First Mod: V1 Hardwired

[LordCash]

I performed my first modification for my week-old (in the US anyway!) 650i last week.

I performed a DIY of doing a hard-wired Valentine 1 (V1) radar detector. It was a nervous time and although I had seen many posts on other boards saying people had done this and it had taken them 15-20 minutes, it took me about 3 hours. 20+ minutes was spent how to get the lighting/sunroof control panel out without any damage. Sure, a blunt screwdriver would open it up, but I didn't want to scratch or dent anything so I really took my time in this step.

Once I had it open, then the fun became identifying the right wire to use. On the net, there were different opinions on this. Some people said they used one wire while others used a different wire. Then later reports were that some wires seemed to work, only to cause problems later (such as tapping into the sunroof power wire). So I spent most of the 3 hours doing tons of checking and rechecking and reading and re-reading of posts about this topic.

The other thing I discovered is that the wire harnesses seemed to be significantly different between say a 5series and a 6 series. And even in earlier years of 6 series, the wires were different in my car versus the pictures posted. Maybe this just comes down to the wires are the same, but when person 'A' works on cars, they bundle a set of wires one way, and person 'B' does them slightly different. Dunno. All I know is that none of the pictures exactly matched what I was seeing! :-o

Once I finally determined that I had the "right" green/yellow wire, I crimped the power adapter to it and from there it was pretty simple and the rest of the installation did take the 15 minutes that a lot of people had noted.

Anyway, it looks pretty slick and works the treat. I went to LA this last week (and met Bear!) and drove along the I-5 and the detector worked very well :)

Lord Cash[attachment=0:d1d9a]PA020027.JPG[/attachment:d1d9a]

Very interesting. How accurate are these devices?

[LordCash]

Very interesting. How accurate are these devices?

Well, I used a Escort 8500 for a few years and it worked pretty well. I've only used the V1 for less than a week now, but I already like it better. As the ad says, "Once you use the arrows, you don't know how you lived without them".

I hope the thread doesn't devolve into a shouting match about which radar detector is better - that seems to happen a lot on these boards. There is no ONE right answer. My Escort 8500 was accurate (especially in Ka and Laser which is almost all that is used in California) but I just happen to like the arrow indicators as that is additional information that can help determine where the "bogey" is coming from. I also like that the V1 is less deep and came with a hardwire kit standard which made it easy to put into my 650i.

All-in-all, any of the modern radar detectors will help you avoid tickets, particularly ones where you may otherwise get caught even if you weren't the one being radared (the beams are invisibile and so the operator must determine which one of several cars /trucks in a cluster is the offending person). Say you are in a group of 5 other cars, all going approximately the same speed give or take a few MPH. A cop shoots out a Ka signal into the group and it comes back with 78. He doesn't actually know WHICH car of the 5 is going 78. So he picks one. Often times the "lead" car but in any event it IS subjective (unless you are all alone and it is clear it could ONLY be you). Maybe you were going 75 not 78. The 78 might have been the car next to you. What's the difference? Well, often in court, especially due to known variances in radar detector maintenance/tuning and in slight speedometer errors, the judge may be willing to dismiss "10 or under" violations. A lot of cops won't even bother with under 10mph violations on the freeway (of course, I am discounting things like 10mph over in school zones or other circumstances - but going with the more normal cases). If he KNEW you were going 75, he might have let you slip. But since he knows somebody in that group is going 78, he decides to write a ticket...but he has to determine WHO is going 78 and in a pack of similarly speed vehicles, he may or may not be "guessing" correctly.

That's why I like to have a radar detector - to eliminate chances of being accidentally "picked" by a policeman. Also, some of the routes I travel, like 101 between the bay area and LA, has crazy changing speed limits. It will be 65, then 55, then 65, then 70, then 55, then 65 again. On a 5 hour drive, at any given point, I really am not SURE what the speed limit is because of these rapid changes. I might assume it is 65 and be knowingly going 7 or 8 over (let's say 72) but then am pulled over and find out the 55 zone started 5 miles back and I happened to not notice the (one) sign. So now I would be over by 17 and that would be a nice ticket. That's the second reason I use a detector - unfamiliar roads or familiar roads with changing speed limits.

