Gps Holder For Use In Car

February 3, 2004

1. I went shopping for a holder to support my GPS while I'm driving my car. As it is now, the GPS is on the dash. It gets great reception but I have to be real careful because it could easily fall. I went to a store that sells GPSs and the holder they had cost over 60 dollars. Does anyone have any tricks or ideas to make a homemade holder?

2. I have a Garmin 45. I can remove the antenna and plug in another. However, I saw a small cable that would allow me to plug in my existing antenna on the end of the cable. The dadgum extension looks to be about 12 inches long and the darn thing costs over 60 bucks. Can a person buy the male and female connectors and make his own antenna extension cord? Where can I find the connectors for such a cable?

9.2k · February 3, 2004

I went shopping for a holder to support my GPS while I'm driving my car. As it is now, the GPS is on the dash. It gets great reception but I have to be real careful because it could easily fall. I went to a store that sells GPSs and the holder they had cost over 60 dollars. Does anyone have any tricks or ideas to make a homemade holder?

Duck tape?

A good mount, like the RAM, is worth the cost.

February 3, 2004

Believe it or not, I found a holder in a 99 cent store. It is a universal holder for cellphones. It attaches very easily to the air vents on the dash. The only issue I had, was that once it is on it is nearly impossible to remove, but it holds it pretty tight.

Team Kurly

Edited February 3, 2004 by Team Kurly

1.8k · February 3, 2004

Velcro does the job for me. It holds tight, but releases easily after I park and head for the cache.

February 3, 2004

I wedge mine between my dash and my window (Etrex Legend)

It holds it perfectly.

However, I read on a forum post awhile back that someone had one slide out

the window so I always wrap my lanyard around the directional stick.

February 3, 2004

I was in the same boat as you. Wanted a car holder, didn't want to pay big bucks, and knew there had to be a homemade solution.

Here are pictures of what I just got for mounting my SporTrak in my 2003 Ranger:

Large View Image 1

Large Image View 2

Large Image View 3

You can get this holder at WalMart for $10.00. It's actually a cell phone holder / charger but I think it works great!

Here is a link to the holder.

February 3, 2004

I bought the holder that Garmin sells for my Garmin EMap but did not want to screw it down or stick it down permanently so I machined a riser and attached it to a removable ash tray that fits in the front of the console of my Saturn. Puts the GPSr up in the right place and gets great reception.

But when I drive the van, I lay it on the dash or hold it in my left hand.

But that universal cell phone holder looks interesting.

1.2k · February 3, 2004

There are several cheap Cellphone holders that either mount to the dash or clip onto the air vents at Canadian Tire that work well with GPS. My father used to use Velcro strips on his 45 and stcuk it to the dash. As for cables checkout gpsgeek.com.

2k · February 3, 2004

There are several cheap Cellphone holders that either mount to the dash or clip onto the air vents at Canadian Tire that work well with GPS. My father used to use Velcro strips on his 45 and stcuk it to the dash. As for cables checkout gpsgeek.com.

Your father keeps a 45 strapped to the dash with velcro? I bet he never gets cut off twice by the same person!

1.2k · February 4, 2004

GPS 45, I am from Canada.

February 4, 2004

GPS 45, I am from Canada.

We can't say "GPS" and "45" in the same sentence here in California. That'd generate an investigation and subsequent GPS registration laws.

I got my GPS holder on eBay for five bucks, including shipping, and works quite well. I modified it by turning a cylinder on a wood lathe and mounting the holder to the top of the cylinder at a comfortable viewing angle. The cylinder fits in the cup holder. It's a double cup holder so it leaves room for the beer - errrr... soft drink can. Pretty neat.

Edited February 4, 2004 by gallahad

4.4k · February 4, 2004

I used one of the Cell phone one till the gears(plastic) wore out and would not hold.

Then I spent 0.99 on a doll stand from wally-world and wow it works great.

I mounted the base solid on the top of the dash center,on my Furd truck.

The Holder can be removed and bent to any,desired shape,the tube it sits in can be cut to a shorter length.

It can easily be removed with the GPS in the holder.

Holds it upright and secure.

Works for me and only a couple of dollars,a little time.

2.3k · February 4, 2004

Umm... I don't have any fancy gagets like those shown above...

I make my wife hold the GPS, sometimes we get daring and I let her

drive and I hold the GPS!!

1k · February 4, 2004

I can remove the antenna and plug in another. However, I saw a small cable that would allow me to plug in my existing antenna on the end of the cable. The dadgum extension looks to be about 12 inches long and the darn thing costs over 60 bucks.

You can most likely find something similar at RadioShack for a hell of alot cheaper.

