How many of you guys have hardwired your radar detector and where to?

I've always hardwired mine in all of my cars, and usually found a place to hide the remote switch (escort 8500)


thanks,

--mp

 

you can hardwire it into the homelink unit or the aux power outlets (cig adapters)...

 

Got the battery-powered Escort. Works fine.

 

its a trade-off between battery vs. hard wired

hard-wired:
+ steady power source
+ clean installation/look
+ no recurring costs (batteries)
- requires install & not easily portable unless u have portable mounts for other cars

cordless/battery powered:
+ portability
+ no install needed/clean look
- expensive/excessive battery replacement (?)
- potential loss of power at most cirtical times (?)
- ambient heat in cabin can damage batteries when parked outdoors
- certain models using battery draw less power = less attentive detecting (not sure about escort)

 

I had my 8500 hardwired by a car stereo store with the remote display sitting right below the RPM gauge. I have no idea what they used for power source, for $100 I was fine having them install it. I prefer visual alert over audio alert, I have since taken apart the remote display and had the IT guy at my office solder on some longer wire and attach new LED's with some other technical parts (resistors or something?) and now just have a clear LED to remind me the unit is on and a flashing red LED for police alert. All that is exposed is 2 LED lights and not that bulky remote alert display. The only problem is the light strength from the LED's is not as bright as I would like, I bought some more LED's online and have procrastinated in having them swapped out still. I never knew there were so many different types of LED's, hopefully 1 of the 10 or so new one's I bought will be just right.

 

I had a guy wire my Valentine 1 into the fuse panel on the left side of the dash. It sits on some velcro on top of the left side of the dash and you can't see any wires. I felt I didn't need the remote feature. Works great.