Valentine-1 Concealed Main Unit with Hidden Display: Step by Step WITH PICTURES

[bob shiftright]

Valentine-1 Concealed Main Unit with Hidden Display: Step by Step Instructions WITH PICTURES.

I hardwired my V-1 and mounted the remote display in the space in the console formerly occupied by the fuzzy red “Not An Ashtray” coin tray that we in the PC USA get in place of an ashtray. At most this requires sacrifice of the coin holder or ashtray, well worth it IMO. To each his own vice. My main V-1 unit is located in the pocket of a Case Logic visor organizer ($7.99, Target Stores), the cord is routed down behind the trim of the "A" pillar, behind the glove box and into the console. The power source I used is the wires for the front accessory power socket connector. It’s completely invisible if you close the door of the coin pocket holder!

Standard dIsclaimer: This is how I did it, I don’t know if your skill level is greater or less than mine, so I don’t necessarily recommend that you attempt this. So if you try this and break something or blow anything up or maim kill or disfigure yourself you’re on your own!

I also installed the cassette tape player when I was doing this, many of the same pieces need to be removed. Honda-dot-com has installation instructions online.

Tools:

Thin-blade putty knives
Dremel Moto-Tool
Helms TSX Service Manual (HIGHLY recommended)

Materials:

V-1
V-1Concealed Display
V-1 Wiring harness
3M wire taps
HD Velcro pads
1 Case Logic Visor Organizer
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0012.jpg
1 Sheet black felt
7’ Telephone cord
1’ Telephone cord
Cable ties
Electrical Tape
Duct Tape
Masking tape


1. DISCONNECT BATTERY!!!!
2. Pull down weather strip on front edge of passenger’s door frame
3. Pull up front pillar cap on “A” pillar and pull off “A” pillar trim
4. Remove glovebox stops.
5. Disconnect glove box damper.
6. Pop off side cover of dashboard
7. Remove screw and pop off side cover of console in passenger’s footwell.
8. CAREFULLY remove console storage box (pulls out), Don’t pull on lid.
9. Unscrew shift knob.
10. CAREFULLY remove console top (pulls up)
11. Disconnect seat heater switches.
12. Remove 4 Phillips screws from coin pocket holder assembly.
13. Disconnect power socket connector. Remove Coin Pocket Holder.
14. Note that head airbag occupies top 1/3 and rearmost 1/2 of “A” pillar. Leaving about 10-15 cm. of slack cord, duct tape one end of 7’ telephone wire forward of airbag assembly. Route wire down A pillar in front of trim clip holes, again keeping on place with duct tape. Route wire into dash, behind glove box and into center console.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0037.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0038.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0039.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0040.jpg

(The thicker, beige phone cord is for the V-1. The thin antenna wire is for "something else" -maybe another thread, sometime (?)....)

15. Pop red felt coin holder out of assembly.
16. Using Dremel, cut out entire back of coin pocket holder.
17. Now is also a good time to cut a cardboard template for the plastic piece to fill the tray. (You may wish to cover the wires visible behind the concealed display.)
18. Fabricate a plastic plug and aluminum bracket to mount the V-1, LE-30 status diode and kill switches for the “Not An Ashtray” holder, and paint it using black interior trim paint.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0013.jpg

19. Unwrap electrical tape from power socket wire. Press 3M wire taps into wires. I modified the V-1 wiring harness by adding a second spade connector. Insert spade connectors into wire taps, wrap everything in electrical tape.
20. Plug 7’ and 1’ telephone cords into V-1 harness.
21. Pull V-1 fuse holder thru 1” hole an into pocket of coin holder assembly. Secure with cable tie.
22. Pull 1’ phone cord thru hole.
23. Attach HD Velcro to V-1 Concealed Display and coin tray assembly.
24. Plug telephone cord into V-1 display.
25, Replace 4 Phillips head screws for coin pocket holder assembly.
26. Cut black felt to size to cover unsightly bundle of wires.
27. Cut 4 cm. slit in the top of the Visor Organizer at the leading edge for the visor mount and a 1cm slit on the window side for the cord. Cut a “window” for the front LIDAR detector (microwaves will travel through the material, LIDAR won’t. I also glued black nylon netting over the “window”.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0042.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0044.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0046.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0047.jpg

