Vehicle bracket mounting, anybody have one?

May 1, 2003

Just curious if anyone has the vehicle mounting bracket offered by most GPS mfgrs.

I ordered one then asked myself if this was an item I really needed.

Just curious.

5.3k · May 1, 2003

I have the one Magellan offers for the Meridian. Even though it swings and bounces a little, I really like the fact that it holds the power adapter connection. I just click the GPS into the mount and it's running off the car battery (saving the AA's).

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

6.4k · May 1, 2003

Whoop! A new topic! Forums must be fixed!

OK, back to the question. We have one of the windshield mounts for the SporTrak. it gets used a lot, just not quite the way it was intended. The GPS snaps into the mount, and releases with the push of a button. While it's in the mount, it's connected to 12v instead of using the batteries. No messing with the silly screw on connector.

If there are 2 people in the car, it's easier for the passenger to just hold the GPS, in the mount, and navigate. Thats usually the way we do it. If you're solo, then yea, its easier to mount the GPS to the windshield.

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

5.3k · May 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Mopar:

If there are 2 people in the car, it's easier for the passenger to just hold the GPS, in the mount, and navigate.

Now if only Magellan would make the "lost power" alarm configurable so you could rip it out of the cradle and hand it to your partner without having to wait for that annoying alarm to go off...

Signed,

Loved My 330 Cradle Until I Started Carrying the GPS in a Case

May 1, 2003

I use the Windshield mount for my Platinum. I like the cradle, trying to come up with a better mount so its next to the radio in my Jeep, would be much easier to read.

"We never seek things for themselves - what we seek is the very seeking of things."

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

May 1, 2003

I have one for my Garmin...it's great....

it's firmly mounted, it easy to see

Give me a Tall ship, and a Star to steer her bye...

The White Fleet....

1.5k · May 1, 2003

I have the windshield (suction) mount for my eTrex Vista. Under the dashmat runs the power cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It's positioned such that I have full range of view on the highway, but in such a way that I can glance down and get a snapshot of the display. When properly attached, it can take a pretty rigorous beating without falling. The cool part is at night. While attached to the cig lighter, the backlight will stay constantly lit.

Brian

Team A.I.

1.3k · May 1, 2003

I'm using a universal radar detector mount. I cut a slot in the plastic plate, and simply slip the belt clip on my Vista's carrying case into the slot.

"Searching with my good eye closed"

May 1, 2003

I have the magellan winshield mount that works great. I drive a '95 Chevy S10 blazer and it has a cubby hole below the radio that the mount just slides in and keeps the GPS in a great place while leaving the winshield free from obstructions.

Hey Stunod, which do you have? You don't have to screw the power plug in??

Don't step in that!!!!!

4.5k · May 1, 2003

Check out RAM mounts.

Alan

6.4k · May 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by ict X ckr:
Hey Stunod, which do you have? You don't have to screw the power plug in??

Don't step in that!!!!!

No screwwing around withthe maggie mount I have. The power cord locks into the mount, and the GPS into the mount, right against the spring-loaded contacts on the power cord. Hell, I almost want to get another mount for the house, and use the data cord on it instead.

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

5.3k · May 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Mopar:

No screwwing around withthe maggie mount I have. The power cord locks into the mount, and the GPS into the mount, right against the spring-loaded contacts on the power cord. Hell, I almost want to get another mount for the house, and use the data cord on it instead.

This is indeed what I do. Being able to click in and out of the cradle is very nice. For the SporTrak that I haven't bought the cradle for, I made the cable slightly less aggrivating by replacing the insane little screw with a thumbscrew from a serial (or parallel or scsi) connector.

1.4k · May 1, 2003

I have the vehicle mount for the Garmin Legend. A necessary investment for all GPS owners as well as the power supply cord.(saves batteries for sure). Keeping the GPS in sight without fumbling around the passenger seat is helpful. Geocaching aside, planning out and routing trips with the GPS works GREAT! Sit back and enjoy the drive with out the trouble of maps. Keep a map in the trunk in case though.

Which remindes me, for another thread- Who else has used there GPS for a cross country trip with out the aid of a standard paper map?

For me, a trip from Colorado out to 29 Palms Ca. by routing on the PC and downloading to GPS worked perfect. This was a trip I had never traveled before and used GPS all the way!

May 1, 2003

I used to have a Magellan 315 and had the suction-cup windshield mount for it. Now I have the dash mount for my Garmin III+ that is screwed down to the dash in the Jeep. Sometimes we take my girlfriends car on trips and the GPS slides all over the place and isn't really positioned right to see it well. I would definitely recommend a mount and a power cord.

