Just brought a Valentine One... Hard wiring Question?

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:27 am

i just brought be a Valentine 1 Radar locator and i hard wired it to my car using the R/B(red with black stripe) wire that the service manual said was the lighter element... But the wire turns out to be "always on" regarless of the ignition... for time purposes i just left it like that and i have to turn off the V1 after i turn off the car

i have saw the mirror wire kits... but i dont want to do it that way because ill be adding the concealed display later and like the convience of having it pre wired right by the fuse box...

If i cant find the right wire i think i might just go to radio shack and do a wire boot into the fusebox... i really dont want to do it that way... the hard wire kit the V1 comes with is perfect except i need the right ignition only wire...

by **pfarmer** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:52 am

kmckis1029 wrote:i just brought be a Valentine 1 Radar locator and i hard wired it to my car using the R/B(red with black stripe) wire that the service manual said was the lighter element... But the wire turns out to be "always on" regarless of the ignition... for time purposes i just left it like that and i have to turn off the V1 after i turn off the car

i have saw the mirror wire kits... but i dont want to do it that way because ill be adding the concealed display later and like the convience of having it pre wired right by the fuse box...

If i cant find the right wire i think i might just go to radio shack and do a wire boot into the fusebox... i really dont want to do it that way... the hard wire kit the V1 comes with is perfect except i need the right ignition only wire...

Not sure on the 05s, I have an 08. Howabout going to the accessories outlets? If I remember correctly one or both are controlled.

I don't know if Nissan does this (either hard wired or configuration) but on my Chyrsler you can select how the outlet works by which way you put in the fuse. That is the fuse holder is like an L. You put it in the horiz. part of the L and it will always be on. Put it in the vertical and it will be controlled by the switch (or the other way around, I forget).

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:31 am

there is no L in the fuse box.. and i dont remember reading that g35s have that feature...

both the lighter element and the power outlet run off the same wire but are fused seperatly... now that i think about it.. i must have the wire booted before it hits the ACC relay... the problem is i dont see the R/B wire coming out the fuse box, just into the fuse box...

yeah ima just boot the fuse box unless someone knows an acc only wire i can boot into with out ripping too much inerior panels out

...

i can live with turning it off when i get out the car... no wires are showing

as i have them routed though the headlinner and down the door pillar to the fuse box area

by **WESIDE** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:34 pm

Hardwired mine. Ran the wire under the headliner than down the drives pillar and toward the fuse box. Then spliced into the acc/ cig lighter and have had no issues for over a year now. Just make sure you find a good ground down in the fuse block. Pretty much anything metal with a screw going to it. Good Luck. Wes

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:40 pm

what color wire was it?

i have it installed the exact same way you did except its its "always on" i have to turn it off when i turn engine off...

by **WESIDE** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:02 pm

Re check the wire you spliced into. I know it is tight and can be confusing. Sounds like you got a wire that always has power on. Be carful here, this could drain your battery. Re check and re test. It is down there, i am not sure what color it is. Refer to you fuse block cover for the diagram. Wes

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:27 pm

yeah ill be back at it tomorrow after work... im happy with the install thus far...

i had a cop ride behind me and turn is in-car radar on and off three times... guess he saw my V1 and was messing with me...

by **kmckis1029** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:34 am

i got it installed correctly now... turns on when the car turns on and off when the car is off...

i just did my last resort... i wired it directly from the cigirette lighter fuse in the fuse box... i didnt want to splice wires til i found the right one...

works perfect now and has found three clocking officers in the week i have had it... and one officer i would of never saw without it

(green/white police car sitting off in some grass on the RIGHT clocking from the slow lane while it was snowing yesterday)

i would recommend a V1 for any one who has the money to burn

I got a v1 after i just recently got my first speeding ticket in 5 years... basicly since my young and dumb years...

