DIY: Blinder installation and radar detector hardwire

getmecoffee · 12-11-2009, 01:42 PM

semtex, Where did you put the Blinder CPU, the audio speaker, and on/off switch? If you could , could you post pictures?

semtex · 12-11-2009, 03:12 PM

As stated on post #1 in the thread:

Quote:

The transceivers plug into the Blinder's interface box, as does the little alert LED and speaker. All of that just gets tucked neatly away behind the side panel, then it's just a matter of putting all the pieces that were pulled out back in neatly.

i.e., I just packed it all behind the panel in the front footwell. I personally have no need to access the power switch or have the LED showing. And the speaker is so loud that you could probably mount it on the other side of the firewall and still hear it.

getmecoffee · 12-11-2009, 08:17 PM

Thanks again!

getmecoffee · 12-15-2009, 11:57 AM

I got my Blinders coming in Thursday! I'm hoping to do the install by Saturday morning.

Did you have to remove the bumper (sorry for the typo)? I'm trying to think how to get an angle to screw the mounting brackets down.

semtex · 12-15-2009, 12:00 PM

No, I did not have to remove the bumper cover. If you remove the undertray, that will give you the room you need (via the front passenger wheel well). You'll want to take the front passenger wheel off, of course.

getmecoffee · 12-17-2009, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEVTEX

While looking for a good deal on the latest version of the Blinder's jammer the M27, I found he guys over at the bimmerfest.com forum were doing a group buy for $360 shipped so I jumped on it.

Mine just came in today, I'll have to find time now to install them.

KEVTEX · 12-17-2009, 11:05 PM

Mine arrived today as well. Now all I need is for my 370Z to show up. It should be here in a week or so.

bullitt5897 · 12-18-2009, 09:48 AM

Just as a Side note to Ben's DIY... there is a rubber wiring harness that is located right behind the battery!!! It makes the install sooo much easier! just cut a small x and pull your cables through to the floor board. The rubber wiring harness grommet needs to be re taped after its cut with electrical tape but it also is a much larger hole and a much easier location to reach! PM me if you have questions... To get to it you will need to remove the cover housing and trim around the battery as well as the cover housing in front of the windshield which is very easy and takes all of 5 mins!!!

getmecoffee · 01-17-2010, 12:54 PM

I'll post more pictures up shortly, but in the meanwhile, I'll share what I have.

The installer who did the job made some minor tweaks to how Semtex's guy did things.

Blinders installed with 3M adhesive tape , Mounting brackets reversed to give additional space between transponders

Decided to not use Blinders switch and used these console switches discussed on a earlier thread. These indeed give a nice OEM look to the install. The middle and pass side buttons are dumbie switches until I find a good use.

Routed Transponder wires driver side. The CPU was tucked away on drivers side. This was far more simpler then removing the tire and taping the in fender

The audio alert is hidden under drives side panels with the CPU. The LED alert is peaking out slightly by A pilar.

Overall, he did a great job installing this yesterday. The one feature about the blinder I didn't care before was the parking assist...which has changed. It was nice last night parking with using the parking assist. I'm sort of thinking about getting a third transponder for the rear now ha. Well know I have to find some State Troopers using a lidar gun.

getmecoffee · 01-20-2010, 07:56 PM

Hey semtex, have you tested your Blinder? I was talking with other Blinder owners and they felt that we mounted them too low. We should put them above the top grill. I used 3M tape, so I might try moving it up. I know the tow hook is there hmmmm

semtex · 01-21-2010, 08:17 AM

I've been hit with laser about 10 times in my 370Z already. My unit goes off every single time and works flawlessly. In fact, I just got hit last Friday. Two units on the side of the road -- 1 guy with the laser gun and the other guy ready to hit his lights and pull someone over. It was great, because they kept trying, and trying, and trying. And my Blinder just kept jamming, and jamming, and jamming. Then they finally gave up and hit the guy behind me and sure enough, the 2nd cop pulled out and nailed him.

