Mine is just above the dash, and I have the wire tucked in between the dash and windshield...

 

Ok, as promised here are the pics of my Valentine 1 hardwire. It isn't the most beautiful, but I was going for function over fashion.

First, after a bunch of research I found a post by someone who hardwired their detector into the map light area, so that's where I decided to do mine.



I was worried about breaking something, so went to a Ford dealer and the service manager just yanked on it. They are metal friction clips that hold the map light in place, roughly to the left of the left map light and right of the right map light. Pull one side down till it is free, then the other, at least that's how I did it. First, I fed the wires up from the windshield side of the headliner up and into the map light area. I used the hot tap to hook the detector up to the lead that goes to each map light. The white wire controls the dimmer, the black is the 12v. There was a lot of extra 12v wire, so I just tucked it into the headliner. For the ground, I scraped a bit of paint off the edges of one of the two slots - you can see the empty right slot, just above where the wires come out of the roof. I then used a caged nut, the type that are used for computer server equipment racks, snapped it into the slot, then bolted the ground wire to it.



After hooking everything up, I snapped the map light back into place and then mounted the hardwire hookup on to the backside of the review mirror with supplied velcro. I ran the radar detector wire (labelled Main Unit in the pic) back up into the headliner and across to the A pillar.



At the A pillar I just left the radar detector hookup loose after bending it to how I wanted it. I remove my radar detector when I am not in the car. The bracket stays in the car, but is tough to see in the picture.



And finally this is what it looks like when the radar detector is in there. The hotwire is always powered, so the radar detector has to be turned on and off, but as I said I remove it when I'm not driving so that's how I wanted it.



Tada. Like I said, not the most beautiful job, but exactly what I wanted. I didn't like the cigarette lighter hookup sticking out of my dash.

 

In your own word "not the most beautiful job" . . .

 

You can't hide that cable much more than that. Looks good to me.

 

i used some duct tape to secure it to the visor and taped the wire down the middle of the windshied and across the dash. sometimes the glue on the tape leaves a little mess but it gets covered with cat hair in no time.
no actually pop off theoverhead lites 05-06 and test the wires there, 1 of them stays on for about 10 - 15 min then shuts of automaticly after you shut the car off. you might need to do the sm ground screw as previously mentioned.

 

Do they sell any adaptors that I could slide the 12v wire into, then plug that into a fuse box?

 

You can use a fuse tapper.

[IMG]local://upfiles/68762/B41CF0A9B0744CF6BAD61C66E5E6E3E3.jpg[/IMG]

 

For those of you that have Escort 8500 x50 and any other laser detecting radar:

If you are mounting your detector up high near your mirror, IT MIGHT NOT PICK UP LASER, because itis too far away from where the cop will be aiming his laser gun! Cops know to stay away from aiming their laser gun at a windshield! They are trained to aim low and at head lights or license plate somewhere low on you car. Since the laser has a very small 'beam' even @ 1/4 mile you radar being high up on the windshield can miss this beam! Now if you don't have to worry about laser in your area yes mounting a detector Higher is better for mounting your detector for detecting all other radarbands.

If needing to detect laser ALSO mount your detector LOW on your windshield!!!!!

 

What's the point of knowing if you've been hit with laser? Once you're hit, you're a goner anyway. *shrug*

 

I just hooked mine to the two black wires under the overhead console and clipped the buster to the bottom of the console between the courtsey lights. Only problem is, the power must be on a timer, because after :30 minutes it shuts off automatically.. 90% of my trips are less than :30 minutes, so I may leave it.. The nice thing is, when you open your door and the dome lights come on, it automatically turns it on and it automatically turns off :30 minutes later.. That way I don't have to remember to turn it on and off.. If it shuts off after thirty and you are still driving, just click the dome light on/off once and it resets the timer.. If it bugs me too much, I'll just re-do the ground and that should take care of the thirty minute timer issue..

I like the idea of not having to remember to turn it on and off though?? I make look for a 12v power source controled by ignition on/off..

If cords and wiring aint your thing, Passport makes a buster that is cordless called a 'SOLO'..