Make yer own gps holder?

[Guest cleenjeep]

Has anyone ever made their own GPS holder for a car, etc? I like making my own equipment when I can, not only to save money, but to say I did it myself. Its fun that way... so has anyone ever done this? I am looking for a way to mount mine to the dash of my jeep wrangler, and maybe to a bike as well.

Michael

 

------------------

Webmaster and List Admin for Southern Michigan Rockcrawlers

Personal Site is Cleenjeep's Site

[Guest makaio]

I didn't make my own holder, but in my CJ-5 I use a generic cell phone mount ($12) which simply clamps onto the unit. The mount is bolted to the dashboard. Much cheaper than the OEM mount. In my pickup, I still have the Garmin 12XL mount which the eTrex happens to slip right into.

[Guest Team JackQuest]

I use one of those small dry bags for cell phones made by voyageur. It keeps dry, still fully functional, clips to the shoulder strap of a pack or belt loop. In the car I just use a two sided velcro strap to hold it on my thigh while driving.

 

------------------

TEAM JackQuest

Jack & Cyber

www.jackquest.com

Base Camp N 40° 20.268' W 75° 37.969' (WGS84)

[Guest mcb]

I picked up an very cheap ($9-$10 range) cell phone holder from Office Max that clips on the airconditioner vents in the car. It just opens wide enough to get my GPSMAP 76 into it. I had to put a little foam behind it to get the angle right but it work great.

 

mcb

[Guest Snowtrail]

I've made a water bottle holder out of a (clean) mate of a lost sock. Folded it down and sewed it together. Put two safety pins in it and can clip it to my backpack hipbelt. I was planning on doing the same but clip it to the air conditioning vents. Only make a modification and cut a hole in the middle so I can see where I'm going

[Guest Snowtrail]

I've made a water bottle holder out of a (clean) mate of a lost sock. Folded it down and sewed it together. Put two safety pins in it and can clip it to my backpack hipbelt. I was planning on doing the same but clip it to the air conditioning vents. Only make a modification and cut a hole in the middle so I can see where I'm going

[Guest tak1]

I made my own mountain bike mount holder for ........$0.00. Well not quite I had to buy $1.00 worth of velcro. I can send a picture if you'd like.

 

LK

[Guest cache_ninja]

i definately want a picture of that! i asked awhile back about this(making your own bike mount) in a different section of the forums, i guess you missed it. i really want to use the spedometer on my mountain bike, but i dont have the $ to burn on the mount magellan sells for the 315...much appreciated!

c/n

 

cache_ninja@hotmail.com

[Guest erik88L-R]

I made a mount this weekend for my Garmin 12MAP using a small piece of 1X2 pine, some velcro, and two suction cups. Very low tech, but seems servicable. I got tired of trying to wedge the GPS between my dash and windshield and having it bounce off the floor everytime I made a sudden movement....

[Guest cleenjeep]

yeah, lets see some pics of peoples homemade mounts, bike, car, or wherever you might mount it! I was considering making one out of a 10 dollar cell phone mount, but they all seem to have a magnet these days, and I dont know if that is going to mess with the GPS.

Michael

 

------------------

Webmaster and List Admin for Southern Michigan Rockcrawlers

Personal Site is Cleenjeep's Site

[Guest erik88L-R]

's 5/8" thick by 1 3/8" wide), cut it to 4" long. Use a table saw dado blade, or other implement of destruction, to cut a groove across the piece of wood to hold the GPS. For my Garmin 12 the groove is 2" wide by 1/4" deep. This leaves about an inch hanging out each side and makes the assembly look like a letter "T". Line the groove with velcro tape, apply velcro tape to the top back of the GPS to hold it in the groove. Buy a pack of suction cups with metal hooks attached at your home improvement store. I bought a pack of three 1 3/4" diameter suction cups for about a dollar. Use a woodscrew and washer to attach a suction cup to each end of the piece of wood. Leave the screws just loose enough to allow rotating the suction cups. You want the cups holding the assembly to the windshield of your car while the base of the GPS rests on the dash. That make sense?

