Homemade radar screamer

[Filter_nz]

How to Build your own Radar Screamer for $20

Background
Brought a VTR1000 after I got my full last month which came fitted with a radar mount and power cable which just so happened to work with my Escort X50 radar (same as a Beltronics RX65 as I understand).
Anyway I couldn’t hear it going off over the sound of the aftermarket cans and of course road noise after 100km/h. I found a H.A.R.D led kit or a radar screamer but both were well over $100!!! I searched on here to find a post from Jantar (I think that's who it was) explaining how he made a screamer from a Warehouse smoke alarm. I tried to follow his example however couldn’t find a smoke alarm that did NOT use a 'direct short' for the test function.
So turned on my brain made a really simple and safe version I thought I would share. Cost about $20 for parts all from Jaycar Electronics which you can buy online.
I’ve included pics.... at the moment it’s in very rough form but works fanstic!!!
I run it off 9v battery for now however at some stage will direct wire it to the battery and solder the components to a PCB which will about halve the size.

Parts
1) 5v Solid state relay (must be solid state as anything else is slow to switch)
2) Piezo Screamer (NOT a piezo buzzer or speaker)
3) 16v 4700uf Capacitor

Other little parts
1) Solder
2) Soldering iron
3) Sealant (Seally All Clear) to waterproof your connections
4) A nice little box to hide it all in
5) Wires

What it all does
The radar puts out about 5-6v when beeping, this will trigger the relay.

Using a relay insures there is no power going back to the Radar so no risk of damage to your expensive radar.
When your radar beeps 5volts comes down the ear-piece lead to the relay, the relay then completes the circuit of 9v Battery to 16v 4700uf Capacitor to Piezo screamer.

You can make it without the capacitor however beep will be MUCH shorter and much quieter. Without going into technical detail the cap basically ensures you get a nice solid BEEP rather than a little “pip”.

Piece of Cake to make, cheap, no risk of damage to the radar and more than up to the job! Just make sure you get the polarity right when doing the wiring (the + and – around the right way.... use a multicenter).

If people want more into of the Jaycar part numbers let me know. Hope this helps someone out there.

[The Pastor]

How to Build your own Radar Screamer for $20

Background
Brought a VTR1000 after I got my full last month which came fitted with a radar mount and power cable which just so happened to work with my Escort X50 radar (same as a Beltronics RX65 as I understand).
Anyway I couldn’t hear it going off over the sound of the aftermarket cans and of course road noise after 100km/h. I found a H.A.R.D led kit or a radar screamer but both were well over $100!!! I searched on here too find a post from Jantar (I think that's who it was) explaining how he made a screamer from a Warehouse smoke alarm. I tried to follow his example however couldn’t find a smoke alarm that did NOT use a 'direct short' for the test function.
So turned on my brain made a really simple and safe version I thought I would share. Cost about $20 for parts all from Jaycar Electronics which you can buy online.
I’ve included pics.... at the moment it’s in very rough form but works fanstic!!!
I run it off 9v battery for now however at some stage will direct wire it to the battery and solder the components to a PCB which will about halve the size.

Parts
1) 5v Solid state relay (must be solid state as anything else is slow to switch)
2) Piezo Screamer (NOT a piezo buzzer or speaker)
3) 16v 4700uf Capacitor

Other little parts
1) Solder
2) Soldering iron
3) Sealant (Seally All Clear) to waterproof your connections
4) A nice little box to hide it all in
5) Wires
6) The radar puts out about 5-6v when beeping, this will trigger the relay.

What it all does
Using a relay insures there is no power going back to the Radar so no risk of damage to your expensive radar.
When your radar beeps the 5v come down the ear piece lead to the relay, the relay then completes the circuit of 9v Battery to 16v 4700uf Capacitor to Piezo screamer.

You can make it without the capacitor however beep will be MUCH shorter and much quieter. Without going into technical detail the cap basically ensures you get a nice solid BEEP rather than a little “pip”.

