Escort Radar Detector - hard wire install suggestions?
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From: Chapel Hill, NC; previously Naples, FL
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Escort Radar Detector - hard wire install suggestions?
Greetings,
Last week I purchased my first new 2008 C2S Cab - dang, it's a great driving experience! Must admit that it is a real challenge to not let the car run like it wants - but tickets would quickly mount up!
For the moments when I just loose self control and let the car have it's way, I have the Escort 8500 to offer some warning of where "harms way" is.
Now, I want to hard wire the Escort into the car. Of course, I don't want to screw up anything in the process.
I currently have the Escort with glass suction cups attached in the center of the dash about 2" above it. Now I need to run hard wired power lead to the Escort and want it be as invisible as possible.
Questions:
Anyone already install this - if so, how did you run the power lead?
What location did you find as the best for best coverage?
Thanks,
Jack
PS: Plan to upgrade to the 9500 in the near future, once I recover from the shock of paying for the C2S!
Last week I purchased my first new 2008 C2S Cab - dang, it's a great driving experience! Must admit that it is a real challenge to not let the car run like it wants - but tickets would quickly mount up!
For the moments when I just loose self control and let the car have it's way, I have the Escort 8500 to offer some warning of where "harms way" is.
Now, I want to hard wire the Escort into the car. Of course, I don't want to screw up anything in the process.
I currently have the Escort with glass suction cups attached in the center of the dash about 2" above it. Now I need to run hard wired power lead to the Escort and want it be as invisible as possible.
Questions:
Anyone already install this - if so, how did you run the power lead?
What location did you find as the best for best coverage?
Thanks,
Jack
PS: Plan to upgrade to the 9500 in the near future, once I recover from the shock of paying for the C2S!
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From: Birmingham, AL
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Get a Valentine 1 and do a search. Several threads on hard wiring a V1 which will work for the Escort too.
I wired directly two the fuse box so it went off with the car and mounted my V1 with suction cops a the top of the window slightly to the right of the visor.
I wired directly two the fuse box so it went off with the car and mounted my V1 with suction cops a the top of the window slightly to the right of the visor.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 546
From: Birmingham, AL
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You got me there on the specifics of a Cab, but I am sure it has been talked about.
Have you done a search on Valentine 1? If you do you will find multiple threads, there should be something in here or on Renn list.
Have you done a search on Valentine 1? If you do you will find multiple threads, there should be something in here or on Renn list.
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From: Birmingham, AL
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https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...e-install.html
very quick and easy... not the best, but def. works...
very quick and easy... not the best, but def. works...
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From: Blaine, Wa (not in Irvine anymore)
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I mounted my 8500 exactly where you did, low on the center windshield, and purchased the hardwire kit (with fused power lead) at Best Buy. I tucked the wire between the glass and the dash (just pushed it down out of site) and around to the driver's door and under the weatherstrip edge to under the dash. I simply plugged the spade tip of the power wire into the vacant switched power slot in fuse panel, and put the ground lead under the nut on the threaded post nearby at the bottom of fuse panel. I put the mute button on the steering column just behind the computer stalk with velcro.
It works great so far, and no wires are visible.
The photos show where the detector is mounted. The lower the better for lasers. And I haven't noticed any problem with rear radar hits, as the detector can just see over the SC timer. In the shot of the fuse box, the black wire is for the detector, with spade clip pushed into the female fuse slot where there is sufficient friction that it stays there just like a fuse does. You'll also see a new "add a fuse" with the red wire going to the right. I put this in to add a power outlet under the dash for my portable XM radio. One of the photos shows this. Again, it is a switched circuit, so the XM and the radar detector go on and off with the ignition. For about $30 I have XM radio, although due to the absence of an audio input on the Porsche, the quality of sound through the FM link isn't great, but good enough for the XM Comedy channels. For the XM antenna, I glued large washers on the underside of the plastic shroud between the hood and windshield so the magnetic antenna would "stick" there, near the center.
It works great so far, and no wires are visible.
The photos show where the detector is mounted. The lower the better for lasers. And I haven't noticed any problem with rear radar hits, as the detector can just see over the SC timer. In the shot of the fuse box, the black wire is for the detector, with spade clip pushed into the female fuse slot where there is sufficient friction that it stays there just like a fuse does. You'll also see a new "add a fuse" with the red wire going to the right. I put this in to add a power outlet under the dash for my portable XM radio. One of the photos shows this. Again, it is a switched circuit, so the XM and the radar detector go on and off with the ignition. For about $30 I have XM radio, although due to the absence of an audio input on the Porsche, the quality of sound through the FM link isn't great, but good enough for the XM Comedy channels. For the XM antenna, I glued large washers on the underside of the plastic shroud between the hood and windshield so the magnetic antenna would "stick" there, near the center.
Last edited by keninirvine; Feb 16, 2010 at 09:34 PM.
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See photos I added above regarding available switched power positions in the fusebox on most cars. They were the same in my 05 C2S cab as for my 07 T4S.
