I want to get my car a Valentine. Unfortunately, I have had two detectors stolen out of previous convertables. Forget to put it in the glove and come back to a cut roof and no detector. I want a valentine but they don't sell a remote model. I have heard of kits that cost almost as much as the detector to remote it. Anyone ever done this on their own or had experience with these kits? Do you loose rear reception with the remote setup? Any other ideas? I'm also thinking about trying to make a custom pod on the dash over the gauge cluster that will house it instead of remoting it.
Thanks

 

Ok...cool..we agree on this subject :)

I live in cincinnati and can walk into where they produce them. Met Mr. Valentine twice. I don't believe he recommends that. I do know that both sides of the V-1 have to be able to "see" out the windows.
I use my V-1 for my Probe and Vette...used to keep a key for each car in the other one cause I park them side by side. Used to keep the V-1 in either one over night. One night I got lucky and took the V-1 in my apt. My Probe got broken into and the Alpine was taken. (My fault for leaving the detachable face on.)
I know it's a pain in the as#, but I take the V-1 in and out of my car(s) every time I go into my apt. I bought 2 sets of suction cups and leave them in the window. Taking them off too frequently cause the suction to dry up and crack, plus the plastic release handle cracks after too much use.


P.S. Gotta hand it to the person who broke into the Probe...never broke the window, lock, scratched anything...even unscrewed the dash and unplugged the CD-player instead of cutting the wires. Unreal....and no...I didn't leave the doors unlocked that night.

Here's Valentine Research's number: 513-984-8900

 

Thanks for the number, sorry about the thief, but luckily he was a nice guy. Most times they pop the lock, then use a tire iron and take half the dash and are gone in about 20 seconds. We used to tell the clients who had this happen and were there for a new deck that an alarm salesman had visited them. I think I'll see if I can design a pod that you won't notice that houses the valentine on the dash. Gotta think of a disguise. Clock maybe? I wish I could remember to remove it. I haven't in the past, twice, and that's why I'm worried. Maybe I can hide it by the rear mirror. :yesnod:

 

I will have to do some research, but I believe there is a company that takes V1's and makes them into remotes. I'll get back to you in a day or two.

 

Not a total solution, but a V1 mounted high and right of rearview mirror is usually behind the tint band at the top of windshield, pretty hard to see. But can still be spotted by careful looking, or using a flashlight at night.
For cop-stealth, use the remote indicator mounted by your ash tray.

 

I inquired into this with Valentine a while back, they don't recommend it because of the signal loss over a long wire run, as well as the signal timing change between the front and rear sensors. Otherwise, it's easy work to disassemble a detector, take the sensors and extend them to holes or vents in the front and rear bumpers, and take the detection LEDs in the face and mount them in a hole in the dash.

Sam

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=217375
Check this out. Maybe I'll get or do this.

 

I would think remote installation is more important for the unit than the display. If you ignore laser detectability, there are several places behind body panels where you can mount the V1 for Radar. Also see the link below for commercial remote V1 mounting kits. I believe the V1 is not detectable by radar detector detectors, but I would still install one or two series-wired power switches: maybe one in the console and another in the glove box that you can shut off discretely while retrieving your registration (after the first one is already off, now console switch still does nothing). I saw a news crawl a day or two ago stating Texas will now be using detector detectors. Not sure why, I didn't think they were illegal in Texas.
http://www.ammtech.com/bel945im1.htm

 

Someone else was selling a stealth installation kit for the Valentine, it looked identical to the one in your link. When I called them they admitted that mounting the unit in the plastic nose will pretty much eliminate rear radar warning, and (more important) confuse the directional arrows. That would still be a good setup if detectors are illegal in your area, or theft continues to be a big problem.

Last I heard, detectors are illegal in interstate trucks (by federal edict), so police in any area can ticket a big rig driver who gets caught with one. Of course if they figure out by any means that you are using one, they might tend to write extra tickets like no front plate, illegal window tint, etc. Or they might not care. Hard to tell.

 

I think you have to sacrifice and get a Passport SR-1 or SR-X; remote install, good; lose arrows, bad. I picked the remote installation over the arrows, and miss the arrows but am happy with the choice.

 

I've got a V1 in my 1996 CE with the remote unit. The remote unit is a remote display, but has nothing to do with the sensing aspect of the V1. There is no effective way to move the sensing unit into some low and obscure location and not reduce or even defeat its capacity to function at optimal levels.

There is an excellent custom mounting bracket sold by a company out of Michigan called "Great Lakes Trophy" (I know, it doesn't sound right, but they do make a great bracket!) It mounts integral to the rear view mirror and allows easy on/easy off for the V1. It's definitely worth going to their website (there are pix of the bracket) and its only like $20 or so. If you do a search on Google or Yahoo for their company name, you will get there website. Check it out.

Just put in the bracket, then it is easy to slip the V1 in and out at will. Also, the bracket makes for a very high location (just under the solar band, which is exactly where you want the unit to be). It's very hard to spot the unit from the outside, especially in a vette with a black interior. You can hide all the wiring, so the installation is very stealthy and pro-looking. I am very happy with mine and think it is one of the best $20 I ever spent.

I would say this is the best way to go to get the maximum benefit out of the V1 and to get the maximum ease of moving the unit in and out of the car.

Oh, and try to keep that baby parked inside!

Good luck.

 

Here's the Great Lakes Trophy link (this looks slick): http://www.greatlakestrophies.com/c5acc/

Unfortunately, for electrochromatic mirrors you can't use the mirror mount, but they have a visor mount (bottom of webpage): http://www.greatlakestrophies.com/c5acc/V100.jpg http://www.greatlakestrophies.com/c5acc/V101.jpg

 

"remote", in this case, refers to a remote install - actually putting the sensor up front behind the bumper, and near the license tag in the rear. Escort, K40, Whistler, and BEL all sell detectors designed for remote install. Valentine doesn't because he says he feels it would reduce sensing range too much (and probably increase price too much too; remotes aren't cheap)

 

I have my V1 by the mirror so its hard to see, then I have the remote V1 face under my radio. See sig for pics.

 

Could you post a pic of how you mounted the valentine by the mirror?
Thanks