Radar detector + tinted screen

[ckai]

I guess anything in the way will have some effect on the ability of waves to get to the detector... just how much your plastic or fibre glass fairings cut the range of the device, you'll have to test that for yourself. Plastic can't be too bad, they make the body of the unit from it.

This is a good point. Mine is made from metal though...to stop the "leakage".

You probably could, but you want to be able to pick up getting zapped from behind so you don't want any metal behind it either.
+ unless you are running a HARD system, you need to be able to see and mostly hear the detector going off. Not to mention you need easy access to it so you can remove it when you park up.

I just used the suction cups to hold it to the windscreen. When they are on properly its quite hard to remove. Never came off in two years of using.

As to visible or not, they aren't illegal yet so ok to have one.... but if you did get caught speeding its not going to help your cause.
But these days, you'll get the ticket 99.9% of the time anyway if you've been snapped.

either way, I'd always make it easy to take on and off. You do that quite a lot if you park away from home.

I'm not worried about making it hidden, more of a fact of ease of mounting. Never been keen of having all this kit around the dash so if I can put it in an easily accessible place away from the dash, all the better.

I have a "smart cord" which flashes when a signal goes off. Was thinking of running that around by the top of the screen to catch my eye. Of course this is all theory and I''m waiting for the bike to arrive to check.

Firstly it is unlikely plastic will attenuate the signal, but metal will depending on whether or not it forms a shield (ie an RF shield). Without all the gear it is difficult to test properly. However there is a way to test your set up: Find one of those X band pole mounted speed readouts on a straight section of road and go back up the road until the detector is just triggering, that is where you can test the installation of the detector. Try the detector out in the open and test the vertical angle it needs to be set to trigger and test the triggering where you want to locate it on or in the bike. Then you will know if the signal is attenuated by the fairing, screen of whatever else is in the way. BTW - in an earlier life I used to know about this shit - now the less I have to do with calculations of 'permeability of free space' etc the better.

This would be a good way to test it. BUT I can't be assed I know it works not to bad on the passenger's floor so plastic is gotta be better. I might give it a crack and see what happens.

[CookMySock]

I have a "smart cord" which flashes when a signal goes off. Was thinking of running that around by the top of the screen to catch my eye.

Nah not bright enough by a long shot. Often theres only seconds in it, so a gey blinky LED won't do it.

So just to clarify, I could, say, mount my detector under the fairing so it can't be seen at all and it will still be all good?

Yes that should be fine. Don't mount the sensor "lens" right behind a metal part of the fairing.

They dont have to show you there display, they just need to sight it, a mate got caught recently and cop refused to show alledged speed.

Just go look in his window and shoot a photo of it with your camera phone - it's not against the law.


Steve

[SVboy]

What about a single earpiece mounted in your helmet, and a lead to your detector?. Far from ideal because of the dangly lead and propensity to put tension on the detector jack point[which can be quite weak] but cheap and does not need batteries like a HARD system.

[Blackbird]

It works fine, but I found that you either disconnect it moving around the bike and don't notice or hop off the bike without thinking and break the connection. I've had a screamer on for the past 4 years - the perfect solution.

[3umph]

I use to have an earpiece... wrecked so may I then went to the HARD system... shit hot unless you leave the led reciever on, other then that batt life is good... I carry spare batteries all the time so just incase i'm away and it dies I have spare...
I also have some LED's mounted on the screen and powered by the jackpoint, these are not to bad but you dont always see them going off...

[ckai]

What about a single earpiece mounted in your helmet, and a lead to your detector?. Far from ideal because of the dangly lead and propensity to put tension on the detector jack point[which can be quite weak] but cheap and does not need batteries like a HARD system.

It works fine, but I found that you either disconnect it moving around the bike and don't notice or hop off the bike without thinking and break the connection. I've had a screamer on for the past 4 years - the perfect solution.

"Breakaway" or inline plug would fix this.

I use to have an earpiece... wrecked so may I then went to the HARD system... shit hot unless you leave the led reciever on, other then that batt life is good... I carry spare batteries all the time so just incase i'm away and it dies I have spare...
I also have some LED's mounted on the screen and powered by the jackpoint, these are not to bad but you dont always see them going off...

I was thinking of doing the LED thing under the screen as well. Mainly for shits and giggles. Was gonna have red and blue I thought 5 on each side would get my attention. May cause problems at night with other motorists and it possibly would cause problems when the cop sees them that the detector has picked up!

As long as you can't see them from the front I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Alas, I need to mount the detector first before worrying about anything else.

[Blackbird]

"Breakaway" or inline plug would fix this..

Had one and it didn't always work. Oh and you don't react as quickly to visual cues as opposed to audible ones, small that the difference might be.

[breakaway]

Sorry what am I supposed to fix?

[Mikkel]

The Ka band covers the frequency range from 26.5 to 40 GHz. This equals a free-space wavelength in the range of 7.5 to 11.3 mm.

Seeing as the wind screen is most likely thinner than one wavelength it would have to be a very effective shielding material in order to cause any significant attenuation of the radar signal.

[TerminalAddict]

Mine is mounted permanently in my givi topbox.
And agree with Blackbird; screamer is the only way to go, and reduces the clutter around the dash when the detector is stashed elsewhere (like in the topbox)

[CookMySock]

I also have some LED's mounted on the screen and powered by the jackpoint

How did you wire this up?

Steve

[ckai]

Had one and it didn't always work. Oh and you don't react as quickly to visual cues as opposed to audible ones, small that the difference might be.

Interesting. The types of racing I've done as sports had both sound and lights for the starts. I had to change my habits to go off the lights because I was told they were faster. Could have been wiring but I always got better starts. I suppose it comes down to you reacting faster to sound instead of light when not paying attention. This I can see (or hear).

Sorry what am I supposed to fix?

hahah

[kwaka_crasher]

The cops down here use instant on at least 90% of the time, the only early warning you get is if there's traffic up ahead.

Even then they quite often won't ping the first vechicle, I've been tenth in a line and was the first the cop pinged.

You know that microwave speed detection can't actually identify the actual source of a reading and they can't just select a single vehicle to measure the speed of, right?

[Flip]

You know that microwave speed detection can't actually identify the actual source of a reading and they can't just select a single vehicle to measure the speed of, right?

Well that was the justification used when the cops got the lasers. No they can't they just lock onto the strongest signal.

[slofox]

I was thinking of doing the LED thing under the screen as well. Mainly for shits and giggles. Was gonna have red and blue I thought 5 on each side would get my attention. May cause problems at night with other motorists and it possibly would cause problems when the cop sees them that the detector has picked up!

As long as you can't see them from the front I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Alas, I need to mount the detector first before worrying about anything else.

The TPX comes with LED flasher AND a wireless earpiece that fits in helmet - test this morning proved that it is L.O.U.D...