Professional Antenna Farmer, and equipment,PICS, *DUW*

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 4:20 pm

ok.for all those people laughing/wondering/accusing/whathaveyou....

here's my antenna farm and related equipment.. I Installed all of this myself, SANS console,till money allows the purchase of a pro-copper console...the motorola x-9000 control heads were mounted directly to the metal "tabs" on top of the transmission hump... the 12.1" touch screen was mounted with a ram mount,removing the ashtray/cupholder and mounting it to the metal underneath...and the motorola spectra A9 control head was mounted on the bottom of the touch screen,and secured to the floor.... all wiring was run under the carpet/rubber,removing the rear seat and back,as well as the pass and driver seat..a small slit was cut into the rubber/carpet in front of the X9k control head to hide the wires/run them without being visible... it seems in the pic that the x9k control head is sidewats a bit.. but I assure you its not.. I must have been holding the camera at a funny angle while I was sitting in the back seat taking pics....

and for THOSE who dont remember/dont know..

I manage a small fleet of cars for a local PD, I also own my own company,selling,installing, and developing custom solutions for emergency vehicles,including AVL and computer integration..fun stuff. and this car is my "resume", and demo car,which is constantly evolving..

I'm also an FCC licensed "amateur radio operator",KB3JKP

and if any 18 y/o kid PM's me asking me how I mounted the antenna's or "where can I get them,I want to make my car look like the feds" ... then I'm posting it here, and resting back and watching the flamefest...possibly roasting a steak or 2...

hints/tips/suggestions/praise/constructive criticism/copmlaints/etc are more than welcome..but keep it in line..

here goes..

The first pic is of the TWO GPS antenna's, and an 800 Mhz "chrome dome" antenna.ONE GPS for my vehicle tracking system, and the other for my GPS voice NAV TBI shortly.and the 800 Mhz antenna for my Icom PCR-1000, a computer controlled all-mode reciever,10Khz-1.3Ghz.

The second pic is of the baseload 1/4 wave lowband whip, and the 5/8 wave VHF high whip, as well as the 1/4 wave VHF high whip for the vehicle tracking system...

the THIRD,FOURTH,and FIFTH pics are of the rear decklid..showing all three antenna's on the trunklid,as well as the placemnt of the three antenna's on the roof..you should also notice the K-band radar antenna mounted on the inside to "bolts" that hold up the headliner..

the SIXTH picture is of the business end of the car...anyone who has access to NCIC/MVA/DMV feel free to run a 28/29..notice the small emblem on the honeycomb grille,the big one didnt come with the aftermarket grille I got,so I just used my "old" one..also notice the second K-band radar antenna mounted next to the pass side visor as well as the "extra" highbeams behind the grille..

the SEVENTH picture is of the Motorola Spectra VHF 110W and Motorola Syntor X-9000 VHF lowband 110W control heads and speakers...

The EIGHTH picture is of the control heads and 12.1" touchscreen,as well as the radio,and integrated siren controller,mounted above the radio..

the NINTH picture shows the integrated siren controller,mounted just above the radio....now TELL me that doesnt look nice...,lol

and ANYONE that is selling a GRAPHITE front AC/trunk release trim piece let me know.. I HATE those holes...

the LAST picture is a side shot.. of those SH!TTY center caps.. I have full wheel covers on the other side,lol ..and will be getting two more shortly... or possibly 4 of the 03+ type....

COMMENTS PLEASE!!

WHACKER/SQUIRREL/WANNABE/ETC will be met with a baseball bat and a phonebook...

"antenna farmer" is OK(damnit mel!)

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 6:23 pm

So you're a cop?

Where are the rest of the lights?

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 6:35 pm

I manage a small fleet of cars for a local PD, I also own my own company,selling,installing, and developing custom solutions for emergency vehicles,including AVL and computer integration..fun stuff. and this car is my "resume", and demo car,which is constantly evolving..

nope.. NOT a cop..

currently I have two 4 outlet 90W power supplies driving two hideaways in the front corner lenses,and 4 in the rear behind the "turn" and "brake" lenses, as well as wig-wag highbeams and wig-wag reverse lights...

future install will include LEED LED's. 2 dual units mounted in the grille,two dual units mounted to each side of the headliner in front...and three single units mounted below the rearview on the dash,and four dual units rear ,two on the deck..and two mounted on top of the headliner...as well as two single units on each rear window.,one on top,one on bottom,and LED mirrorbeams....

all controlled by touch screen and/or voice recognition....with a remote RF switch backup....four buttons...one for each side of the car.....

those are future plans though..and dont have near enough money laying around to accomplish it.. it would cost me about 1300$

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 6:56 pm

ROFL! Oh, sorry. Didn't see that part. It sure sounds like you've got it
all planned out for what you'd like to do in the future for your 'ultimate
setup'... but that "proposed" setup is going to run you a bit more than
$1300. I'm sure the $1300 was a typo since you own your own company
and are very familliar with pricing of LEDs and such.

1. Make the pics smaller, please

2. I like those GPS antennas. Where did you get them and what make/model are they?

3. How many cars do you manage at the local PD? Where?

4. Whats up with the radar antennas?

5. What are the lights in your grille?

And finally....

WHACKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

j/k Nice job!

BTW, Here's a pic of MY "resume".

