Garmin Nuvi car mount + [phone model] Hard Case = uBer cheap awesome quality mount!

mrk

mrk

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I have made the dash mount because I didn't like any of the existing ones available. I really liked the mount that my old Garmin Nuvi satnav had so I bought a spare Garmin mount on ebay (£2.68) and a Desire black rubberised hard case (£1.85) and set to work on my mission.

The result is a pivoting, rotating and rigid mount that's super quick and easy to attach the phone to and does not vibrate at all in my car as I found the £9 mount to on rough roads.

Oh and because the case itself is made for the phone the camera lens is not obstructed so videos can be recorded and so on while driving etc.

Mount I previously bought online (£9):



Mount I just made (£4.53 total cost):



Rear of DIY mount, the case is attached using mirror bond sticky pads (the thin ones) instead of the proposed Araldite glue - just in case it did not work out :p :



Detachable for storage (not easily possible on other mounts as they're so big):


Compared to old mount:



Here's how the hardcase normally looks:
htc_desire_diymount_case_noDIY_1.jpg


htc_desire_diymount_case_noDIY_2.jpg


eBay links to products:
Case: http://cgi.ebay.com.hk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330446978431
Garmin Mount: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290450514715


Update2:
Here's a quick video showing how easy attach and detach is and also the sturdiness:



Update3:
People have asked how the mount is attached to my dash and if it's glued to it (!), no glue at all! Garmin satnavs come with a stick on base plate which I've previously stuck on to my dash. You can buy these plates if you don't have one on eBay for cheap. I bought several back in the day for various cars etc that I would be driving and some spare.

You can get the plates here: eBay or buy many of the variations available there too.

They should not leave any residue on your dash if removed carefully although removal is not needed really.
 
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Associate
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Good stuff khaaan!! Loved (ie copied) all your themes you have been sharing and this is another great contribution.

Though will hold out on making this till next month when I should be a proud new 9000i owner (providing they are in stock!)
 

mrk

mrk

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Thanks all!

My dad thought I had broken my phone when he saw me eyeballing it in the tool cupboard during the making of the mount :p

Whew, rapid faff or what, appears my webhost (TSO) is having problems at the moment:

TSO Techs said:
Dear users,

We’re currently investigating an issue with the cPanel server ‘kronos’, the severity of which is unknown. We will keep you informed.

All other cPanel servers, clustered hosting, dedicated, VDS and Exchange are unaffected.

Posted by admin at 10:14 pm on July 22nd, 2010.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Images rehosted for now (thank you recycle Bin!).
 
Soldato
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Cracking idea. Araldite doesn't really stick to silicone though, so sticky pads are probably your best bet.

I have the same awful plastic cradle thing as you, and would definitely do this if I had to use it more.
 

mrk

mrk

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Gel cases won't work, they're too flexible and will wobble and vibrate and be unusable when in motion!

TheKnat like I mentioned, double sided mirrorbond sticky pads, the normal pads from sellotape are too thick and will wobble too but mirror bond ones are thinner and tougher.
 
Associate
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Saw this post on lifehacker a few weeks back, been meaning to get the parts for a while, finally got round to it!

Should be awesome, a lot better than paying £55+ for an official dock for my Nexus.


Thanks Khaaaaaaaaaaaan! :D
 
Joined
1 Oct 2006
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Just ordered a mount too, got an old iPhone case here I can use. Been after something like this for a while, but didn't want to pay £30-40 for a decent sturdy mount.

Cheers Khaaan! very much appreciated, and congratulations on your new found fame. :)
 
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