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Where is the best place to mount your radar detector?Where is the best position to mount your radar detector? Down low on the windscreen, or up high next to the rear view mirror? This is a highly debated topic amongst radar detector enthusiasts, with around 50/50 quoting each position. We decided to do some testing...
Mike Valentine from Valentine Research in the USA states:
Radar Roy from radarbusters states:
Our testing seemed to support the latter:
Multanova 6F 34.3GHz mounting test
First test we mounted a Valentine One radar detector in the grill, then drove past the speed camera and measured the alert distances over 4 runs.
Next we mounted the same detector low, and centred on the windscreen, with the third and final test with the detector mounted up high and centred on the windscreen.
Results:
Click on any of the blue underlined links in the table above to watch the corresponding video of the test.
The results somewhat surprised us, especially the massive reduction when mounted up high. We can only speculate at reason behind the figures; in that the Multanovas (operating on low powered, low divergence Ka radar) mounted on a tripod low to the ground, offer little reflection up the higher you go. Mounting in the grill gave two maximum reading (out of any runs), but also had two lower readings. We think that grill mounted radar detectors may be more susceptible to reflections (and blockages) from other cars. No cars in your way, and you have maximum range. Cars blocking the signal, and you lose 30% of your detection range.
Mounting up high almost halved the detection range (although mounting against the windscreen up high and mounting on the sun visor gave different results as shown in test 3, run 4.
Next test was using an Escort 9500i with an "around the curve" test.
Results:
Click on any of the blue underlined links in the table above to watch the corresponding video of the test.
Again the results surprised us, with the detection range around 10% less with the detector mounted high.
Laser 904nm mounting test
Finally we took our previous laser detection tests results and compiled just the windscreen detector results:
Results at 25m (82 feet):
Results at 50m (164 feet)
Results at 100m (328 feet)
Results at 200m (656 feet)
Results at 300m (984 feet)
With the exception of the Whistler XTR-690, all radar detectors Alerted to the laser gun MORE when mounted low on the windscreen. It makes intuitive sense that this would be the outcome, since the laser beam is very narrow (around 30cm diameter per 100m) and thus aiming at he front of the car could potentially miss the radar detector's laser sensor completely.
Conclusions:
Is this the final be-all / end-all decision for all cars and all radar detectors? No, of course not, but here at Delonix Radar we believe there is not as much substance to the argument that mounting high gives you longer range. Certainly in our few tests we've seen the opposite.
So in our opinion, it's best to mount your radar detector low and centred on the windscreen. |