Show me your Passport 8500 installs

ianc · 09-23-2006, 12:02 PM

Hi folks,

I just received a Passport 8500 X50 and have so far used it only one day. I can say that the spiral cord hanging down is quite annoying however, so something needs to be done about that. I see that Escort sells a cord for hardwiring the unit for about $30, so I'm thinking of going that route.

I don't care much for the suction cup mount either, but don't know what else to do. The Passport docs say that mounting the unit behind the tint at the top of the windshield will significantly affect its range. They also say that higher is better, but that the difference from top to bottom of the windshield will probably not make a perceptible difference. They do warn not to have the unit blocked by windshield wipers, however.

Has anybody built anything to mount the unit on the dash? How about the wiring?

Please give me some ideas. Thanks,

ianc

jbrinkley · 09-23-2006, 12:10 PM

I have the same issues, I've been using it in the truck until I figure something out. velcro to the dash maybe? I would have tried that earlier, but at the moment I have too many other things to monitor

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

I have mine hardwired and use the suction cups, usually mount it above the mirror glass, to the right of the mirror pedestal

ianc · 09-23-2006, 01:06 PM

Any pics of your wiring, etc. are greatly appreciated...

ianc

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

No, I installed the wire 30 yrs ago for a prehistoric version of the Passport. it runs from under the dash up the A piller, under the weather stripping and comes out just above the mirror pedestal.

Just look for a switched wire and tap into it. Seems to me that I may have used the one for the radio.

rlh930 · 09-23-2006, 08:19 PM

It would be great if someone that has figured out a decent way to mount their detector, not using the suction cups, would post pictures. Much to my surprise I found out that the suction cup mounts are now illegal in California. Grrr!

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm

rgrimm · rgrimm's Garage

A little off subject, but here's one for you.

In Minnesota, it's illegal to use the suction cups. State law forbids anything being "attached" to the front windshield.

I was pulled over in the '68, driving at a very legal speed through a small town. No ticket...I think he was bored and just wanted to talk and look at the car. He asked me to pull the detector off the windshield, then actually told me if I had the visor clip, that I could use that since it wouldn't be "on" the windshield!

Go figure...

75Carrera · 75Carrera's Garage

I took my new passport over to my favorite local autoglass shop and had the wire tucked into the windscreen rubber around the drivers side to the top center and left about five inches at the top for the connection to the unit. I used the suction cups to mount the unit slightly cocked toward the driver. Mounted above the mirror it is virtually out of sight from outside the car (something about dash mounted units that pisses the HP off). The unit is hard wired but can be removed for clean-up or to use in another vehicle.

williecoyote · 09-24-2006, 05:14 AM

I have an ancient Passport in my truck. The suction cups decomposed long ago, so I used Velcro to attach it to the dash. Keep in mind this is a Ford truck, I don't think I'd do this in the Porsche. The goo from the Velcro is a little sloppy in the sun, but its just a truck.
I bought my son a new Passport a few months ago. It's much lighter than mine, and his is mounted with the suction cups up near the mirror. His cord just hangs.
Sometimes when I am in a place where detectors are frowned upon, I lay it on the passenger seat. It still works pretty darn good fwiw.

Zeke · 09-24-2006, 07:22 AM

I've spent a few minutes reading the law for CA. I'm interested in this subject as it applies to a GPS unit as well. Seems to me that the visor method for the radar device meets the provisions of the law as it is not on the glass and really isn't obstructing the view whatsoever. Of course, a GPS way up there would be silly. It also sounds like one can use either mounted further back towards the driver at the edge of the dash as long as the device(s) are not too high and in the lne of visual sight. At that postion, the cord might be less offensive as well.

ianc · 09-24-2006, 09:38 AM

Unfortunately, my 87 has windshield tinting at the top of the windshield, and as mentioned, Escort says it will significantly affect the range to be mounted behind this. They claim that it is for this reason that they don't include a visor clip with the unit, although they do sell on as a (4$) accessory.