[Guest erik88L-R]

A slight correction to the entry above. What I used is 1X2 pine (the 1/3 is a typo).

The whole thing is kind of mickey-mouse looking in the literal sense - the two suction cups looking like Mickey's ears. I'll let you decide if it's mickey-mouse in the other ways!!

erik

[Guest cleenjeep]

I guess it sounds okay. I have been thinking of making one out of some diamond plate aluminum I have laying around.. but my windshield is so small in my jeep that i hate to attach anything to it. I even dont put park stickers on there til I go in the park, then I remove them and put them back on the paper thing when I leave. I need to get some of that static stuff to stick to the stickers, so I can remove them easier, etc. Maybe if I just use saran wrap.. lol

But, back to the mounts, I will try to rig something up, then take pics of it and put them up.

Michael

 

------------------

Webmaster and List Admin for Southern Michigan Rockcrawlers

Personal Site is Cleenjeep's Site

[Guest cache_ninja]

hey thanks! actualy i was replying to tak1, anyone know how i can get in touch with him/her? i want to make a cheap bmountain bike mount.

much thanks

c/n

[Guest jefficus]

March off to your favorite fabric store. Buy a couple of feet of velcro tape (the kind that is sticky on one side). There are two kinds of Velcro the fuzzy stuff and the prickly stuff. (Anybody know the proper terms?)

Put about 2 inches of the prickly stuff on the back of your GPS.

 

Then go nuts with the fuzzy stuff. I have a two in strip on 3 different parts of my dashboard. And one on a piece of wood attached to my bike handlebars.

 

I even have a football player's fore-arm guard with a piece of velcro on that. (No foolin.) And when I plunk my Vista down on the wrist guard, I can free up both hands for scrabbling up hills and through brush, and still see the screen.

 

Prickly velcro: 12 cents

Fuzzy velcro: A dollar 28

Forearm guard: 3 dollars

Convenient cache hunting: priceless.

 

Jefficus

[Guest tak1]

Hey cache

 

I've tried cache_ninja@hotmail.com and it doesn't work. However mine is kpl2escape.ca or klassenl@yahoo.com

 

tak1

[Guest c.mathis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jefficus:

There are two kinds of Velcro the fuzzy stuff and the prickly stuff. (Anybody know the proper terms?)

 

---

 

Hook (prickly) and Loop (fuzzy).

[Guest c.mathis]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jefficus:

There are two kinds of Velcro the fuzzy stuff and the prickly stuff. (Anybody know the proper terms?)

 

---

 

Hook (prickly) and Loop (fuzzy).

[Guest Silver]

I also found a cell phone holder at my local Target store that clips into the vents of my car. It squeezes in from the sides, had side holders that just grip the corners of the unit (even with the powercord adaptor), and is adjustable to fit anything from a magellan or my Garmin 12, on down to an eTrex. My cell phone fits there nicely when I'm not geocaching.

 

Cost me $10.95

 

Silver

[Guest bacpac]

How bout your shirt pocket, while you are walking?

 

I can follow road signs in my truck. Why would I need to attach a GPS to my dashboard?

[Guest c_oflynn]

http://trankle.com/gps/bike315adapter.htm

Its still not free, but a lot cheaper to modify it this way!

[Guest mazda626]

I use one of those plastic car clipboards that have a suction cup for sticking them to the windshield. Had to drill a hole in it for the power cord on my GPS 12 and use an elastic band to hold the GPS. These clipboards are cheap and the suction cups hold well on pavement but I'm not sure how well it would work off road.

 

If you don't like it you're only out a couple of bucks.

[Guest KevCin]

quote:

---

Originally posted by c.mathis:

Hook (prickly) and Loop (fuzzy).

---

 

FYI: The name Velcro was derived from VELvet (Fuzzy) and CROchet (Hooks)

 

Interesting eh?

