Where do you mount your radar detector? I have my first one on order, and it should arrive tomorrow. It's the Whistler 78SE, which comes with a suction-cup mount.

Do you go low and in the middle? Do you find that hard to reach?

Given the steep angle of our hood, I wonder if that makes it more difficult to pick up laser? As in, anything deflected off of the headlights or hood will have a harder time making it into the cabin, and is more likely to bounce straight up. How successful has your detector placement been at picking up laser?

Has anyone tried mounting on the dash? How did you do it?

If you feel compelled to include a picture, that would be tremendously valuable.

Thanks!

 

I haven't mounted mine in the Fit yet, but in my del Sol, I have it mounted above the rear view mirror.

 

okay, obviously you are very new to the arena of radar detectors.

Actually no matter how you place your radar detector, it is pretty useless to laser speed trap guns. The moment the cop turns on the laser trap and the laser hits you, you have been napped. your radar detector only informs you that your car has been caght in a speed trap.

also, the Fit is no 0-60 mph racer. I can imagine a lamborgini needing one, because of the ease of the car getting to illegal speeds rapidly. But a fit... hmmm... are you sure you really need a radar detector?

Plus, I don't think the Fit is really that stable at 90 mph, which I believe is where you really want to have a radar detector at that kind of speeds...
JMHO

 

double sided velcro. One side sticky. Dead center atop HVAC ducts. Holds like crap. Looks like crap. Oh well.

 

I highly disagree. I have had several in my cars over the years and I know for a fact that they have saved me several tickets and paid for themselves. It isn't always about when they tag you, but when they tag someone else. While you are correct that it doesn't help against laser, the KA band which is the majority used, it definitely helps. More times then I can count my detector went off when I was doing roughly 10 over the speed limit on a 45-50 main city street, detector went off, I let off the gas, some jerk on my butt whips around me or just passes me and gets pulled over.

Here in Arizona, 15 over the speed limit is criminal speeding and a hefty ticket.
Highways are 55, 65, or 75 depending on where you are at. No need to go over 90.

Then again, to each there own, my current radar detector is hard wired into my sol. Nothing like jumping into a lowered convertible after a week of sitting like a trucker in the fit.

 

Yes I am new to them, but I've read at length about their use and have thought through the value I intend to gain. It doesn't seem that you have done the same, so I'll share my findings with you.

It is important to consider that detectors are not just for use when you are speeding excessively. They are very useful for learning where and how your local law enforcement tends to set speed traps.

First, I have no intent of going 90mph. You can get a speeding ticket for doing 45 in a 35mph zone. Knowing that there is speed detection activity ahead is a good reminder to check your speed and make sure it is within a reasonable margin of the posted speed limit.

With local government budgets shrinking every day, speed enforcement is being increased as a revenue source. While perhaps not common, people do get citations for doing 6-9mph over the limit, especially in one-cop small towns like the ones that are found all over my state. I don't want to get one of those citations.

As for laser, there are two uses with a detector (excluding the possibility of using jammers).

1) While not reliable, it is possible that if the car in front of you is hit with laser from a distance, the beam is wide enough that some of it will either miss that vehicle and hit your detector, it will travel right through its windows into your detector, or another car will deflect enough for your detector to register.
2) Knowing that you were tagged by laser is useful for learning where speed traps are set. In every area, cops have their favorite locations, and this will help me learn the ones in my area.

Thinking that detectors are only for people who race sports cars and drive at dangerous speeds is perhaps a common, but also limited perception of their value. When you are driving at any speed, it is always valuable to know that there is law enforcement activity ahead.

 

I had a detector back in the '80s,seemed I still got a ticket every year or so. It made me overconfident, plus it was often barking at other things besides a cop. When it got stolen around 1990 i think, I went without and stayed less than 10mph over and haven't had a ticket since. Plus it's one less distraction. (Not to say I never mash the gas in a rural area)

 

Using a Beltronics Vector 995 myself. Mounted in the middle of the windscreen, just above the wipers.

 

Laser Detection is useless. The chances are that any "stray" reflections will come from another vehicle and will likely be up higher in the vehicle. If a cop is aiming and your radar goes off... you're done. if it reflects off your hood... you're done. Laser detection is about notifying you that... tada... you're done.

Mount High so it is out of your way. It will also pick up Radar better the higher it is in the car and radar is what you should be worried about. (again, with laser... it's notifying you that you should be receiving a paper slip soon) The lower you mount it in the car, the worse rear reception it will get as headrests, etc... block the detector. (or in the whistler's case, the reflector) Most radar guns are mounted at dashboard height so high back trunks, rear passengers, etc... get in the way.

I just finished a DIY on installing my Valentine1 in the FIT. Click the link in my sig for the full install. I've had the same V1 since 1999 and have had it in

Remember, forget Laser detection altogether. focus on positioning the detector optimally for Radar as you'll likely never benefit from optimal laser positioning, but WILL likely benefit from optimal radar positioning.

~SB

 

I agree... I have used a radar detector in my car before and it does work against Ka band, but against laser, even if it bounces off another vehicle and you cna detect that, but sometimes you are the first car in front, and you get "lased"...

 

I mounted mine just below the rear view mirror, it is less visible there from the outside and it sits high on the windshield, I tried other positions but settled for this one.

 

I've had one in my car since I was 16. Saved me hundreds of times.
The key is to have a radar and a laser detector in one. A lot of city cops use laser. Rural troopers still use radar (due to they can reach farther distances than laser)

Here is where mine is mounted. Small side window is tinted so it virtually unnoticeable unless your sitting in the car.



btw...I disagree with all the laser detector is bs comments. I can count numerous times my laser detector went off because some cop a mile down the road is shooting a car 3/4 mile ahead of me (laser detectors only reach up to a 1/4 mile for any noobies) thus giving me a heads up a cop is lasering people and gives me plenty of time to check my speed or brake softly so my nose doesn't dive (another obvious sign your speeding to a cop) I speed 10 over all the time. You just got to use your head.

 

Having mine mounted front and center and very visible got me out of a bs ticket before. Cop pulled me over saying he clocked me doing 45 in a 35 right after I turned a corner. I said "really? I was only doing 25 since I just turned and my detector never went off." He gave me a verbal warning and sent me on my way, lol. That area is known for targeting modified cars .

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions. For now, I have taken the manufacturer's advice and mounted it low in the center. I'll see how that goes, and then maybe I'll try a higher placement for a while to see if I notice a difference.