Piece of Cake to make, cheap, no risk of damage to the radar and more than up to the job! Just make sure you get the polarity right when doing the wiring (the + and – around the right way.... use a multicenter).

If people want more into of the Jaycar part numbers let me know. Hope this helps someone out there.

22 posts and your already posted up a good bit of info, well done mate

[CookMySock]

Yeah put the part numbers in. I been fiddling around trying to adapt from the remote port on it - didnt think to connect to the earphone jack.

thanks!
Steve

[Filter_nz]

For those interested here are the parts and prices...

From Jaycar (can buy online) www.jaycar.co.nz

1) SY4088 5v solid state relay $10.90
2) AB3456 Piezo Buzzer/Screamer $9.90
3) RE6320 16v 4700uf Capacitor $3.00 (RE6243 may also work)

They're the main parts, the rest are pretty generic but if you want them here are the part numbers...

4) WA7006 3.5mm Mono audio cable $4.50, you can buy just the jack and solder your own wires if your cheap!
5) PH9233 9v Battery terminal clip $1 (otherwise wiring off you 12v biker battery and use a fuse)

NB: if you use a 9V battery it will last for ages as the curcuit by default is always open until the relay triggers when the radar beeps. So if the radar isn't going off there is almost no drain on the battery so no need for a power switch.

Jaycar also sell various size plastic boxes to mount it all in. If you're good at soldering consider buying a small PCB and solder the parts to that.
You don't have to use the exact parts I did but if you're not tech savy the parts I used are safe, have a good margin of error (i.e can use 9 - 16v without any issues) and work perfectly.

[CookMySock]

question: how did you make the detector beep while testing?

DB

[Filter_nz]

Easy, just push any of the buttons and it'll beep. Also does a beep sequence when first turned on.

[idleidolidyll]

bloody marvelous.

I shall be making one for my Sti as soon as I can!

[CookMySock]

Easy, just push any of the buttons and it'll beep. Also does a beep sequence when first turned on.

Ah minor brain fart there. I had been fiddling with its accessory plug, which ONLY outputs a signal with a valid warning.


Steve

[TimeOut]

bloody marvelous.

I shall be making one for my Sti as soon as I can!

My son has been working on one for my STi for the last two weeks, similar to the above (he works for a Jacar franchise) he's trying LED lights for the top of the screen first, but can hook up the screamer to it as well. Will let you know how it works.

[Dino]

Thanks for the information, very helpful.

[wezo]

bradley you smarty pants.

[Filter_nz]

Wezo you'll need one of these on your new Ducati, I speed by accident half the time and don't realise the speed kept up.

Just a quick update.... my 9v battery went flat after testing the screamer in the car all week. I realise I'm using a 16v Cap and 12v screamer however shouldn't matter as the 9v battery will charge up the cap.
It could be the relay is allowing a slow drain so the 9v battery is always feeding the cap as it drains. I haven’t figured it out yet and will not bother to as I'm going to hard wire it to the battery with an inline fuse and removable power cord. The 9v shouldn't really have gone flat as it's an open circuit but you even know with "cheap leaky" solid state relays. If you still want to run a 9v battery add a switch to the positive terminal off the battery or remove the battery when not riding.

[idleidolidyll]

My son has been working on one for my STi for the last two weeks, similar to the above (he works for a Jacar franchise) he's trying LED lights for the top of the screen first, but can hook up the screamer to it as well. Will let you know how it works.

I'm not a good solderer, my chubby little fingers get in the way.
If his one works and he's interested, I'd pay a fair margin for his labour for an extra one (but not radar directs rip off pricing).
pm me if interested

[TimeOut]

I'm not a good solderer, my chubby little fingers get in the way.
If his one works and he's interested, I'd pay a fair margin for his labour for an extra one (but not radar directs rip off pricing).
pm me if interested

I'm taking the STI into him tomorrow to try, I'll see what he says.

[davereid]

I'm more than happy to design one, and produce an easy to build design for kiwibiker if it's wanted. I'd have to borrow a detector, just let me know if you want something put together.