[Guest KevCin]

quote:

---

Originally posted by c.mathis:

Hook (prickly) and Loop (fuzzy).

---

 

FYI: The name Velcro was derived from VELvet (Fuzzy) and CROchet (Hooks)

 

Interesting eh?

[Guest cleenjeep]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bacpac:

How bout your shirt pocket, while you are walking?

 

I can follow road signs in my truck. Why would I need to attach a GPS to my dashboard?

---

 

There are shirts with pockets? And you wear them?!?! J/K This is mostly about making different types of mounts, and how creative people can get when there is a tight budget, or no budget. No reason to ask if it is necessary.. think about it this way. Is geocaching necessary? Heck, are GPS units necessary for most of us? nah, this is all for fun! And I have a good time making things, lots of folks do. Just shedding some light here, not flaming ya.

But, the bike mounts are cool, bcuz I like to mtnbike, and I love to geocache. lucky for me, most of the geocaches in my state are near good mtnbike trails! So, that keeps the GPS from falling out of my shirt pocket, and I don't like it when I attach it to a lanyard around my neck, and it is slamming into me while riding. Plus, in my jeep, off roading, I use it to mark where I have been on a map later, and there is no safe place to leave anything loose in a jeep when you are doing some serious off camber, rocky jeeping. If you roll, or tip on your side, you can lose all your stuff if you dont have it tied down somehow.

Michael

 

------------------

Webmaster and List Admin for Southern Michigan Rockcrawlers

Personal Site is Cleenjeep's Site

[Guest Cache-potato]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bacpac:

How bout your shirt pocket, while you are walking?

 

I can follow road signs in my truck. Why would I need to attach a GPS to my dashboard?

---

 

This weekend after locating the last of Big Fig's caches we went straight up to Buzzardroost rock for another find. I didn't want to take the main roads and and more miles to the already 62 mile trip so we went back roads. I plotted the route in map source and loaded to my gps along with 5 quads of topo base map and away we went. Many intersections and turns. Every time we came to one all my wife had to do was look at the little arrow and say: left, right, or straight. That was the simplest road trip I have taken in my short 33 years. That is why I would like a mount on my dash. It was QUALITY.

[+Zzzoey & illDRIVEuNav]

What a great bunch of MacGyvers we have! I bought a chintzy holder (the only one they had at Wally World) for my garmin, but it is actually made more for the magellan. It has a fold over strap across the top that leaves an opening for the little (for lack of a better word-panhandle ) part of the Mag. It says it is universal and will work with Magellan AND Garmin, but it sure doesn't make anything handier. In fact it is cumbersome, and on one cache we placed, I dropped it somewhere near the cache. Thankfully someone found it (or maybe it's a curse)and I got it back from them...and it was $16! Anyone with a mag want a really neat clip on holder???

[+Zzzoey & illDRIVEuNav]

What a great bunch of MacGyvers we have! I bought a chintzy holder (the only one they had at Wally World) for my garmin, but it is actually made more for the magellan. It has a fold over strap across the top that leaves an opening for the little (for lack of a better word-panhandle ) part of the Mag. It says it is universal and will work with Magellan AND Garmin, but it sure doesn't make anything handier. In fact it is cumbersome, and on one cache we placed, I dropped it somewhere near the cache. Thankfully someone found it (or maybe it's a curse)and I got it back from them...and it was $16! Anyone with a mag want a really neat clip on holder???

[+mikedx]

Man, do I relate to that wedge it in the corner and watch it fall whenever you get to a curve or else hold it one hand. I know I have to do something as holding it keeping it from falling is just an accident waiting to happen. However, I'm not keen on the $40 suction cup model. I think I'll go to Lowe's and invest in some suction cups and velcro. I don't really want it on the vents as it gets it reception better under the windshield as well as the fact I don't have to glance as far down to see the GPS. I just hope the cops don't see the unit in the windshield with suction cups and think it is a radar detector.

 

As for needing it instead of maps...