Kar

4.5k · February 5, 2004

Jamming my my Vista between the dash and windshield ruined the rubber around the unit. The pressure combined with heat in the summer loosened the glue and the rubber kept slipping.

I use a RAM mount now. While pricey, it's secure, easier to insert the unit in and out, swappable to other mounting arrangements like a bicycle mount and very adjustable to get the right view. Plus if you change cars like me, it's easy as it uses a powerful but easy to remove suction cup.

Good luck.

Alan

February 5, 2004

Wow,

Thanks for all the responses. Every response was helpful. I now have a whole bunch of different projects in mind that would resolve my problem. Since the Garmin 45 is known to be slow and needing lots of sky to do any tracking, I will definately go to some electronic stores to see if I can make an extension for my antenna. If I can, I will stick the tiny antenna on the dash and then install the GPS vertically on the front of my dash with one of those cell phone holders. I will take my GPS with me when I go to the store to make sure I get a holder that fits right.

February 5, 2004

I just picked up a $4.99 three-way vent-mount cellphone holder at (yeccch) Walmart last night that is perfect for my eTrex. Anyway want to buy that $40 RAM mount that I got for Xmas ? :blink:

February 5, 2004

I used the walmart 2.99 silver cellphone holder that attaches to the air vents.. works perfect in my altima for my magallen sporttrack

February 5, 2004

A little bit off the subject, but still relevant for some, one of the problems with any of the Garmin Geko models is that the screen is so small that you'd never be able to read the thing if it were mounted to anything but the steering wheel, especially when wearing sunglasses in the bright snow. Accordingly, I just lay it on the dash and peek at it every once in a while to make sure I'm still going the right way. The velcro thing sounds like a good idea for my situation, though.

On edit: I was just thinking that in the past, I've not wanted to pay the extra money to get bi-focals in my Rx sunglasses (as I have in my regular glasses), but between reading maps and the GPSr now, I might change my mind next time!

Edited February 5, 2004 by Balboagirl

2k · February 5, 2004

A little bit off the subject, but still relevant for some, one of the problems with any of the Garmin Geko models is that the screen is so small that you'd never be able to read the thing if it were mounted to anything but the steering wheel, especially when wearing sunglasses in the bright snow. Accordingly, I just lay it on the dash and peek at it every once in a while to make sure I'm still going the right way. The velcro thing sounds like a good idea for my situation, though.

On edit: I was just thinking that in the past, I've not wanted to pay the extra money to get bi-focals in my Rx sunglasses (as I have in my regular glasses), but between reading maps and the GPSr now, I might change my mind next time!

I use clip on's sunglasses. Not the cheap ones, these are about $20 a pop. But they last for a year or so. If you rotate your GPS to 90 degrees wearing polarized sunglasses the display goes blank.

On topic, I avoid putting my GPS on the dash in the summer. The heat will eventualy damage to the LCD display.

Edit: added the missing words.

Edited February 5, 2004 by rusty_tlc

February 5, 2004

I don't know the exact name of the item - but it is a 'sticky pad'. You can get one at auto parts stores or WalMart or Target, or BestBuy for about $5.00 - you put it on the dash, put the GPS (or your cell phone, or PDA) on the pad, and it doesn't slide around. I have no problem with mine - I have the 'jelly sticky pad' version. My dash even curves forward a bit, and my GPS stays on it just fine.

February 6, 2004

Can people post some pictures of the holders actually in the vehicles? I posted mine and it works great. There's only one thing that is making me think of getting a different one. I plan to put a laptop mount somewhere in my truck and where the GPSr is right now will be in the way.

4.4k · February 6, 2004

I just seen um but can not for the life of me figure out where.

It is a 10 X Magnifier that slides over Cell Phones and or GPS's that magnifies the screens.......................................arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I am pillin hair out tryin to remember.

I guess thats why i am sotra bald up there.

hehehehehe :rolleyes:

February 6, 2004

I have seen a few dismal remarks about Jeeps in these forums, but let me say this: The standard fiberglass "hardtop" found on Jeep Wranglers makes an excellent antenna radome. Using the standard mount that came with my Magellan I can have a full 360 degree circular and 180 degree vertical coverage. I simply mount it in my center console so I can see it with a glance.

February 7, 2004

by turning a cylinder on a wood lathe and The cylinder fits in the cup holder. It's a double cup holder so it leaves room for the beer - errrr... soft drink can. Pretty neat.

DOH!!! thanks for the slap up side the head, what an excellent idea (that I would have eventually gotten too) :rolleyes:

February 9, 2004

This is the one I made for free!

