Member Since: 19 Feb 2013
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 30
Portable sat nav cabin location
Portable satnav cabin location.
The built in sat nav on my recently purchased 2013 D4 really is not up to the mark when compared with my Garmin portable so the latter is now being used. My Garmin is updateable and has many features which have now become part of my driving habit. I find speed warnings particularly useful !
Whilst I now have a solution to my question I did wonder if others had any brilliant ideas as to where to locate a portable that I had missed.
1. The windscreen is the old fashioned solution but unless you have a very long arms, it is a pain to reach.
2. What a good idea if makers would have a central polished surface where a sucker would actually stick. What looks flat and acceptable is usually dimpled and stickers do not last long.
3. I did think of the touch screen as a suitable surface but of course this would not be technically acceptable and would damage the touch facility.
4. There seems nowhere with a couple of square inches of 'flat' unless I've missed something.
5. I've ended up with a £4 'false sticky' rubber pad with a centre polished flat bit for the sucker. This seems to adhere well to the curved surface on the dimpled windscreen shelf and I am presuming will not give long term damage to the surface. Only fitted in the last few days I still have to test out properly. I am hoping the sat nav can be easily snapped off its' ball and hidden when the vehicle is unoccupied.
What have I missed and are there any other ideas re portable sat navs in vehicles that may be of interest/ use to myself and others?
Many thanks............
4th Oct 2018 9:11 am
seer
Member Since: 23 Sep 2014
Location: herts
Posts: 108
Try a Bracketron universal sat nav mat. Worked for me some years back.
4th Oct 2018 9:18 am
Famousfive
Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1806
When I use my tomtom, I slide the bracket under the headliner to hold it in place in front of the screen ...
Member Since: 31 May 2018
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 9
Garmin air vent mount
4th Oct 2018 11:17 am
grzesiul
Member Since: 11 May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 6266
i got something like this very tidy satnav from cell phone not obstructing vision easy to reach
and very stable since the magnet in that thing is super strong
Click image to enlarge
4th Oct 2018 12:32 pm
criky18
Member Since: 19 Feb 2013
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 30
As usual gentlemen you have opened up ideas that I would never have thought about. I like the idea of fitting to the air vent although with the vanes being a bit thin I'm not sure 'snapping' the sat nav off the ball socket may damage vanes. Perhaps it is necessary to remove unit from air vent complete when hiding away.
Noticed that there are a number of ebay Chinese variants at silly prices and lengthy delivery. Also available quickly in the UK but at a small premium. Not sure about quality.
Appreciate further comment from those with air vent mounting.........
5th Oct 2018 9:18 am
Grianaig
Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Tyne and Wear
Posts: 1286
With my Tom Tom I use a vent mount. It is better than the old one in that when you insert it into the vanes there is a large wheel which when rotated clamps it securely to the vanes. Easy to fix and remove for hiding.2014 MY Discovery XS Indus Silver. Sadly gone. Second last LR of forty eight years continuous ownership.
5th Oct 2018 9:23 am
marco 110
Member Since: 15 Nov 2009
Location: SALLES 33
Posts: 1010
Found this 👍🏼Marco.
-D4 sdv6 HSE 2012 , high beam assist , surround cam, tv , and a lot of nice stuff..
Member Since: 23 Feb 2009
Location: Greater Manchester
Posts: 1419
I prefer it low down on the windscreen near the middle for the simple reason that the eye does not have to move far from looking at the road ahead to the sat nav, and the sat nav is always in the peripheral vision.
I agree it can be a stretch for programming postcodes etc, but that is a price i feel worth paying as i don't need to program everytime i get in the car my Garmin is also good in that it is a magnetic mount to the back, so easy to remove and fix.
For those of us that are of a certain age, the eye takes longer to focus from distance to near and distance again, therefore there is a safety aspect to having the sat nav in the right location.
21st Oct 2018 2:21 pm
bobgolden
Member Since: 16 Oct 2010
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 907
I use one of these for my Garmin in the MX-5 and it hasn’t slipped around the dash or let go of the SatNav yet. It’s also handy in that I can just put the phone in it if I don’t need the full SatNav functionality (or forget to take it out of the locked cubby before I set off).
Gone BMW X5 xDrive 30d M Sport (F15)
Gone Disco 4 HSE SD V6
Gone 2008 Jaguar XF 2.7TD Premium Luxury
22nd Oct 2018 7:53 pm
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Ram Mounts all the way.
This will give you an idea:
Expensive but oh so good..
I have a rail mounted in front of my screen and I am over the moon with it. I mount an iPad Pro and a Iphone X there. The former I use O/S maps off road and Google Mpas for satnav and Spotify for music etc.
Will get some pics later.
I would love now to be able to turn off the distracting and useless screen behind it.D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..
23rd Oct 2018 8:27 am
Sudds
Member Since: 11 Dec 2011
Location: North Yorks/Cleveland border
Posts: 526
I can vouch for the Tomtom vent mount, usually put it on the left hand vent next to the original screen, holds a 6" unit without vibration, gives easy access to both screens and SWMBO can reprogram if we need to.
I too use it for the extras the original system doesn't have.
23rd Oct 2018 6:20 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72774
Brodit mount up front & central(ish). Sorted.
Click image to enlarge
23rd Oct 2018 6:25 pm
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
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