K40 Radar | FerrariChat

K40 Radar

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by Silver456, Feb 11, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Silver456

    Silver456 Rookie

    Dec 7, 2003
    18
    Do Ferrari dealerships carry K40 Radar systems and install them into cars as a option?
     
  2. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    There are a few that do, however, the K40 is an ancient radar detector and is uncompetitive with the modern V1 and top-of-the-line other detectors.
     
  3. Silver456

    Silver456 Rookie

    Dec 7, 2003
    18
    Oh, I am not talking about the original one that came out in the late 80's. They have newer laser diffusers and detectors in the front and rear bumpers. I think it is exceptional because of its stealth ability. You basically have two small led lights on your dash and the alert can be played through your speakers (through the back if radar is behind you and front if in front) I am not aware of any valentine that has these kind of options. I do know however that a friend of mine purchased a 2000 Mercedes SL600 and this system was a dealer option.

    My real question is whether or not K40 makes a deal with Mercedes or Ferrari or they make a deal with the particular dealership. If they made a deal with the dealership though, which was a factory authorized Ferrari dealership, would this be violating any contractual obligations with Ferrari or does the dealer actually have the discresion to add independent companies' products to their own option list???

    Thanks
     
  4. viper

    viper Karting

    Jan 26, 2004
    88
    CHICAGO, IL
    Full Name:
    DR. J
    The new K40 radar systems are excellent. Make sure to buy it with not only the front and back, but their is a higher one that covers the sides. I installed mine at the dealer because I rather have no one touch it and also the dealer warranties it. It cost $2800 which is steep, but when I called a outside source it was $1000-1200 for just the radar without installation. I figure the dealer know best.
    Dr J




     
  5. Silver456

    Silver456 Rookie

    Dec 7, 2003
    18
    Yes I agree, having it installed at the dealer definitely gives you the highest feeling of security. Just curious, when you called the outside source and received the quote of $1000-1200, what did you ask for? Is it an all inclusive package or do you pick and choose the components you would like. Also, which Ferrari dealership did you have it installed?

    Thanks
     
  6. lawwdog

    lawwdog Formula 3

    Dec 4, 2002
    1,178
    Northern California
    Full Name:
    Mario
    Silver,

    K40 contacts us and provides all of the product information and point of sale propoganda to sell various K40 products at our stores. We/dealers mark them up based on customer tolerance.

    Valentine 1 does not particiapte in auto dealership point of sales. However, passport does.

    As for warranty items that could be affected by the K40 or other products...this is really an area of discretion for the dealer. By all means a dealer who happens to put a screw through a wire that powers your door switch during instllation will of course fix it. An aftermarket company will do the same. However, when you take you car into warranty for a complaint that the door light doesn't work after your local stereo shop installed a K40..and they(Ferrari Dealer)find a screw driven through it ...guess who pays the bill. You/the installer.
     
  7. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    I have had many different detectors over the years, including the then latest K-40 system, circa 2001. All were professionally installed, along with diffusers, by aftermarket specialists with nary a problem. But, the Valentine is in my opinion a far more informative detector, and can be installed with equal stealth, using the rear view mirror for the display. There is no reason not to use the Valentine.
     
  8. BWS550

    BWS550 Wants to be a mod

    Apr 1, 2002
    8,933
    NEW JERSEY
    Full Name:
    BRUCE WELLINGTON
    I HAVE THE FUZZBUSTER AND LOVE IT :)
     
  9. Silver456

    Silver456 Rookie

    Dec 7, 2003
    18
    Whart,

    Where did you have the K40 put in and which car was it put in? Did you get rid of it and switch to Valentine or did you put the valentine in another car?
     
  10. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    I had k-40 installed in my 348, 355, the boxer, maranello and barchetta. In the Maranello, i had the installer create a hidden display in the rear view mirror to conceal two l.e.d.'s, for front and rear. In each case, the radar went with the car, and i upgraded to the later model. I also owned a Valentine, but at the time, very few installers were doing the rear view mirror install. Now, many are. (Look at the AI Design website to see theirs; there have been past threads on this, and there are various sources to buy a preetched, pre-wired, rearview mirror with the Valentine display already built in; then all you need to do is order your Valentine unit and have somebody competent put the unit in place, wired into the aftermarket mirror display). The Porsche currently has this more elaborate set-up, along with k-40 diffusers. The M3 is set up more simply; hardwire comes out of headliner trim, behind the rearview, and plugs into the V-1 box, which is suctioned mounted externally to the inside of the front windshield, next to the rearview mirror. Not quite as stealth, but much cheaper and easier to install.
    Bruce: do you still have your CB radio, too? What's your handle, Big Guy?
     
  11. 410SA

    410SA F1 Veteran

    Nov 2, 2003
    8,511
    West Coast
    Full Name:
    A
    The cost of the K-40 is simply way too much relative the the benefit and it is also not immune to instant-on radar.

    I once upon a time (early nineties) had a k40 installed in a Testarossa and I swore "never again". It was very expensive and not worth it and the work required to install it left permanent scars in the car.

