valentine1 radar detector stealth install

[lumns]

hey guys,

i've had this installed for a while now, but i finally got the concealed displayed mounted flush w/ the center console and i found my digital camera.

Here are my pics.



view from the truck



this was taken w/ the flash, makes it look extremely obvious. however, my windows are tinted. soo it blends in perfectly



no flash

[lumns]

concealed display.


remote audio control to adjusted volume of warning and too turn v1 on/off

[***07GTIdubber***]

did you do this yourself or have it done somewhere? looks really good, i would love to have this done

[lumns]

i did it myself.

[lumpypumpkin]

I hope you are on good terms with your state inspector, because that is still blatently obvious. Seing as radar detectors are ILLEGAL in VA, you probably won't be able to take you car to the dealer for service. You wont be able to take it to any reputable repair shop either. Either you need to be able to fix everything yourself, or you are going to have to uninstall it every time someone even looks at the car.

While this shows great problem solving skills, as well as good instalation skills (ill give you that)...it shows a very poor lack of judgement in breaking the law, just so you can get to where you are going a little faster, with a little more sense of security.

I really do hope you don't get caught with that, but anyone that isnt completely retarded will be able to tell that you have a detector installed.

[lumns]

thank you for the installation compliment


i've taken my car to the dealer, i've had no issues.

it is really easy to uninstall considerin that it is just wedged in place.

it is also not as obvious to spot from outside the vehicle.

[SMK]

Lol wow no need to jump on his case like that, im sure he knows the consequences if hes caught. They are legal in GA (or my surrounding counties at least) so we dont have to worry. Nice install overall :]

[lumpypumpkin]

Oh no...i dont mean any harm....i just wanted to make sure he was fully aware of the consequences. So ...sory if i came off a little harsh.

It blows that VA is the only state that you can not have a radar detector. I understand the law, and I think it's great... but it seems kind of stupid when only 1 out of 50 has it. People are going to speed regardless of what the laws are, outlawing a detector is not a valid way of slowing drivers down. I wish our state would realise that.

Having a detector only makes speeding drivers slam on their brakes...which IMO...makes them more dangerous than if they didnt have one. I used to speed all the time when I was younger (although...i am by no means old). I got hit with a 105 in a 65 (empty road, late at night). Judge slapped a 30 day jail sentence on me, took away my license for 6 months, and took $500 out of my bank account. He suspended 29 days of it for 5 years...but still. I had to spend one day of my life in a jail cell (2 meals of jail food), and I had to live the next 5 years of my life in constant feer of the police. If i went 1 MPH over the speed limit and saw a cop, i freaked out.

All im syaing is just be responsisble. Understand the consequences of your actions. Speeding isnt necessary. If you want to go fast...take it to the track. Leave the ego and the thrill seaking off the public roads. The spped limits are there for a reason.

[cantscreamoveryou]

Man, I'm so sorry about your mishap with the fuzz. My friend was clocked going around 110 in a 60 on I-5 in the middle of the night, which in Seattle, still is pretty busy. Long story short, he got arrested, but luckily he had an amazing attorney who got it down to a large speeding ticket rather than negligent driving. He basically got off the hook for under a grand.
What you said really is how it is supposed to be. Excessive speeding is unnecessary and only puts lives at risk. I've never needed a reason to go over 20 over (when someone tries to overtake me).

[Golf-to-GTI]

I tend to only post when I have something to contribute, so here goes.

I'm purchasing a radar detector not because I want to do 110 down the freeway but because I'm tired of getting nailed for doing 76 in a 65 or 52 in a 40 etc. These types of speeds in a GTI arent necessarily dangerous (use your own judgment) but can land you an expensive ticket.

I cant stand looking at my speedo every 30 seconds to make sure I'm not more than 5 over the limit so as not to get a "technicality ticket." It pisses me off that 75 on I-5 is just fine sometimes (how often have you had a cop, not on his way anywhere, pass you going 75-80?) but when the cops feel like giving some tickets they park and start writing away - Bull.