It only took about 1 minute to cut the side out of a plastic flowerpot. :huh:

Works great, too! :lol:

Do I win a prize??!!??

February 10, 2004

I bought a one dollar GPS holder at a dollar store. I cut out a hole in the back of the holder with the aid of a soldering iron and plastic cutting tip to let me plug my power cable into the GPS. Looks fine. Next step is to set it up on the dash. From the looks of things, the antenna will have good view of the sky.

February 10, 2004

I use the Garmin suction cup mount in my Jeep, and their handlebar mount on my motorcycle. For my daily driver, I picked up a cellphone holder at Pep Boys for seven bucks. I had to modify it a bit with a rotary tool because the "arms" that secure the phone were obscuring the screen.

Edit: Wow! My car is DIRTY! :blink:

Edited February 10, 2004 by Cruzin

February 10, 2004

i hate holders. i use my Legend on the cupholder, console, or wedged in my steering wheel. i like to be able to pick it up and use it :S

February 10, 2004

In the photos that folks have been kind enough to include, I don't seem to see any power cords plugged into their GPSRs. Does this infer that most users place their receiver in the mounts without power cords?

The power cord on both my yellow eTrex and on my Legend (and maybe on my new GPSMAP 60C if I win the auction) protrudes out from the top rear of the unit quite a bit. It seems like that would be a major consideration in the selection of what mount to purchase. Can anyone offer any insight on this? :blink:

Thanks !!

February 10, 2004

I bought a 1 dollar holder from a dollar store. I then cut out a portion of the back with a soldering iron with a plastic cutting tip. The Garmin 45 I have has the power connector near the base at the back of the unit. I made a power cable with a plug available on the internet for a couple of dollars. If I had bought the cable and the holder at a GPS store, it would have cost me close to 120 dollars plus 15% sales tax. Everything worked fine. I went ice fishing this morning. Caught myself some supper and came home. Here is where I went :

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlo...itude=-70.88451

February 10, 2004

i hate holders. i use my Legend on the cupholder, console, or wedged in my steering wheel. i like to be able to pick it up and use it :S

I have no problems picking it up and taking it with me - slides in and out of the holder just as easily as a cup holder. One note about the steering wheel - I've done that with my Legend, until I realized what could happen if/when my airbag deployed...

Does this infer that most users place their receiver in the mounts without power cords?

In the holder I posted the pics of, I can't use the power cord as easily - the connector on the back left of the GPSr forces it to lean toward the passenger seat. If I don't slide the unit into the holder all the way, it works. The Garmin mounts don't have this problem and are designed for the unit to be able to use the external connections.

February 11, 2004

Also, try a metal clothes hanger and bend it so it will hold your GPSr. Use the ends of it to stick into your a/c vent to hold it in place. Experiment and see what shapes work best for your vehicle and GPS unit. It should not be a problem with power cords either since you are shaping it yourself. I put duct tape( or electrical tape) on mine to prevent any possible scratching of the display screen and vents. How's that for being 'frugal'?...

February 11, 2004

I guess I got sorta unlucky and lucky at the same time. My Sportrak Map had the infamous "cracks" in the case and I sent it in to be repaired. Thales/Magellan sent it back repaired with a free windshield mount! It's awesome - has all the cutouts and is very adjustable. I don't have the car power adapter yet, but I plan on getting it soon. Sorry, no picture, but you can probably see it at www.magellangps.com

February 19, 2004

I just bought two holders on ebay from a seller named regaz. He is in Canada. I dont know how to provide a link, but he has a bunch of auctions. His holders will hold most gps'. I got two for 6.99 american plus shipping. Total something like 15.99 I think. They attach to the vents in your vehicle. They look like they will work great for me. I have an F150 and the power source and lighter are to low to use the ten dollar cell phone holder from wal mart. It doesnt get any reception down that low. But the vent should work just fine. regaz, look him up on ebay. <_<

2.4k · February 20, 2004

I used to use a suction-cup mount that stuck to the windshield. Worked ok. But I bought a PC-Mobile reradiating antenna, and now I just put the GPS in a cupholder or anywhere. Position doesn't matter, with the active antenna on the roof. When I get to the cache site, I put the active antenna on my hat, held by the magnet on the antenna and a metal bar inside the hat, and I don't have to hold my Garmin flat all the time, and get much better reception in the woods.

Arkon and Gomadic make windshield mounts that work pretty well. I have a Gomadic mount for my Palm, which holds the PDA while it's running Mapopolis connected to the GPS. It also has a Palm connector and cigarette lighter plug that lets me charge the Palm while it's in the mount. Lots of other formats available.