i got caught going 60 in a 45... i got clocked as soon as i passed the 45mph sign coming out of a 55mph zone... i usually would slow down when i got to that area... but my gf was complaining about her stomach hurting and i was busy being a good bf.. rubbing her stomach as i drove... if i had a v1 then i would of never got that ticket. the officer was right in the open clocking, but my dumb self in my gf distraction kept going 60 like i was in the 55 zone

now i have a $168 ticket like i was driving like a bat out of hell... and the officer wasnt hearing nothing i said

by **Guju Rider** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:56 am

i have an escort x50 and i hard wired it to the fuse box..i went to autozone and bought their "add-a-circuit" and another 3 amp fuse...ran the wire along the headliner and down the driver side pillar..down to the fuse box...i took out the 15A fuse that is used for the accessory outlets..and placed that 15A fuse and the additional 3A (for the radar) on the "add-a-circuit"...and plugged it into the spot where i took out the 15A...no splicing or anything..well except the wire..i didnt have to splice anything on the G..there is also a spot for you to ground the wire....i also ran the wire down to where the mirror wires come and ran them through that and brought the wire our just below the mirror..i like it...no coiled wire in your view while you're driving..and its a clearer set up...later.

by **kmckis1029** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:23 am

thx ill look for that today

by **kmckis1029** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:59 pm

Thanks man... i found it and got a clean install using the cig lighter fuse slot

by **Guju Rider** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:22 am

thanks man..i just like this set up because you can easily take it out and install it in another car if you were to ever get rid of your G...(which would be a shame unless you're getting another infiniti)

by **DAAN.** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:35 pm

do what I did on my other car; run it behind center console :

by **kmckis1029** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:20 am

i have the wires ran through the head liner on purpose... cause i wanted the highest mount possible for my V1... while your low mounted detector is more out the way, you are sacraficing some "over hill" and "around the bend" performance...

The higher you mount your detector the better it can "see" threats. Then if your detector has a rear anttena, like the V1, its just pointing at your back seat... instead of out the rear window. it'll still pick up rear radar waves but no rear lazer...

by **pfarmer** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:12 am

DAAN. wrote:do what I did on my other car; run it behind center console :

Many articles and some manufacturers recommend low mounting, some even sitting right on the dash which is what I do with one of mine (not the G). Basically radar detection is coming from two directions. If it is directed at your car then it is usually aimed low. Of course this means it is difficult for you to respond in time since your car is targetted. A low mounted radar may well be better at detection for this case (as long as the hood, etc. is not in the way). For radar bouncing off of other cars a higher location on the windshield is better up to getting blocked by the top few inches or so if it is tinted since various tint can drastically change the detection.

Some radar companies such as Escort state there is very little difference between high and low mounts for scatter detection and you may want to go low for safety reasons. That it is doesn't block your view and is harder for others to see such as cops and those behind you. I simply lay mine on the dash on a pad with the wire connected from behind the center air ducts on my other car, works fine.

For laser it is generally suggested to mount low for detection from the front as long as it is not directly blocked. If GPS enabled it appears that most suggest not only low but slightly forward so as to provide the best view of the sky. I don't really know if this is true for all or for some as my portable GPS units works fine even if on the floor. Some like the the versions by Delorme even work well in the glove box.

I vote for the low mount based on the consensus of many sites as little difference in scatter detection and slightly better detection when you are the target. Behind detection may be compromised by a fairly high trunk on my G, but my detectors still seem to work well anyway.

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:04 am

lol never fails... anytime i say something technical here comes perry

but i will say you are right about having it low for better protection if you are the target... cause yeah the radar/lazer gun will only be like 6 ft off the ground. (average hieght of a person using it).

but my point is i dont want to be the target... i want my detector to be able to catch radar scatter off the person in front of me, "over the hill", and "around the bend" Also i want to catch the lazer reflections through the glass of the person infront of me and off bridges...

then since physically my V1 has two antennas... so a low mount is pointless.

i want to advoid being the target in all cases.

by **pfarmer** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:18 am

kmckis1029 wrote:lol never fails... anytime i say something technical here comes perry

but i will say you are right about having it low for better protection if you are the target... cause yeah the radar/lazer gun will only be like 6 ft off the ground. (average hieght of a person using it).

but my point is i dont want to be the target... i want my detector to be able to catch radar scatter off the person in front of me, "over the hill", and "around the bend" Also i want to catch the lazer reflections through the glass of the person infront of me and off bridges...

then since physically my V1 has two antennas... so a low mount is pointless.

i want to advoid being the target in all cases.

