had to take out the glovebox and side facia on the passenger side and get power and earth from there.
run the wire between the windscreen and dash for the plug to be used at the top.
the remote was able to be sat just under the stereo as there are holes there that you can feel for.

all up for them was a 30min job.

[GETUTED]

i had my car stereo mate do this at his work.
i have the bel STi radar detector and hardwired it to my VE SSV.
the hardwire kit is the one with the remote.

we had to take out the glovebox and side facia on the passenger side and get power and earth from there.
run the wire between the windscreen and dash for the plug to be used at the top.
the remote was able to be sat just under the stereo as there are holes there that you can feel for.

all up for them was a 30min job.

Whats your opinion of the Bel detector? Pros / Cons ?

[EXCESSV]

Whats your opinion of the Bel detector? Pros / Cons ?

the bels i find very good.
my only gripe is you cant turn the damn K band off as around the metropolitan area it goes off whenever your near shops, servos, etc.
but with the remote really close the the M6 gear knob i just mute it all the time.

the one i have is the "undetectable" one where it doesnt send a signal out to scan for radar devices, etc...but only receives.
plus the magnesium construction stops any leakages too.
they are legal in wa so the undetectable feature really means nothing right now

been using bels for 2plus years and havent got any fines...so overall i am happy and a great product. never had any problems

[O5BRKY]

Yeb, there good detectors, STi works well.

[GETUTED]

2yrs no fines...sounds good to me :thumbsup:

[jaykay]

2yrs no fines...sounds good to me :thumbsup:
5 for me..... :dancenana:

More than paid for itself.... :teach:

[The_Senator]

I am currently in the market for one.. Is this one any good?

Bel Radar Unit (http://www.dontgetcaught.com.au/ProductDetails/86/Bel-STi-XR-Stealth-Bel-Radar-Detector-)

Good price for that unit?? Or someone know where in Perth to get treated right?

[EXCESSV]

I am currently in the market for one.. Is this one any good?

Bel Radar Unit (http://www.dontgetcaught.com.au/ProductDetails/86/Bel-STi-XR-Stealth-Bel-Radar-Detector-)

Good price for that unit?? Or someone know where in Perth to get treated right?
thats the one i have paul...and you know my next statement....
i know where in perth to get one for a good price...and they will install it with the hardwire kit on your SSV when it comes too :wave:

i cant believe you bothered to ask the question after stating i had heaps of contacts in another thread :toetap: :p


2yrs no fines...sounds good to me :thumbsup:
yep...had it 2yrs and 2years of no fines.
mind you they are illegal all over australia except WA

[The_Senator]

thats the one i have paul...and you know my next statement....
i know where in perth to get one for a good price...and they will install it with the hardwire kit on your SSV when it comes too :wave:

i cant believe you bothered to ask the question after stating i had heaps of contacts in another thread :toetap: :p


yep...had it 2yrs and 2years of no fines.
mind you they are illegal all over australia except WA


Hey, it's been one of those weeks where i don't even know what i read / write. I apologise for not recognising your greatness .... :bow:

I'll expect a PM now... You're validated now, so you have to use that 80 odd that you get! :p

Mate, I am just patiently accumulating "bits" for the SSV, if and when it should arrive.. It gives me something to do - and gives me a nice collection of "stuff" in the study to look at and dream over....

[pursuit1980]

I am currently in the market for one.. Is this one any good?

Bel Radar Unit (http://www.dontgetcaught.com.au/ProductDetails/86/Bel-STi-XR-Stealth-Bel-Radar-Detector-)

Good price for that unit?? Or someone know where in Perth to get treated right?


Hi The_Senator,

I manage Security Gear Australia (www.dontgetcaught.com.au), the website you are referring to.

As a forum member you will automatically receive discount with us. I can also arrange hardwire installations for you, and in the correct manner on a VE, as I have done so myself on many occasion now.

The Bel STi XR is one of our top-of-the-range units, world wide, and tuned specifically for Australian conditions. The Bel STi XR is comparable with the Valentine V1 and the new released Escort 9500i with auto GPS lockout feature as one of the top 4 Detectors in the world, proven time and time again by Speedlabs, GOL and ourselves anually.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss things further, send me a PM or call directly from our website.

If anyone else has any questions regarding products or hardwiring the correct way, please feel free to get in touch.

