Radar Detector Best Location?

[Greenkirby21]

Hi, I have a Valentine one I purchased from a friend about 3 years ago. I have noticed that the front detector never really works when compared to the rear. I did a small test There is a COP always at my school parked in the same hiding area. I parked near him with my radar facing forward, and got about 1/2 of full signal, when I was probably less then a football field away. However, in the same parking spot, I reversed, and immediately my rear detector went off and was at FULL bars and making crazy beeping noises.

I looked at the valentine website, and they said

Make sure your windshield is not covered with a metallic film. Windshield de-icers such as Fords InstaClear block radar. So do some sun-blocking films and some new-car glass options.


I have the rain sensor, and a blueish(sun) tint at the top. However, I place the suction cups DIRECTLY under where the blue tint stops. It might not be low enough I guess.

Is anyone else having this issue with any of their radar detecors?

[GaryS]

I have the rain sensor and the stock windshield stripe. I have heard that the stripe hurts RD performance, but my detector works fine even mounted on a visor clip pointing right through it. It is a Passport 9500i.

[Dackelone]

You can send your V1 back to the factory to be tested. They can also make some updates IF you want to pay for that. Just be sure to enclose a bill of sale from your friend - so they don't send the V1 back to him!

[RX-BMW]

Havent' had any problems, love the V1

[rps]

My 9500ix worked perfectly in my previous Z4 and now it is mounted to the right of the rear view in my 135i. It is below the tint strip and has picked up alarms fine from the front and rear.

[1speedbike]

My old Bel detector used to do that. I was never sure why, but by its final days it could barely detect a cop a couple blocks down an unobstructed, straight road forwards, but could pick up some ridiculous mile-away signals down a curvy road backwards. I think the front sensor was just going or something.

I always mount mine pretty low so they're not obstructing my view at all. I have my current passport detector mounted on the windshield in the center, hovering about 2-3 inches above the dash. When cops use radar and laser they usually aim for your headlights/grill area, so hypothetically it should read better the lower you put it. But radar is so "wide" that it really doesn't matter where on your windshield you mount it, and if you're hit by a laser you're already screwed or the beam bounced off another car anyway and spread the laser out so it likely doesn't matter where you mount the detector. However, mounting it high is usually better for rear detection so the rear sensor can "see" out your rear window a bit better. All in all, I don't think it matters much as long as your detector is facing the right way and isn't pointed down into the ground or something..