Clean Radar Detector Install DIY

[GroovyGeek]

First way I did it ended up vibrating to much. I went with the foam and glue to the visor. Been solid with that set up.

What type of foam did you guys use? I am thinking of getting a 1/2 inch thick PVC sheet, attaching it to the Bronco with heavy duty (10 lb) velcro strips, but using light duty (2-3 lb) strips on the bottom where the RD attaches. That way I can pull it off easier when needed. Waiting to get the RD on Tuesday so I can figure out what clearance I need for the top buttons. Really tempted by that R8 that BuyDig is currently selling for $550 on eBay but can't bring myself to spend that much.

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[Johnny Mo]

I'm not a fan of hanging anything extra off my rear view mirror mount as it is just a matter of time it'll over heat in the sun and fail.

I went with a Tackform mount on my BYOD rail. Not sure if I am happy with the exact location, need to see howu h of a reach or is to hit the mute button on it while driving. Also not sure what it does for peripheral vision yet...just a garage bay test mount since all the pieces arrived today.
And yeah same issue as @Ground_zero298 , Code Orange is like a 3ton traffic cone flying down the road.

 

[TacosTuesday]

I'm not a fan of hanging anything extra off my rear view mirror mount as it is just a matter of time it'll over heat in the sun and fail.

i get the worry, but i've had all my detectors mounted under the rearview mirror for the last 16+ years, and the california sun never caused any of them to overheat or fail.

 

[Fmuguira]

What’s your mpg with radar on vs radar off? Asking for a friend …

 

[Johnny Mo]

What’s your mpg with radar on vs radar off? Asking for a friend …

That's the beauty of it - I have a Fusion Energi that runs a lifetime (over 105k miles) 59mpg and a motorcycle that gets over 50mpg...I don't have to care about MPG in my Bronco - LOL.

 

[GroovyGeek]

I installed my Radenso DS1 in the Bronco back in October, along with a VIOFO A229 camera. I went to the fuse panel with hardwire kits for both. I used heavy duty velcro on the overhead console and had to make a 1/2” spacer to clear the downward bump with the airbag light. The DS1 has a 1/4-20 screw insert on the top, so the spacer is secured with a screw rather than adhesive. The detector is high and tight and works great. The black dots on the windshield are non magnetic paint that “according to youtube experts” doesn’t affect the signals reaching the detector. The only drawback to this setup is that this hard velcro doesn’t come off without some sort of pry tool, so I keep a plastic trim tool in the console. Quickly removing for a traffic stop might be a challenge.

Tried to copy this today and the results were horrible. Used some leftover foam from packaging and this velcro
https://www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-...rength-Strips-in-Black-2-Pack-90199/202261921

There is a ton of yield on the connection, which seems to come mostly from the relatively thick and cushy "loop" section of the velcro. Your foam and velcro look a lot more firm. Would you mind sharing links to what you used?

UPDATE: found the answer to my own question:

• for spacer, a nice piece of wood, cut to size, sanded, spray painted. I needed to make mine 0.4" thick to account for the height of the velcro-like solution - see below
• spacer to bronco - this, I figure this is not a connection that needs to be disconnected more than once every few years (if that) so I decided to go with double-sided tape
  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotch-1-in-x-ft-Two-Sided-Tape/50314921
• Spacer to radar - THESE. OMG, these lock like aligator jaws, and are absolutely solid, no yield AT ALL, much, much better than anything I have seen out of Velcro
  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotch-12-Pack-1-in-Black-Fastener/999989990

As an editorial comment, I am amazed how the stodgiest of American Corporations, 3M, continues to put together trivial-looking and sounding solutions in new and innovative ways, and make themselves indispensable to daily life. OpenAI is unlikely to be around in 100 years, but 3M has already been around for 120 years and will very likely be with us for another 120 at least if they keep doing the things they are doing.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Tried to copy this today and the results were horrible. Used some leftover foam from packaging and this velcro
https://www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-...rength-Strips-in-Black-2-Pack-90199/202261921

There is a ton of yield on the connection, which seems to come mostly from the relatively thick and cushy "loop" section of the velcro. Your foam and velcro look a lot more firm. Would you mind sharing links to what you used?

UPDATE: found the answer to my own question:

• for spacer, a nice piece of wood, cut to size, sanded, spray painted. I needed to make mine 0.4" thick to account for the height of the velcro-like solution - see below
• spacer to bronco - this, I figure this is not a connection that needs to be disconnected more than once every few years (if that) so I decided to go with double-sided tape
  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotch-1-in-x-ft-Two-Sided-Tape/50314921
• Spacer to radar - THESE. OMG, these lock like aligator jaws, and are absolutely solid, no yield AT ALL, much, much better than anything I have seen out of Velcro
  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotch-12-Pack-1-in-Black-Fastener/999989990

As an editorial comment, I am amazed how the stodgiest of American Corporations, 3M, continues to put together trivial-looking and sounding solutions in new and innovative ways, and make themselves indispensable to daily life. OpenAI is unlikely to be around in 100 years, but 3M has already been around for 120 years and will very likely be with us for another 120 at least if they keep doing the things they are doing.