1.8k · May 1, 2003

I purchased a $20 cell phone cradle from Radio Shack. This mount attaches to the windshield via suction cup and has an adjustable 'neck' so you can reposition the GPS easily at anytime to counteract sunglare and you can easily re-attach it to a different vehicle. Also, you can place the mount low enough on the windshield so that the cradle rest on your dash (somewhere) so it keeps the GPS from vibrating while traveling. Also, the power cord for my Vista really saves on batteries.

"heck, that scares me and I'm fearless"

May 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Skippy2:
Just curious if anyone has the vehicle mounting bracket offered by most GPS mfgrs.

I ordered one then asked myself if this was an item I really needed.

Just curious.

Yep. Amazingly enough, it came standard on _both_ my cars! Bonus: it's also helpful for observing the vehicle(s) behind me.

[Garmin Rino 120: hanging from the rearview mirror. Open sunroof to add additional sats..]

CK

--

Geocaching: The World's Finest Outdoor Geeking

"Oh, look at me. I'm off with my way cool friends to sniff floor wax." - Brian, 'My So-Called Life'

2.6k · May 1, 2003

Use the magellan mount all the time. With one or two people it's a lifesaver. Once in a while the suction cups come loose from the glass but just lick and smack and it's good to go.

george

Wanna go for a ride?

May 1, 2003

I agree, the Magellan mounts are great. Snap the SporTrak Pro in and off we go. No fiddling with the power cord like my old GPS12. I removed the screw right out of the 12V adapter because it kept catching when I tried to pop it out of the cradle. Don't need it with the snap mount.

I too am considering buying another cradle just so I can snap it in to the PC cable. I need to get another cradle so I don't have to keep moving the one I have from my work truck to my car. All that movement and the suction cups are still working great after almost a year.

-beatnik-

May 1, 2003

We can't live without our suction cup mount for the Garmin Legend. Unfortunately, that's exactly what we are having to do...the suction cup movable part thingy won't work anymore. We've used it extensively for 6 months but I still had hopes it would last longer than that for the $30 or so we paid for it. I might try another type this time or something, haven't checked out my options yet.

5.3k · May 1, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Mopar:

quote:
Originally posted by ict X ckr:
Hey Stunod, which do you have? You don't have to screw the power plug in??

Don't step in that!!!!!

No screwwing around withthe maggie mount I have. The power cord locks into the mount, and the GPS into the mount, right against the spring-loaded contacts on the power cord. Hell, I almost want to get another mount for the house, and use the data cord on it instead.

+ _Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. _

BTW...I just hired Mopar as my press secretary. He will be the voice of my administration. Wait, that's probably a bad idea. Sorry, Mopar, you're fired.

But I do agree with you. I'd love to have another cradle to use with the PC cord. Maybe I should tell Magellan I'm seeing the blue spots again and get another one free...

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

1.5k · May 2, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Alan2:
Check out RAM mounts.

Alan

EXPENSIVE! They are easily 2x the price of the Garmin mounts, although very beefy.

Brian

Team A.I.

4.3k · May 3, 2003

I had Magellan's car-windshield mount for the SporTrak, but I canabilized it to make a bike-handlebar mount. I decided I needed the custom-fitted, securely latching cradle more on the bike than in the car.

In the car, I now use a generic windshield mount that was originally meant for a PDA or cellphone. It was a lot cheaper and it hold the GPS securely enough. It doesn't accomodate the power connector, but I use recharegable batteries and don't bother with the cord.

4.5k · May 3, 2003

The RAM windshield mount is not 2x times the Garmin. It's roughly $38 vs $30 for the Garmin. Actually it's cheaper if you consider that the same ball and socket and holder is used when you switch to another mounting configuration. For edxample, if you leave your car where you were using the suction cup on the windshield, you then clip the RAM holder and ball and socket right into a separate handle bar ring (which only costs a few bucks).

The key point about Ram I believe is that you do not have to remove the battery cover to clip into the mounting arrangement as you do the Garmin mount. The whole unit slips into the RAM holder.

Good luck with whatever you purchase.

Alan

May 7, 2003

I have a window mount for my Garmin GPS Map76 antana. I have a Dodge 99 p/u 1500 and I use the hole in dash where a phone could be placed. I put a block of wood in there and screwed the bracket to it. Works great.

May 7, 2003

Since we have both a Meridian and ST and the mount for each with 1 power cable, it wouldn't be cost effective to have another 2 mounts in the computer room. So, I purchased the power/data cable for the computer room which I just screw in to each. A small price to pay. I'm just glad the connector is identical for both. When we use both GPS's in the car, I just use the pwr/data cable, too.

don

Vehicle bracket mounting, anybody have one?

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