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:43 pm

no.. 1300$ was NOT a typo .. I know how much the LED's(minus the LED mirrorbeams) cost.. since the install is done by me.. Install costs are free...

the GPS antenna's I cant remember.. but bought them off of ebay with a LOT of new antenna's that I got for less than 20$

I manage three cars currently ( I said SMALL)two wimpala's and a blazer...it's so sad.. (they wont give me money to buy crown vics).. for Marlo Heights PD in Maryland....

the RADAR antenna's are exactly that..hooked up to an MPH radar, mostly used to set off people radar detectors....

the lights in the grille are actually cheap wal-mart halogen fog lights..and work VERY well WHEN AIMED PROPERLY!. improving night vision when high-beams are needed..but are also hooked up to the wig-wag flashers on the high-beams..

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:49 pm

There ya go. Sounds like a plan.

I'm still wondering about the whole Radar thing and the grill-mounted
blueish tinted fog lights but maybe thats just my whacker-radar going
off

You know those radar antennas make you sterille, right?

Squad581

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:52 pm

the lights are mounted behind the grille...and are not that visible when off... although bluish tint..they are cheap wal-mart..what would u expect for 25$ ? ?

and the radar unit.... yeah.. I do show it off occasionally.. I do sell radar units too..alhough rarely..but everyone wants to see how one works if they havent used one before.. so its something to "do" while checking out my car...

and yeah.. a bit "wackerish" if you will.. but its nice watching 50$K mercedes benz SUV's slamming on their brakes when they fly past at 30+MPH over the speed limit and go apesh!t when their radar detectors go off like crazy...

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:53 pm

wacker

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:00 pm

dont make me come over there seth.....

the best thing I like about the install is the siren DEK installed in with the stereo.. I tihnk that looks soooo sweet...

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:53 pm

kb3jkp wrote:the best thing I like about the install is the siren DEK installed in with the stereo.. I tihnk that looks soooo sweet...

Yep, wacktastic!

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:58 pm

aww..cmon guys... you cant tell me that it doesnt look nice as part of a custom install.. this is my demo car.. and is proof of my work... I woulda thought u guys would appreciate the time/effort it took to get all that together without having wires all over the place and without using a console.. and wiring the DEK in up next to the stereo.. thats custom worK! lol

dont MAKE ME break out the baseball bat and the phonebook!! :p

you're all just jealous

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:04 pm

Yeah, resize the pics really.

Over all it looks pretty good. Appears clean and neatly installed, although you do need a console.

Why two GPS antenas?

I assume you leave the radar antennas in there so you can plug in the apporpriate brand of radar unit you're selling for demo purposes?

What law enforcement user isn't familiar enough with RADAR after 40 some years of using to need to see what working before they buy it?????

Be a professional, drop the whacker play time with the benz drivers.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:09 pm

The first pic is of the TWO GPS antenna's, and an 800 Mhz "chrome dome" antenna.ONE GPS for my vehicle tracking system, and the other for my GPS voice NAV TBI shortly.

and different radar units use different hookups..

so it is only used with the radar unt that I keep under the seat...I pull it out/plug it in when showing off the car... what car is complete without radar? lol

I can resize the pics... but then I'll lose all the detail

* .. .but ok.. I'll see what I can do...

and .. cmon.. benz drivers are FUN...all work and no play makes jack a dull boy... ...

maybe I'll just leave it on 24x7:-p,lol

but 99% of the time it remains unplugged underneath the seat so....not a problem..

and it's not really to show the officers "how it works" although some honestly havent used it before..but its more of a "well I installed this.. and I have this here...and that works real nice.. and I have a radar unit too...." kinda thing.. just another thing to add to the "wow list" if you will...

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:49 pm

kb3jkp wrote:
and yeah.. a bit "wackerish" if you will.. but its nice watching 50$K mercedes benz SUV's slamming on their brakes when they fly past at 30+MPH over the speed limit and go apesh!t when their radar detectors go off like crazy...

Are you serious? Gimme a fscking break man. Do what APCO25 said and drop the radar. Seriously. If you get pleasure by making people slam on their brakes because you set off their radar detectors and them thinking you are a cop taking radar, you've obviously you've got some sort of circuit short up there in your head. In my book (and probably every other professional here) thats just as good as a whacker/fake cop/wanna-be-cop/security farkle, etc.

I'll admit, I like the "unmarked" or "undercover" or whatever you want to call it look of my Impala and Crown Vic, but I have yet to put blue grille lights and a radar unit in it just to scare people. I get enough weird looks as it is with all the antennas, red/white lights and tint.

Just wait until one day you "freak" one of those Mercedes drivers out and they go "apeshit" right into a utility pole or into a ditch. What are you going to tell the officer when you stop to see if they're alright? Or would you keep driving in fear of being "found out" by the sheriff when he see's your radar antennas? Thats how investigations start out.

I can't believe it.

PS: And if you're able to, do yourself a favor and go join the local volunteer fire dept or rescue squad so you at least have SOME sort of "justification" for all the lights, sirens, radios, and other :o you've got in there or will be putting in there.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:56 pm

ok..let me get this straight..

because......

A. I take pride in the work I do...
AND
B. I know how to screw around and have fun a bit..

I have a screw loose? WTF!

yeah...mmkkkkk........

and what blue lights are you talking about? any lights installed are covert....concealed strobe tubes..wig-wags....you cant see any of those when they're not on..and they're only on when i'm showing it to firefighters/police officers etc that might be interested in buying or having something installed.....

OH yeah.. and I guess that when the SAME "benz driver" hits a utility pole when JOE OFFICER is using HIS radar then JOE OFFICER is liable too right?? get real......