Glad you figured it out. I used these dual lock pieces. Unfortunately the adhesive on the dual lock isn’t sticking to the plastic after a while, so I may need to modify my setup like you did with double sided tape. My Radenso DS1 has a 1/4-20 hole in the top, so my spacer is bolted to the detector and the dual lock go from the plastic block to the truck trim. Between the wiring and the mirror being under the radar detector the detector doesn’t fall, I just have to push it back up when I get in the truck and it sticks for a couple of days. Maybe an adhesion promoter on the plastic would be enough.

https://www.amazon.com/Reclosable-Fastener-Adhesive-Mounting-Outdoor/dp/B08YRT3BY1/ref=sr_1_3_pp?crid=1R9KG18ICUTJS&keywords=dual+lock+velcro&qid=1702300086&sprefix=Dual+lock,aps,88&sr=8-3

 

[buzpro]

Glad you figured it out. I used these dual lock pieces. Unfortunately the adhesive on the dual lock isn’t sticking to the plastic after a while, so I may need to modify my setup like you did with double sided tape. My Radenso DS1 has a 1/4-20 hole in the top, so my spacer is bolted to the detector and the dual lock go from the plastic block to the truck trim. Between the wiring and the mirror being under the radar detector the detector doesn’t fall, I just have to push it back up when I get in the truck and it sticks for a couple of days. Maybe an adhesion promoter on the plastic would be enough.

https://www.amazon.com/Reclosable-Fastener-Adhesive-Mounting-Outdoor/dp/B08YRT3BY1/ref=sr_1_3_pp?crid=1R9KG18ICUTJS&keywords=dual+lock+velcro&qid=1702300086&sprefix=Dual+lock,aps,88&sr=8-3

The important question is how does the detector really function from behind the black dotted stuff on the windshield ..... how can it be tested?

 

[GroovyGeek]

Thanks for the reminder about the 3M adhesion promoters. The Bronco interior plastic has anti-stick properties, most tapes fail sooner rather than later. This includes the 3M VHB tape. The only one I have seen hold reliably is this

3M Mounting Tape, 03410, 1/2 in x 75 in https://a.co/d/16xGH0n

I am not concerned about the paint impacting the radar, already pickup tons of very weak K band fake signals in my neighborhood. However the electrocis box to the right definitely limits the field of view of the radar to side beams coming from the passenger side.

 

[buzpro]

Thanks for the reminder about the 3M adhesion promoters. The Bronco interior plastic has anti-stick properties, most tapes fail sooner rather than later. This includes the 3M VHB tape. The only one I have seen hold reliably is this

3M Mounting Tape, 03410, 1/2 in x 75 in https://a.co/d/16xGH0n

I am not concerned about the paint impacting the radar, already pickup tons of very weak K band fake signals in my neighborhood. However the electrocis box to the right definitely limits the field of view of the radar to side beams coming from the passenger side.

Since the sensor in the detector is primarily placed in the front of the unit the electronics box on the right should not be an issue. If it clears the paint on the windshield it should be ok.

 

[buzpro]

Thanks for the reminder about the 3M adhesion promoters. The Bronco interior plastic has anti-stick properties, most tapes fail sooner rather than later. This includes the 3M VHB tape. The only one I have seen hold reliably is this

3M Mounting Tape, 03410, 1/2 in x 75 in https://a.co/d/16xGH0n

I am not concerned about the paint impacting the radar, already pickup tons of very weak K band fake signals in my neighborhood. However the electrocis box to the right definitely limits the field of view of the radar to side beams coming from the passenger side.

be careful with that tape ..... the instructions says you need 4" to hold 1 lb.

 

[the poacher]

If you do a lot of highway driving, you would be crazy not to have a radar detector in your vehicle. Last fall I did a 5K trip through the Western U.S., and my Escort 360 saved me from seven tickets. This is in addition to what Waze was able to do. The Popo love to set up in hidden spots, or they just troll as they drive down the highways, hence not showing up on Waze. Those seven tickets would have cost me way more than the detector initially did. If you follow the flow of traffic, chances are you are going above the speed limit, and all it takes is a break in the traffic and you get tagged. I have used them for years, and will continue until eventually we have no control over the speed our vehicles will go.
As to mounting, I use the Archetype Racing B.A.M. to mount my detector, easy on, and easy off, important if you need to park in a less than desirable area.

 

[BroncoAZ]

The important question is how does the detector really function from behind the black dotted stuff on the windshield ..... how can it be tested?

There are videos of such testing on YouTube. I notice no difference on my Bronco behind the painted dots and my work truck or wife’s Tacoma with the same detector mounted on clean glass.

 

[GroovyGeek]

be careful with that tape ..... the instructions says you need 4" to hold 1 lbs.

It says 1 strip to hold 1.5lbs. The spacer block took 2 strips so technically this will hold 3 lbs - way more than enough. From the feel of it , 3lbs involves quite a big of sandbagging. The setup feels very solid and looks nice. Worst case it falls apart in a month and I try another type of tape.

 

[ajnotoj]

For those not using a dash mount accessory rail, I've found a perfect combo after a lot of trial and error:

• USB A to RJ11 Cord from @StickerFab
• 1/4" Male to 1/4" Male Threaded Tripod Screws
• 17mm Ball Head to 1/4"-20 Hole
• 17mm Ball Mount
• Strong double-sided tape

The most difficult part was making sure the radar detector aligned straight once the tripod screws were all the way tightened. I would recommend aligning the ball mount perfectly straight before attaching your radar detector.

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