Valentine1 saved my ass this morning
04-11-2005, 10:35 AM
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Valentine1 saved my *** this morning
I left the house late for work this morning, I was going pretty fast- about 50 in a 25. All of a sudden my V1 starts going crazy on the Ka band in an area it's never gone off before. I look around and don't see anything but the signal strength is getting stronger as I drive so I slow way down to about 30. As the signal strength is at max I look on a street to my right and sure enough a cop is sitting behind the bushes doing radar.
V1 saved my ***!
V1 saved my ***!
04-11-2005, 10:49 AM
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$360 on ebay, i clipped it to the sun visor and put the wire inside the edge of the windshield, along the door sill, under the driver's seat to the rear 12v outlet. i don't have any pics of it but i could take some later.
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04-11-2005, 02:10 PM
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I have an Escort Passport 8500 and I think the amount of times it has saved me from a ticket it has paid for itself. Especially when you are on a roadtrip in unfamilliar territory.
04-11-2005, 02:30 PM
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04 C230K-ss
I have a valentine1 radar and has been great to me as well. But I havent installed it in the benz and need to know how I hardwire it into the benz? - ct230K I would plan on running it like you did but dont know how to wire it up to the car..any diy write-ups?TIA
04-11-2005, 09:09 PM
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C32AMG
Originally Posted by ctC230K
where is yours? sunvisor? i can't even see it.
Installation took about 10 minutes once I made a power lead that slips under the overhead light's lens.
04-11-2005, 10:21 PM
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C32AMG
Originally Posted by ctC230K
oh ok, so its in the same spot as mine. could you take pics of the wiring? how did you do it?
thanks
thanks
Pop off the central overhead light's plastic lens.The red wire will clip onto the leg that mounts and powers the main bulb.
Before you attach the red wire, however, drop the entire light cluster, then carefully back-probe wiring connectors until you find a chassis ground. Some of what appear to be wires may be fiber optic lines, so use care!.
Slip a short thin piece of wire into the connector you choose, and clip the green wire to it for your ground.
Attach the red/hot lead as above, plug in your V1 to verify that it will power up, and then button things up. Feed the green wire between the cluster housing and the headliner, then the red wire between the lens and the cluster housing.
You may think my choice for grounding odd, but all the "obvious" grounds such as bolts or the sunroof motor mounts don't work.If you can find a different useable ground in there, by all means go for it.
This choice of power is always on, so you need to power off your V1 when you park the car.Those of you who hide the unit when parked don't have to worry.
If you forget and leave it on, a V1 has such a small power draw that there shouldn't be a any battery issues.Other detector makes may not be so forgiving.
The driver's sunvisor is unusable, so don't yank it down or you'll be re-installing the wires.
04-11-2005, 10:45 PM
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Missing my beloved Benz
Originally Posted by ctC230K
I left the house late for work this morning, I was going pretty fast- about 50 in a 25. All of a sudden my V1 starts going crazy on the Ka band in an area it's never gone off before. I look around and don't see anything but the signal strength is getting stronger as I drive so I slow way down to about 30. As the signal strength is at max I look on a street to my right and sure enough a cop is sitting behind the bushes doing radar.
V1 saved my ***!
V1 saved my ***!
04-11-2005, 10:54 PM
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08' BMW E92 Coupe
Originally Posted by Steve Clark
Pop off the central overhead light's plastic lens.The red wire will clip onto the leg that mounts and powers the main bulb.
Before you attach the red wire, however, drop the entire light cluster, then carefully back-probe wiring connectors until you find a chassis ground. Some of what appear to be wires may be fiber optic lines, so use care!.
Slip a short thin piece of wire into the connector you choose, and clip the green wire to it for your ground.
Attach the red/hot lead as above, plug in your V1 to verify that it will power up, and then button things up. Feed the green wire between the cluster housing and the headliner, then the red wire between the lens and the cluster housing.
You may think my choice for grounding odd, but all the "obvious" grounds such as bolts or the sunroof motor mounts don't work.If you can find a different useable ground in there, by all means go for it.
This choice of power is always on, so you need to power off your V1 when you park the car.Those of you who hide the unit when parked don't have to worry.
If you forget and leave it on, a V1 has such a small power draw that there shouldn't be a any battery issues.Other detector makes may not be so forgiving.
The driver's sunvisor is unusable, so don't yank it down or you'll be re-installing the wires.
04-11-2005, 11:15 PM
#16
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Yeah, I'm not too wild about it, either - I don't use my visor often, but do like the option. Mine's on the passenger's visor (screw the passenger! 
), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
04-11-2005, 11:20 PM
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2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 2004.5 C230 Sport Sedan, 2005 E320 CDI, 2008 C300 4-Matic Luxury
Originally Posted by Steve Clark
Pop off the central overhead light's plastic lens.The red wire will clip onto the leg that mounts and powers the main bulb.
Before you attach the red wire, however, drop the entire light cluster, then carefully back-probe wiring connectors until you find a chassis ground. Some of what appear to be wires may be fiber optic lines, so use care!.
Slip a short thin piece of wire into the connector you choose, and clip the green wire to it for your ground.
Attach the red/hot lead as above, plug in your V1 to verify that it will power up, and then button things up. Feed the green wire between the cluster housing and the headliner, then the red wire between the lens and the cluster housing.
You may think my choice for grounding odd, but all the "obvious" grounds such as bolts or the sunroof motor mounts don't work.If you can find a different useable ground in there, by all means go for it.
This choice of power is always on, so you need to power off your V1 when you park the car.Those of you who hide the unit when parked don't have to worry.
If you forget and leave it on, a V1 has such a small power draw that there shouldn't be a any battery issues.Other detector makes may not be so forgiving.
The driver's sunvisor is unusable, so don't yank it down or you'll be re-installing the wires.
04-11-2005, 11:21 PM
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2002 Black C230K
Originally Posted by tommy
Yeah, I'm not too wild about it, either - I don't use my visor often, but do like the option. Mine's on the passenger's visor (screw the passenger! ), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
04-11-2005, 11:22 PM
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08' BMW E92 Coupe
Originally Posted by tommy
Yeah, I'm not too wild about it, either - I don't use my visor often, but do like the option. Mine's on the passenger's visor (screw the passenger! ), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
), and is switched with the ignition. Best part - dropped it of at a shop, picked it up an hour later, paid $50, no muss, no fuss. And the only wire you can see is from the unit to the top of the windshield, which is great.
i love having it hardwired. you pretty much forget you even have it unless it goes off. had the one in my bmw hardwired and actually forgot to take it out of the car when i got rid of it 
04-11-2005, 11:30 PM
#20
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mbny - you're right; I'm very happily totally ignorant about how it was done. It's great! :p
Zonoz - swap the V1 in Steve's pic to the passenger's visor, and put a wire going forward to the top of the windshield. That's it! Oh, I do have a concealed display mounted in the lower right hand side of the dash as well - perfect for me.
Zonoz - swap the V1 in Steve's pic to the passenger's visor, and put a wire going forward to the top of the windshield. That's it! Oh, I do have a concealed display mounted in the lower right hand side of the dash as well - perfect for me.
04-11-2005, 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Steve Clark
Pop off the central overhead light's plastic lens.The red wire will clip onto the leg that mounts and powers the main bulb.
Before you attach the red wire, however, drop the entire light cluster, then carefully back-probe wiring connectors until you find a chassis ground. Some of what appear to be wires may be fiber optic lines, so use care!.
Slip a short thin piece of wire into the connector you choose, and clip the green wire to it for your ground.
Attach the red/hot lead as above, plug in your V1 to verify that it will power up, and then button things up. Feed the green wire between the cluster housing and the headliner, then the red wire between the lens and the cluster housing.
You may think my choice for grounding odd, but all the "obvious" grounds such as bolts or the sunroof motor mounts don't work.If you can find a different useable ground in there, by all means go for it.
This choice of power is always on, so you need to power off your V1 when you park the car.Those of you who hide the unit when parked don't have to worry.
If you forget and leave it on, a V1 has such a small power draw that there shouldn't be a any battery issues.Other detector makes may not be so forgiving.
The driver's sunvisor is unusable, so don't yank it down or you'll be re-installing the wires.
04-13-2005, 04:57 PM
#22
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today I made a video of my Valentine1 in action, the cops set up one of those speed trailers that tell you how fast you're going and sure enough it uses the Ka band and sets off the V1. I'll post it in a bit.
04-13-2005, 06:51 PM
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Valentine1 in action!
http://home.earthlink.net/~sw001/c230Valentine1.wmv
http://home.earthlink.net/~sw001/c230Valentine1.wmv
04-14-2005, 10:41 AM
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2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 2004.5 C230 Sport Sedan, 2005 E320 CDI, 2008 C300 4-Matic Luxury
Originally Posted by ctC230K
Valentine1 in action!
http://home.earthlink.net/~sw001/c230Valentine1.wmv
http://home.earthlink.net/~sw001/c230Valentine1.wmv
! thanks for all the vids!