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:02 am

MAN CHARGED WITH POLICE IMPERSONATION

(Westminster, MD) – A Carroll County man was charged this past Wednesday with a weapons violation, impersonating a police officer and other related charges after troopers stopped his vehicle and found several police-like items after following up on a theft complaint at a local 7-Eleven convenience store.

Thomas B. Robinson, 54, of the 3300-block of Salem Bottom Road in Westminster, was charged late Wednesday with transporting a handgun on public property, possession of a deadly weapon, theft, impersonating a police officer and unauthorized possession of law enforcement credentials. After appearing before a Carroll County District Court Commissioner for an initial appearance, Robinson was released on his own recognizance pending trial.

This investigation began on Wednesday, June 29, 2005, when a representative of the 7-Eleven Corporation contacted investigators at the Westminster Barrack regarding a theft at a local store on the previous day. The store is located in the 300-block of Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster. The owner of the store suspected the theft was committed by an off-duty police officer. A clerk apparently observed a male who frequents the store quite often, enter the location, remove a coffee mug from a shelf and fill it with a beverage. The man reportedly entered the store not carrying any items.

Investigators subsequently contacted the owner and clerk at the 7-Eleven. Video surveillance equipment was later reviewed confirming the theft. Robinson was known to operate a dark-colored 2001 Ford Crown Victoria displaying Maryland registration. He reportedly indicated that he is a retired Secret Service agent. The windows on the vehicle were reportedly tinted, had two antennas mounted on the trunk and appeared to be “an official police vehicle.” All pertinent information was broadcasted to area law enforcement personnel.

The vehicle was later observed by a trooper being driven on Old Washington Road and Route 32 in Westminster. The dark blue Ford was stopped, and investigators responded to that location and identified Robinson as the male suspect appearing in the store video. He was placed under arrest and taken to the Westminster Barrack. A switchblade knife was observed clipped inside the pocket of the shorts he was wearing. Robinson is the registered owner of the vehicle.

Troopers checked the vehicle and located an unloaded Smith & Wesson handgun concealed in a nylon “U.S. Secret Service” case in the trunk. A magazine for the weapon was also located in the case and was filled to capacity. A number of “law enforcement-like” items were observed within the vehicle. These included badges, an identification card and a U.S. Secret Service baseball cap. The vehicle was equipped with red and white strobe lights and a siren. Two dash-mountable blue strobe lights were found within the vehicle. One was found under the driver’s seat and the other was positioned on the left rear deck.

Investigators received permission to search Robinson’s residence and executed a search warrant on the vehicle. Several “items of interest” were confiscated as a result. Robinson later admitted to investigators that he has identified himself as a retired U.S. Secret Service agent to several people in the past. Investigators have learned that Robinson is affiliated with the Carroll County Fire Police. He reportedly has a relative who works for a law enforcement agency in Florida. There is currently no information to indicate Robinson has stopped any motorists.

Agents with the U.S. Secret Service were contacted and responded to assist investigators. Several items were confiscated after searching the residence and vehicle. Robinson has also professed to serving as a doctor within their agency. Agents have initiated a separate probe as a result of this incident. Information pertaining to ownership of the handgun is currently unavailable. This investigation is continuing…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See... it DOES happen. All this guy did was steal a coffee mug!

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:07 am

OK.. WTF!!!

I have NO badges,hats,jackets,handcuffs,guns,patches,whatever

and ya know.. its even FUNNIER that my BUSINESS CARDS

OMG..ya know what.. they have My BUSINESS NAME on them..

OH MY!!!

yeah.. you caught me.. I'm super secret squirell..only not so secret... give it up...

whats up with you guys always trying to find fault with something?

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:09 am

Well, when you get thrown in jail for impersonation of a peace officer because you have "Police-Like" items in your vehicle, you can ask the judge that. I'm not in a position to say one way or another. All I can comment on is my feelings of the matter.

Just make sure you're abiding by the statutes that govern lights and "police-related" equipment. I know here in Wisconsin that if I got caught with one blue light in my vehicle, even given the fact that I have a legitimate small business and the fact that I am a local FF/EMT, I would be locked up and have my vehicle confiscated immediately. Only RED/WHITE around here for us volunteers. I don't even keep blue lenses for lights in stock if I can help it, or unless I have an invoice and paperwork to support the fact.

Just watch out, thats all I'm saying. You don't know how many LEO or detectives frequent these kinds of forums just waiting for guys like you to say that they're out messing with motorists with radar guns.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:16 am

well here's the pre-print of the front/back of my business card.. hey.. I get to shut you guys up and get free advertising..works for me.. and if any LEO/LEA wants to call me or "check out" my car then give me a call and I'll set up an appointment......

THE FRONT

THE BACK

and just an FYI.. radar "guns" are not illegal. and in fact the FCC has ruled that such devices..operated within the specified bands set aside for "RADAR", can be used by anyone,without a license..for hobby use,including..but NOT limited to trainspotting,and sporting events....

so even if I DID decide to randomly turn it on ..then I'm well within my right to do so..

and if you READ.. you'd noticed the comment about it BEING UNDER THE SEAT 99% OF THE TIME!!only time I screw around with it is if I have it set up to go "sell" someone and screw with it on the way... too "tacky" to get there and then say "hold on a sec while I set it up" ....

and from YOUR OWN MOUTH!!!

So you're a cop? Where are the rest of the lights?

and from MINE......

