Blendmount Setup.

Well sticking with the OEM plus theme I've been going with so far, I decided to do something about the ugly window mount with my passport.

 

I had it hardwired in the RS, but running a wire through the a pillar with the side impact airbags made me nervous of there functionality so I began to look for other options.

 

I came across the BlendMount Forum - Powered by vBulletin.

 

It utillizes the factory Auto dimming mirror and mounts directly to it for a very OEM look.

 

Tired of this?

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/00vr6gti/IMG_1993.jpg

 

 

Picked up this:

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/00vr6gti/IMG_1994.jpg

 

 

Install was a breeze and simply required disconnecting the auto-dim mirror and pluging in the supllied harness

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/00vr6gti/IMG_1996.jpg

 

Black to Black

Yellow to Blue

 

Reinstall harness and take the top bracket off of the Blendmount kit. Place it on the mirror and reinstall the top bracket.

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/00vr6gti/IMG_1997.jpg

 

Tighten everything up, plug the detector in and move it until it fits your view.

 

And your done:

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b192/00vr6gti/IMG_2000.jpg

 

Looks OEM and it only takes about 10mins to install.

Not bad - I window-mounted mine just above the rearview mirror... easy to do. Just ran a wire from the map light area (one of those provides power to the fancy mirror, which I do not have) and that's that.

 

I hate seeing people running radar detectors with coil cords. It looks bad, but more importantly, it's SO OBVIOUS to the cops... like you're ASKING to get pulled over.

Not bad - I window-mounted mine just above the rearview mirror... easy to do. Just ran a wire from the map light area (one of those provides power to the fancy mirror, which I do not have) and that's that.

 

I hate seeing people running radar detectors with coil cords. It looks bad, but more importantly, it's SO OBVIOUS to the cops... like you're ASKING to get pulled over.

 

I would have done that but I would be worried about the Dot Matrix affecting the detection ability of the detector.

I just sold a set up like this with the 9500i and a countryjoy crafts mount. Under the mirror is VERY sweet. I loved having no suction cups since there are lots of thieves down town. Even with no detector visable, it gives people an excuse to break in and look around for it. And, the radar was never in my direct line of sight of the road but still close enough to glance at very quickly if it went off.

pics from the front of the car looking inward?

I would have done that but I would be worried about the Dot Matrix affecting the detection ability of the detector.

No argument there - need to be aware of that. I have heard that the blue tint at the top can block the radar signal as well, if it's metallic. Personally, I have not had any issues in this location, and it sits just below the dot-pattern, and catches a little of the blue tint. But, with the detector in "dark" mode, you'd never know it was there from front or behind...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2590/3964672499_d9954556fd_o.jpg

 

Mine only saw clear glass in front of it.

Thats about what mine looks like. I'll snap a pic tomorrow if it stops raining and its light out.

wow that looks good. is it possible to use with a regular non-powered mirror.

wow that looks good. is it possible to use with a regular non-powered mirror.

 

Absolutely! You would just grab power from either the moon roof controls, or the maplights that are right above the mirror.

Got something similar off of ebay. Very happy with it.

Buddy of mine just brought this to my attention. I think I'll be ordering one soon...I had my V1 suction-cupped to some masking tape I threw over the dot matrix (so that the detector was centered and just barely poking below the tint), then the cups gave out a few months ago and I've had it ghetto-clipped into the headliner ever since. Not ideal. This looks perfect, and I've already got it wired into the moonroof.

I would have done that but I would be worried about the Dot Matrix affecting the detection ability of the detector.

 

Typically, these "sun dots" - made to ease glare of sun peeking through that open space just above the interior rearview - are made of ceramic, and they do not impede the detector's RADAR performance whatsoever. If you'll check on RD.net, this advice originates from the likes of jimbonzzz, The Professor and one of the founding members of The Guys of LIDAR, and has also been verified via real-world testing.

 

Indeed, it's a favorite hiding spot for the detector for many enthusiasts, since it's not only as high as the detector can possibly be placed (which leads to advantages in detection range, a theory espoused by everyone from Mike Valentine of Valentine Research/V1 to even the newest hobbyists among our ranks), but also receives the following two ancillary benefits:

 

(1) It's so high up against the headliner that it typically becomes "invisible" to enforcers who may stand beside your or the passenger's window openings, during roadside interviews - this also helps keep the detector out of easy view of most opportunistic thieves.