I am not a super speeder. I usually drive between 70 and 80. But 80 in a 65 zone is a nice ticket and I really don't want one nor the hassle of insurance and traffic schools, etc. I have only had one ticket in the last 7 years and I owe a good chunk of that to radar detectors ;-)

Lord Cash

[XMN]

I copied Bears M6 V1 hardwire with remote in my M5. It is GREAT!! Whoops, I shouted.

Well, I used a Escort 8500 for a few years and it worked pretty well. I've only used the V1 for less than a week now, but I already like it better. As the ad says, "Once you use the arrows, you don't know how you lived without them".

I hope the thread doesn't devolve into a shouting match about which radar detector is better - that seems to happen a lot on these boards. There is no ONE right answer. My Escort 8500 was accurate (especially in Ka and Laser which is almost all that is used in California) but I just happen to like the arrow indicators as that is additional information that can help determine where the "bogey" is coming from. I also like that the V1 is less deep and came with a hardwire kit standard which made it easy to put into my 650i.

All-in-all, any of the modern radar detectors will help you avoid tickets, particularly ones where you may otherwise get caught even if you weren't the one being radared (the beams are invisibile and so the operator must determine which one of several cars /trucks in a cluster is the offending person). Say you are in a group of 5 other cars, all going approximately the same speed give or take a few MPH. A cop shoots out a Ka signal into the group and it comes back with 78. He doesn't actually know WHICH car of the 5 is going 78. So he picks one. Often times the "lead" car but in any event it IS subjective (unless you are all alone and it is clear it could ONLY be you). Maybe you were going 75 not 78. The 78 might have been the car next to you. What's the difference? Well, often in court, especially due to known variances in radar detector maintenance/tuning and in slight speedometer errors, the judge may be willing to dismiss "10 or under" violations. A lot of cops won't even bother with under 10mph violations on the freeway (of course, I am discounting things like 10mph over in school zones or other circumstances - but going with the more normal cases). If he KNEW you were going 75, he might have let you slip. But since he knows somebody in that group is going 78, he decides to write a ticket...but he has to determine WHO is going 78 and in a pack of similarly speed vehicles, he may or may not be "guessing" correctly.

That's why I like to have a radar detector - to eliminate chances of being accidentally "picked" by a policeman. Also, some of the routes I travel, like 101 between the bay area and LA, has crazy changing speed limits. It will be 65, then 55, then 65, then 70, then 55, then 65 again. On a 5 hour drive, at any given point, I really am not SURE what the speed limit is because of these rapid changes. I might assume it is 65 and be knowingly going 7 or 8 over (let's say 72) but then am pulled over and find out the 55 zone started 5 miles back and I happened to not notice the (one) sign. So now I would be over by 17 and that would be a nice ticket. That's the second reason I use a detector - unfamiliar roads or familiar roads with changing speed limits.

I am not a super speeder. I usually drive between 70 and 80. But 80 in a 65 zone is a nice ticket and I really don't want one nor the hassle of insurance and traffic schools, etc. I have only had one ticket in the last 7 years and I owe a good chunk of that to radar detectors ;-)
Lord Cash

Thanks. Agree with you. I've always suspected that cops will exercise their pathetic subjective judgements when it comes to pulling one offender from a suspected batch of speeders.

Sounds like a good idea but I think it's illegal to have one in the car down here. ;-)

The nearest safety measure we have is the BMW Head Up Display. That's really kwel.

[Enigma]

Nice job, LC. Very clean install. :thumb:
VR>

[BHR4CE1]

I copied Bears M6 V1 hardwire with remote in my M5. It is GREAT!! Whoops, I shouted.


I never got my $3.26 fee!

[LordCash]

...Whoops, I shouted.


OK, OK - I see you guys making fun of my statement! :)

But you know what I mean from other forums where discussion slowly deteriorates from "XXX Magazine rates Escort best", countered by, "Everyone knows that XXX Magazine is in the pocket of Escort. And besides, V1 came out on top at YYY Magazine's most recent shootout". The thread usually continues to devolve until it is reduced to "V1 sucks, Escort rules!" posts :) For some (not me!) radar detector choice is almost a religious conviction! Of course, I can have my preference and you can have your preferences and discuss that. It is the childish, "religious fervor" stuff that I have not enjoyed on other forums.