I manage a small fleet of cars for a local PD, I also own my own company,selling,installing, and developing custom solutions for emergency vehicles,including AVL and computer integration..fun stuff. and this car is my "resume", and demo car,which is constantly evolving..

nope.. NOT a cop..

yup..there I go again..blowing my own cover....damnit.. I wish I could stop saying I WASNT A COP AND THIS IS MY DEMO CAR/RESUME.. JEEZ!!!

davkenrem · Post by **davkenrem** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:39 am

Boy did you ask for this, I wonder how many people have started " Installation " businesses or joined a volunteer fire dept as an excuse to own a whacker mobile.

I like police cars and that stuff as much as everyone on here but some common sense is really called for.

There are several Emeregency Vehicle Owners clubs that will give you more than enough opportunities to show your install off, even at regular cars shows, a well done Police car display gets allot of attention.

But driving around with all that equipment is either gonna cause you to act like a cop or be accused of acting like one. The fella in that above news report has allot of trouble coming his way, and the police will never forget who he is and will be looking for him to screw up even if he gets off.

You may lknow all the officers in you own dept. But once officers from other jurisditions spot your car and find out its not a real police car you may get more attention then you want.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:21 am

the reason I posted here was to show off my work,and the install of the MOTOROLA Spectra and MOTOROLA Syntor X-9000 and related equipment.. the antenna farm thing comes from another board...where someone commented on the fact that I was a "professional antenna farmer" ,lol

I was trying to point out the fact that I think I did a damn good job considering I didnt use a console..although I desperately need one, I did what I could to make it look as professional as possible given what I had available..

my intent was to illicit feedback on how it could be improved..ans what the general idea about it was(considering I didnt use a console)not so some little kiddies who dont even know me..OR my business start with the accusations flying...

how MANY times have I said that this is a demo car? how many times have I said this is my "resume" .. you dont need to ASK for references..if you see my car.. you see my work...and you know its good...if I was into the whole impersonating things I'd have bumper stickers and badges and all sorts of crap... I DONT.. I have NONE of that.. only thing even remotely "police" about the whole thing is the fact that I got a police car on my business card....

ALL of the lights are disabled when the vehicle is being driven,as is the siren,only thing that works is the radio's and the airhorn....as the siren has "ignition sense" enabled ,and powered by a seperate FUSED circuit.NOT the ignition ...

I take pride in my work.. this IS my work.. I install stereo's and alarms when things are slow..but thats just extra pocket change, its not what I truly enjoy...

what I'm saying is.. those demo cars that whelen has and such must be driven by whackers too...cuz they have lightbars and say "police" on the side?? no.. they have a job to do..they sell the equipment.. what BETTER way to do that than display what it would look like? notice the back of my business card says COVERT.....unmarked cars are more of a challenge....I do marked cars too,and SUV's for fire departments as well.. but unmarked cars is what I specialize in.. .

yeah.. if I wanted to I could go with the hidden antenna..and wal-mart clutter catcher with a single spectra A7 CH,a switchbox,and a siren wired to the horn-ring.. but I chose to mix the two...

what I call a "half-marked" unit... everyone "knows" it's police car becuase of the antenna, but it has no distinctive markings on it.... so when "selling" I can either emphasize the complexity of my install..and that "I can do anything you need to your MARKED cruiser" ...or I can go the other way and say " well that control head you see right there,I can hide that in a regular looking console...and the mic in the slide out cup-holder...and you could DRIVE the car and not know it was an unmarked car " ..

I FAIL to see how taking pride in one's work... trying to compromise between a marked demo car and totally stripped un-marked car is considered being "wackerish" .. I guess I should put cardboard cutouts of what the radio's look like so I can "hide them" right? screw the fact that I actually WANT the radio's in there for 2m or 6m

to the one or two people who actually had constructive criticism..thanks.....I'm planning on a pro-copper console as money allows..

for those who assume..and dont understand sales/selling.. .. let me ask you this.. when's the last time YOU bought ANYTHING without seeing,hearing,feeling,or KNOWING what it is you were about to buy? .. ever buy lights without seeing them? u might have seen them on a friends car...or your buddies cruiser..but I bet you seen them..and thats why you wanted them...or thought a "siren tone" was cool... and you wanted that on your POV....yup..you heard it somewhere..and u liked it..so you wanted it....

its SALES.. you listen to what the customers needs are..and you sell them.. period...

such is the reason for this car...

if YOU were hiring me to install strobes....or a radio... or whatever... and I showed you my "previous work" (the car) .. would u have any doubts as to my capabilities? I would THINK that it wouuld be looked upon as a "this guy really knows what he's doing" , or I could give you ideas as to what might work in your application and show you MY way that could solve a problem/situation/concern you might have....

and about the whole "the police will catch up with him" and whatnot....

I have nothing to hide.. like I said.. no badges or ID's..no guns or patches or jackets or any of that.. my job is to sell/install... I enjoy it.. I'm good at it.. thats all that matters to me...

there are quite a few officers that know me as "the radio guy" or "the lights guy" because I also sell portables to off duty officers...and I'm GOOD at what I do...I make sure the customer has what they need,and I do it right the first time....thats how a good business gets referrals...

anyway.. BACK ON THE TOPIC...

any COMMENTS or SUGGESTIONS (ABOUT THE INSTALL OR RELATED EQUIPMENT)would be welcome....

just a sidenote.. would everyone be making such a big stink out of this if it was a ford exploder? or a dodge pickup?? I tihnk not...