I agree that in WV I see no point in needing GPS mapping software for streets, but when you want to drive around and scope out the best place to pull off the road or check back roads, the GPS saves you a lot of walking.

[+shybabe924]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bacpac:

I can follow road signs in my truck. Why would I need to attach a GPS to my dashboard?

---

 

Because of the possible shortcuts you can take, sometimes you can avoid lots of roads by using a GPS for direction.

 

Buck8Point wedges his GPS between the windshield and the dashboard right above the steering wheel in my car, it never seems to fall out and we save lotsa time when he uses the map thing on the GPS.

 

=============

 

If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a watergun and shoot other people in the eyes.

[+Weeza & Toad]

By bypassing the road (aka: Beaten Path) and taking the waypoint less traveled we encounter Poison Ivy and Sumac, a babbling brook (20 feet deep with a 10 knot current) and a small mountain. At least on the other side you can breath a sigh of relief because the rattle snakes can't fallow you down the cliff face.

 

Gosh darn I love Geocaching!

[+erik88l-r]

I thought this thread looked familiar, then I saw I'd posted my "solution" a year ago.

 

There are some photos on this link, just don't ask to buy an example as I've sold all I made and don't have time to make more

 

http://pub78.ezboard.com/fgageocachingfrm10.showMessage?topicID=5.topic

 

~erik~

[+erik88l-r]

I thought this thread looked familiar, then I saw I'd posted my "solution" a year ago.

 

There are some photos on this link, just don't ask to buy an example as I've sold all I made and don't have time to make more

 

http://pub78.ezboard.com/fgageocachingfrm10.showMessage?topicID=5.topic

 

~erik~

[Rocknroll]

I bought a cell phone holder at Radio Shack, it has a suction cup for the windshield or comes with a disk that fits the suction cup and the disk has double sticky tape on it. The suction cup has about an 8 inch flexable plactic covered "pipe" attached to it. on the other end is the holder that has sides that can be squeezed together with foam inside it, back and sides. As for a bicycle one I have cut a bicycle inner tube into 1/4 to 3/8 inch strips. Used two of them slipped together with a larks head knot. Then one loop on the top/front of the GPS, under the handle bar and the other loop on the bottom. As an addition I wrap the neck strap around the inner tube to take up slack and tighten the tube.

[+st_richardson]

Has anyone seen or made a holder that would hold my Vista horizontal while I walk. That way I could just glance at it while hunting.

[+Weeza & Toad]

Someone in another thread suggested drilling a walking stick near the top to take a short horzontal dowel. Attach the bicycle handle bar mount to that.

[+wcgreen]

quote:

---

Originally posted by st_richardson:

Has anyone seen or made a holder that would hold my Vista horizontal while I walk. That way I could just glance at it while hunting.

---

 

Maybe an harmonica holder? You could play guitar and cache at the same time....

 

--

Wendy Chatley Green

wcgreen55@hotmail.com

[Leemann]

Walking sticks use a Ram mount to attach gps to stick for cars suction cup mounts work fine.

 

Lee

[+Lil Devil]

quote:

---

Originally posted by st_richardson:

Has anyone seen or made a holder that would hold my Vista horizontal while I walk. That way I could just glance at it while hunting.

---

 

If you were built like Dolly Parton you could just wear a low-cut blouse and tuck the GPS in place.

 

Of course majicman would need to wear high-heals, too.

 

Lil Devil

[+majicman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by LilDevil: If you were built like Dolly Parton you could just wear a low-cut blouse and tuck the GPS in place.

 

Of course majicman would need to wear high-heals, too.

 

Lil Devil

---

 

Ooohhh, this must be pick-on-majicman day! Let's all get in on the action!!

 

Well, (sob) I'll have you know... (sob) that we gravitationally-challenged, (sob) funny, middle-aged (sob) drag-queen geocachers (sob, sniff) have feelings too!

 

Tickle us do we not laugh?

Cut us do we not bleed?!