I think 110 in a 65 is too fast, but 75 in a 65? Not worthy of being pulled over. Hence, radar detector.

[FoxieRoxie'sGti]

My 2 cents, and this also comes from a cop I know, Pull your radar detectors out of your car ASAP, if and when you get a ticket and the cop sees it, you will never be able to get out of paying that ticket. Its almost a sign of guilt to any judge let alone a Pig.
I just got my 3rd speeding ticket in a year and a half of owning my FAST, never had one before then, and my detector never even went off. That Pig technology is always advancing trying to stay ahead of people like us.

[lumns]

hmmmmm..... ya'll are making me think bout throwin it on ebay. Or mayb i jus move to MD.
i was looking online at the fairfax county website.

" It is illegal to use radar detection devices in Virginia. However, a detector may be in a vehicle if the device has no power source and no one in the vehicle can access it."
the fine for a radar detector here in va is $25-100. i jus figured i would b better to get caught w/ one than gettin a speeding ticket.

hey lumpy, i agree about what u said bout speeding should b left on the track. i never go over 80 (well sometimes i do but only for a brief moment. which is technically 75 in our cars. However, those long trips and short busts its easy to be going 50 in a 35.


most of the time the stupid thing is off, as i live in around dc. and the stupid things isnt smart enough to ignore automatic doors.

[lumpypumpkin]

and with the cops switching to laser based systems, the radar detector is gettimg more and more useless. I looked it up and you're right. the penalty for the detector is soooo light it makes it kind of pointless.

but the problem is...if you get caught with one...you have already been pulled over for speeding, so it just adds salt to the wound.

[linduzvdub]

Thats why i'm saving up for the V1+Blinder M-20 Laser Jammers totally legal in PA and i do drive responsibly but don't wanna be caught off-guard and hafta donate to their fund raisers.

[crusin95]

The valentine 1 is a nice radar detector but it leaks too much rf to the spectre

YouTube - Spectre III vs Valentine 1

[D.Light]

Whats that mean?

[captjohn]

Bravo! I agree with you completely. My driving 10 MPH over the speed limit, while awake and alert, in good weather on a good road, in an automobile that was designed to handle safely at speed, is much safer than the slug loafing 5 MPH under the speed limit in the left lane, causing other drivers (not me) to tailgate and slam on their brakes every time the slug slows down a little bit more. Or how about the old guy I passed yesterday driving about 25 MPH under the limit on the Interstate (thankfully in the right lane, at least), causing other drivers to swing out into the passing lane just to get around him, even though they were going significantly under the limit.

Regarding the need for a detector, a couple of years ago my wife got a ticket in a local burg known for being a speed trap. When she protested that she hadn't reached the 40 MPH zone yet, and was still in the 55 MPH zone, the local cop told her that they had just recently moved the speed limit signs. And they had -- but only on the northbound side of the road! This two lane road, no median, just a yellow line down the middle, had a speed limit of 55 MPH in the southbound lane and a speed limit of 40 in the northbound lane, over a distance of almost exactly one mile! And, of course, heavy speed enforcement in the "new" speed zone. City revenues, were down, you know.

I am a former law enforcement officer. Clowns like these cause me to lose respect for law enforcement. Thus, the detector.

[Infra]

wow, u've got some serious punishments for speeding. no jail for speeding in PL, largest ticket is 500 PLN (~150 $) for driving 31 MPH+ above speed limit. the only thing that is scary - points. for every traffic offence you get certain amount of points f.e. speeding above 31MPH gets you 10. Offences sum up so you can lose your driving license in one shot. the point limit is 24 - i have 12 for now ;P all for speeding..

[SeanGTI]

I also agree traveling at 10mph over the speed limit in a car designed to travel at autobahn speeds is clearly not dangerous under the right cir***stances. I think the drivers who drive in the (speed lane) who are driving at the speed limit are more dangerous.