*Glove boxes etc. do NOT have to be removed to install hardwire kits in VE's.


Thanks.

[Tron2004]

the one i have is the "undetectable" one where it doesnt send a signal out to scan for radar devices, etc...but only receives.
I would imagine because of this, the range would be about half of those units that actually "scan"... ??
i.e. less time to react - hit the anchors, etc.

[pursuit1980]

I would imagine because of this, the range would be about half of those units that actually "scan"... ??
i.e. less time to react - hit the anchors, etc.


Actually, your both incorrect to a degree.

The Bel STi XR, or any radar detector for that matter, does not 'SEND' any signal out to 'SEARCH' for a threat, they are all 'RECEIVERS' only.

In regards to the Bel STi XR being 'undetectable', it is simpy referring to the new magnesium casing used as well as proprietary hardware that only Beltronics is privy to.

The Bel STi XR does not 'LEAK' any RF frequency like other models do, basically due to their construction and manufacturing techniques. Like with most things in life, the less you pay, the poor'er quality, such as brands like Cobra, RMR, etc. They are very low grade detectors on the market, therefore very cheap and leak alot of RF frequency = Much greater distance and easier to be detected by RDD (Radar Detector Detectors) used by most east coast law enforcement.

For east coast clients, I recommend the Bel STi XR for that reason, as fines are quite high and loss of points is applicable.

In regards to its performance being reduced, you couldnt be further from the truth. The Bel STi XR is one of the top 4 performing Radar Detectors in the WORLD!, You simply cannot buy better.

Top 4 are: - (not in any order)

Valentine 1 (V1)
Bel STi XR
Escort 8500 X50 (Blue or Red)
Escort 9500i

I hope this helps with anyones questions. It always pays to get the official response to these things.


Thankyou.

[clubbie]

Where's the help button when you need one.

Thanks pursuit1980. Top Info.

Cheers

Clubbie

[DrAsh]

I don't know anything about the Bel STI XR, but I agree with what pursuit1980 says on the radar detector design. The basic (cheap) design has an oscillator running near the radar frequency to downconvert the radar to a frequency that is easily detectable. The different bands of detection are then handled either via filtering the downconverted signal, or otherwise using the harmonic of the original oscillator to detect the higher K band frequencies.

The signal from the radar detector oscillator leaks out of the radar detector really easily as it is just sitting inside the waveguide. A better radar detector that is designed to be less detectable would include a filter in the waveguide to to filter out the oscillator signal, or otherwise some other form of isolation of the signal such as an amplifier.

A few years ago I met up with the fellow who makes the police RDDs and helped him over some problems he was having getting it to detect some newer radar detectors by improving the sensitivity of the receiver (sorry). The place where I work makes radar detectors for military aircraft so it was easy to do and the signal levels that the RDD work with a high compared to what a military detector can achieve. I often think about making a jammer for police radar, just never find the time.

[BlownVR]

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=830867&postcount=515

[EXCESSV]

*Glove boxes etc. do NOT have to be removed to install hardwire kits in VE's.
ok well if gloveboxes dont have to be removed then how do you get the hardwire kit installed for the STi XR where the cable runs between the windscreen and dash/demister area like BlownVR says and the way i have done and able to run the wires to tap into the relevant wires on the car???

please tell me your magic trick as my mate who has install thousands finds that is the best, easiest and neatest way?????

[vzss8]

1 sec reation nnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....:cussing:

[pursuit1980]

ok well if gloveboxes dont have to be removed then how do you get the hardwire kit installed for the STi XR where the cable runs between the windscreen and dash/demister area like BlownVR says and the way i have done and able to run the wires to tap into the relevant wires on the car???

please tell me your magic trick as my mate who has install thousands finds that is the best, easiest and neatest way?????


Thanks for the question, and not so much of a magic trick as you would suggest, but more of a practical approach, as well as not being hampered by the inconvenience of the hardwire cable running out of length by your mentioned idea of patching right over near the passenger side of the car.

Genuine hardwire kits supplied by Bel and Valentine etc. are only approx 3m in length, and for good reason, they are made to carry a certain amount of amps/current to the detector and have been tested in that manner, therefore, they supply a genuine hardwire kit. Non-Genuine, Backyard made cables may affect your unit and in worst case, your warranty.