The point on the scatter is that it appears that it doesn't matter all that much. I believe in the case of laser you may not get as much off of the glass of the car in front of you as you think. I think you get more off of the dust in the air and the water molecues present.

As far as the V1 it seems for side detection you have a wider angle with a low mount since it would sit further forward (as long as it is not blocked). Radar is affected by glass so I would think it is debateable exactly what occurs through the back window. What is not absorbed may well be directed upwards and a detector in the front may well not get a direct hit anyway from the back. To me the best way (other than not making yourself a target) is using one of the other manufactures with remote sensors where they can be positioned outside the vehicle and in the ideal places.

Now of course an issue comes up with having anything on the windshield regardless of high or low. I have been thinking about this in regard to adding gauges and ran across an article where a person added a OBD-II gauge to his mirror. One question I have is what makes a legal mirror, could it be a monitor?

If so could one put a monitor up to the legal limit (usually seems to be the top 6 inches) and split the top (or bottom) of the monitor into the rear facing camera, the rest the electronic gauges? I was thinking of hijacking a 3rd brake light housing off of another car mounted high for the rear facing camera.

Now extend this to the radar detector. I have seen radar detectors that were taken apart and sensors then remotely located. In essence a V1 was created and the indications were now in the instrument cluster. A lot of work in these cases, but easy if you could put the indication on the monitor mentioned.

Another option. I ran into a company that makes a heads up display that is suppose to work for most cars. From what I can tell the size is about the same as a dash mounted GPS but pointed upwards towards the windshield. On my 2008 I was wondering about stealing the center speaker location to sink something like that in. The center speaker could be located again in the center but invisible (done with success in other cars, why not ours).

This would put your radar indication on the glass but not visible to anyone but the driver. Turn it off and it disappears when your friend in blue comes to the window.

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:53 am

i saw a youtube video of an mercedes-benz that had the V1's display integrated into the LCD driver infomation screen of the drivers instument cluster.

i bet that could be done for the 2007+ G35/7 bigger driver info screen... if i remember right, the company basically used the V1's existing light signals as inputs and displayed them in the car's LCD infomation screen. that dosent sound too hard as long as you have the right software tools.

i have to assume there is a way to program what shows up in the driver info display... especially the 2003-2006's gear display... i bet thats just a hardwired response to the gear shifter position.

i bet you could store the arrows, numbers, and signal strength pictures. then you would have a radar/lazer warning in you driver instrument panel with out an extra screen.

man you got me thinking.... do the service manuals go into any detial about where/how the instrument panels get thier info? but i bet its nissian only software to program it though...

by **kmckis1029** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:15 am

just for kicks...

i saw this as i was looking o see if lazer jammers are legal in my state...

http://www.guysoflidar.com/detectormounting.html

by **pfarmer** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:25 pm

kmckis1029 wrote:i saw a youtube video of an mercedes-benz that had the V1's display integrated into the LCD driver infomation screen of the drivers instument cluster.

i bet that could be done for the 2007+ G35/7 bigger driver info screen... if i remember right, the company basically used the V1's existing light signals as inputs and displayed them in the car's LCD infomation screen. that dosent sound too hard as long as you have the right software tools.

i have to assume there is a way to program what shows up in the driver info display... especially the 2003-2006's gear display... i bet thats just a hardwired response to the gear shifter position.

i bet you could store the arrows, numbers, and signal strength pictures. then you would have a radar/lazer warning in you driver instrument panel with out an extra screen.

man you got me thinking.... do the service manuals go into any detial about where/how the instrument panels get thier info? but i bet its nissian only software to program it though...