28. Mount visor clip on visor.
29. Mount visor organizer on visor.
30. Insert cord thru hole.
31. Slide V-1 into visor bracket.
32. Plug telephone cable into V-1.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0027.jpg

Next, as they say in the Haynes manuals “Reassembly is (Simply!) the reverse of disassembly”!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0018.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0017.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0015.jpg

Valentine-1 remote display

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0030.jpg

Power switch (for Valentine-1)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0020.jpg

Now you see it....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/BobShiftright/DSCN0021.jpg

...now you don’t!

[TSX 'R' US]

Very nice!!! And you got the classic bob-hands :D

[vp911]

Awesome :-D

[ChinchillaX]

sweet!:thumbsup:

[jonpfive]

Looks great, but why the need to hide? I also hardwired mine, but only mounted it to the window w/ remote display centered on front edge of gauge cluster opening. Does not look anywhere near as trick as yours, but was what I considered to be easiest for viewing.

[vp911]

Hide incase you do get pulled over, and if its in that area you can just close the top and a ccop will never see it.. and if you dont get pulled over at least the cops cant see the lights at night.. :)

[bob shiftright]

Valentine-1: $400
Valentine-1 concealed display: $40
Lidatek LE-30: $350
Misc. parts and gizmos to install: $100
Legal fees after getting busted with VASCAR and cops discover this setup: $1000
Sharing your experiences with the rest of the geeks here: priceless!

Seriously, if you get pulled over and the officer sees a radar detector, scanner, G-meter or similar stuff, your chances of getting away with just a warning are about 0.0000000001%. If you are speeding but in the "gray zone" where an officer on routine patrol might or might not reasonably pull you over, say 7-15 mph over, and the officer sees a radar detector, scanner, etc., your chances of getting pulled over go up by about 1,000,000%.

"The better part of valor is discretion " -William Shakespeare, Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Hamlet at III, ii)

:D

[johnej]

What happened to the other cord? When are you going to tell us abou it?

[MemphisRheins]

I have this pritty much halfway set up, have the main radar detector in the same spot, except i still cant find that damn Visor Organiser to hide it properly... might get the hidden display too, just cause i would like to have something easier to view

[Tsx536]

Does putting it in one these cases effect the range of the radar?

[-phase-]

mmmm the v1 looks so sexy.. :drool1:

[MemphisRheins]

yeah, sorry bob, Im decided im gonna rip off ur Idea, and complete the rest of the install like u did... As soon as I can stop staying at phase's sig, im not even sure what im writing at this point....Jessica Alba... :Drool1:

[-phase-]

i decided to surround your post with my sig..hehe i'm gonna drive you nuts MR, wherever you post i'll post! lol

[MemphisRheins]

ah, thanks Phase, Godamn it is hard to type, dont look at the screen

[johnej]

memphis, just don't post and look at phase's sig...

or turn them off..

[2kgtx]

Does putting the V1 not effect it's ability to detect radar? From what i've heard radar/laser detectors are only good for line of sight so if you put it inside something like this it won't be effective? Please let me know if I am incorrect. I am interested in getting a V1 for my TSX when it comes in and I hate having a radar dector on the windsheild for everyone to see

[MemphisRheins]

well, if you want to spend some more money, Valentine makes a special set up, that you put on your front bumper, and then you have the remote display hidden inside the car, personally I have a Simular Set up, (Ive attcually decided im gonna rip off the rest of bobs idea, w/ the Visor organiser and Hidden display...sorry bob, but its such a cool set up) And it works fine for me.. however, Ive noticed alot lately, Cops not using Radar... however, all and all, its worth while, the first time it saves ur ass

[iTSX]

where is the power installed?

[damanhitt]

It looks really clean although I did notice that the back window is covered up the the cd holder. That back window is also another detector. Maybe im not looking at the picture right

[MemphisRheins]

yeah he is blocking his rear detection set up that way...

Personally I now have mine mounted above the mirror, so that both heads are open... Running it high like that gives you a bit better long range, with a bit less short, however paired with a decent laser jammer you should be more then fine