getmecoffee · 01-21-2010, 08:52 AM

Ok great, I'll keep them the way they are then. I haven't faced off with any troopers so far.

semtex · 01-21-2010, 09:31 AM

A couple of other things I forgot to mention. First, are you aware that you can test your Blinder with any standard TV remote? By standard I mean IR-based. It won't work if your remote works via UHF or Bluetooth. Now, the beam from a TV remote is pretty weak, relative to one from a police laser gun, so you have to pretty much hold the thing up to one of the transponders. But it should set the thing off. (This will work for testing the laser portion of a radar detector such as a Passport or Valentine 1 as well, btw.) Bear in mind that this will not test for range. Again, you have to hold the thing pretty close to a transponder to set it off, so obviously you're not proving the effectiveness of your Blinder at distance or anything like that. This test will, however, at least confirm for you that your unit is working and will go off when hit with a beam.

The second thing I wanted to mention is this. At various intersections in my county, we've got red-light cameras installed, and the units my county installed are all laser based. Guess what happens whenever I stop for a red light at one of these intersections? My Blinder alert comes on and stays on for the duration of the entire red light. I think this is significant because I presume that those who are concerned that my transponders are mounted too low are concerned that they're too low to jam a beam that is fired from typical chest height. Cops don't shoot their laser guns while laying prone on the ground, after all. Well, consider how high up red light cameras are mounted. They're up around what....10 or 12 ft? So the beam is hitting my car from high up at a downward angle, and the Blinder still works. So from this alone I'm pretty sure that the transponders aren't mounted too low. Don't get me wrong -- mounting them higher up certainly isn't going to hurt anything. But I wouldn't be worried with mounting them where I have them either is all I'm saying.

Hope this helps!

getmecoffee · 01-21-2010, 11:37 AM

Thanks again for the feedback! I guess I'll just let them be

abakja1 · 03-14-2010, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getmecoffee

I used the area behind the fusepanel on the driver side as well. Pull back the carpet and you'll see a small black grommet plug you can push from the engine bay side. To access this area, open the brake fluid resevoir panel and youll see it next to the large rubber grommet for the wiring harness. Im going to use a fuse tap as well.

Will take pics tomorrow.

12-11-2009, 01:42 PM	#46 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	semtex, Where did you put the Blinder CPU, the audio speaker, and on/off switch? If you could , could you post pictures? Last edited by getmecoffee; 12-11-2009 at 01:47 PM.

12-15-2009, 11:57 AM	#49 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	I got my Blinders coming in Thursday! I'm hoping to do the install by Saturday morning. Did you have to remove the bumper (sorry for the typo)? I'm trying to think how to get an angle to screw the mounting brackets down. Last edited by getmecoffee; 12-15-2009 at 12:38 PM.

12-15-2009, 12:00 PM	#50 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 53 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 32	No, I did not have to remove the bumper cover. If you remove the undertray, that will give you the room you need (via the front passenger wheel well). You'll want to take the front passenger wheel off, of course. __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

12-18-2009, 09:48 AM	#53 (permalink)
bullitt5897 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: North GA Posts: 6,831 Drives: Twin Turbo Z34 Rep Power: 3682	Just as a Side note to Ben's DIY... there is a rubber wiring harness that is located right behind the battery!!! It makes the install sooo much easier! just cut a small x and pull your cables through to the floor board. The rubber wiring harness grommet needs to be re taped after its cut with electrical tape but it also is a much larger hole and a much easier location to reach! PM me if you have questions... To get to it you will need to remove the cover housing and trim around the battery as well as the cover housing in front of the windshield which is very easy and takes all of 5 mins!!! __________________ *Shop Cars: 2013 318whp Nismo VspecII 370z SOLD, 2009 1000hp+ 93oct 4.0L TT 370z Fast Intentions STAGE 4 #054*

01-21-2010, 08:17 AM	#56 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 53 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 32	I've been hit with laser about 10 times in my 370Z already. My unit goes off every single time and works flawlessly. In fact, I just got hit last Friday. Two units on the side of the road -- 1 guy with the laser gun and the other guy ready to hit his lights and pull someone over. It was great, because they kept trying, and trying, and trying. And my Blinder just kept jamming, and jamming, and jamming. Then they finally gave up and hit the guy behind me and sure enough, the 2nd cop pulled out and nailed him. __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

12-11-2009, 08:17 PM	#48 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	Thanks again!

