Modularizing a Radar Detector

[James Downing]

Here in Virginia, radar detectors are illegal, and otherwise fairly ugly to add to the interior of your car.

I had the novel thought of modularizing a radar detector and creating my own more cosmetically fitting interface. The plan was having most of the components (display and buttons) mounted to a faceplate that I would mount in the cassette holder. The actual detector component however would need to be transplanted to the top of the winsheild.

I guess I had a couple questions for this that my hours of googling has not answered:

Is this possible to transplant the parts? and will it disrupt the detector's ability?

And if so, would anyone know which detector would be easiest for this job?

 

[luigisho]

I've been thinking about that for several years. Ever since I moved to VA actually. You know the foreward sensor in most detectors looks alot like those automatic headlight sensors that used to be mounted in Caddy's right at the mirror mounting bracket.

I too wondered if that much distance from the sensor to the rest of the electronics board would seriously hamper it's performance. I don't think you'll find much, other than speculation, on this board however. You need to find a very technical, applicable board to get enough info to base you decision on. But I think it would be great!

 

[Tunez]

There are many that you can buy that already come that way. One is a BEL Vector LR. There are a few more around but in my honest opinion, I'd say skip a radar detector anyway.

 

[James Downing]

Its also a lot more than I hoped to spend. I was looking at some of these you can get for $60 on a electronics deal website. Plus, I am trying to find something to do with the cassette holder... Its a black-hole in my mind.

Has anyone taken apart a radar detector? How hard would it be to transplant the actual detector?

 

[SHO92]

If you are going to get a radar detector, I wouldn't get a cheap one, they don't work too well to begin with, and they lose their effectiveness quickly. Spend the money to get something decent and then modify it from there. A way of reducing the length that you would have to mount the sensor would be to mount it at the bottom of the windshield and then drop the wires down through the dash to the rest of the unit. The problem with that is that you lose effective range since its closer to the ground and may be blocked by the hood and wipers.

What I would probably do it take the case of the unit apart and see how big the board is. You might be able to get it to fit inside of the rearview mirror, then you could just remote mount the display to where ever you wanted it.

 

[MOSHO92]

... Plus, I am trying to find something to do with the cassette holder... Its a black-hole in my mind.

 

[James Downing]

Thats an idea I had, but I have too many things saying SHO in that area as it is. I have a switch-panel in the ash tray that glows (see sig link). So, I was hoping to put something with buttons on it... I like buttons and switches and such.

 

[MOSHO92]

I like that panel, looks good!