cakes751

I have a 90' C4 coupe and I recently purchased a valentine one radar...I want to get a custom mount for the unit and was wondering what forum members would suggest...one is made by vettequest but seems more appropriate for the bell and escort units....
http://www.vettequest.com/pages/corv...arbracket.html
...another seems to be designed for use with the valentine....
http://8.3.8.118/greatlakes/corvette.htm
...it is the C5 standard mirror mount (center of the page) and I was told it will also work on a C4 as long as I use the factory screw for the mirror....I was curious as to which mounting device to pick up...wondering if these are good, or perhaps there is another mount out there that would be better?....also, will I need a quick connect cord to hardwire the unit to the car or will the cords supplied with the valentine be sufficient?..I appreciate all of your help in advance.... ...Brian

Slalom4me

From your post, it seems the Valentine hadn't
arrived yet.

My suggestion is that you try living with the suction
cup mount that comes with the detector. It is well
regarded by many for a good reason.

Of the two brackets in your links, the second one
fits higher with less obstruction. It isn't clear whether
the bracket is going to rattle against the glass. Nor
is it clear how well the bracket engages with the
detector's clamp.

Valentines come with a special quick connector for
tapping into the car harness. The power cord is a
conventional 4-wire telephone cable design. You
could have one custom-made locally by someone
with the appropriate crimping tool, just read the
instructions about reversing the wires.

.

TeamSpeed

Cake, if you have a voltmeter and access to your C4 mirror harness, try to find the +/- and whether it is switched or not. You should then be able to use my cord or make your own, which I am willing to help you with if you want to go that route.

jackdaroofer

I bought a cheap after market replacement mirror, any model, and removed the flexible center post that supports the mirror and attaches to the windshield

I modified (not difficult) the mirror end to accept the radar windshiield mounting clip and I used regular mirror glue to mount the bracket

Trick was I mounted it sideways, parrell to the windshield, not perpendicular as you would normally mount the mirror.

My detector snuggles up behind the rear view mirror, with a little off set to pick up rear sensor, and is virtually stealth

seeya

VenkmanP

Putting it below the mirror is going to take a chunk out of your detection distance. It's already low in a corvette even at the top of the w/s.

cakes751

yup, I agree that the vette is low...but mounting the valentine at the top of the windshield obstructs the unit from the front because it is partially blocked by the dark tinted glass at the top of the windshield and it is just too cramped in.....in addition, it does't seem to get good detection from behind....mounting the unit just below the mirror seems the best bet....

VenkmanP

Normal tinted glass, such as in the C4, has no effect on radar detection.

cakes751

I didn't know that regular tinted glass was ok....when I read the instructions for the valentine, it said not to mount the unit too high because of that portion of the windshield...so, now I'm a lil' confused...your sure it's ok to mount the valentine that high and cramped in...remember, this is for a coupe..not a convertible.....

VenkmanP

The instruction manual they have on their website says no such thing. It says to mount it as high as possible.

http://www.valentine1.com/moreinfo/p...ng_pg17-18.pdf

cakes751

Steve,
I really do appreciate all the help and advice...reading in the owner's manual now on pg. 11...it concerns laser warning and states..."3. Some windshields have a dark tint band across the top. Avoid mounting behind that band."....see what I'm talking about...this is very confusing....what do you make of this?

VenkmanP

Ah. You're right. I forgot about LIDAR. The tint band will reduce detection of LIDAR.

So you have to trade off better RADAR detection vs. better LIDAR detection.

Consider how many RADAR guns there are in the US vs. how many LIDAR guns. LIDAR is extremely rare.

Also consider that except in very rare instances, if you pick up LIDAR with your detector that means you are being targeted, so it is too late.

YMMV - maybe you live somewhere that there is a lot of LIDAR, so it is important to you.

VenkmanP

Valentine has this to say about mounting for LIDAR on the website. Seems to contradict what you found in the manual.

http://www.valentine1.com/laserhowto/

cakes751

wow...thanks again Steve ...you made your point and I'm gonna mount my detector the same way you have yours!!!...I have only been questioning the mounting position because one day while I was out driving, a cop had a gun pointed straight at me and the radar didn't go off...on the same day, the valentine didn't sound an alert where radar usually goes off...both times, the unit was mounted above the mirror at the very top of the windshield....

AGENT 86

I ran a wire into the back of the mirror and tied into the switched power wire for lights. I removed the mirror lights to access the wiring. I never have to remember to turn it on now
I also made a homemade mount which is secured using the mirror screw.

nonetooclose

One other piece of input... I actually custom made a bracket and mounted the unit between the two seats just behind your head high enough that it is just below the mirror. I found this to be necessary because:
1. I have a widespan mirror (which is very very nice for the c4 by the way! Not one blindspot.
2. Easier to conceal and remove if in a bad area
3. I am tall and the radar unit in the typical location reduced my visibility

Overall it is a good installation that does not get in the way. I am happy with it.
Richard

AGENT 86

No. that was the 6 disc controller i use to have. I have a cheap radar detector Not the V1

AORoads

Just remember a few things; while laser isn't really changing, radar has. It is now possible to "target" a car coming at you with radar and your V1 may never go to full alert---just a slow beeping as if the radar is very far away. I've had it happen.

When the V1 goes to full on, it's jump time! If you think you can stomp on the brakes fast enough to get from, say, 95 mph down to something reasonable on a road with a 70 mph speed limit, well, I sure hope so for your sake. But I doubt it.

There are probably some good officers on this forum who use the various radar guns and know exactly what I'm talking about as far as the new-and-improved models. Probably, their department got them free from GEICO, the company that has a program to give them away.

Good luck.

cakes751

excellent point LT4 Comp....I am just getting a feel for the valentine...my father and lil' brother have them in their cars, and I have alway's loved the way the V1 works....it was very strange when I had the car out and a cop had his gun pointed straight out his window into traffic...I didn't get any signal....guess this fact only reiterates your point...I realize that radar detectors are only a deterent, but I'm trying to install the unit in such a way as to get the best possible protection...you know these cars are a magnet for cops and mine is red...which, like your yellow, attracts even more attention.....

rocco16

I use the suction cups with my V-1 and don't have any problem with it sitting on the dash.
As far as reducing the range, I look at it this way: radar beams are very dispersed at long range and I can't imagine having the unit 18" up or down (at that long range) will make the difference between a ticket and no ticket.
Radar beams also bounce nicely off overpasses, buildings, and other vehicles, so...again...the exact location of the detector's antenna is not critical.
Laser may be a different story, as it's a pencil beam with no reflection and little dispersion.

Having the unit low on the dash also means it is more difficult for LEOs coming up behind you to see it.
Each mounting point has it's pros and cons. For me, the dash(cups) makes the most sense.

Larry
code5coupe

Slalom4me

I use the suction cups to mount a V-1 to the
windshield just to the right of the mirror of my
'89 coupe. I am tall and the location places
the V-1 within the same blind-spot already created
by the mirror.

Today, I looked to confirm where this location
places the V-1 relative to the shaded band across
the top of the glass and the passenger headrest.
The band ends perhaps 1/2" above the front of the
detector. The rear of the detector is not obscured
by anything.

Detectors are legal here so concealment is not a
priority for local use. Still, I have the remote
display - I string a cord across and down the door
pillar to the remote

.