hey guys, i have a cobra radar detector. ive heard that when they are plugged in to cigarette lighters that they might not function right because of the voltage.... i heard it works better if i use the mirrors power to run the radar detector ?

i currently have mine plugged in to the cigarette lighter and it rarely goes off...

any ideas ?

thanks

 

oh my gosh.... its not going to matter where you plug it in... If it powers up, its going to work. If the radar does not power up its not going to work. Doesn't matter if it is plugged into the cig lighter, accessory port, mirror, trunk release, or parking light... 12v is 12v.

Get you a Passport 9500i and hook it up on the mirror with a Mikes mount and an invisicord to the rear view mirror.

 

lol..

 

haha.... funny

 

Def hard wire it... But I would get a beltronics... Love mine.

 

+1
I have Passport 9500i mounted with Country Joy mount and invisicord. Works&looks great and saved me from numerous possible tickets.

 

almost the same setup here .. V1 with country joy and invisicord .. install was pretty straight forward .. I'd like to chime in on ONE thing though lol MOST cops are not as dumb as you may think .. they use that lovely technique in which they wait for you to get REALLLLLLLY close before they turn on their radar .. by the time your radar starts you're already busted .. don't rely on it as an end all, save all because it'll only save your butt soo many times before you get too cocky and Mr Law gets your *** more than anything, I just like having the radar because a lot of girls look at it and go "wow, what's that" LOL .. but back to the topic .. as long as it's powered, it'll function .. hardwiring is mostly for aesthetics and a cleaner looking install

 

Only time hard wiring can suck is if you roll into some areas where its sketchy often. If you feel the need to hide your valuables then hard wiring can be a problem b/c its an easy thing to jack and its in plain sight.

Other than that hard wiring is fantastic.

 

The best way to setup up your detector is to unplug it from the cigarette lighter and throw it in the trash. Cobra detectors are trash. Very pathetic detecting ability, innumerable false detections, interference with quality detectors all suggest you dump that pile of dump. If you really care about detection you would buy a reputable, capable detector.

 

i would get a escort 8500 x50 if you cant afford a escort 9500i or valentine one. Radar detectors are one of those things you either get the best or dont get at all. I agree, the cobra is trash compared to the radar detectors i listed.

 

Yeah I always take it down so it's not visible that's why I haven't hard wired it. It hasn't gone off at all even at places where it should, that's why I was wondering if it had sufficient power. I might get a passport radar and laser jammer setup

 

Mine is mounted to the mirror, its hard as heck to even see its there. I don't even take it down when I pass through Virginia. And as far as being hard wired making it more likely to be stole?????

Ummmm..... you can still unplug it and throw it in the center console when you park... Hardwiring does not mean its unable to disconnect. If you use the invisicord off the mirror power you can hang the cord over the mirror when its unhooked so that it does not attract attention hanging down.

 

+1. I got my Passport 8500 X50 for $150 and it constantly saves my ***.

Yours is not going off because it is a piece of garbage. Get a Passport or Valentine 1.

 

hhhahahahahah....

I was kinda thinking that, but years and years ago I had a cheap detector. It went off ALL the time. I think other detectors set it off. I think if I bird flew over at the right angle it would go off...

 

I thought i remember reading somewhere in the manual (infiniti manual) that your not supposed to plug things into the cig lighter for long periods of time?

I usually just use the cig lighter and the suction cup mount on the windshield, works fine its always perfectly aimed and I can take it down in a flash . I only use it in legal areas of course.

I never leave it up when i park due to a varying number of reasons.