Betray us do we not seek revenge?!!

Try to one-up us, shall we not BE EVEN FUNNIER?!!!

 

Alas, poor YO-Yo Ricky-baby! Like, you were KNOWN, man!

 

Jist you wait, Mr. Higgins... Jist youz wait!!

 

--majicman

 

(Always trade UP in both quantity and quality and Geocaches will be both self-sustaining and self-improving!)

[+Katetrex]

My Forester has a lidded compartment on the dash.

I made a mini bean bag like one of those curved neck support pillows, added a vecro strap and strapped it to the lid. It holds the GPS at an easily viewed angle for driver or passengers. It doesn't interfere with any dash controls or windshield visibility.

[HamsterMom & Hamsters of War]

We have a 15 year old GMC Suburban which has a sun-cracked dashboard. It is covered by a carpet-like dash cover. I am planning on putting the loop part of the velcro on the gps, then just stick the gps wherever it is most convenient -closer to the wheel for solo driving and over to the co-pilot otherwise. I will keep the fuzzy part to stick on the loop part so when the gps isn't mounted to the dash, it won't snag on everything (which is why I call the fuzzy part SILK!).

 

As for the shoulder mounts. The harmonica thing, or a music holder or one of those craft magnifiers they sell in the embroidery mags. Or maybe even could rig up something with a metal clothes hanger (do they still have those?). On the other hand I DO resemble Dolly Parton!!!

 

What's for dinner? How about Hamster Helper?!!!

[HamsterMom & Hamsters of War]

We have a 15 year old GMC Suburban which has a sun-cracked dashboard. It is covered by a carpet-like dash cover. I am planning on putting the loop part of the velcro on the gps, then just stick the gps wherever it is most convenient -closer to the wheel for solo driving and over to the co-pilot otherwise. I will keep the fuzzy part to stick on the loop part so when the gps isn't mounted to the dash, it won't snag on everything (which is why I call the fuzzy part SILK!).

 

As for the shoulder mounts. The harmonica thing, or a music holder or one of those craft magnifiers they sell in the embroidery mags. Or maybe even could rig up something with a metal clothes hanger (do they still have those?). On the other hand I DO resemble Dolly Parton!!!

 

What's for dinner? How about Hamster Helper?!!!

[+sledgehampster]

What's for dinner? How about Hamster Helper?!!!

 

Cannibals!!!

Glad I "p'd" in mine!

[+sledgehampster]

What's for dinner? How about Hamster Helper?!!!

 

Cannibals!!!

Glad I "p'd" in mine!

[+Dawgies]

I tried out the Garmin Legend and liked it well enough but the screen was really small, so I purchased a RAM suction cup mount for my vehicle and was able to get it closer and hands free.

 

A couple week later I, and after reading all the hype here about the Garmin V, I had to give it a try. Well, the Legend went by the (return) wayside, but this left me with the mount that wouldn't be quite so easy to return.

 

I pulled out my trust Dremel and went to work on the RAM case. It turned out perfect! Converted over from the eTrex series to the Garmin V! I can even plug up my power adapter to it! The wife's happy because I saved $ 50.00 bucks.

 

Is this heaven or what?

 

~Honest Value Never Fails~

[+Dawgies]

I tried out the Garmin Legend and liked it well enough but the screen was really small, so I purchased a RAM suction cup mount for my vehicle and was able to get it closer and hands free.

 

A couple week later I, and after reading all the hype here about the Garmin V, I had to give it a try. Well, the Legend went by the (return) wayside, but this left me with the mount that wouldn't be quite so easy to return.

 

I pulled out my trust Dremel and went to work on the RAM case. It turned out perfect! Converted over from the eTrex series to the Garmin V! I can even plug up my power adapter to it! The wife's happy because I saved $ 50.00 bucks.

 

Is this heaven or what?

 

~Honest Value Never Fails~

[+apersson850]

I made my own bike mount. It's on a picture with my user profile (apersson850).

 

Anders