 

(2) In being close to the headliner and also behind the "dots," it's more sun-protected - increasing case-temperature has been shown by various members of our community to negatively affect detection range/response time.

 

No argument there - need to be aware of that. I have heard that the blue tint at the top can block the radar signal as well, if it's metallic. Personally, I have not had any issues in this location, and it sits just below the dot-pattern, and catches a little of the blue tint.

 

^ Indeed, that's correct - any factory or aftermarket tints that are metallic in nature has the potential to negatively impact the detector's RADAR capabilities, along with things like reception for aftermarket in-cabin-only GPS devices ("re-radiating antennas," for example, are a work-around for this very issue, and yes, the GPS-filter enabled Escort 9500i and ix, for example, without the capability to utilize an external antenna source, is also affected by such concerns) and/or toll-booth "passes/chips." The same goes for various OEM "athermic" vehicle greenhouse glass coatings - of which many OEM makes, if they do incorporate such a feature, will also include "void spots" in various positions on the windshield or other vehicle greenhouse glass, to allow for use of toll passes and other popular aftermarket devices. [ Note that RadarDetector.net, under the auspices of allyoops, the man behind the SpeedCheetah devices, runs a continuing list of All-Market vehicles which are or have been known to utilize such athermic or otherwise coated windshields. AFAIK, unfortunately, there is no such similar listing of aftermarket tints. ]

 

You'll note that the word "potential" has been highlighted.

 

Why?

 

Because, over the years, we've found, in our community, that some aftermarket "metallic" or "semi-metallic" tints do *not* impact a detector's performance.

 

However, these have been few and far in between, and I would honestly recommend that unless you can verify via such historical (and reputable) posts - or your own quantitative testing (i.e. that you have access to a police RADAR device) - that you either not pursue such tints or, alternatively, pursue an external-to-firewall mounted "remote" detector, such as the Bel STi-R+ or the Escort 9500ci.

 

So, what can the ceramic dots or the factory tint-band of ours affect?

 

It'll definitely affect LASER reception.

 

Light is light - and if putting the detector behind the vehicle windshield can be likened to putting sunglasses on the detector, as Mike Valentine says (and demonstrated, in that old Car & Driver test), then imagine what happens when you've got the tint involved, too.

 

Yes, I know, it's IR-spectrum light, so it shouldn't matter - after all, look at those darkly tinted visible-light-filters they place over the LASER-receptive elements of various detectors and even active jammers.

 

But trust me, it does.

 

Remember that the above are specifically designed/engineered to allow unfiltered passage of the wavelength of light that's close to that of the LIDAR devices - your windshield and its tint? not so much.

 

The tint's easy to picture, then, as "sunglasses." But what about those dots?

 

It's a question of "we just don't know."

 

Obviously, any solid/opaque obstruction will simply absolutely negate detection - heck, stick your hand in front of your eye, now. But police LIDAR, incident to your vehicle/windshield, is something that spreads, nominally, by around 3-ft. diameter when at a range of 1000 ft.

 

Now, given that "floodlight" effect, your detector should thus be able to get plenty of LASER that's peeked around the sun-dots' matrix, right?

 

But the problem is that we just don't know exactly how much light is needed - and given the variable sensitivity of the detectors (I'll get back to this one in a second), it becomes even more of a gamble.

 

So, basically, what some of us do is that we elect to leave the detector mounted just low enough that the LASER sensor element "peeks out" clear of any such tints or obstructions.

 

Just in case, you know.

 

But really, how much does this matter?

 

I hinted at the fact that different detectors offer different levels of sensitivity to LASER, above. This is well-demonstrated by the VEIL Guy's 2009 test of various detectors, below:

 

http://www.laserveil.com/laser/detectors/reviews-tests-2009/

 

Note, first, that the Escort 9500ci and Bel STi-R are external-to-cabin "remote" units. Their LASER sensor(s) are virtually unobstructed, with a proper install. So anything less than a perfect performance would not be expected. Unless you want to spend upwards of $1K on a detector, and to remote-mount it, just skip those results.

 

Instead, look at the other detectors' performances, and look at how everything just pales in comparison to the V1.