[bkj_23]

Originally Posted by cantscreamoveryou

Man, I'm so sorry about your mishap with the fuzz. My friend was clocked going around 110 in a 60 on I-5 in the middle of the night, which in Seattle, still is pretty busy. Long story short, he got arrested, but luckily he had an amazing attorney who got it down to a large speeding ticket rather than negligent driving. He basically got off the hook for under a grand.
What you said really is how it is supposed to be. Excessive speeding is unnecessary and only puts lives at risk. I've never needed a reason to go over 20 over (when someone tries to overtake me).

i got busted at 120 in a 65 when i lived back in MS at like 3am....i was like look dude its late im trying to get home, i just got pulled over and blamed that i had been drinking (which the breathalizer proved the officer wrong) and im just in a hurry. He said well i was gonna write you up for wreckless driving but since your having a bad night i'll just give you a speeding ticket....I was Happy as hell!!!! i knew i was going to jail

[latintiger]

I got a commute that i do twice a week that's roughly under 2 hours one way (109 miles). And I came to the conclusion that saving myself 10 min. is not worth a 200-300 dollar speeding ticket. Typically I do about 1hr & 45 min. doing about 70mph. the few times that i would go faster 85-90, i wasn't really saving that much time. at the most i would save 10 min. under perfect conditions, mainly being little to no traffic and all greens. and that never happens. the one time i tried to cruise at 65, damn near fell asleep. ha!

[MonsterMK6]

Originally Posted by lumns

hey guys,

i've had this installed for a while now, but i finally got the concealed displayed mounted flush w/ the center console and i found my digital camera.

Here are my pics.



view from the truck



this was taken w/ the flash, makes it look extremely obvious. however, my windows are tinted. soo it blends in perfectly



no flash

just wondering where you spliced your power cord into and where you grounded the circuit.. i have a mk6 but i imagine its similar. i wanna install my escort 9500 but im kinda scared to start pulling interior panels since this vw is much different than my last car im sure.

[lumns]

hey,


i kinda cheated. It is not hardwired. I ran the power cords (v1's use old school telephone cables) down the back of the seat. and then plugged it into the trunks lighter socket. i had planned on Hardwiring it, but this is so convenient i never got round to doing it or had a reason to do it.

[02GTIboy]

I'm thinking about getting a detector too. I got pulled over doing 71 in a 65 on the PA turnpike. Wasn't in my fast, was in my dad's toyota matrix(kinda quick, surprisingly) But I would like to avoid something like this again. I tried to fight it, but I had to fight it in the county in which I got pulled over....about 2.5-3 hrs away. I didn't think it was worth it.

$130 fine and 2 points.

And I was nice and polite to the statey until he handed me the ticket. He also spent several minutes walking around my car looking in the windows because I looked "shadey"

[Orion]

I thought the radar detector had to be in the windshield to work properly. i love this detectors are illegal here and cops are terrible about tickets. i would love to do this in my gti when I get it.

[CodyJOwens]

If it's illegal to have in your state, then you might as well not have it. If the cop is equipped with a VG2 there's a high chance he can successfully scan -you- for a radar detector. Won't matter if its hidden or not by that time.

[ukchris]

If you're willing to sacrifice laser detection you can wrap it in fabric to make it less obvious, you could also put it in a smoked acrylic box if you so chose. The CD install is slick but a little low for easy identification IMHO, I prefer the CD mounted behind two-way glass in the rear view mirror.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by CodyJOwens

If it's illegal to have in your state, then you might as well not have it. If the cop is equipped with a VG2 there's a high chance he can successfully scan -you- for a radar detector. Won't matter if its hidden or not by that time.

ah figured as much oh well most of the time I am stuck in the rush hour crawl anyways.

[CoronaL]

PA cops, at least state cops are the biggest pr!cks I've run into. I got popped driving home a 98 LS1 Z28 in a supposed "construction"zone even though there were NO cones, signs, warnings etc.... He was a total c@ck too, arrogant, and all about making me feel like I just murdered 20 contructions workers or something.

Generally, when I get pulled over, I'm wrong so there's no bitterness in me with the cop, as he's just doing his job, and yeah I was speeding. Sometimes though, you'll come across some Barney Pfife with some dillusion of grandeur, and they really make all cops seem like aholes; due to that limited experience. But just like anything else, you can meet a turd of a person in any job, cops are no different. In general, I've found more "understanding" on their part by just being nice, honest, and not trying to have an attitude. I got pulled over one time for speeding. Knew I was speeding, and when cop asked why I was speeding, the truth popped out w/out any forthought on my part. Told him honestly, that I was just trying to get the chineese food home to my pregnant wife before it got cold and she's been really moody and I didn't want to get yelled at. He laughed pretty hard and said he'd give me a warning b/c the punishment I was heading home too seamed harder than the ticket. We both had a good laugh at that one hehe! I think cops hear enough BS to know when someone's playing games or not, and the truth is always easier to defend than some BS lie, at least for me, b/c I suck at lying.

Originally Posted by 02GTIboy

I'm thinking about getting a detector too. I got pulled over doing 71 in a 65 on the PA turnpike. Wasn't in my fast, was in my dad's toyota matrix(kinda quick, surprisingly) But I would like to avoid something like this again. I tried to fight it, but I had to fight it in the county in which I got pulled over....about 2.5-3 hrs away. I didn't think it was worth it.

$130 fine and 2 points.

And I was nice and polite to the statey until he handed me the ticket. He also spent several minutes walking around my car looking in the windows because I looked "shadey"

[ThrowdownPerformance]

I have a V1 -- had it for a few years now and I love it. It's the best money spent ...

QUOTE=lumns;60371]
concealed display.


remote audio control to adjusted volume of warning and too turn v1 on/off[/QUOTE]

OP, amazing clean install. I've never seen it mounted like that on your back seat!

Originally Posted by bkj_23

i got busted at 120 in a 65 when i lived back in MS at like 3am....i was like look dude its late im trying to get home, i just got pulled over and blamed that i had been drinking (which the breathalizer proved the officer wrong) and im just in a hurry. He said well i was gonna write you up for wreckless driving but since your having a bad night i'll just give you a speeding ticket....I was Happy as hell!!!! i knew i was going to jail

Yeah... lol you are lucky.

Originally Posted by 02GTIboy

I'm thinking about getting a detector too. I got pulled over doing 71 in a 65 on the PA turnpike. Wasn't in my fast, was in my dad's toyota matrix(kinda quick, surprisingly) But I would like to avoid something like this again. I tried to fight it, but I had to fight it in the county in which I got pulled over....about 2.5-3 hrs away. I didn't think it was worth it.

$130 fine and 2 points.

And I was nice and polite to the statey until he handed me the ticket. He also spent several minutes walking around my car looking in the windows because I looked "shadey"

I used to drive on the PA turnpike a while back when I was working out in PA... crazy cops around there. The stories from some of my co-workers getting tickets motivated me to order my V1!

[lumns]

Thanks for the compliments!

[toenails]

Awesome install! The concealed display is sweet there. How did you get the extra "buttons" out by the ESP off button? I'd like to do something like that, but I don't want to break anything... do they pop out pretty easily or did you have to cut them?

[07GTIMYFAST]

Originally Posted by toenails

Awesome install! The concealed display is sweet there. How did you get the extra "buttons" out by the ESP off button? I'd like to do something like that, but I don't want to break anything... do they pop out pretty easily or did you have to cut them?

they just pop out, you use a trim tool or a small flathead and get under the seam and pop them out, they are pretty tough so the usually don't break.

[toenails]

Originally Posted by 07GTIMYFAST

they just pop out, you use a trim tool or a small flathead and get under the seam and pop them out, they are pretty tough so the usually don't break.

Good advice, I got em!