The answer is yes they do but you really need to be able to follow the logic right down to the logic levels.

One fairly easy place to put your indications is the mirror. You basically pop off the back of the mirror and remove the mirror backing where you want a light to shine through (or even enough for a small monitor to shine through).

Consider how one of the new phones work. I forget the name right now but you know the advertisement. A guy is talking to this girl when this other ST walks past and he uses his phone in mirror mode to take a good look.

You could also use the aux inputs to your Nav screen as well, just takes a little bit of work to put the indication into composite video form.

Perry

by **pfarmer** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:40 pm

kmckis1029 wrote:just for kicks... i saw this as i was looking o see if lazer jammers are legal in my state...

http://www.guysoflidar.com/detectormounting.html

Counter quote from one of the sources he lists:

Can I mount my detector on my sun visor?
We generally do not recommend mounting detectors on the sun visor because the dark tint at the top of most windshields significantly reduces laser detection range, and the GPS-powered features of the Passport 9500i will not function if satellite reception is blocked. So, we do not include a visor mount as a standard accessory. While not recommended, we do offer an optional visor mount that can be seen by clicking this visor clip link.

As a rule of thumb, a lower detector mounting position is better for laser and a higher position is better for radar. But, in most vehicles, the difference in height between the top and bottom of the windshield is not enough to make any perceptible difference in radar reception. It's best to mount your detector where it has a clear field of view front and rear (plus a clear view of the sky for the Passport 9500i), and where you can see it without obstructing your own view of the road.

------------------------------------------------

The point I was making about the Valentine possibly working better lower and forward for side detection was due to the curvature of the windshield in order to have as good of a side view as possible. The higher you are it would seem the more you could have obstruction by the windshield pillars.

The comment about what would occur from the rear is that glass will affect what path the microwaves and laser for that matter takes due to angle. I really haven't seen any real studies on this for autos but have seen some for communication systems such as transmission through windows in residences.

The ideal solution is to not shooting through the glass at all with externally mounted sensors. I have heard of some issues with glass in certain types of cars, if I remember correctly BMW (maybe Porsche) may have a coating where this can be an issue.

Perry

by **pfarmer** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:50 pm

kmckis1029 wrote:i saw a youtube video of an mercedes-benz that had the V1's display integrated into the LCD driver infomation screen of the drivers instument cluster.

i bet that could be done for the 2007+ G35/7 bigger driver info screen... if i remember right, the company basically used the V1's existing light signals as inputs and displayed them in the car's LCD infomation screen. that dosent sound too hard as long as you have the right software tools.

i have to assume there is a way to program what shows up in the driver info display... especially the 2003-2006's gear display... i bet thats just a hardwired response to the gear shifter position.

i bet you could store the arrows, numbers, and signal strength pictures. then you would have a radar/lazer warning in you driver instrument panel with out an extra screen.

man you got me thinking.... do the service manuals go into any detial about where/how the instrument panels get thier info? but i bet its nissian only software to program it though...

Something interesting I ran into while look at OBD-II style gauges was a HUD that looks like it could work with the Infiniti. The difference is it doesn't use OBD-II rather it is more traditional in using sensors wired to an interface box that is then connected to the HUD. This box can also have its own in car display but the HUD is what I was interested in. Rather than the arrows of the Valentine replace them with 4 bars or traditional round style gauges indicating signal strength. From what I have seen so far most of these HUD displays for cars are basically high brightness LEDs in a dense enough display to project an image on the windshield. In the vette the display is located directly in front of the instrument cluster on the dash in what appears to be a recessed well. This would be sort of tough to do on the Infiniti but this HUD mounts on the surface of the dash.

If homebrewing one of these I would think stealing the center speaker could be a good way to go since you could mount the projector part flush or slightly sunken into the dash. Now what would you use as a projector? Typically I believe most of these are very low resolution simply because they use high brightness LEDs, what happens if you actually use a LCD projector? If so then which one? There is a low resolutions projector for video that is available very cheap, often sold for kiddie use. I wonder if anyone has one here that could take it out to their car and play against the windshield as a test.

