I've got an escort 9500ci ( http://www.escortradar.com/store/passport-9500ci.html ).

I was just wondering where other people have installed the display screen and the control switch?

I want to keep them both concealed so when I get pulled over, the cop can't even see that I have them. The control switch would probably be fine right near the brake controller, but I really can't find a good place for the display.

Where have other people installed them?

 

I had one in my 07, pulled it out and did not let the dealer have that! Sold it and went on into my 4th gen!

In my 07 I had the control down where the key is on the 4th gens now. I will say that you want that thing to be accessible easily. I had it mounted low, but it got to be quite a hassle reaching down to mute it.. I had the display and led built right into the instrument bezel. There is square display cover that comes with the detector and all I did was drill the bezel out and glue that display in and mount the control. It sat nice and flush with everything very clean install. I wish that I had some pictures to show you but I never took any. (or lost them one of the two!) I did not install the speaker, I ran the mute wire to my custom deck so it would play through the speakers. NOW these detectors are LEGAL in my province so I was not TOO worried about a total concealed system. Cops still could not find it by looking in through the window, but I was not letting them come right in either without a warrant!

Having said that, I don't own it anymore so I don't know where to mount them. But just by scanning my truck, (I have the console) I would put everything in there! I would drill the hole out just above the cig lighter in the center hole for the display, It seems like it would be at a good angle to read. And I would put the control probably on the opposite side of that same hole so the buttons would be pointing towards the front of the truck. Or on the door somewhere, I drive with my left hand so my right is always in the console area so it would work for me. You can run all the wires underneath the console and have the main controller under there too. It frees up a lot of space under the steering wheel. To me that would be pretty concealed, and unless cops have a warrant to search they will never find it. The LED I would mount on the front bezel just above the vent. Plain view for detection, and leds could mean anything now so I would not worry about it showing. If you plan on mounting a speaker, well good luck there thats all yours! Haha, the speakers are crap in my opinion, and I have no idea if the factory deck will support a mute function.

Hope this is somewhat useful. If you don't have the console, well...

 

I've had the 9500 for a while... I pulled it out of my '10 Chevy camaro, where I had it installed inside the gauge cluster, but I dont see a place to fit it in the 4th gen. did you say you had it in your 4th gen or just the '07? if the 4th gen, where in the instrument cluster?

Before the 9500ci, I had the SRX and I just had the display conceal mounted, but with the redlight camera info and all the settings the 9500ci has, I'd like to be able to see it.

When you have a radar detector, cops NEVER let you go, and I always used to get hassled for it (and even when cops see them in other cars they always hassle them). Since I've kept detectors concealed however, I've never been hassled at all!

unfortunately/fortunately I dont have a console. (I paid an extra $3000 NOT to have a console), and I had so much trouble finding a loaded truck w/o the console...

I think that "RAM" decal in the middle is replacable, as the ram with heated seats and stuff has the buttons there, so I'm thinking of popping that out and installing it there. I dont think a cop will ever even think its there.

Did you really have to mute it a lot? I rarely if ever had to mute it. With the SRX I did all the time, but with the GPS 9500ci, I didn't. (well I did at first until I found out about the TSR function for traffic sensing radar).

 

No I just had it in my 07...Did not want to install it on my 4th gen so I sold it. I get the aircanada deal so I plan to trade in every 2 years 80000kms, whichever comes first. By pulling stuff out and drilling holes they knock the price off of your vehicle severely. So I am just waiting for a wireless option or a more self contained option for less drilling.

Cops here frown upon them but they can't arrest you or make anything worse for you. HOWEVER they write down on the ticket as note that you were using one. This renders your ability to fight a ticket pretty much useless. I had the laser shifter on "shift" and I passed by the same peace officer day and and out. Finally she pulled me over and asked why she could not get a reading on my truck. I played dumb and was on my way, but she could not hold me there or give me a ticket for it.

kinda sucks about the console IMO, but seems you like that better...I guess it would be wherever works best for you, I don't know where I would put it...

As for the mute, ya I used it a fair bit, even with the GPS. The fact that I had it on the stereo I would be listening to music and it would dim the sound when I wanted it up! (aftermarket sound!) It would go off and I would just mute it, its how I did it. How you it, its up to you!

 

$1,699 for a radar, I think it's cheaper to pay the ticket. Dam how fast you drive?