The genuine hardwire kits supplied by Beltronics, Valentine and Escort, all come with 3M Wiretap Clips, and therefore can be tapped into/secured to any 12v accessory wire, such as cigarette lighter wire, or any wire working as an accessory via key operation, then earthed correctly to any raw bolt using the eyelet earth wire included in the kit.

As the detectors only require 2 amps, and genuine kits include a replaceable fuse, should it ever need replacing through surge etc. (never experienced).

So in a nutshell thats how you can maintain correct length of the cable, closer to the drivers side, allowing you to mount your detector in pretty much any convenient place on your windscreen/visor.

I wont give away the 'magic trick' location that we use in the VE, as I dont really want to give away service work to your friends apparent 'thousands' of customers that he has done hardwiring for.


We aren't new to this.


Take a look at my installation here, on my VE SSV, demonstrating the performance of a Valentine 1 (V1) against Multanova last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOMhAGfdDho


Thanks for your feedback.

[Mojo]

Take a look at my installation here, on my VE SSV, demonstrating the performance of a Valentine 1 (V1) against Multanova last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOMhAGfdDho

Orrong Road eh - I'd recognise that Hotdog Hut anywhere !

Pursuit could you please PM me an installed price including the member discount.. and how long for and where you need the vehicle etc.... Cheers

Both the STi and the V1 thanks..

BTW - are there any unit's avail that don't require you to stick them to the windscreen or visor - like invisible ?

[EXCESSV]

Thanks for the question, and not so much of a magic trick as you would suggest, but more of a practical approach, as well as not being hampered by the inconvenience of the hardwire cable running out of length by your mentioned idea of patching right over near the passenger side of the car.

Genuine hardwire kits supplied by Bel and Valentine etc. are only approx 3m in length, and for good reason, they are made to carry a certain amount of amps/current to the detector and have been tested in that manner, therefore, they supply a genuine hardwire kit. Non-Genuine, Backyard made cables may affect your unit and in worst case, your warranty.

The genuine hardwire kits supplied by Beltronics, Valentine and Escort, all come with 3M Wiretap Clips, and therefore can be tapped into/secured to any 12v accessory wire, such as cigarette lighter wire, or any wire working as an accessory via key operation, then earthed correctly to any raw bolt using the eyelet earth wire included in the kit.

As the detectors only require 2 amps, and genuine kits include a replaceable fuse, should it ever need replacing through surge etc. (never experienced).

So in a nutshell thats how you can maintain correct length of the cable, closer to the drivers side, allowing you to mount your detector in pretty much any convenient place on your windscreen/visor.

I wont give away the 'magic trick' location that we use in the VE, as I dont really want to give away service work to your friends apparent 'thousands' of customers that he has done hardwiring for.


We aren't new to this.


Take a look at my installation here, on my VE SSV, demonstrating the performance of a Valentine 1 (V1) against Multanova last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOMhAGfdDho


Thanks for your feedback.
thanks for that...it explained absolutely nothing.
i NEVER said they used after market or non genuine hardwire kits.
they use the genuine ones that are supplied with the products so before you make accusations maybe get your facts right.
i am still interested to know as you didnt answer the question on how you manage to squeeze the cable between the windscreen and demister/dash area without taking any of the dash or glovebox out as the genuine hardwire cable for the BEL STI XR has a remote, plug that goes into the unit and power and earth wire all on the on cable.

this whole i can tell you my secrets is crap...its not patent and its not exactly top secret...
this forum is all about ppl helping other ppl out

if you so wish to promote your business and sell your products on this forum as a non sponsor then go for it...i am sure the mods will sort it all out.

[O5BRKY]

I don't know anything about the Bel STI XR, but I agree with what pursuit1980 says on the radar detector design. The basic (cheap) design has an oscillator running near the radar frequency to downconvert the radar to a frequency that is easily detectable. The different bands of detection are then handled either via filtering the downconverted signal, or otherwise using the harmonic of the original oscillator to detect the higher K band frequencies.

The signal from the radar detector oscillator leaks out of the radar detector really easily as it is just sitting inside the waveguide. A better radar detector that is designed to be less detectable would include a filter in the waveguide to to filter out the oscillator signal, or otherwise some other form of isolation of the signal such as an amplifier.

