I remember on the 911 board these guys had several different kinds of Valentine 1 Stealth installations. The best one by far was awesome. They took the "arrow and radar counter assembly" and installed it in the center of the tachometer! I also saw somemore "low tech" ideas where the detector was simply installed within a black plastic box and the box then mounted behind you between the seats. I would love a nice stealth install of the Valentine 1. It is BY FAR the best detector on the market. I owned the custom installed K40 detector which is installed in your gauge cluster and utilizes 2 small LED lights, one on the left indicates a threat from the front and the right LED indictes a threat from the rear. This unit like the V1 utilizes 2 antennae, the front one is installed behind your front bumper, the rear is mounted behind your rear bumper. This detector is FANTASTIC it terms of stealth but unfortunately the performance is HORRIBLE. So the only real way to have first rate detector with stealth is to "custom install" the V1 but I need some electronics freak to show me how!! BTW: I owned every detector on th market from the trash Cobras and Bell detectors and also owned the Passports to the $1200.00 custom installed K40. I have driven using them all in my car at the same time as the Valentine 1 and NONE EVEN COMES CLOSE in terms of performance. Believe it or not one of the worst performers was the $1200.00 unit. The V1 runs $400.00 and is the BEST INVESTMENT you can make in a detector!!
Any Electronics Freaks Need A Project?: V1 Stealth
- Thread starter ExCon
- Start date
Keep this in mind. From the V1 website
Q: I want a hidden detector, with the receiver remote-mounted down in the grille, but you don't make one. Why not?
- B.L., Florida
A: I want a remote too, but I don't want to give up any protection. For the same reason you see high radio towers, the detector antenna needs to be high in the car; it sees over hills better, increasing range.
Mounting down in the grille amounts to a low tower. You also have the problem of traffic ahead blocking the signal. The only time I've seen a grille mount outperform a windshield mount was a case where the detector could look under the truck just ahead. Normally, a high mount has an advantage because it's up where it can see through the windows of other traffic.
Another thing; the really sophisticated direction finding and bogey counting that V1 has requires perfectly synchronized information from the front and rear antenna. It's possible to maintain that synchronization when the system in broken apart into units at the front and rear of the car, but you pay F-15 prices. My best compromise between maintaining performance on the one hand, and hiding the detector on the other, is the Concealed Display. This keeps V1 in the window where it works great, but operates "dark;" all the light-up warnings are transferred to a small Display that you can locate where only you will see it.
Q: I want a hidden detector, with the receiver remote-mounted down in the grille, but you don't make one. Why not?
- B.L., Florida
A: I want a remote too, but I don't want to give up any protection. For the same reason you see high radio towers, the detector antenna needs to be high in the car; it sees over hills better, increasing range.
Mounting down in the grille amounts to a low tower. You also have the problem of traffic ahead blocking the signal. The only time I've seen a grille mount outperform a windshield mount was a case where the detector could look under the truck just ahead. Normally, a high mount has an advantage because it's up where it can see through the windows of other traffic.
Another thing; the really sophisticated direction finding and bogey counting that V1 has requires perfectly synchronized information from the front and rear antenna. It's possible to maintain that synchronization when the system in broken apart into units at the front and rear of the car, but you pay F-15 prices. My best compromise between maintaining performance on the one hand, and hiding the detector on the other, is the Concealed Display. This keeps V1 in the window where it works great, but operates "dark;" all the light-up warnings are transferred to a small Display that you can locate where only you will see it.
I'm currently using the concealed display. Your on the money regarding locations of the antennae. Thats a big reason why the custom K40 performs so badly. The antennae are located way down behind the bumpers. As I said I have seen low tech stealth installs where the detector is up high between the seats and on the Porsches was mounted between the rollbars. I have seen guys take the entire unit apart and place the antennae in separate "boxes" and locate them high in the windshield. I need some Geek Freak to figure out how to do it on the Mustang. There has to be a way to conceal this detector and still keep the performance. I like it to be concealed so well that I can park my car with the top down and I need not worry about anyone stealing it since they won't see it. There must be some intelligent Mustang owners out there (yea I know they are few and far between) !!!
You seem to be one of the few!!!
You seem to be one of the few!!!
I was toying with the idea of doing this very thing as part of my custom console I am building for my 66 Mustang. I have mounted the remote display in a gauge panel that will be integrated into the console. Until I tear one apart to separate the internals I'll just have to run a separate detector in eah car. I'll keep my eye on this thread to see what kind of info comes up
It can be done! I have seen it on a few 911's but these guys also have more money than God! They tear those suckers apart and use each component separately! If you do it try getting the arrows and counter inside the Tachometer!! I'll pay you to do mine if you can do it!! BTW: you sure that thing wasn't put together by some muslims? Looks like it can blow any minute!!
you will have to take the unit apart and then mount the guts inside the dome light compartment. plastic is somewhat transparent to radar and as long as you don’t mount the antenna behind metal the reception should be very good. you can run leads from there to led’s mounted in the instrument console. If you have to separate the antenna from the main unit due to space the wire used becomes critical to prevent reception problems. You will also want to keep power wires away from the antenna, receiver and any wires in between. If you have to cross power wires with reception wires do so at a 90 degree angle and use shielding.
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