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:34 am

damn

Guys, John want's to run a business. Yeah he comes across a bit wackeresque, but impersomating a cop? That's a tad too far. I

Police like items? So when I am transporting my m16a1, mp5, uzi (all select fire baby), along with my 3a armor, and a few astro sabers on ham radio-am I transporting "police like" items? What if I have a few belts of .308 or some mags floating around the truck?

WTF (no not you John) This is America guys, we do still have some freedoms left here.

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 4:02 am

Ok boys....

To your corners. To your corners.....

You guys need to back off a little bit. As Seth put it, he's running a business. Let it be, if you don't like it, then don't buy from him. The part that I think that has the most potential for "going to far" is the radar. From the sounds of things, it's for demo only and the comment about the Benz drivers was only a joke. Y'know... Funny HA-HA. So lighten up a little bit.

As far as the install....

Console.. priority. And not a "Pro-Copper". Those things are garbage. Go on eBay and get yourself a nice cheap Troy or something. It'll last you a lot longer and will look a lot better.

2nd. The siren DEK in the dash. While neat... seems very out of place. When you get the console, put that in it as well. Troy makes faceplates for the A9 heads and DEKS. And if I recall correctly, there may even be one for an A9 head and 2 DEKS...

So.. whacktacular install. Good luck getting the business really chugging along...

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 4:15 am

JAYMZ... not ONE visible wire...which is hard enough to do WITH a console..and I did it without one... and all I get is "whacktacular" ohhh.. I'm so disappointed....

lol .. but oh well..on to finding a console....

anything else you guys can recommend?

ESDA20 · Post by **ESDA20** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:48 am

Nice car. If you were a cop.

I'd ditch the car and buy a van. They you can haul all sorts of stuff around. Owning a crown vic, looking like that, implies you are a cop. Who are we kidding here? Crown vic, covered in antennas, with a radar gun? Wanna-be.

Otherwise, the install does look pretty nice and clean.

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 7:56 am

ESDA20 wrote:Who are we kidding here? Crown vic, covered in antennas, with a radar gun? Wanna-be.

ah ok

so mazda miata means you belong in san fransisco then?

Geez, I never thought I'd find myself feling the need to defend John.

Someone stab me....

and yes the radar gun is overkill

KuhnElectronics · Post by **KuhnElectronics** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:00 am

Almost every vehicle outfitting company around here has a demo vehicle, and 90% of them are Crown Vics, Impalas, ect...

An official spec'ing out a cruiser from a police department wants to see what their cruiser is exactly going to look like, not what you can haul around in a van. I havent bought a demo yet, but we always take loads of pictures of every one we do a PI install, just to display our work. I have had about 5 departments ask if we had a demo vehicle, cause that is just what people want to see.

The demo cruiser I posted here a while back, for a company who we work along side of thats sells the lights and stuff was showed off at a police department, and now we have 2 05 crowns coming this way to be outiftted exactly the same way the demo was.

With the radar thing, as long as he dont pull some guy over for speeding, then what is the problem?

So anyways, the install looks good. Console Console Console, I cant say it enough, and I had horrible luck with Pro-Copper, so skip out on that one..Also I agree about the siren unit being in the console. If you are really trying to appeal to a police department, what is the likely hood of their being a CD player with the availible space over it for the control? I have put a few CD players in PI's, but not much, and I think it would make the console setup complete, once you get one in.

Dont get me wrong though, it looks sweet, and if this were my PV, then I would probably have mine in the same exact location, but since this is supposed to be a mirror of your work to display, I think it should represent the way you would install a vehicle to be in the field.

Other than that, big time props man....great install..hope to see more lights if this is going to be an actual demo car. You are going to have better luck with 1000 lights as compared to 50 radios...

- Nick

jhooten · Post by **jhooten** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:42 am

First:

and just an FYI.. radar "guns" are not illegal. and in fact the FCC has ruled that such devices..operated within the specified bands set aside for "RADAR", can be used by anyone,without a license..for hobby use,including..but NOT limited to trainspotting,and sporting events....

Close but not quite correct. There are speed radar units that are Part 15 devices that can be used by anyone with out a liscense. Most true LE speed radars are above the power output limit for a Part 15 devices and do require a liscense. In the past there was almost an automatic X and K band speed radar line on the departments FCC liscense.

Second:

Your choce of words was off putting to many including me. "Show off" is what you do in the parking lot at high school. Or when you have one of your buddies in the car and pull the radar out and say "watch that Merc SUV over there when I turn this puppy on".

Now for the install. The choice of the antenna locations on the quarter panels would not have been my first choice. To put them there the rods must be bent to keep from slapping pedestrians as you go by. Put them on the trunk lid close to their current location. Another reason for this is the curvature of the quarter panels makes it harder to get a good weather seal on the MNO mount where as the trunk lid is flatter allowing a better seal, and is less prone to leak . Be sure to run a ground strap from the trunk lid to the body when ever you us it to mount antennas. And it is cheaper to replace the deck lid than the quarter panel to get rid of the hole should the departments communications requirments change in the future.

You can demostrate you installation technique for the radar antennas without haveing the radar unit in the car.

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:29 am

Hamsexxy

Thats why i stay out of the Emergency Vehicle Game i stick to Commercial/SERvice/plow vehicles

kccjs268 · Post by **kccjs268** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:51 am

Why was the decision made to mount the two rear antennas on the fender and not the trunck hood? I'm just wondering, it looks good either way. My thought process that if heaven forbid, the car was to go naked, it would be eaiser to replace the holes by replacing the trunck hood.