I found a fellow who did an interesting job on Audiworld.com:

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec102.shtml

ianc

75Carrera · 75Carrera's Garage

Unless you have the solid tint (usually reflective silver or black) the unit in my car works perfectly at the top, above the rearview mirror. I have a stock/standard windscreen with the tinted top and I run an "Air Cooleds Only" windshield sticker up there too.
We just got back from a fun run through the mountains and along a few miles of freeway at... well... moving right along. My Passport picked up a Highway Patrolman a good 1.5 miles before he was in site. That's good enough...
As far as the California law is concerned, I don't live there anymore and up at the top of the windshield it is virtually out of sight unless you're sitting in the car. I figure by the time a patrolman is sitting in my car I'm probably screwed anyway. LOL

mnmike · 09-24-2006, 02:21 PM

didnt read everyones posts but I had a passport detector on the cobra that was built into the car. There was a big unit that mounted behind the grill, another one that went on the rear plate at the top (youd never notice this its a thin strip) and then you wire the thing up and mount the reader somewhere for you to see.

swa911 · swa911's Garage

I hard wired my 8500 in my VW and the 911 and purchased an extra windshield mount so swapping from car to car is easy.

The cable for the detector stuffs down between the dash and the windshield and runs over to the "A" pillar. It then tucks up under the dash over the gauges and the wire goes through the opening for the fuel gauge. The remote alert is attached with velcro to the underside of the dash and the wires for it go through the opening for the temp gauge. The "mute" button on the remote is in easy reach with my left hand while driving.

I grounded the wire to a ground point installed by a PO somewhere down the line on the LH fender just behind the strut tower (see pic). The POS attached to the fuse block on a circuit that is IGN ON (see pic).

Nothing fancy but nice and clean and very functional. Radar detectors are not illegal here in TX so hiding it wasn't important to me. I yank it off and put in the locked glovebox or take it with me if I leave the car unattended.

Hope this helps.

ianc · 09-24-2006, 07:19 PM

Thanks for the shots all, I'd be pleased to see more if they're out there.

I think I can come up with a decent hardwiring scheme, but I would like to find some alternative to the suction cup nightmare. Here's one company who offers a bracket to mount the 8500\V1, but it doesn't look as though it will work with Porsches:

http://www.countryjoycrafts.com/ConnectorForRadarDetector.htm

Another slick install at Audiworld:

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec104.shtml

ianc

Zeke · 09-25-2006, 06:01 PM

Seems to be a lot of Passports. Are they the better, or can one believe the Valentine ads?

swa911 · swa911's Garage

My friend who has an 84 ROW 911 has a Valentine. We make some spirited runs together occasionaly and our detectors go off at the same time. I can be following him and his brake lights come on at the same time I hear my Passport.

One time we were sitting in our cars in a parking lot talking and both our detectors went off together. A highway patrol cruised by shortly thereafter.

Valentine can say all they want in thier ads but other than the directional arrows they seem the same to me except the Passport was cheaper.

ianc · 09-25-2006, 06:59 PM

Milt,

You opened up a can of worms there buddy.

Truly, I agree with swa. I think they are probably so close that they will keep leapfrogging each other with every new hardware\software release.

I tell ya what: it would be damned nice to have the directional arrows. $100 nice? Not, I don't think, to me.

Now show me your damned installs!

ianc

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Valentine One, hands down. Above the mirror with suction cups. It has paid for itself many times over. No other detector has ever come close, no matter what the "unbiased" tests show. I've had mine for at least 8 years, and it has never let me down. I know I sound like a commercial, but the multiple, directional alerts that V1 gives make all other detectors useless by comparison.

ianc · 10:07 PM

Quote:

I know I sound like a commercial, but the multiple, directional alerts that V1 gives make all other detectors useless by comparison.

See? I guess some people like them 100$ worth.

ianc

Edit: Back to the point, I currently have mine at the bottom outboard edge of my rearview, but it seems too far of an eye shift to look at the alert; I'd like it closer I think.

I'll try it in the lower inboard edge instead.

Can't think of a good place to mount the mute button module on the dash, so I may not, even though I turned automute off.

I like the solutions with the unit up high; it is really invisible. I would prefer less eye-travel to read the display though. I'll have to move my Fastrack over and go low.