A recent posting about Legal Speeding’s excellent (at least as far as I’m concerned) H.A.R.D. system reminds me that one of the devilish bits about running a Valentine-1 or other top line radar detector is keeping the darned thing tucked in against the elements. There are a number of solutions out there, all of which I find to be some combination of too expensive, too clunky, or too boring. My solution is a plastic storage container in the sandwich end of things–tons of companies make them.
I use a ram mount and plate to mount my V-1, so here’s how it works.
- Cut a hole in the middle of the cover: The red thing in my picture. Make it big enough to pass the Ram Ball through. Put another smaller hole somewhere else in the bottom through which you’ll pass the power cord.
- Pass the Ram Ball through the cover and attach to the arm. So now the cover is below the Ram Mount and above the arm. It can spin but won’t go anywhere.
- Mount up the Radar Detector, and if you use it, H.A.R.D. sender unit. I velcro the sender to the V-1 on the side.
- Pull the Power Cord through the second hole and attach. I cover over the hole from the inside with Duct Tape.
- Turn on the Radar Detector.
- Snap the clear “bottom” on top.
It’s now as weatherproof as it needs to be. No water gets in from the top or sides. If you’ve put tape over the cord hole, nothing gets in that way either. The hole the mount goes through is blocked by the Ram Plate.
If your power cord is wired to the ignition, there’s nothing left to do. If not, when you stop for gas, pry open the container and turn off your Radar Detector.
It’s about as foolproof as it gets. If you screw up somehow, these containers cost nearly nothing so you’re out less than the cost of a latte. In the kind of weather where this makes sense, there are no overheating issues. When it’s sunny and blazing hot . . . well you wouldn’t be worried about rain protection then, would you?
Tags: LegalSpeeding, Valentine 1, Escort, Weather Protection, H.A.R.D., Helmet Assisted Radar Detection