March 11, 2004

I have an earlier post the describes a mount that I was able to make using a cheap-o holder that I picked up on eBay. (HERE'S AN EXAMPLE, NOT NECESSARILY A VENDOR RECOMMENDATION. USE YOUR OWN GOOD JUDGEMENT)

If you're interested, you can find some images of my little creation on this web page. :unsure:

(edit for HTML fix... and they call it a language!)

Edited March 11, 2004 by gallahad

March 12, 2004

Tbird's holder from walmart works great, only problem I had with it is that I have an F150 and the power outlet and lighter are down to low to get reception. I bought a holder on Ebay that works great. I got two of them for 15 bucks for my sportrak map and meridian. It attaches to the air vent and gets great reception up there in my truck. I would post a pic of it but I dont know how. regaz was the seller on ebay and he has holders for garmin as well.

March 18, 2004

I got the offical Megellan holder on ebay for 15 bucks.. if you try to get it from megellan they want 50 :blink: Boy does it make things easier.. fully adjustable easy to move from one car to another.. all buttons accessable!

9.5k · March 19, 2004

I used a Magellan bicycle mount with a RAM Flexarm setup. Total cost @ ~$100 with shipping and tax. Since installing this, the one downfall to the flexarm is when I'm a bit heavy footed on the gas. The arm will flex and bring the GPS in the way of the steering wheel. So, I attached a velcro strap using the mounting screw on the upper right corner of the radio to hold the flexarm in place against the dashboard ridge when I don't need the GPS up closer to me.

1.3k · March 19, 2004

That seems a bit excessive! At least it puts it right in your face though. Can't get much closer then that.

March 19, 2004

I use the Garmin one for my RINO. All I have to say is.. it doesn't stick anymore and I'm non too happy about that ;P

I've heard this many times about window suction mounts... be warned I guess

9.5k · March 19, 2004

That seems a bit excessive! At least it puts it right in your face though. Can't get much closer then that.

There were several factors that went into what I wanted to do.

I didn't like between the windshield and dash jam method, or the cup holder method or holding it in my hand while driving in intense traffic situations.
I didn't want to mount it on top of the dash or permanently in front of any instrumentation or control. Everything I saw just didn't seem to quite work right, and I had to consider the option of wanting to move it closer which meant I had to remove it from the mount and hold it in my hand.
I didn't want it to interfere with my emergency brake or transmission shifter.
I have varying visual acuity given a myriad of reasons. So having the ability to be mounted closer was a plus.

The picture of it near the steering wheel is actually 9 inches behind it. It is below the hood horizon and yet a quick glance shows my current position without taking my eyes too far off the road. It is out of the way of all controls and instrumentation and it doesn't block any part of my sight of the road. The power cord doesn't just dangle, and it is neatly out of the way. The Magellan styled mount allows for power anytime I connect the unit to it without having to mess with screwing it on or off and the quick disconnect allows for fast ingress egress.

In essence, I refuse to compromise my ability to drive and control the vehicle for the sake of the sport. I refuse to place my family in danger by placing it in front of airbag deployment paths. I refuse to cause a hazard by jamming it into the dash and windshield or the steering wheel. Being able to easily get to the radio or environmental controls means I don't have to take my eyes off the road in order to manipulate around the mount or unit.

Excessive? Not even. Just particular about safety and refusing to compromise it. I also enjoy convenience.

When I want it closer, I just 'S' curve it to my side. Navigational buttons are an easy reach and it doesn't take much effort to use it.

==edited for spelling and clarity==

Edited March 19, 2004 by TotemLake

9.5k · March 19, 2004

I forgot to add a couple more things...

The flexibility allows for the passenger to place it closer to them to navigate with.

I intend to add mounts on the pipe for the cell phone and FRS radio.

Edited March 19, 2004 by TotemLake

March 19, 2004

Believe it or not, I found a holder in a 99 cent store. It is a universal holder for cellphones. It attaches very easily to the air vents on the dash. The only issue I had, was that once it is on it is nearly impossible to remove, but it holds it pretty tight.
Team Kurly

Same for me here. Can't beat $1!!

I know it will eventually break, but who cares. Just buy antother one @ $1

Scott

March 23, 2004

I went shopping for a holder bracket thingy and couldn't find one that I liked. Then I remembered I already had what I needed. I had purchased it YEARS ago for a handheld scanner. (I'm a news photographer.) For whatever reason, I didn't like it. But it works GREAT with my Sportrak Map. It attaches to the window via suction cups and rests on the dash. Quite secure. I'll try to post a photo.

JJDubs

Oh yeah! And I can move it to the family van, too.

Gps Holder For Use In Car

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