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Kevin,
Thanks for such an excellent explanation! I appreciate the help.
Was at Naples Porsche this afternoon having my tires topped off with N2 and saw an installation they just finished with the Escort 9500ci unit. Looked excellent and the service chap felt the unit performed excellently in their tests. Only issue is they want $2500-2600 for unit & installation! Got to give that some thought over the standard mount like what I currently have. Will stick with what I have for a while - higher priority is to get BT and IPOD interface in the car. Bit of a challenge answering the phone while shifting the 6 speed!
Jack
Thanks for such an excellent explanation! I appreciate the help.
Was at Naples Porsche this afternoon having my tires topped off with N2 and saw an installation they just finished with the Escort 9500ci unit. Looked excellent and the service chap felt the unit performed excellently in their tests. Only issue is they want $2500-2600 for unit & installation! Got to give that some thought over the standard mount like what I currently have. Will stick with what I have for a while - higher priority is to get BT and IPOD interface in the car. Bit of a challenge answering the phone while shifting the 6 speed!
Jack
Registered User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,481
From: Blaine, Wa (not in Irvine anymore)
Rep Power: 194
Kevin,
Thanks for such an excellent explanation! I appreciate the help.
Was at Naples Porsche this afternoon having my tires topped off with N2 and saw an installation they just finished with the Escort 9500ci unit. Looked excellent and the service chap felt the unit performed excellently in their tests. Only issue is they want $2500-2600 for unit & installation! Got to give that some thought over the standard mount like what I currently have. Will stick with what I have for a while - higher priority is to get BT and IPOD interface in the car. Bit of a challenge answering the phone while shifting the 6 speed!
Jack
Thanks for such an excellent explanation! I appreciate the help.
Was at Naples Porsche this afternoon having my tires topped off with N2 and saw an installation they just finished with the Escort 9500ci unit. Looked excellent and the service chap felt the unit performed excellently in their tests. Only issue is they want $2500-2600 for unit & installation! Got to give that some thought over the standard mount like what I currently have. Will stick with what I have for a while - higher priority is to get BT and IPOD interface in the car. Bit of a challenge answering the phone while shifting the 6 speed!
Jack
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Posts: 135
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I have my 9500i hardwired to the panel above the rearview mirror. The suction cups are mounted just to the left of the mirror, below the rightmost edge of the sun visor. I think it works well in this configuration.
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My $0.02 on the pictured set up.
A lot of the radar signal from the gun could be hindered by the hood(bounce up) and wiper blades instead of the V1 receiving the solid straight in signal, specially on the open remote roads where sensitivity is essential.
(Just applying my ham radio experience in antena designs)
A lot of the radar signal from the gun could be hindered by the hood(bounce up) and wiper blades instead of the V1 receiving the solid straight in signal, specially on the open remote roads where sensitivity is essential.
(Just applying my ham radio experience in antena designs)
I mounted my 8500 exactly where you did, low on the center windshield, and purchased the hardwire kit (with fused power lead) at Best Buy. I tucked the wire between the glass and the dash (just pushed it down out of site) and around to the driver's door and under the weatherstrip edge to under the dash. I simply plugged the spade tip of the power wire into the vacant switched power slot in fuse panel, and put the ground lead under the nut on the threaded post nearby at the bottom of fuse panel. I put the mute button on the steering column just behind the computer stalk with velcro.
It works great so far, and no wires are visible.
The photos show where the detector is mounted. The lower the better for lasers. And I haven't noticed any problem with rear radar hits, as the detector can just see over the SC timer. In the shot of the fuse box, the black wire is for the detector, with spade clip pushed into the female fuse slot where there is sufficient friction that it stays there just like a fuse does. You'll also see a new "add a fuse" with the red wire going to the right. I put this in to add a power outlet under the dash for my portable XM radio. One of the photos shows this. Again, it is a switched circuit, so the XM and the radar detector go on and off with the ignition. For about $30 I have XM radio, although due to the absence of an audio input on the Porsche, the quality of sound through the FM link isn't great, but good enough for the XM Comedy channels. For the XM antenna, I glued large washers on the underside of the plastic shroud between the hood and windshield so the magnetic antenna would "stick" there, near the center.
It works great so far, and no wires are visible.
The photos show where the detector is mounted. The lower the better for lasers. And I haven't noticed any problem with rear radar hits, as the detector can just see over the SC timer. In the shot of the fuse box, the black wire is for the detector, with spade clip pushed into the female fuse slot where there is sufficient friction that it stays there just like a fuse does. You'll also see a new "add a fuse" with the red wire going to the right. I put this in to add a power outlet under the dash for my portable XM radio. One of the photos shows this. Again, it is a switched circuit, so the XM and the radar detector go on and off with the ignition. For about $30 I have XM radio, although due to the absence of an audio input on the Porsche, the quality of sound through the FM link isn't great, but good enough for the XM Comedy channels. For the XM antenna, I glued large washers on the underside of the plastic shroud between the hood and windshield so the magnetic antenna would "stick" there, near the center.