Sorry to infer that such childish actions would happen on a sophisticated site like KOTR with wonderful and intelligent members like us!

Lord Cash

[LordCash]

Nice job, LC. Very clean install. :thumb:
VR>

Thanks! I was nervous as I said doing this as a DIY, but it turned out great! I even created my own custom length telephone/power cable so it would be just the right length and not have to have a "wad" of extra wire under the lighting panel. It was the first time I had ever used my long-ago-purchased-but-never-used RJ45/RJ11 crimper tool. That part was actually easy and it worked the first time.

Lord Cash

[boxboss]

Very interesting. How accurate are these devices?
As stated, I don't want to make this a thread about which detector is better BUT (am I shouting?) IMO, the V1 is significantly better than the Escort/Passports I've used in the past. The V1 is more sensitive, the arrows/bogey count provide more meaningful info, and the ability to recognize "junk" (cheap detector) emmisions make it the better detector. The arrows and "bogey" count are especially useful. If you get an ID on a radar ahead, that's fine with any detector. How many drivers let the detected LEO go past and then speed up? The V1 will let you know if there's another (or more) radar running some distance behind the first.

Good choice and great install LC.

[Gman]

Nice setup...

[XMN]

...Whoops, I shouted.


OK, OK - I see you guys making fun of my statement! :)

But you know what I mean from other forums where discussion slowly deteriorates from "XXX Magazine rates Escort best", countered by, "Everyone knows that XXX Magazine is in the pocket of Escort. And besides, V1 came out on top at YYY Magazine's most recent shootout". The thread usually continues to devolve until it is reduced to "V1 sucks, Escort rules!" posts :) For some (not me!) radar detector choice is almost a religious conviction! Of course, I can have my preference and you can have your preferences and discuss that. It is the childish, "religious fervor" stuff that I have not enjoyed on other forums.

Sorry to infer that such childish actions would happen on a sophisticated site like KOTR with wonderful and intelligent members like us!

Lord Cash

Just kidding of course.

I am new to the whole radar war but I think the V1 alerts me as it should. I have never had anything else so I don't have an educated opinion, just one should not soley rely on any gadget just be alert at all times the best you can.

By the way, ZZZ Magazine said "Escort sucks".

[AusBmw]

:ball: :ball: :ball: :ball: :ball:

You lot are lucky,these devices are illegal down here :tdown: :ball:

[LordCash]

The V1 is more sensitive, the arrows/bogey count provide more meaningful info, and the ability to recognize "junk" (cheap detector) emmisions [sic] make it the better detector. The arrows and "bogey" count are especially useful. If you get an ID on a radar ahead, that's fine with any detector. How many drivers let the detected LEO go past and then speed up? The V1 will let you know if there's another (or more) radar running some distance behind the first.

Good choice and great install LC.

Thanks Boxboss! I do very much like the V1 for many of the reasons you enumerated. That said, I was not unhappy with the Escort 8500 I used for the last few years in my 330Ci. And I haven't had much time with the V1 as I mentioned, but so far, I do like it better than the Escort primarily because of the more useful information (arrows and bogey counters, in particular). As far as detecting the signals, I can't say I see much of a difference so far, but those arrows rock. The Escort did it's job and kept me from getting any tickets, so I certainly can't say anything particularly negative about it.

One other thing that I like about the V1 is that you can upgrade to the latest electronics for a reasonable fee so whenever they come up with a new version, your "old" detector is not obsoleted. If I had to make ONE change on the V1, I'd like for the "band" LEDs to be different colors. Here in CA, 98% of the time, only Ka and Laser are "real" radar. At night, I can't really tell which of the small LEDs is lit as they are all very small and very closely stacked. If one was "white" (X), another "yellow" (K), another "orange" (Ka), and one was "red" (Laser), that would be more useful.

Lord Cash

[boxboss]

If I had to make ONE change on the V1, I'd like for the "band" LEDs to be different colors. Here in CA, 98% of the time, only Ka and Laser are "real" radar. At night, I can't really tell which of the small LEDs is lit as they are all very small and very closely stacked. If one was "white" (X), another "yellow" (K), another "orange" (Ka), and one was "red" (Laser), that would be more useful.

Lord Cash
:stupid: