Hi guys -
I've had the screamer for not quite a week. Getting 11.7mpg, and we can all guess why. So...I stop into the local speed shop looking at this beuaty that I almost put on my 760li, BUT, 2 issues. 1 - I leased the car, meaning in 38.75 months I need to surrender the vehicle, and the boys are saying they would need to cut (my eye Mick) the grill. WHen i asked the think around the issue, they said no other options and it may not work at all. Anyone do this and or know what the correct solution is?

Thanks!

 

I have a 9500ci (which I LOVE, by the way) on my XKR and they didn't cut the grill and I know it works because it talks to me all the time ("front laser shifting").

 

Can you share a pic of the front grill plus where they set you up in dash? Outside grill?

 

I have done the same on the XKR...no grill cut. I also imbeded the display in my rear view mirror...the mirror took quite a bit of engineering though....and many nights od passing out drunk from frustration...and by the way...if you are getting over 10MPG you really aren't trying :-)

 

Can you share what you did? And how? Here's my response when I asked the smart guys re the issue:
Skip,


The heated windshield is optional on your XKR. You can tell if it’s heated by looking for the heating element’s very fine mesh embedded in the glass. You’ll have to do this outside on a sunny day; at other times the mesh is invisible.

If the glass is unheated, a windshield-mount detector will work fine. If not, only a remote model like the 9500ci can be used and, as the installer said, holes for its laser jammers would need to be cut in the mesh grille. Since that’s not an option for most, a laser jamming system won’t be suitable, making the BEL STiR Plus without laser shifters a better idea: BEL (Beltronics) STi-R Plus review

I’d suggest first checking for a heated windshield, an option not often found on cars destined for warm climates. If it’s not heated, I’d recommend an Escort 9500ix: Escort Passport 9500ix GPS-enabled radar detector review as the best model for your driving environment or, for a discreet system, a good remote model.


Give me a call when you’re ready to buy and we’ll help you sort out the options.

BRgds,

Craig Peterson, General Manager
Radartest.com
cpeterson(AT)radartest.com
480.659.7043
480.659.7052 fax
866.765.0093 toll free
Above was his reply to this email:
Hi guys!

I love your site! I have 2 questions. 1 - I just purchased a 2011 XKR convertible and read on one of your reviews that it comes with a heated windshield (wasted on me in Florida) and apparently a radar detector does not work effectively. I am not 100% sure I have this, but probably I do. So, would the alternative be a laser shifter/detector setup? Which would you chose for the car? Most of my speeding is in South Florida on 95.

Secondly, I leased the car. When looking at a store at the 9500ci and the other Escort shifter product, the install guys said the needed to cut holes in my grill. What say you, o gurus of the invisible waves?

Thanking you in advance!

Skip

 

The 9500CI has remote mounted sensors...laser and radar (behind grill). It would have nothing to do with windshield. Now the 9500IX is a windshield mount and is a completely different story...

 

I, like most everybody have gotten a speeding ticket in the past.

But I'm curious what a cop would do if he pulled you over for speeding - provided the "equipment" didn't prevent it - and found out you had laser and radar jammers.

Can you unequivocally say that these things have prevented you from getting a ticket?

 

I just had a very enjoyable call with Craig. One important thing to note gdrag and anyone else, he has a lot of testing results about the loss of effectiveness behind vs in in front of the grill.

I was asking about 9500IX in case I did not cut into the grill. Decided to cover my *** and make the cut as I passed my 2 fav motorcycle cops with their laser out this am.

 

Okay, here appears to be the highest quality overall solution (that means I'm sure to get a ticket before I get this installed). Nice of Craig to go out of his way with an educated, unbiased referral. I'm about $400 more than I planned, but that's an investment into lawyer and insurance deferrrals.

I’ve discussed your installation with the shop manager of Audio Creations in Boca. We agreed that the best solution for your XKR is to trim the grille slightly to accommodate the front laser jammers. They’ve installed the 9500ci this way, as well as combinations of the 9500ci with alternative jamming systems, including the Blinder.

The configuration I’d recommend for your car is a BEL STiR Plus (without laser shifters) and a Blinder M47 front/rear laser jamming system, $1,948 in total. Installation will run approximately $400 and take about four hours.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O603sNB5Stg Here it is on a beemer

 

For the record; I am much more likely to buy after checking out this very objective multi product reviews found here on his site. www.radartest.com

 

Laser is light and it would not surprise me that an unobstructed view would be better...on the other hand be advised you are also advertising the laser devices if you cut away the grill (besides defacing the grill....tho I would be interested in seeing the job your guys do....I suspect that someone that knows what they are doing could keep the grill hacking to a minimum)....and yes i have been stopped....but I was most assuredly given a ticket for the guy next to me that was going faster than me as I had warning from my 9500CI...not that it mattered...and yes the police could have easily noticed the laser receiver above my plate from the rear which probably didn't help any....my experience is that the police will give you a ticket regardless if you are speeding or not (I was paced no less) in my Ferrari and was most definitely not speeding as I saw the officer coming up to me from behind)...not that it mattered....he heard me accelerate and ya know you just can't miss that distinctive Ferrari howl...the Ferrari sounds like it is saying "give me a ticket" if you play it backwards....

 

 

Maybe you could do Craig a favour and edit out his email address in your post before a scraper puts it onto a spam list. Just a thought.

 

Oops

 

So, today I am getting the Bel StiR Plus and 4 M47 jammers put on the car. The installation company wanted to NOT place the rear jammers on the car as it would be noticeable, so, after consternation regarding drilling, good job or not, I decided to get them to paint the jammers, adding another $200 to match my paint and look less noticeable. plus $200 more to do a better job on installation - - I will be $800 on the install and $2000 on the equipment, but at least I should be stealthy right? Right? Needing reassurance here..

 

I have been told that if the police know you are jamming radar they will make you tear it out or they will take it out for you if you won't. Anyone have this experience? Are they legal in some places. Apparently not In BC Canada. also they tow your car if you go 40K over the posted speed.

 

I had a 9500ci installed in my 2010 XKR.
Yes, the front grill had to be cut to place the 2 small laser sensors.
Other than that, with a rear-view mounted display (thanks www.radarmirror.com!), the controls and indicator light in the ash-tray, the main sensor behind the bumper skin, and the gps sensor on the rear deck, the system is hard to "detect".
The rear sensor fits above the license-plate and tucks under the hatch-lid overhang.

So far, I've gotten more "flak" from hwy patrol/ sheriff for not having a front plate than: "Whatcha got those little black boxes for?"

 

I really wonder how effective detectors are since this is a line-of-sight technology (and counter-technology). It's not like cops sit on a wide open stretch and just sit on the trigger. The cops I see are well placed (dips in sound walls; just over a ridge, etc.), so that I imagine the detector would be too late in warning you.

I'd love to be wrong ...

 

Highly effective if there are other cars around you on the road as the detector picks up "scatter"/ shots on other cars - even laser.
Highly ineffective if you are the fastest or only car in the area.