 

I got mine for 600 bucks...ya I couldn't let that deal down. Not to mention for me your average ticket for 10km over is 150-200 bucks. If it saves 4 tickets its paid for, not to mention saves demerits. But yes for a 1700 detector, you would have to speed major. BUT with this detector you are pretty much undetectable unless you are driving totally by yourself with no other cars on the road. It is equipped with a laser shifter which makes it that much more expensive. But if you think about it, it is actually cheaper then paying for a detector with GPS and adding a Zr4 shifter in. The shifter part alone is 500 bucks...

 

I couldnt imagine a truck with a console... that kind of defeats the purpose of having a truck? haha... I couldnt believe they even come with consoles... I was all ready to buy a beautiful 2011 ram crew with every option I could imagine, MSRP was $45k, and I had it down to 29k, then I found out it had a console and that was a deal breaker. Ended up buying one with a MSRP of 38k and I paid 31k that was msising a few things, all because of the console!!! (note, I've bought 4 cars since 2007 site unseen, and don't regret it one bit, but thats how I can negotiate before knowing about the console... Never would have imagined a truck could actually have a console!)

Console seems to have no benefit except you can fit 1 less person in there, My dog can't lay next to me on long trips, and my gal can't sit next to me either... a lot to give up for not sure what benefit? Maybe a little bit of storage?

Anyway, Im working on installing it right above the AC controls I think!

Thanks for your thoughts!

As far as getting the jammers, its like once you have them, you can't live without them! especially with the redlight cams. One tickets no big deal, but get too many and you can lose your license and get dropped by insurance. The trucks not nearly as bad as my old camaro was... Yellow modified SS screams at cops to pull me over. I got a ticket the day I got it, no joke. Never got a ticket after the jammers were installed. been ticket free for 2 1/2 years (knock on wood). My girl got 5 tickets in the course of two months. Insurance dropped her, she found some other insurance but she's paying $1500 more than she was before per month, plus had to pay those tickets. 2 of those tickets were speed cameras. Good radar detectors will tell you where speed cameras are and redlight cameras.


Clearly the best thing to do is not to speed, but if your going to speed, a little protection doesnt hurt... And I try not to speed, but I do a lot of cross country trips, and when your driving 20 something hours, you tend to miss speed traps and the such. The best protection is actually projector HIDs!

 

Yea, gets in my way every time I get a load of rock.

 

I don't mind it because I never haul more then 4 people anyways (including myself) and I am single so I don't have to worry about the whole girl on my shoulder thing! I also don't haul them at often hence the reason for a quad cab and not a crew. I like it for the storage and the extra cig lighter. Not to mention its a little more relaxing when you are driving in my mind. I use the electronic shift many times to shift down instead of using the brakes, not to mention if I want to get up and go I can bump er down to the gear I need and shift back into overdrive without moving my arm. My arm rests on the console the whole time, so the shifter is already there, I don't have to reach up to beside the steering wheel.

I didnt have the console on one of my old 08s, and I guess it had its perks but I found it to be a little bit more uncomfortable, when I rolled that I went to my 07 and went with the console, and I don't know if I would ever go back. I guess its all personal preference, I probably have not been driving half as long as many of you, not to mention trucks, so im sure you guys are just used to trucks not having a console.

I also have the heated leather seats, something I will never get away from. I do believe that this option is only available in the bucket seats. But I could be wrong!

As far as once you go with a laser shifter you never go back? Well I am here to say its very hard to do but it can be done :P

Post some pics when your done, I am curious to see how you made out!

 

Sounds fancy but you shouldn't be in situations where you'd get $600 worth of tickets IMO. My brother got ticketed for 11-15 over and his ticket was $168.00. So $600 would be about 4 tickets roughly going 11-15mph over the speed limit. I just run at about 5 over everywhere I go and most police officers will tell you that they are looking for people going 10 over or faster.

As a Correctional Officer and Criminal Justice Major I wouldn't buy one of these. If you must have one and an officer pulls you over and you have one concealed don't say anything about it. Remember anything you say can be used against you. If they suspect you have a radar jammer or shifter or whatever and ask for your consent to search your vehicle you can refuse. They have to have probable cause to search a vehicle. It's kind of shady though because obviously if they can't get a read on you then somethings up so it's hard to say if that's probable cause enough to search your vehicle. I would just refuse and see what they tell you from there.