A couple months ago I bought a Uniden DFR9. There's a lot of radar ticket activity where I live but driving a mildly lifted Jeep Rubicon somehow didn't seem to justify the need for a detector. Driving my Cab at 15 over on "Radar Enforced" favorite back roads is a little riskier. Anyway, I hate the suction cup coiled wire setup and there's no way I'm touching my leather dash, so I tapped into the overhead lights and it worked out quite well so maybe someone else can benefit from this little project. I also run dash cams stuck on the window behind the mirror but I need to replace my chipped windshield before I install one. It should be about the same though, using a motorcycle USB power port off the same 12v wire.

Maybe the most helpful part is the type of power available. Of course it is 12v but the whole head unit turns off after 60 min. A good feature unless you have your dash cam monitor full time (I don't) plus the DFR9 will auto turn off after 60 minutes of no GPS movement but many Radar Detectors don't have this feature. Having the dash cam run 60 minutes after shut off could actually be a good thing too.

The overhead light assembly easily pry's and rotates down from the front showing this circuit board. You can see where I soldered the "+" and the "-" with a micro plug preferring to tap the board instead of cutting wires. Small zip tie keeps the stress off the soldered joints. I cut a little slot at the top of the lens for the power wire to clear.



Installed as below. With power cord over and behind the mirror. Note that is a "MirrorMount" off ebay for $26, includes the Uniden mount. It is all metal and claimed Made in USA. Doesn't ever sag or loosen up. A true bargain compared to the Blend Mount at $100 more.

 

Looks interesting, I’m thinking about hard wiring in my dash cam because I hate running the wire around the windshield and having to plug into the lighter
not sure I’m following what you mean about turning off after 60 min.
is that after you turn off the ignition?
i’d prefer to find a switched power source in that same location

 

Yeah, I don't like running a wire up the A pillar either. Yes, after the ignition is off. The overhead circuit is the same as the door, trunk and hood lights, if you leave any open or a light on by accident the battery saver will shut them off after an hour. On this circuit if your dash cam is set up to detect an accident while parked it won't work after one hour.

 

Is there switched power in that same area?
id rather not have the cam running for an hour after I park, the illuminated screen would be visible and make it a target for theft
id like it to turn off when I turn off the ignition

 

Most cams also have a mode to power off the screen after x period of time., too.

 

A quick add:
I hate wires and suction cups on the dash, window, etc. I found this tiny 12v to 5v converter on ebay that I was able to tuck to the side of the dome/map light assembly cavity, then re-install the light. It fits, but barely. Radar detector is 12v, Dashcam is 5v. Just in case I replaced the old filament bulbs with led's to keep the draw low. Oh, and the converter can be ordered with different usb plugs, micro, mini, etc. About he only cleaner install would be combo radar/cam unit.