12-17-2009, 11:05 PM	#52 (permalink)
KEVTEX Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Montgomery, TX Posts: 119 Drives: 2010 370Z 7at sp pg Rep Power: 15	Mine arrived today as well. Now all I need is for my 370Z to show up. It should be here in a week or so.

01-17-2010, 12:54 PM	#54 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	I'll post more pictures up shortly, but in the meanwhile, I'll share what I have. The installer who did the job made some minor tweaks to how Semtex's guy did things. Blinders installed with 3M adhesive tape , Mounting brackets reversed to give additional space between transponders Decided to not use Blinders switch and used these console switches discussed on a earlier thread. These indeed give a nice OEM look to the install. The middle and pass side buttons are dumbie switches until I find a good use. Routed Transponder wires driver side. The CPU was tucked away on drivers side. This was far more simpler then removing the tire and taping the in fender The audio alert is hidden under drives side panels with the CPU. The LED alert is peaking out slightly by A pilar. Overall, he did a great job installing this yesterday. The one feature about the blinder I didn't care before was the parking assist...which has changed. It was nice last night parking with using the parking assist. I'm sort of thinking about getting a third transponder for the rear now ha. Well know I have to find some State Troopers using a lidar gun.

01-20-2010, 07:56 PM	#55 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	Hey semtex, have you tested your Blinder? I was talking with other Blinder owners and they felt that we mounted them too low. We should put them above the top grill. I used 3M tape, so I might try moving it up. I know the tow hook is there hmmmm

01-21-2010, 08:52 AM	#57 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	Ok great, I'll keep them the way they are then. I haven't faced off with any troopers so far.

01-21-2010, 09:31 AM	#58 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 53 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 32	A couple of other things I forgot to mention. First, are you aware that you can test your Blinder with any standard TV remote? By standard I mean IR-based. It won't work if your remote works via UHF or Bluetooth. Now, the beam from a TV remote is pretty weak, relative to one from a police laser gun, so you have to pretty much hold the thing up to one of the transponders. But it should set the thing off. (This will work for testing the laser portion of a radar detector such as a Passport or Valentine 1 as well, btw.) Bear in mind that this will not test for range. Again, you have to hold the thing pretty close to a transponder to set it off, so obviously you're not proving the effectiveness of your Blinder at distance or anything like that. This test will, however, at least confirm for you that your unit is working and will go off when hit with a beam. The second thing I wanted to mention is this. At various intersections in my county, we've got red-light cameras installed, and the units my county installed are all laser based. Guess what happens whenever I stop for a red light at one of these intersections? My Blinder alert comes on and stays on for the duration of the entire red light. I think this is significant because I presume that those who are concerned that my transponders are mounted too low are concerned that they're too low to jam a beam that is fired from typical chest height. Cops don't shoot their laser guns while laying prone on the ground, after all. Well, consider how high up red light cameras are mounted. They're up around what....10 or 12 ft? So the beam is hitting my car from high up at a downward angle, and the Blinder still works. So from this alone I'm pretty sure that the transponders aren't mounted too low. Don't get me wrong -- mounting them higher up certainly isn't going to hurt anything. But I wouldn't be worried with mounting them where I have them either is all I'm saying. Hope this helps! __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

01-21-2010, 11:37 AM	#59 (permalink)
getmecoffee Base Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NY Posts: 52 Drives: Nissan 370Z Rep Power: 15	Thanks again for the feedback! I guess I'll just let them be

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