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:42 am

i found it!!!

custom V1 integrated into existing MB S-class display

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated

ML-Class integration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cry2dopcvlM

this is the rear view mirror thing you was talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated

seems to be only Mercedes they catering too...

Modified by kmckis1029 at 9:55 AM 7/8/2009

by **pfarmer** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:30 am

kmckis1029 wrote:i found it!!!

custom V1 integrated into existing MB S-class display

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated

ML-Class integration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cry2dopcvlM

this is the rear view mirror thing you was talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated

seems to be only Mercedes they catering too...

Modified by kmckis1029 at 9:55 AM 7/8/2009

It would be interesting if in the case of the Mercedes if we are looking at a serial display on the Mercedes that is added or if actually hyjacking the current display.

I have been doing some research lately on these displays which are getting more and more sophisticated while becoming easeir to integrate. If the V1 is putting out a serial stream I just may have to get one myself to deconstruct.

I have been doing electronic projects since I was about 8 (radios, tv, robotics) and I find some of the latest stuff really fascinating. One reason is that much of this is actually sort of a 'Back to The Future' scenario. While the electronics are getting more sophisticated the interfaces are starting to use some of the older concepts. This allows an easier time for us hobbiest to play.

In the case of the CAN bus on the Infiniti it is relatively easy for example to query info using the OBD-II port and bring it into a computer. This is why I am mentioning the idea of a electronic mirror with a rear view camera. But there are other options as well. With very small controllers (SBCs - single board computers) right down to the size of postage stamps one can then take their output and display the results on these serial LCD (and also LEDs) displays which can be mounted almost anywhere.

An example of an OBD-II device mounted in a mirror. Basically this is a normally displayed electronic gauge in a round form that has been taken apart:

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/....html

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:54 am

looks like its hyjacking the current display.. like at a higher priority... cause what ever is on the screen clears then comes back after the V1 alerts are done.

i would love to find out how you can hyjack the in car temperature display for the A/C on a 2005-2006 g35 with prem package (dual zone climate control)... that would be the perfect spot to show V1 alerts... next best would be in the digital gear shift indicator...

Then on the newer 2007+ G35/7 with the center LCD screen even better!!!

i will be continuing to research this... I LOVE this type of stuff... thats why i picked my profession

I wanted to work with car eletronics but all those jobs are too far north for me... there is BMW in SC... but id rather live in GA... so the next best thing was airplanes... but airplane technology doesnt change as fast as car technology does... and its not a DIY type thing most people can do at home...

by **pfarmer** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:46 am

kmckis1029 wrote:looks like its hyjacking the current display.. like at a higher priority... cause what ever is on the screen clears then comes back after the V1 alerts are done.

i would love to find out how you can hyjack the in car temperature display for the A/C on a 2005-2006 g35 with prem package (dual zone climate control)... that would be the perfect spot to show V1 alerts... next best would be in the digital gear shift indicator...

Then on the newer 2007+ G35/7 with the center LCD screen even better!!!

i will be continuing to research this... I LOVE this type of stuff... thats why i picked my profession I wanted to work with car eletronics but all those jobs are too far north for me... there is BMW in SC... but id rather live in GA... so the next best thing was airplanes... but airplane technology doesnt change as fast as car technology does... and its not a DIY type thing most people can do at home...

This appears to be one of those 'one size doesn't fit all' situations with the Infiniti. Initially looking at the display on the Infiniti looks like in your case your display actually may sit on the CAN bus where as on mine it looks like it is separate from it.

This may bring up your point about the climate controls. On yours if I am correct the display has its own set of readouts and on mine (08) it is on the center display. While this may seem to be totally different it may be that they are more closely related than the cluster display. I'll have to look into this more as maybe an interface between something like the V1 could be very similar between years, only the display method itself would be different.

From what I have read on various forums, even for various makes, the CAN bus can be real interesting to play with. Basically it has a series of priorities for various parts (modules) of the system. One can put a request on the bus and watch for a reply. However if another puts a request on the bus at the same time in order to avoid a collision the one with the lower priority will read the priority of the higher priority one and back out. For a hobbiest trying to signal inject this could become an issue and possibly affect how the vehicle actually operates if done incorrectly.

For this reason I would try to stay away from trying to play with the bus itself which may be the case on your machine for the cluster display. Instead maybe we can simply take over the display part of the interface?

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 3:18 pm

did a little service manual research and the middle climate control display is controlled by its own micro-controller for the A/C system... the microcontroller is on the CAN bus... but from the diagram i dont see any direct connection to the a/c micro-controller... only thing that that writes to the a/c micro-controller is the "combination meter" then the ECM writes to the "Combination meter"

page 33
http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/G3...c.pdf

so maybe if you could send data to the combination meter and have it displayed on the climate control screen...

i have never worked with the CAN bus so i have to educate my self on how it works... i do see its an interrupt and priority driven system. but i bet you can directly write to any addressed module on the CAN bus...

by **pfarmer** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:07 pm

kmckis1029 wrote:did a little service manual research and the middle climate control display is controlled by its own micro-controller for the A/C system... the microcontroller is on the CAN bus... but from the diagram i dont see any direct connection to the a/c micro-controller... only thing that that writes to the a/c micro-controller is the "combination meter" then the ECM writes to the "Combination meter"

page 33
http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/G3...c.pdf

so maybe if you could send data to the combination meter and have it displayed on the climate control screen...

i have never worked with the CAN bus so i have to educate my self on how it works... i do see its an interrupt and priority driven system. but i bet you can directly write to any addressed module on the CAN bus...

I wonder if the displays are dedicated as far as the images presented. It may be as easy as cutting the traces and wire wrapping to a daughter board which flips the display between the ac and the V1. For example are the bars dedicated to being bars which only require a single signal to light the entire bar or are they made up of pixels.

It certainly looks possible to hijack the A/C controller indicators. For example you have a front and back set on the controller already.

While maybe not as high on the cool factor list, you could put a display under the ash tray door if you don't use it for smoking.

Perry

by **kmckis1029** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:31 am

yeah it could be a dedicated screen to the climate control... the service manual implies that the gear select screen is dedicated... also after futher inspection there is probably not enough pixels on the gear select LED to show V1 output...

The BMW folks have a product called StealthOne that interfaces with the BMW CANBUS and the V1 (no longer in production though)... after futher research the Mercedes and Audi folks also use a CANBUS interface specifically for the V1...

http://www.stealthone.biz/

couldnt find a product of this kind for nissian last night...

by **kmckis1029** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:33 am

yeah i though t about the ash tray from the get go... since i dont smoke,,, but its not a convient spot to look while im driving... the ashtray is a waste of space in my car...

by **Guju Rider** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:00 pm

perry...i was looking at your picture of where you mounted your radar..and something caught my eye..what is that thing that you have connected to ur ipod and that runs to the CD player..i think that would be way better for me to use rather than the cassette option with my zune..but then again there might be a problem since i have a in dash 6 cd changer and your altima only takes one CD at a time..but if it works for my G.. i think i could get better sound quality out of my zune compared to the old school cassette way..lol..thanks man

by **pfarmer** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:18 pm

Guju Rider wrote:perry...i was looking at your picture of where you mounted your radar..and something caught my eye..what is that thing that you have connected to ur ipod and that runs to the CD player..i think that would be way better for me to use rather than the cassette option with my zune..but then again there might be a problem since i have a in dash 6 cd changer and your altima only takes one CD at a time..but if it works for my G.. i think i could get better sound quality out of my zune compared to the old school cassette way..lol..thanks man

I don't have an Altima but I would tend to think it is running to the aux input on the system based on what is selected as the input.

Perry

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