-Oh when we built our vic that plastic flooring was a pain, at least I though so. Did you remove the whole flooring, run wires, then replace it?

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:02 am

jhooten beat me to it!

I was going to mention also that the radar system your using require FCC licensing for the emission levels that they use.

Unless by some odd chance its labeled as a Part 15
device, your outside the law by even turning it on,
technically. We all know that the FCC is not omnipresent
these days and catching every violation, but, in your
case you want to be dealing with law enforcement agencies
so you might want to think about being professional about it.

I know a couple installers around these parts that have
FCC licenses for Radar operation, not sure if they are
really needed for installers, but one that i spoke with a
while back said he got the license so they can install, test,
repair, and troubleshoot the radar without any fear of being
on the FCC's bad side.

In your case though, and i'm not trying to be a jerk
about this, if your driving this vehicle around on a regular
basis with the radar antennas installed like that, even if
the unit is off and under the seat, some may get the wrong
impression. There is plenty of jackholes out there looking to
report someone to the FCC when they think that someone is
breaking the rules!

Around here i keep a laminated copy of my Amateur Radio
License and a copy of the Minnesota Scanner Laws in my
glovebox at all times. You wouldn't believe how many police
officers have no information on this. Many will see a bunch of
radios and think they are CB's and scanners. Of course in MN
it is illegal to have both vehicle mounted scanners and radar
detectors. Amateur Radio Operators are exempt from this
restriction on scanners mainly because of the initial large confusion caused by transceivers that can receive out of band.

Here is some snipits of the MN law regarding this.

(a) No person other than peace officers within the state, the
members of the state patrol, and persons who hold an Amateur
Radio license issued by the Federal Communications Commission,
shall equip any motor vehicle with any radio equipment or
combination of equipment, capable of receiving any radio signal, message, or information from any police emergency frequency......................

(c) An amateur radio license holder who exercises the privilege
granted by paragraph (a) shall carry the amateur radio license in
the motor vehicle at all times and shall present the license to a peace officer on request. A violation of this paragraph is a petty misdemeanor.
A second or subsequent violation is a misdemeanor.

I usually don't have much trouble around here because most of the l
ocal agencies already have the rundown from cooperation in public events and storm spotting. But, i still carry the information, a copy
of my license, and my van also has Amateur Radio license plates
going on next month, which stops a lot of the officers who are curious about all the antennas!

Post by Pj » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:46 pm

In addition to what was said above, you will also get the idiots from your area see whats in the car, think its a cop car, and so some damage.

Or, for whatever reason you in a not so good area, and the natives see you and your car and decide to get restless. I don't think you have too much of a chance.

If you using it as a demo car, keep it parked until you need it, just like everyone else does.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:17 pm

Ok, the guy seems to do decent work. Equipment looks neatly installed, and although there are minor issues like antenna placement and the lack of a console the vehicle is otherwise ok.

Nothing wrong in having a demo vehicle, be it a CV, impala, SUV etc.

Here's where you gave yourself the whacker title.... the cute comment about radar and freaking out benz drivers.

That took your from professional to whacker.

All you had to do was post something to the equivelent of:

"this is my company demo car. I use it to show off the quality of my work and for some equipment demonstrations. I also use it as the work ride too and from field install locations."

ESDA20 · Post by **ESDA20** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 4:01 pm

sglass wrote:
ESDA20 wrote:Who are we kidding here? Crown vic, covered in antennas, with a radar gun? Wanna-be.
ah ok

so mazda miata means you belong in san fransisco then?

Geez, I never thought I'd find myself feling the need to defend John.

Someone stab me....

and yes the radar gun is overkill

Yes. Wannab-be. Demo cars are exactly that... demo cars, designed to drum up business. Whelen has theirs covered in "WHELEN" from end to end for that purpose; they don't have it all sneaky like. If I had a business, with a demo vehicle, it'd have my advertisement plastered all over it in the most professional manner I could do it.

If this is a "daily driver", then it can only lead to trouble one day.

Nice lookin' car tho.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 7:49 pm

there is an adjustable power output on the radar..normally set at the lowest setting..which is 5 mw if IIRC,and ALSO IIRC K-band falls within an amateur radio service allocation as a secondary user,I just have to modulate the transmitter every 10 mins to CW my ID,lol

the benz thing was kinda a joke.. I was riding along with an officer who wanted to take my car out for a test drive...and never had radar in his car..he got a kick of using the "instant-on" feature to mess with people......

cashflow is a serious issue for me right now..even to the point where I can t plunk down 200$ for a console...otherwise it'd have one already....

I put the DEK above the stereo as a "it doesnt have to be in a console" ,as in for unmarked cars...even hiding it in the ashtray or whatnot....and making it look like it actually is "supposed" to be there...

the antenna placement was done ON purpose..and before you guys start screaming WHACKER again,let me explain this...

Maryland State Police have always placed their antenna's on the quarter panel,the unmarked cars used 1/4 wave baseload antenna's on the drivers/pass side quarter panel..usually one for CB and one for their lowband stuff, and a 1/4 VHF whip on the trunklid for their VHF PAC-RT's,"I didnt do it" they did... and Ijust copied it.. SWR is unaffected...and I dont think that 3 antenna's would look good on the trunklid of a car,I have never had a problem sealing them properly..WITHOUT using silicone or other sealent..I "massage" the area down about a mm or 2 with a rubber mallet ...making sure that there is a flat surface to mount to...

the vehicle is meant to be an external clone of a Maryland state police cruiser.. MINUS the GPS antenna's and 800 Mhz whip...

the "MSP CLONE" thing is more of a "familiarity" sales factor..an officer is gonna be more relaxed/open if he sees a car he can "recognize" versus a "whackers" car that has a hodgepodge of antenna's and equipment. The radar antenna's ,athough functional,serve an aestetic purpose as well.also in consideration is that I woul be less likely to be "harrased" if the car had a known "pattern" as compared to joe whacker pulling people over that has a magmount CB antenna with the RG58 cut off ......