 

Basically, what I'm trying to say here is that without a V1, your chances of surviving a LASER encounter is truly not all that great, regardless of where you've got your in-cabin unit mounted up. As-such, it's my most humble opinion that you not let this - LASER detection - be a primary consideration in terms of determining the mounting of your in-cabin detector, even if you live in a heavily LASER-traffic'ed area, and, actually, *even if* you have a V1.

 

Why the latter? Because with a V1, it's so LASER sensitive (search for internal pictures of the V1 and the Escort/Bel detectors, and you'll readily see the difference - the V1 utilizes a *huge* optical collimator at the end of its forward-facing LASER receiver, and that's why it is so much more sensitive to LASER than the other top-flight detectors...and is also the reason why so many of us will *only* recommend a V1 to anyone who is in a primary-LASER area, and who either cannot or will not use an active LASER jammer as their primary defense) that it may actually be of-benefit for there to be an additional "filter" to help calm false-positives (the V1 is known to be among the most easy to elicit a false LASER-alert from, which is a trade-off that comes with its absolute sensitivity in this area).

 

... But, with the detector in "dark" mode, you'd never know it was there from front or behind...

 

^ And this is the main reason why I do not think that the BlendMount (or other similar unit) is "stealthy" in any way - even operated in "full dark" mode, where there's no visible output from the detector to betray its presence from either to the side of or behind the vehicle, the detector nevertheless remains in full sight. But with the close-to-headliner mounting, as schwinn said, operated in "full-dark" mode, it'll be very, very hard to see.

 

Is the BlendMount (and other units like it) a good, solid mount?

 

Yes.

 

And I also think it is a viable alternative for those who live in areas where suction-cup mounting to the windshield or dash may be illegal.

 

But it is not a cure-all (i.e. above "sighted" from other vantage points, as well as, particularly in our Subarus, the fact that the inside rearview mirror drops down so far and can potentially intrude into desired view-out). It's definitely a valid device, just know what you're using it for.

 

 

----

 

 

Buddy of mine just brought this to my attention. I think I'll be ordering one soon...I had my V1 suction-cupped to some masking tape I threw over the dot matrix (so that the detector was centered and just barely poking below the tint), then the cups gave out a few months ago and I've had it ghetto-clipped into the headliner ever since. Not ideal. This looks perfect, and I've already got it wired into the moonroof.

 

Try thicker and smoother tape, such as clear packing tape, and also using multiple layers of it, so that it smooths-out the dots.

 

The problem is air-pockets created where the critical suction seal should otherwise be.

 

Other tricks also include using just a thin and small smear of vacuum-grease on the edge of the cup (my Escort's mount is positioned like this, using this very trick, over the sun-dots of my wife's '09 FXT), as well as using a piece of plexi (or even metal, as at that angle/positioned as such, it should not affect the receptive capabilities of the detector) sandwiched between the headliner and the windshield or somehow affixed to the windshield (i.e. with the use of the 3M VHB-based RadioShack "SuperLock" strips), and then affixing the detector mount's suction cups to this smooth surface, or using MEM-TEK's method below:

 

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/radar-detectors-general/29822-mounting-rd-above-your-rvm.html

 

 

----

 

 

01rs25, basically, *any* detector can be "hardwired," and you're not limited to any particular mounting device or setup.

 

With our Subarus, common taps include the power source for our HomeLink or Autodim mirrors, as well as the overhead lighting, if you don't want a wiring run to extend down from the roofline.

 

While I understand your reluctance to go down the A-pillar, please know that with a forward-of-pillar mounting, with the wiring going from the dash console, "up" the A-pillar at its forward junction with the windshield, and then across, at the junction between the windshield and the headliner, you will not trespass upon the curtain airbag. Look at some of the older threads here on LGT.com regarding A-pillar gauge mounting clusters, and you'll see what I mean.

 

In extending the wiring "down," you'll be able to use the Escort hardwire SmartCord remote, which will allow you to place the mute button close-at-hand.

 

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u259/TSi_WRX/cheetahmirror.jpg

 

^ That's my 9500i, with the Cheetah GPS-Mirror alongside.

 

I prefer a slightly lower mounting, just to the left of the inside RVM, as it places the detector within easy secondary sightlines, as well as allows its LASER sensor to "peek" just a little below the tint band.

