vmstan Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Has anyone here used Mirrortap for a radar detector hard wire (V1) in a Fusion? It looks like a really slick and easy way to get it installed, especially if you get a bracket mount to keep it secured in place. www.mirrortap.com Thoughts? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Has anyone here used Mirrortap for a radar detector hard wire (V1) in a Fusion? It looks like a really slick and easy way to get it installed, especially if you get a bracket mount to keep it secured in place. www.mirrortap.com Thoughts? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Hardwiring a radar detector like that is just asking for a busted window, missing radar detector,and interior damage. I speak from experience. ;( 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmstan Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Fair enough. So do you remove the entire mounting bracket from the window now, or just not use a detector anymore? This is how I currently have it mounted, it's not hardwired, it's hardly noticeable from the outside. Right now I run the power cable across the headliner and down the side. If there was an easy way to tap in, closer to the unit, that's really what I'm looking for. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/170182/V1/IMG_0085.JPG http://dl.dropbox.com/u/170182/V1/IMG_0086.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/170182/V1/IMG_0087.jpg (Yes, I know my car needs a bath.) I really would like to center it up more, so I still flip the sunvisor down, but the little bubble pattern makes it so the suction cups don't grip very well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umm_me Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Ill probably look into the mirrortap and their blendmount in the future when I actually pick up a radar detector. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethankoehler Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 If i didnt hard install mine i'd use these, i'll be ordering my parents mirror taps to help my dad he drives company vehicles :D thanks for the link! 25 is not a aweful price but something anyone can do themselves. i feel the blendmount is an absurd price at 79.99, i picked up a speck mount similar to their design for 20 at target. I'd stray away from it being too visible like others mentioned. i have it in the upper drive side flush with my ceiling, i've never had a cop notice it. I have a passport escort detector hard installed with the inline mute/alert box in the corner of my gauges, i took out the gauge sill to install it. i can turn my detector lights off while its still on or mute it and get alerts by my gauges. I lived in a bad area and never leave anything visibly out in my car; 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimtheRockstar Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Not sure why you would buy anything, since you can just strip the phone wire, use the two center wires, red/green, and strip them long, plug them in the far right/left (one top other bottom) holes. Meaning stick the bare wires in the plug holes after you use a meter to find the 12v key on positive. Bend them back on the plug, hold with thumb and finger, then plug in. Works perfectly, but note it turns it on with key, blinks the power when going from Park to Reverse, to Drive, but in Drive it is on. No plugs, no cost, no bs. Also on the V1, you dont need the dongle that converts the phone wire to two bare wires, it is 12v. Also, as I did by misake, if you swap Positive for Negative, it is not an issue, the V1 will just not work, and you wont blow anything up. Just swap the wires, and it will light up. I have done this strip wire method on 8-10 vehicles, all real new, with no issues...besides many blink the power when you go into reverse. My assumption is that they want to kill the auto dim feature when in reverse, no matter light conditions. Could be the video power on some Video screen mirrors, but I have this happen on ones that just have the simple auto dim and nothing else. Ford, Chevy, Lexus, Toyota, Buick, Pontiac, Vette's, all work just fine. Like I said on the fusion, it is the top wire and bottom wire, on the opposite sides of the plug. not sure which left or right, but get your multi meter, or dmm and find it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimtheRockstar Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hardwiring a radar detector like that is just asking for a busted window, missing radar detector,and interior damage. I speak from experience. ;( Honest truth, these days, thief's dont care about dectors, since most are cheap junk anyway. The GPS is an easier target and is stolen more, since they bring an easy 50 bucks (detectors dont in all cases but the V1), and you can always see the GPS suction cup from the front side, and usually the square profile of the gps from the back. So they are easy pickin's. I had a sh1tbag break the window in my SuperDuty because of the GPS, since the V1 was there for 2 years, and after leaving my GPS up for 3 days after a trip, it got popped. The sh`tbag didnt even see the V1 (which was worth more than anything he stole. He also missed a Para P16-40 Limited between the seat and console in a Milt Sparks. That was mainly due to the angle of his view, since he popped the drivers glass, and stood on the running board, so as not to open the door, and set off the factory alarm. He rifliled through the center console looking for shit and stole a Streamlight, because it had a red LED on the charging mount. Stole the GPS and Suction cup mount, but could not get the power wire, and FM Traffic trasmitter thing out of the dash fascia. So the GPS would be worthless (and it had hacked maps on it, I was testing, and it was actually broken, and would crash). The streamlight he left the charger, and that cost 75 bucks, so everything he stole was useless and worthless at any pawn shop. The window replacement cost me 300 bucks after tinting both sides to match, and to fix the bend on the door frame, it was another 800 after my $250 deductible. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastPirate Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I hardwired my detector into the molex connector for the dome lights above the headliner. It was really easy to access by just pulling off the light/sunglass holder assembly. As far as worried about it getting stolen, I hardwire mine so it DOESN'T get stolen. Mine is mounted so high up it's nearly invisible unless you walked up to the car and put your face against the glass. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locoone Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Theres a far easier and cheaper way that it seems no one is thinking about. Mine got mounted today. Someone was talking about above the mirror and that the suction cups wouldnt stick to the dots. Wait a minute... who says you have to use suction cups? For a couple of bucks I picked up some automotive trim tape and placed a couple of strips where the suction cups went. I then placed it on the detector and figured out where I wanted it exactly and then pressed it firmly to the windshield. I then removed the detector from the mount and made sure the mount was firmly attached. Now on to part 2... wiring to the mirror. on the far right of the plug you will find a blue wire, thats your positive for 12v. go three over and you'll find a black wire with yellow stripe, thats your negative 12v. I simply cut my power cord to slightly longer than needed (beltronics w/ phone plug) and stripped to find the red and green wires. red is positive, green negative. I stripped appx 3/8" of insulation from each wire, removed plug from back of mirror, found holes corresponding to each and slipped each wire in and simply plugged it together. Your detector will now come on each time the ignition is on and shifting does not interupt it. If you oops and cause a short, it will blow fuse 41, a 15 amp. I know, i did when my voltmeter leads touched while testing I'll get pics up later. And the detector cannot be see easily at all being behind the dots. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locoone Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) Ok, on with the pics. Been awhile now and absolutely no problems what so ever. I am in the process of installing a new power wire to get rid of the curly one. I also picked up a 2 amp fuse at radio shack and will cover the new wire with heatshrink. The first and third wires are your power. see above for which is positive etc. Edited January 2, 2012 by locoone 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongline Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Theres a far easier and cheaper way that it seems no one is thinking about. Mine got mounted today. Someone was talking about above the mirror and that the suction cups wouldnt stick to the dots. Wait a minute... who says you have to use suction cups? For a couple of bucks I picked up some automotive trim tape and placed a couple of strips where the suction cups went. I then placed it on the detector and figured out where I wanted it exactly and then pressed it firmly to the windshield. I then removed the detector from the mount and made sure the mount was firmly attached. Now on to part 2... wiring to the mirror. on the far right of the plug you will find a blue wire, thats your positive for 12v. go three over and you'll find a black wire with yellow stripe, thats your negative 12v. I simply cut my power cord to slightly longer than needed (beltronics w/ phone plug) and stripped to find the red and green wires. red is positive, green negative. I stripped appx 3/8" of insulation from each wire, removed plug from back of mirror, found holes corresponding to each and slipped each wire in and simply plugged it together. Your detector will now come on each time the ignition is on and shifting does not interupt it. If you oops and cause a short, it will blow fuse 41, a 15 amp. I know, i did when my voltmeter leads touched while testing I'll get pics up later. And the detector cannot be see easily at all being behind the dots. Locoone, what is your mirror type? Mine is just auto dimming with nothing else. The plug has 5 wires, 2 at one side, 3 on the other. It seems to me that the 2 wires provide a 5v power, while the other 3 wires are connected to nothing. I tried to use the 5v 2 wires for my camcorder but didn't work because the voltage drops to 3v when plugged. I never see a 12v wire 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBetty Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I bought a longer lighter cable so I can place it in the corner and run the cable to the lighter. I figure it looks super clean and no cutting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remington109 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) FYI: This is possibly the worst location you can mount a radar detector. You will get limited off axis detection (especially to the right where most cops sit) and zero rear detection since it points right into you. The ideal location is in the center and high up and as horizontal as possible. I bought a longer lighter cable so I can place it in the corner and run the cable to the lighter. I figure it looks super clean and no cutting. Edited February 25, 2014 by Remington109 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBetty Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Still works and saved me lots of times. It might not be 100% but so far it's proved itself to be pretty good. Chirps when cops are all around/behind me too. I would prefer to have it on top of the rear view mirror but it won't mount there due to the texurization stuff on the top of the windshield. I also don't want it in the way of the visors either. You can barely see it Didn't want to put it under the rear view mirror since it's a huge blind spot/eye sore/ gets in the way and cops can see it even easier. Plus any time a cop is going to walk up to the car I can easily yank it off. Cops notice the big black coiled cord more then the actual radar too. This I where I had it in my old Cougar I prefer it in that location but it's not possible with the Fusion. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBetty Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Now that I think about it. I might just mount it up there with some double sided tape on the suctions. I'll see how it turns out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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