I dint block out my tag number because I have nothing to hide...and quite the opposite.. I wanted any LEO/LEA that was curious to be able to run the tags..and see it come back to a legitimate business,.

it IS meant to look like a "cop car" .. but thats my inteneded audience... if I drove up in a honda accord or a blinged out escalade,things would be wierd..

think of an insurance salesman..if he pulled up in a honda accord wearing shorts and a t-shirt...you might listen to him..but I'd doubt you'd give him your business,and thoughts would b going through your head about this guy being strange...

see that SAME insurance guy driving say.. a Geico ford exploder....and all the sudden he "fits" ..its a sales tactic... and vics are just nice cars all around..

I WAS a firefighter for a while.. but bailed out because of all the politics and BS going on at the station.everyone was arguing about the proper way to do things instead of getting them done.. and thats just total BS....

only thing I "need" to "cover my ass".. is a handful of business cards and the NUMEROUS police officers/firefighters/etc that I've sold and installed equipment to,most are county officers...a few state boys..and a bunch of firefighters from different counties.. ALL of which have commented on how nice the car looks..and NONE have asked the "why" questiona, and being pulled over is just another time to sell my stuff,officer has a question as to who I am and why I'm "driving this car" and whatnot...throw him a business card and a quick sales spiel,so far I havent sold anything that way,I'm more successful at dropping cards off at different stations/districts and talking 1-1 with officers while off-duty,but so far havent gotten any real issues or tickets either... including a 93 in a 65 (my mom was driving that time,lol) .. officer let u s off with a "a lot of people around here are getting pulled over by fake unmarked cars,just wanted to make sure.....try to slow it down a bit and be safe" ...so..no problems there at all..

I think most officers are more concerned with TRUE wackers with a little dashlight or something pulling people over rather than a guy trying to sell/demo his %!$#*&...

fd2119 · Post by **fd2119** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:04 pm

I can only comment that it looks V-E-R-Y Maryland State Police like, with the large antennas on the rear fenders, and the center mounted other antenna. Althought I don't recall having seen any MSP cars with *2* of the large (low band?) fender mounted antennas. However, I believe I may have seen MSP unmarked cars in that color.

All in all, seems like a nice install job, but it does seem kinda squirrely and MSP wanna-be-ish.

Code3 · Post by **Code3** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:37 pm

Nice business card photos...

Ok, first one is a ford stock photo, fine...

http://www.code3motorpool.com/images/01 ... _int_b.jpg

But scamming your pictures from a Movie Police car website?

http://www.code3motorpool.com/images/01 ... _blu_b.jpg

Unless I'm mistaken and you asked nicely, you may want to read the legal section at the bottom of their page.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:46 pm

actually.. I found the pics on a website that has a bunch of "royalty-free"/non-copyrighted/free to publish or use/ type of pictures...

I KNEW that picture was the "stock" photo from fords brochures on the PI for various years...and since it was on this site..figured that ford had given permission for anyone to use it....

I DIDNT know that the wimpala was a movie car or whatever....and will be emailing them shortly to see whats up.....wether or not they allowed this site to have their pictures as "free to use" ....

Squad581 · Post by **Squad581** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:22 am

You can't drop $200 for a console? How on earth do you expect to be able to develop a cash flow and be able to outfit vehicles without having capitol to start?

Also, it is VERY evident, not only by your own remarks, but by obversations made by others here, that you are definately trying to make your vehicle look like a Maryland State Police vehicle. Stop it.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Tint the windows. Tint them down to 20%. This will keep people from peeking in and make the car look sharper.
2. Pick up a set of the new 03-05 wheels with the new style hubcaps. Not the cheap imitation ones... the REAL ones. That will make your "demo" car look half-way decent.
3. Ditch the shitty blue fog lights behind the grille.
4. Go to the Ford dealership, spend the $8.00 and get a real Ford logo for your grille.
5. Go to your bank, put the title for that vehicle in the loan officer's hand and tell them you want about $5,000 for startup capitol for your new business.
6. Take some of that money, go out and get your car LETTERED UP WITH YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION/GRAPHICS/ETC.
7. Take some more of that money and outfit the :o out of the car with clear lense LEDs, obviously obeying your local statues in terms of LED colors allowed.

8. Then PARK THE CAR IN YOUR GARAGE OR PUT A COVER OVER IT UNTIL YOU HAVE AN INTERESTED CLIENT. Don't putz around town with it pretending to be a cop. Drive it around town because you're proud of the money you spent on it and because you feel that you'll get some people to write down your phone number and give you a call. If you want to be a cop, go to school, get the credits, and do it. If not, give it up. A demo car is a demo car is a demo car - not a POLICE CAR.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:45 am

OH MAN.. this is getting funny now.. lets start from the top.....

I COULD drop 200$ for a console.. but why drop 200$ for a console when I could drop 200$ in lights and make 300$ .. for a 100$ profit.....

THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!!!

