Brackets for GPS, Mobile etc

[NevC]

Trying to find a solution as where I could mount my GPS without sticking it on the window, I found this Thread on the Falcon Tech area.

Now have an XR6 Ute for me, the Zetec for her.

Big surprise is they have a Mondeo mount listed. Something we don't have to get the Poms to send us.

Look at Dash mounts and Holders.

What do you think of this solution?

http://www.fordforums.com.au/vbporta...article&id=741

http://www.holdmyphone.com.au/

(The Kiosk Communication link on thread does not work, but Grum kindly provided above site)

[RicOz]

Heres a thread about this. Has some photos too:

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11277914

[AlanD]

Hi all,

I'm not sure why Nev wants to avoid using the suction cup method of making his GPS accessible, nor what kind of GPS he happens to use, but I'm going to put my two cents worth into the debate anyway.

1. There is a reason why the military makes use of Heads up Displays (HUD) in their aircraft. It has to do (I believe) with the idea that you can adjust your focal distance faster than you can turn your head. This means that you are able to keep your vision outside the "vehicle" thus you have a better chance of staying on top of the situation. So putting a GPS screen away from the external line of sight has the possibility that you might just get distracted from the object that might impact with you. But HUDs are expensive currently. However I'm anticipating that they will get less expensive and more widely available shortly. (I can remember the "Map" availability to 007 in Goldfinger, and back then it was regarded by the public as being a "Dream".)

2. Politicians are hostage to popularity and, in consequence, will enact any law that they see as being "popular". In some places this has resulted in the attachment of "aids" to the windscreen being unlawful, fortunately in Oz not yet (So far as I know) but I'm waiting.

So for me this means that I position my GPS in a place that causes me the least time to get information from it and with least time with my eyes off the road ahead. So it gets attached to the windscreen (with an after market bracket) in the right lower corner of the screen. In that position I only have to shift my view point slightly and I still have good peripheral vision ahead of the car. Also I tend to rely on the voice information about track changes that are ahead of my position.

I'm afraid I regard GPS displays in the console (and this is what laws about non attachment to windscreens tend to encourage), especially if they are below the top face of the dash board as being a quite bad position. It takes your eyeline away from the road ahead and forces you to refocus in (normally) a much altered level of light intensity.

[NevC]

Originally Posted by AlanD

Hi all,

2. Politicians are hostage to popularity and, in consequence, will enact any law that they see as being "popular". In some places this has resulted in the attachment of "aids" to the windscreen being unlawful, fortunately in Oz not yet (So far as I know) but I'm waiting.

My grandson was booked for having his GPS centre of windscreen. This was in Bendigo, and as a P Plater lost points for nothing other than a normal fitting of a GPS. So in my opinion, you only need a pedantic, (for want of an unpublishable description) policeman and any of us could get booked.

Further to this I hate power leads hanging over the dash.
I agree on it being more convenient on the window. The Territory had inbuilt GPS, which Mondeo do not have, and the voice command was all that was needed to navigate successfully. So having the unit lower does not appear to me to be more than a minor inconvenience.

Good argument though, this is what forums are all about

[AlanD]

Originally Posted by NevC

So in my opinion, you only need a pedantic, (for want of an unpublishable description) policeman and any of us could get booked.

Further to this I hate power leads hanging over the dash.

Well;

1. Every Ford I have driven across the last 30 years has had its rear view mirror attached to the windscreen, so I guess I could argue that using the rear view mirror is equivalent to glancing at a GPS display fixed similarly. Or the officer might charge me with driving without due care because I have used the RVM to make sure I am lane changing safely. (And many RVMs that I see are definately in the drivers sight line, owing to poor adjustment, when glancing left preparatory to making a LH turn)

2. AFAIK it is not currently illegal to affix a GPS to the windscreen in Victoria unless the position hinders your line of sight, so I would be interested in the charge that was aimed at your grandson. If I got pinged this way, I would be taking pictures of my installation as it existed at the time from my normal driving eye level (vehicle properly parked, engine off and key out of the ignition ). Then we would see what the magistrate had to say about the matter. I hope your grandson was not trying to program the thing whilst moving, or even stationary in traffic, that would fall straight into the driving without due care category, in my view and that of most GPS manufacturers. My Tomtom counsels against this practice as it powers up.

So far as the power cord is concerned, because I position the GPS in the lower right corner of the screen, the cable neatly falls down the RHS of the instrument cluster and then gets "tucked" into the gap between the steering column and dash before travelling to the power outlet. Surplus cord is coiled and slipped into the ash tray aperture. When fitted it is almost invisible from outside the car if you are more than 5 metres away.

But I appreciate that some drivers do not like trailing cables, on balance I think that a trailing cable is better than having to look down to check something on the screen. It is a judgement call, I guess.

Cheers

[NevC]

Alan

GPS was mounted centre of screen, and not switched on even, let alone being programming it while driving. It was classed as obstruction to his view on the ticket.

I do like the mounting system though whether for mobiles, GPS or MP3 players.

They just give another option to mount things securely. If you looked at site there were dash top brackets also. I preferred to side mounted ones.

Cheers

Nev

[NZ XR6]

I totally agree with AlanD. My GPS is mounted in low in the centre of the windscreen, and I just remove it when I'm not using it. I find the GPS far easier to look at than the stereo display simply because I only need to refocus to see the GPS.

I recently used a GPS in the UK to navigate on the motorways. It's bad enough looking at a GPS mounted on the windscreen when you're driving at 120 km/h plus through a motorway junction - I certainly wouldn't want to take my eyes off the road to look at a console display!

And the latest TomTom with the computer voice for reading street names and the motorway lane display was brilliant in the UK. Highly recommended.

[NZ XR6]

Well, that's Victoria for you. The only reason to write a ticket for that would be if it was in his line of sight, and even then it would need to be half way up the windscreen!

In my car, the oil change sticker is far more of an obstruction than the GPS!

Alan, I might try my GPS in the right corner of the windscreen. I'm not sure if my charger lead is long enough though. I've never left the GPS or my radar detector (still legal in NZ) on the windscreen when I park the car, but I guess GPS units are much less of a thief magnet now that the prices have crashed.

[Dusty1]

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

I'm not sure if my charger lead is long enough though.

I rarely use my GPS, so I'm not capable of commenting here, but I am sick of seeing them sticking right in the middle of some people's windscreens.

Anyway, If I was going to use it more often, I would get an extension and use the outlet at the back of the centre arm rest, and run the cable under the seat and along the drivers door sill, and plug it in from there.