V1 Install on an E-30

[Jordan]

it's inferior to the V1.

Yes, yes it is.

it's better than anything else for the money.

No, I can think of many better things I would buy for the same money as the Passport.


I've never understood why people insist on having radar detectors, particularly bargin bin ones. They are worthless! Common sense is the absolute best radar detector.

[Rob]

actually the passport is a good detector for the money. You cant even get a used V1 for the same price. My lawyer uses the 8500 and loves it, despite the fact he has a $90k Porsche and could get whatever detector he wants

[Robbie325i]

On what data are you basing your claim of the 8500's inferiority?

In many tests the 8500 performs better than the V1 in K and Ka bands, which is what most modern police departments use. It also gives significantly fewer false alarms.

http://www.escortradar.com/reviews.htm

[MattM20]

i just said the passport was inferior so jordan wouldnt have a conniption. i own a passport 8500, but i wouldnt put a great deal of confidence in neither the passport nor the V1. IMO the benefit of a radar detector is the increased awareness, not the ability to break the law. you can argue that one has better range than the other, but there are so many other variables that will greatly reduce the effectiveness of straight line un-obstructed range. like jordan said, you must use common sense when you drive and know that even a high end radar detector is not foolproof. as far as i'm concerned the passport probably is the better unit overall, but i know that you cannot convince a V1 lover that the passport is anything but crap, so its not worth hijacking a thread over.

[e30Matt]

On what data are you basing your claim of the 8500's inferiority?

In many tests the 8500 performs better than the V1 in K and Ka bands, which is what most modern police departments use. It also gives significantly fewer false alarms.

http://www.escortradar.com/reviews.htm

Dude. That's Escort's review section, i.e. BIASED reviews. Try a more independent site. From what I've seen (and I've ridden in cars with both) they're dead even. My friend's 8500 picked up two bike cops shooting K band 1/4 mile on the other side of a hill they were at least 1/2 mile from the crest of. That's way more than enough. Shit, everyone says the V1 has arrows and tells you where they are and blah blah blah, but if it beeps, aren't you going to slow down anyway? I mean, if you're in a grocery store parking lot, you know it's a false, but if I'm on the highway and it even twitches, I'm gonna drop my speed down to legal levels, if I'm even "speeding" at the time.

At any rate, they're only useful at speeds under about 100mph. Above that, you're going fast enough to question the actual reliability of an "early radar detection" system. At speeds over about 90-100, all any radar detector's beep is is a "dump the brakes or you're fucked" beep. Think about it, if a cop hits you with radar from 300 yards (900 feet) away, and you're doing 100mph, for every second you don't react that's 146 feet closer to him you are. </rant>

Bottom line, if you want a detector buy one. If you don't, don't.

Oh yeah, and to be on-topic, throw a voltmeter on there and make sure you connect it to switched 12v.

[ZM Blue Devil]

Here are some pictures of my install.

The purple wire is the power wire and it tuns on with the car. The brown wire is the ground. I went to radio shack and bought the green and clear things so that I wouldn't have to do any actual splicing. All you have to do is cut a regular phone cord and strip the rubber off so that the two wires inside the phone cord are exposed. Then you push the phone cord wires into holes in the bottom of the green and clear connecters. You then slide the purple wire into the side of one connecter, and then use pliers to squeeze the green and clear connecter together, this cuts open the purple wire so that power now comes out of it and is transferred to the phone cord wire. You do the same thing with the brown wire, and then you are done.

Thread revival! just installed so I can move the v1 between the cars. Got to love the search function!

Thanks for the picture, made it a snap!

[Sean]

I ran the phone cord thing down my a pillar, because I really liked the idea of being able to hook up a concealed display in the future. Josh, why do you keep saying Check panel OR OBC? You don't have to run wire all the way up to the OBC, just find any switched 12v source. For me, I think I crimped into one of the speaker-gong wires, one that only had 12v with the key on accessory. Works great! And, at any time, I can run a wire from underneath my cluster to anywhere to get a concealed display! :) I also wired my map-lights at the same time.

[AlarmedBread]

I just drive in a caravan with people that have V1's on road trips. :D

[Van Westervelt]

My remote display I grafted into my HVAC panel kicks ass. Also, even though this is old. V1 owns. That is all.

[Sean]

WOW, I didn't realize how dusty and moldy this thread was!

Agreed! V1 rules!!! :D

[Justin B]

My remote display I grafted into my HVAC panel kicks ass. Also, even though this is old. V1 owns. That is all.

I'm gonna have to see that when you come down for bimmerfest!

[Funkmasta]

I hardwired mine because E30's have the worst. cigarette. sockets. ever.

Also, I didn't want to unplug it when I had to charge my phone,
Also, with no visible cord, I don't feel the need to remove it all the time...

[2002maniac]

EAD Jordon. Even a cheap detector is more useful than your "common sense" (luck)

edit- ha, I didnt realize how old this thread was. (EAD command still applies)

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

detectors are useful here in socal with all the damn ninja cops

[NC325iC]

i havent had the need for one, never been pulled over in my e30, been pulled twice in a damn acura 3.2cl type s though, that damn thing is a ticket waiting to happen, matter of fact the week before i got pulled and ticketed the first time i told my mom i need to stop driving it cause its only a matter of time