Persian_535i

Hey guys I've had my Valentine 1 for about 2 months now and love it, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount it and in what area. At the moment its on some huge clunky aftermarket suction thing just hanging from the windshield right above my screen and the thing looks hideous. So if anyone has any suggestions on how they did theirs or even better has any pics then that would be great.

vkhong

Flat power cable runs inside headliner to top of A pillar on right ride. Crosses under A pillar to under weather seal, then down beside glove box and under glove box, to power outlet under glove box. In this picture, the head of the power outlet connector is visible under the glove box, but is otherwise not visible to passengers. Sensitivity is great, with a long range to front and seems just as sensitive to rear.

leadfoot

JayArras

I have my radar detector hanging down from a bracket specifically made to slide onto the visor from the windshield side. It's not as big a unit as your Valentine. I'll take a picture and post it tonight.

I'm curious about the power outlet you refer to under the glove box. I'm not sure I have one. I just have the wire shoved into one of the fuse sockets in the glove compartment. I had this arrangement also in my E39, but I was able to find a circuit that powered off when the car was shut off. So far, I haven't been able to find a circuit like this in my current E60. So I have to remember to separately power off my detector when I leave the car, which is a pain. If anyone can offer a better suggestion, I'd appreciate it.

I never thought about running the wire along the windshield. You certainly can't run it behind the center console. There is simply no room to run a wire. I currently have it running under the CD slot, which is not optimal.

pukka

The V-1 needs to be placed in a location where it can get clear laser detection from both the front and back. Unfortunately, the best place for this is near the center of the windshield. Too high (like on a visor) or too low (on top of dashboard) can block its line of sight and may not detect laser as well as it should.

The suction cup mounts sold by Valentine Research are very small and can't be seen when the detector is mounted on it. Its been awhile, but I'm pretty sure its included with the detector.

Discreet wiring is a completely different challenge since it uses RJ-11 phone wire.

tuffluck

it's not that hard...just look in the DIY section of the forums. i did mine a couple of weeks ago.

JayArras

Click on attachments:




I was able to locate the power port under the glove box. Would have never known it was there! Will that power down when the ignition is switched off?

It looks like running the wire along the windshield isn't the problem. It's when you get to the side post that has the airbag. Do you then flip sides and run it along the weatherstrip (exposing about 2" of wire) or continue down along the side of the windshield?
That would probably be optimal if I can do it without disturbing the airbag.

vkhong

Yes it is powered off with ignition, just like the center console power port(s).

At the top of the side post / A-pillar trim, I cross from the windshield side of the A-pillar to the weather strip side. The exposed power cable is gently tucked into the seam between the A-pillar trim and headliner. All of the flat power cable is out of sight, except for the ends at the radar detector and the power port. There is no power cable visible at the top of the A-pillar. [See larger image]

leadfoot

I have my V1 just left and even with the rear view mirror, perfectly angled for front & rear sight. I'll post a pic tmrw.

JayArras

Thanks for this vkhong! I will reroute my setup over the weekend.