I stated that the car looked like an MSP car,noone "figured it out" and tattled on me... it wa done that way for a reason...read my posts.....

1.although a good idea,tint is a no-no, I cant even use 35%(the legal limit in MD) because the windows have 2% tint from the factory,so if I do use 35%,the light transfer is knocked down to 33%being illegal...the "darkest" I could go would be 40% ..which is SO not worth the 200$ it wouuld cost me...

2.already planned on the 03+ wheel covers..however the replica's look the same as the "real ones" and a set of real ones would set me back about 80$ EACH or 60$ for all 4 for the replica's...

3.those "shitty blue fog-lights" are white... the outside edge is blue..giving it a blue tint,however they are completely white...and are hooked up to the high-beams...to fill in the gaps..the crown vic's low beams go OFF when the high beams go on...

4.the logo will be changed.. i've been busy doing other things. the logo is a "real" logo..from the previous grille,although small,unless you KNOW what you're looking for , you wont even notice it...but it is gonna be changed...

5. I'm currently paying off a 2k$ signature loan that I used to purchase the car... and my credit aint that great.... so in 6 months that would be the plan...

6.see 5

7. technically in the state of MD.. NO lights are allowed..not even AMBER, I only get off with "professional courtesy" and have YET to run into a problem..including talking to MSP, who say that technically its illegal,they dont see a problem with it,but its at the officers discretion as to wether or not they want to do something,at most it would be a 250$ fine....no arrest or anything...

8.my BEST sales tactic is going up to ofiicers chilling at the local 7-11 or whatever and chat them up to see if they need anything.. if its a yes... then I drop a card...and talk if he/she's available... if its a no, I STILL drop my card,just say " well , if any other officers need anything,just give them my card.. and I'll GIVE YOU 20$ if they buy anything.." ... money talks..... I've made some good money that way.....and paid numerous "commisions" .. they find me business,they make some money,as do I... so it works out for both people.

and if you think that "demo cars aren't police cars" ok WTF.. the purpose of a DEMO car IS TO BE A POLICE CAR.....OR COMMAND POST or WHATEVER vehicle you're are DEMO'ING..

http://www.wattco.net/democrnvic.htm

that looks like a damn nice demo car.. it doesnt have any markings or anything.. yet its from a reputable company.. and I'm SURE they dont go around pulling people over...

the difference between a whacker/impersonator or whatever is I dont FURTHER the misconception...if someone asks me..or has a queestion or whatever,then I explain who I am,and what I do.. I dont tell them I'm a cop..

for the LAST time........this is a COMPANY DEMO CAR!! ..>WTF about that do you NOT understand??

AGAIN.. this post was for ideas on the install... not how it looked like a cop car.. ITS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE A "COP CAR" jeez...

if you were READING instead of assuming.. you'd see that I posted that I dont have any badges/guns/patches/jackets/hats or whatever.... no lights in the car other than the concealed strobe tubes....

so HOW is that "impersonating a police officer" or whatever? because I drive a "cop car" to sell my crap? the only difference I see between my car and "whelen" or whatever is I dont have my name plastered on the side of the car.... I dont want my company plastered on the side of the car... it's my daily driver..and I dont want to be "on the job" 24-7, I DO have magnetic signs in the works..that I can take off when I dont want to be "on the job"

I thought of anyone that the people on this board would understand that the car is a demo car.. not a "I'm gonna go pull people over,wanna see my flashing lights..wooooooo" BS...

kinda hard to "pull someone over" with no lights or sirens ..and no badge to flash out the window.. ..yeah......

BACK to what its supposed to be...instead of me answering all these BS questions and needlessly defending myself,....

IDEAS....COMMENTS.....and SUGGESTIONS are welcome........
but no more whacker crap... the words libel and slander come to mind.ESPECIALLY since you're talking about a business and potentially lost revenue...

I send a lot of people to this board to learn more about radios and equipment when I dont have time to sit down and explain how a "new digital thing" works..... and you're basically accusing me of impersonating an officer,much like being accused of rape,wether or not you're "guillty" or "innocent" .......you're still guilty...

so relax..there has only been ONE person thats really been hassling me.. and I'm starting to think HE's the one trying to hide his wackerism by trying to point the finger the other direction....just a thought...

ohers have given me their thoughts..and changes will be made..,. I appreciate the input....and will be posting more pictures as more work can be done......

if it were JUST a demo car... I'd put a lightbar up.. put ALL the LED's I can squeeze into it...a nice custom paintjob..the whole works.. but I have to COMPROMISE with MY needs as a daily driver..and the company's needs.... so far I thought that was the best alternative,bei that an "unmarked" car with a bunch of LED's on the dash/deck would be kinda screwy..and would definitely want something in writing from the powers that be in the state that it would be OK to do that....

ESDA20 · Post by **ESDA20** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:05 am

Throw a squirrel in water...

... And it'll thrash about.

The difference between you, and that Wattco car, is that it is not their "daily driver". They drive it for business purposes. Not to pick up a gallon of milk at the store and make a Benz driver slam on their brakes.

(And I always thought low beams went off on most cars when the high beams come on?

).

I suggest we close this thread. Its getting rather silly.

Sgt. Hartmann · Post by **Sgt. Hartmann** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:09 am

I guess not everyone has their $40K suburban dressed up like the IDNR including lights and sirens when they are only a member of EMA

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:16 am

I agree.

Enough of the pissing contest.

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Professional Antenna Farmer, and equipment,PICS, DUW

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