A few years ago I met up with the fellow who makes the police RDDs and helped him over some problems he was having getting it to detect some newer radar detectors by improving the sensitivity of the receiver (sorry). The place where I work makes radar detectors for military aircraft so it was easy to do and the signal levels that the RDD work with a high compared to what a military detector can achieve. I often think about making a jammer for police radar, just never find the time.

So how are Roy Zegers and Peter Taylor?

[pursuit1980]

thanks for that...it explained absolutely nothing.
i NEVER said they used after market or non genuine hardwire kits.
they use the genuine ones that are supplied with the products so before you make accusations maybe get your facts right.
i am still interested to know as you didnt answer the question on how you manage to squeeze the cable between the windscreen and demister/dash area without taking any of the dash or glovebox out as the genuine hardwire cable for the BEL STI XR has a remote, plug that goes into the unit and power and earth wire all on the on cable.

this whole i can tell you my secrets is crap...its not patent and its not exactly top secret...
this forum is all about ppl helping other ppl out

if you so wish to promote your business and sell your products on this forum as a non sponsor then go for it...i am sure the mods will sort it all out.


I think you need to chill out a bit pip.

I think the everyone reading this forum thread saw that it was yourself that got just a tad bit smart with the whole 'magic trick' comment, so therefore you shoot, I shoot back, but I shoot back with facts, thats life, deal with it.

Oh and as far as "promoting as a non sponsor" and "i am sure the mods will sort it all out", once again, unless you know the facts, it would be wise not to pass comment about things you know very little or nothing about, as I have been talking with Jason (Owner of LS1) in regards to sponsorship for quite a while now.

But hey, thanks for your comments, it makes for an entertaining thread.

;-)

[BlownVR]

ok well if gloveboxes dont have to be removed then how do you get the hardwire kit installed for the STi XR where the cable runs between the windscreen and dash/demister area like BlownVR says and the way i have done and able to run the wires to tap into the relevant wires on the car???

please tell me your magic trick as my mate who has install thousands finds that is the best, easiest and neatest way?????
I didn't remove the glovebox, just the plastic panel on the side of it with the airbag sticker, plus the the one adjacent to it with the hole to feed air to the vent in the door. And of course the demist vent panel. From memory they all just have spring clips holding them in, carefully pop them out with a screwdriver. I think there is a screw behind there somewhere which I used for the earth teminal.

[Tony Kendal]

You can wire it to the light in the roof and use another switch to turn the light off, however, the rear light will stay on which is a bad thing at night. I messed with mine for weeks and eventually put a small Li battery in the sun glasses stowage and ran the wire to the front of the mirror and put the detector with velcro in there. Snal in -- snap out. But ALAS, there is no continuous 12v in the roof. However, the screws that hold the roof moulding in has a good chassis earth.

[BlownVR]

Take a look at my installation here, on my VE SSV, demonstrating the performance of a Valentine 1 (V1) against Multanova last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOMhAGfdDho


Thanks for your feedback.
Impressive, however I would be interested to see that done again with no other cars ahead for the radar to bounce off. From my experience with a much older detector you get significantly less warning when out on your own.

[EXCESSV]

I think you need to chill out a bit pip.

I think the everyone reading this forum thread saw that it was yourself that got just a tad bit smart with the whole 'magic trick' comment, so therefore you shoot, I shoot back, but I shoot back with facts, thats life, deal with it.

Oh and as far as "promoting as a non sponsor" and "i am sure the mods will sort it all out", once again, unless you know the facts, it would be wise not to pass comment about things you know very little or nothing about, as I have been talking with Jason (Owner of LS1) in regards to sponsorship for quite a while now.

But hey, thanks for your comments, it makes for an entertaining thread.

;-)
thats ok mate.
just saw the youtube vid and see where you mount them.
i know how you wire them up in that case and its totally different to where mine is located and where mine is wired up to.

I didn't remove the glovebox, just the plastic panel on the side of it with the airbag sticker, plus the the one adjacent to it with the hole to feed air to the vent in the door. And of course the demist vent panel. From memory they all just have spring clips holding them in, carefully pop them out with a screwdriver. I think there is a screw behind there somewhere which I used for the earth teminal.
yeah did that too. the glovebox is removed just to make the installation easier, quicker and neater.
and so i could run the remote part behind the glovebox and to sit just under the stereo on the SSV for easy access to mute, etc when you left hand is mostly on the shifter anyway

[pursuit1980]

Impressive, however I would be interested to see that done again with no other cars ahead for the radar to bounce off. From my experience with a much older detector you get significantly less warning when out on your own.