    I now use Valentine in all my cars. I have a local high end installer run the power cord into the headliner so that I can attach the unit above the rearview mirror and I have all of my vehicles set up that way. You can't see any wires and the unit is up high enough that it is completely inconspicuous to anyone outside the car. Cost per vehicle is $50 per power cord install and another $15 or so for the power cord kit from Valentine. I have two units which rotate between all the cars (two drivers in our household). It's hard to live without the arrows - the ads are true!
     
  12. spyderman

    spyderman Formula 3

    Nov 4, 2003
    1,594
    Toronto - Canada
    Full Name:
    Spyderman
    The issue I have with the Valentine units is the lack of laser deflection. By the time you know the is laser in the very near area you are being pulled over. :(

    Here in Toronto the local tax collectors are mostly equipted with laser guns. They hide in the most amazing locations. In the last four months I have seen them hide in fields, behind trees, between parked cars, and the best one was in a bus shelter shooting through the glass at on coming traffic with passengers still in the shelter.:( :( They were pulling over so many people who are going over 10 KM (6 MPH) that they would continously cause a traffic jam in the area they were . Now the police are getting more efficient and they instruct the offending driver's to a near-by side street where a group of them are waiting to serve you ;)

    The new Escort units comes with optional laser deflection. With this system one would have enough time to slow down. This the Valentine 1 does not offer therefore very likely to get taxed (over and over again) in this beautiful and wonderful city. :)
     
  13. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    No other detector is usefully superior to V1 in this reguards.
     
  14. spyderman

    spyderman Formula 3

    Nov 4, 2003
    1,594
    Toronto - Canada
    Full Name:
    Spyderman
    Mitch, I respectfully was asking for a product that would "deflect" the laser and not just "detect" it.

    In the "Deflection" mode it should be able to "redirect" the laser away from the policeman who is sending the laser so he can not get a reading/fix on your speed.

    Thxs
     
  15. 410SA

    410SA F1 Veteran

    Nov 2, 2003
    8,511
    West Coast
    Full Name:
    A
    Unless something has changed in the world it's almost impossible to imagine that a tightly focused laser beam targeted on the front license plate could be "deflected" by a radar/laser detector. I have not seen any reputable manufacturer (Valentine, Escort, Bell etc) ever make any claims pertaining to deflection of laser beams.
     
  16. viper

    viper Karting

    Jan 26, 2004
    88
    CHICAGO, IL
    Full Name:
    DR. J
    The outside source I called is very reliable and works big time on the high end stereo and what not. I did ask for the top of the line K40, all inclusive. I can't tell you right now what that consists of, but I remember the guy telling me that they have a lower level and a higher level. It may have something to due with laser deflection, sides, etc, but it was the highest one they offered by K40. The dealership was Continental Autosports in Hinsdale IL, and I just preferred to pick up my 360 Spyder with it already installed without the hassle of anything else if it goes wrong.
    DrJ



     
  17. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Anyone can deflect laser: simply mount a bunch of infrared LED on the front and back of your vehicle and turn them on. {{Note laser is regulated by DFA not the FCC like Radar}} Laser operates around 935 nm (near IR) just beyond visible. The laser beam leaves the gun with less than 100 milliWatts of energy and returns with around 10 picoWatts of energy. This little amount of energy requires a telescope-like device to capture enough energy for the gun to get a reading. If the front end of your car is 'lit up' with energy from the same part of the spectrum, the laser gun cannot detect its (coherent) light return from the incoherent light broadcast from the target; and thereby, cannot determine a speed. Since the police would naturally target the license plate, illuminateing the license plate with the 935 nm LEDs will make it virtually impossible for the laser gun to track you car.

    It has been said that simply turning on your bright lights while driving decreases the ability of laser to target your car, I don't know, however, the headlights do emit copious amounts of energy in the near IR region, the only issue is "are the headlights close enough ot the license plate to interfere with the laser receiver"?
     
  18. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    The following comments are with respect only to instant-on LASER speed enforcement:

    It all depends upon your distance to the threat emitter, how tight the threat emitter's collimation lens is, how much power the threat emitter generates, where your consumer countermeasure emitter is placed, and your consumer countermeasure emitter's power in the specific direction of the threat emitter.

    In general, with each advance in the technology of available consumer countermeasures, there is a corresponding advance in the original threat's ability to NOT be affected by consumer countermeasures.

    IMHO reliance upon a consumer countermeasure against the instant-on LASER speed enforcement threat will ultimately result in receiving a ticket.

    For regular (RF) RADAR speed enforcement the V1 is a reasonably effective countermeasure, but is NO guarantee due to the use in some areas of instant-on RADAR.

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  19. Gregg Willhoit

    Nov 1, 2003
    42
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Gregg Willhoit
    I drove my E55 to South Dakota from Houston with both a dealer installed K40, and a V1. After about 400 miles I turned the K40 off. It was no contest. The V1 is a far superior detector in every category other than stealth.

    Regards,
    Gregg
     

Share This Page