Valentine recommends that the detector be mounted high on the windshield, e.g. behind the rearview mirror (offset so as not to affect sensors), to get the best early warnings. Another site I found, however, says that's a mistake because laser is usually aimed at the license plate or headlights and has a narrow beam, which will not hit a high mounted detector. The area I live in has numerous red-light laser cameras. I don't know where they are aimed, but my low mounted V1 always picks them up. Does anyone have any exerience or suggestions?

 

Since your radar/lazer detector is going to pick up the radar the was shot multiple cars ahead, it dosn't matter where the detector is mounted on your car. After it bounces off the other cars the radar beam breaks up and spreads drastically, and lazer breaks and spreads also, just not anywhere close to as much. If the cop does shoot your cars license plate, headlight, bonnet, roof, it dosn't matter if your detector is mounted on the top or bottom of the windshield, or even license plate, your getting pulled over.

 

I mount mine low to keep it out of sight of prying eyes. Radar detection is still good enough and like Jeremy pointed out, if your detector goes off from laser, it's probably too late anyway.

 

Good points. Plus, other than laser red-light cameras, my detector has never picked up laser.

 

Thats not going to help you on a stretch of lonesome highway when you decide you want to pick up the speed. This is when you NEED it the most ... not in traffic

Mounting the RADAR as HIGH as posssible is ALWAYS the best thing to do.

This is why the better detectors have the LASER sensors on both front and back plates

Besides, if it does pick up Laser, your dead anyway.

 

Okay, back up to the top of the window it goes.

 

I find myself moving a bit more rapidly when I have other cars on the road. Simply because I know that the cop will hit cars down the road from me 1st, giving me more warning to slow back to within legal range. When I am alone on the highway I stay within a reasonable speed because I know that when my radar detector picks up the radar, he will have picked up my speed.

 

Except on open highway, the detector can pick up police radar miles in advance. In order to make the ticket stick, the police must identify your car as the one causing the read, which means they have to see it while tracking it. By that time, you would have slowed down.

 

If your driving in a "pack of cars", its not important. The cops are going to pick whatever car they want to because they know they are all traveling at the same rate of speed. If the flow is all going the same speed ... well anyone is likely to get hit. Nothing you can do about it.

On the open highway, its a totally different story. I've picked up RADAR THREE MILES ahead ... SO far ahead, its boring waiting to catch up to them (on X band). K and Ka band is much shorter. Instant ON ... your dead.

What your talking about is commonly known as having a rabbit ... but if you want a rabbit, well you got to play the game. Not being one to EVER advocate speeding excessively or recklessly, lets just say, for sake of arguement, the speed limit is 65 MPH. Hypothetically, you find a rabbit going 84 MPH. You know the cops are going to hit him first.

If its a BIG RADAR trap, like MD has in known locations on 95 ... game over. They will walk right into the high speed lane and pull you over and make you WAIT till they get to you. They use a lot of cars. If your lucky, and its one car. He "may" be busy with the other guy before seeing you. But for that to work, he's got to be barely within your sight. WAY ahead of you and not in a pack.

Best advice is to drive the limit and not worry about all this stuff. Tickets are NOT worth the money, expense, time, aggravation and eventually your license and no insurance

True. And if its is LASER ... its over

 

While I have no experience with red-light laser cameras, I recommend mounting a unit high. Most radar manufacturers sites will say it doesn't make a difference. I have always had my lazer(lidar) alert go off while mounted in high position for standard speed enforcement. The police will often target a vehicle as early as they think they can get a good signal lock. This means the dispersion is at the maximum and if you are part of a group you may even get a read when they shoot the cars ahead of you. It's not fool proof as at 500 feet the laser beam is small, 18 inches in diameter, 9 inch radius. The beam expands to 36 inches at 1000 feet with a radius of 18 inches. http://www.speedzones.com/laser_detection_and_id.html Good Luck

 

High, I know on some cars people mount it ontop of the rear view mirror and have it hardwired in.

 

^ Yep!

Hardwire it above the rear view. You get several advantages.

1. No bulky/visible cords.
2. Almost invisible from the front and impossible to see from the sides or rear with tints.
3. Best view of the front and rear for early warning.

I have it like this on my other car and it's great.

 

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