Actually, the amount of cars you see there would 'block' the signal, not bounce off as mentioned.

Bouncing is mainly used when approaching from the opposite direction or a Multanova / Radar Source targeting the rear of vehicles.

Thats why you will get significantly less range if your tailing a bus or a truck due to them acting as one large curtain or wall against you and the radar source.

I have experienced this on various occasion.

Heres a second run on the same Multanova with no cars, but unfortunately as it begins from a side street, the signal is pretty much instantly there.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V2RamAT0lBE

Keep in mind, MAXIMUM Multanova range is 40m.

Original video was as per trip meter 430m from first alert, (skeptics can check via google maps if need be) and even with that range, it got the first alert after reaching the top of the crest in the road.

(FYI - Ive recorded 580m with Bel STi XR on Crimea St, Morley in the past.)


There is other footage on YouTube from Western Australia worth searching to give you better idea on range etc.


If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, I'm here to help and not just for business purposes, as helping is what the LS1 forum is all about.


Thanks.

[SV346]

Are there specific settings on the detectors that work better in terms of picking the alert earliest?

[pursuit1980]

Are there specific settings on the detectors that work better in terms of picking the alert earliest?

Yes, there are, dependent on the state you live in, due to different bands used by you local law enforcement.

Switch off all bands not currently used in your area, this will enable the detector to scan less of a bandwidth, more specific to your requirements.

For instance, if Ka-Band is not used in your area, turn it off, if X-Band is not used in your area, turn it off etc....

Some east coast states that we service only run on K and Laser detection for such things as Traffipax and Gatso, whereas here in the west we need to monitor K, Ka, and Laser only.

Turning POP mode off will also increase your range on Ka-Band, but decrease your range on K-Band marginally, so its different settings for everyone, as long as your not scanning for useless bands.

For instance, Local setup should be as follows:-

(V1)
Euro Mode - On
K Band - On
Ka Band - On (Euro)
Laser - On
X Band - Off
POP - Off
Automute - 30 sec
Auto-unmute - 4 Bars

STi XR
Intnl Mode - Default
K Band - On
Ka Band - On
Laser - On
X Band - Off
POP - Off
SWS - On
Automute - On

I hope this helps people out.

Thankyou

[O5BRKY]

Same settings for Vic:
STi XR/ STi
Intnl Mode - Default
K Band - On
Ka Band - On
Laser - On
X Band - Off
POP - Off
SWS - On
Automute - On

[chook]

the one i have is the "undetectable" one where it doesnt send a signal out to scan for radar devices, etc...but only receives.


Do these really exist, has anyone put them to the test?

[O5BRKY]

Do these really exist, has anyone put them to the test?

YES. Been tested here and overseas.

[skydog]

Cheers BlownVR you da man!! followed your steps and the job is done... easy as pie.. Thanks again..

[pursuit1980]

Do these really exist, has anyone put them to the test?

Hello,

Yes the Bel STi XR really exists, and testing against the latest model Stelcar3 RDD (Radar Detector Detector) currently used by majority of law enforcement in Australia, proves its undetectability, no leakage. Mainly due to its new magnesium casing and proprietary hardware.

See our video tests here
http://www.dontgetcaught.com.au/Text/1149864238255-5203/


I hope this helps.

Thankyou

[chook]

Thanks for that, after my last few months I am tempted. Any guys on the forum in the eastern states running these?

[O5BRKY]

Hello,

Yes the Bel STi XR really exists, and testing against the latest model Stelcar3 RDD (Radar Detector Detector) currently used by majority of law enforcement in Australia, proves its undetectability, no leakage. Mainly due to its new magnesium casing and proprietary hardware.

See our video tests here
http://www.dontgetcaught.com.au/Text/1149864238255-5203/
..

I hope this helps.

Thankyou
Also done the test myself..........


Thanks for that, after my last few months I am tempted. Any guys on the forum in the eastern states running these?

Yes,well over a year.