 

The mirror sources power from my factory Autodimming mirror, while the 9500i draws power from down low, thus enabling:

 

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u259/TSi_WRX/WinkyInsideDaycenterconsoleLIT2.jpg

 

^ That bank of switches inside the ashtray (yes, that door still closes , I wanted to be sure that it does, in case I ever needed concealment) powers my various active jammers, but there's also a smaller yellow oval that highlights the area just under my driver's side HVAC rotary, and that's where I've placed the remote mute.

 

My old setup:

 

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u259/TSi_WRX/i-RedLineGoodsMOMO.jpg

 

Shows placement of the SmartCord hardwire remote, external to that location.

 

No big runs of visible wiring.

 

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u259/TSi_WRX/x50leftiRVM.jpg

 

^ That's how the x50 used to look, in my wife's old WRX.

 

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u259/TSi_WRX/ClusterFar.jpg

 

^ And that's my wife's '09 FXT. It gives you an idea of how little wiring is actually seen, with both setups, on both vehicles.

 

Thank you for the (as usual ) great detailed reply on RD issues!

 

I meant to say "packing tape," I had three or four layers of it up there, and the cups just lost their suction on it after a while...I like your suggestions for vacuum grease and/or plexi + superlock, I may look into that.

^ Glad to be of service!

 

The vac-grease trick is working out great with my wife's FXT! Even the recent spat of darned cold temperatures hasn't caused a problem.

Let's play find the mute button

 

 

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a257/mwiener2/AllDone1.jpg

^ The SmartCord mod has become very, very popular over the last 5 years - I've actually been citing your/Leg-GT Chris's "walk-throughs":

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11041&highlight=smartcord

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11100

 

^ To me, those are still some of the best, clearest, walk-throughs for this mod, available today.

 

There've been a few trickier/stealthier remote-mute and alerting (both audible and visual) setups - typically with the V1's system (and yes, I'm excluding most of what's done with the designed-for-remote-use/custom-mounting "remote" Escort/Bel systems, with the exception of, for example REBinc's awesomeness, which is totally on another level altogether), as it lends itself to more serious modification - but the SmartCord mod remains one of the most well-rounded and easiest to accomplish.

 

I used the same method to effect a completely removable (since my wife's FXT is a lease) centralized countermeasures "switch box" (incorporating the SmartCord mute as well as the switch for that vehicle's Laser Interceptor), via use of a common RadioShack "project enclosure."

 

With my setup in the LGT, the ZR3's remote mute is a more streamlined device, but it lacks the pilot light (that's ironically both the best as well as the worst part about the Escort SmartCord)...which is part of the reason why I placed the switch where I did - so that the HVAC rotary, which is backlit, can serve as the necessary pilot light (and so that my knee can effect guidance, via proprioception).

Revival. Just a heads up to anyone considering the Blendmount setup. I purchased the Blendmount setup with the short cord to hardwire my passport 9500ix to my auto dimming mirror (purchased from Blendmount - not the smartcord from Escort). Installation was a breeze - no issues at all. I was worried about the detector interfering with my visibility but I was able to adjust the mirror upward so it really didn't hang down much more than usual. Well-constructed materials.

Unfortunately I had one issue. Anytime my 9500ix got close to my auto dimming mirror it would issue a laser alert. Continuously. A rep from Escort indicating *some* auto dimming mirrors can cause interference with their RDs. They have a fix...for $70+/-...but that would result in reduced laser sensitivity. I'm not really interested in that.

 

Guess I have to find another place to mount it...

^ Before you try that, first try winding the power cord once around a fitting ferrite choke (you can get these from Radio Shack, which will have several sizes and shapes to choose from).

 

You can either use the "SuperLock" fasteners from Radio Shack or another 3M-VHB based two-sided adhesive tape - or even 3M's Automotive Trim/Molding Tape - to secure the choke bead up against the base of the headliner/interior RVM stalk, to hide it from view.

 

If that doesn't do it, try taking power and ground from another source.

 

If nothing works, then it's time to make a hard choice - do you want to get the unit serviced and reduce its LIDAR sensitivity (most hobbyists/enthusiasts report this as in the neighborhood of approx. 1/3 of original), or can you simply do, completely, without LASER detection (which is, to begin with, not so great in these units - REF: http://www.laserveil.com/laser/detectors/reviews-tests-2009/), i.e. does turning LASER "off" in the settings prevent you from hearing this alert?