Newly installed Radar/Laser gadgetry

Looks like a really clean install. Me like.

However, one problem that I can think of:

With the display unit being so far down and away, wouldn't your knee/thigh be blocking it from your normal driving position? Also being so far away, wouldn't it be very difficult to read what's being displayed??

 

Well, if you've already field tested it and it's all good....

Who am I to argue?

Just trying to look out for an F355 brother, that's all....

 

Neat install! Any more photos of the laser transceivers mounted in the grill?

 

Great thread!
And: yes, please: more pics!

 

Just put the same system in my '98 Berlinetta, for much of the same reasons you have yours. Previously car had a built-in K40 (came with the car when I got it), by comparison the K40 is LOUSY!!! My city puts up the "Your speed is..." mobile radar screens to try to slow people down, and I can tell you all first-hand that in this back-to-back comparison, the Escort gives warnings about 3 times the range that the K40 gave. In addition, the Escort gives about 10% the false alarms that the K40 gave. Overall a great system. Only weakness of it is that there is no detection or laser shifting from the rear. Time will tell if this is a problem.

On an install note, I mounted my display screen on the high part of the carpeted footwell just inside the drivers door, just below the leather of the lower dash. My thinking is that this is visible to me, but not to a person standing at either side of the car looking into the window (I think visible detectors lower the sympathy factor in a traffic stop situation). Also, did you install the LED supplied with the system? I put mine in the center dash vent (the septum between the two sides) where the previous owner had already drilled a hole and mounted an LED for the K40. The escort LED lights up green, then flashes red when a signal is detected. This is helpful when the display screen is not in the line of sight, as both ours seem to be.

Finally, I put my radar antenna in the same spot you put yours, only driver's side. If you have skid plates on the car, the bolts extend through the bottom of the bumper, and these make a very convenient mounting base for the radar antenna. Even with the low mounting location, and even with a "through the bumper" detection scenario, as I said outstanding radar detection. My laser shifters are also in the grill, they seem to have been perfectly sized to fit into the spaces in the grill without any cutting required (except to run the wires through the bumper to the radar antenna). Have only seen the shifters come on once in the time I've owned it, but then again the system has already paid for itself!

Best luck with your new system!

John

 

I took some pics of my display mount location. Not sure if the photo shows it perfectly, but from either window a standing or leaning/kneeling person will not see the display unit. The center dash LED is green in the pic, changes to flashing red when a signal is detected. The laser shifters are shown really well in the grill shot, because the flash picks them up, but in natural lighting they are barely noticeable (I have to point them out to folks when I tell them about the system). I would absolutely recommend this system to anyone looking for a reasonably priced built-in radar/laser detector.

I hope the photos attach. I've never put photos into a post before, and I'm pretty lame with computer stuff. Car is a '98 355F1, rosso barchetta/crema. And, please overlook the pulling dash leather, some day I'll have that re-done, but for now I'm spending too much time actually driving the car to pull the dash off. Maybe during the next major....

John
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Now I would choose this location if I was to install. Looks great

 

Good eye as to the Mazda, Porscheguy! It's a bone-stock '95 with 45,000 miles. Great car, still impresses me to this day! It's been reliable too, though it does have fairly low miles (by Mazda standards, anyway). That one's a keeper.

You are correct regarding the additional lights on the center dash vent. The previous owner had a K40 installed, and those lights were there for the radar alerts. There was also an additional LED where the current Escort LED is. The 2 extra LED's are still there, but not connected to anything, because I didn't want empty holes there. If I find some sort of simple black plugs which will work, I'll replace the old LED's.

John

 

Thanks Eyboro!

John

 

I have an older K40 but I really like the installation. You can not see the controller or lights unless they are on. The light for the front detector is on the left side of the dash and the light for the rear detector is on the right side of the dash. The control switch is in place of the cigarette lighter. Here are some pics. I do want to get a laser detector and upgrade the radar. At least in California, the CHP is using laser rather than radar.
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Are laser scatterers legal in the US?

They're definitely not permitted here in the UK. Any system you have must be passive and there's actually a shift going on to outlaw anything with a detector in favour of a GPS-based unit that simply warns you of known locations for fixed cameras and likely locations for mobile units (i.e. camera vans or heavily policed areas).

All the best,
Andrew.

 

In the USA, laws vary by region, but mostly radar detectors and laser detectors/jammers are legal. A few exceptions to this are the state of Virginia and the District of Columbia (Wash DC) where not only are detectors illegal, but police use a "detector detector" to fine radar detector users. Many of the radar detectors on sale here use GPS as you mention, though the Escort system in this thread does NOT use GPS.

And SKUSA, I have to say that while I am not a fan of the K40 radar detector system (especially now that I've been able to do the "Pepsi Challenge" between K40 and Escort) I do absolutely LOVE that install with the lights behind the gauge/warning lights cluster. Very discreet, very clean! Unfortunately I don't think that could work for the Escort system.

John

 

It's a super nice set up for radar but don't get lulled into a false sense of security. The laser detector is only going to go off after you have been clocked. The beep or flashing lights simply announce you have just gotten a ticket. As far as the jammers, if you find one that works let me know. A friend was working for one of the labs that tested just about everything on the market and none of them did a darn thing.

But as far as RADAR detection you have the best set up there is , enjoy