| Starsushi |
Just got a Garmin StreetPilot c550 for my bright and shiny new MO. But I can't figure out a good place place to put it. I don't want to have to reach to far for the touchscreen but don't want it obstructing my view either.
Any suggestions would be most appreicated.
Thanks! |
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| Mr3Putt |
quote:
Originally posted by Starsushi
Just got a Garmin StreetPilot c550 for my bright and shiny new MO. But I can't figure out a good place place to put it. I don't want to have to reach to far for the touchscreen but don't want it obstructing my view either.
Any suggestions would be most appreicated.
Thanks!
How thin and light is it?
Is it light enough to be velcroed to a Proclip Mount?
Check my gallery. I think mine is in a perfect spot.
If you can't proclip it close, I think a good dashmount smack dab in the middle would suffice.
Enjoy! |
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| Starsushi |
quote:
Originally posted by Mr3Putt
How thin and light is it?
Mr3, that's a great placement idea. I would never have thought of that. :D
I think my Garmin might be too heavy though, it's 9 oz, and the dimmensions are: 4.4"W x 3.2"H x 2.25"D.
BTW, what is a Proclip Mount? |
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| Mr3Putt |
quote:
Originally posted by Starsushi
Mr3, that's a great placement idea. I would never have thought of that. :D
I think my Garmin might be too heavy though, it's 9 oz, and the dimmensions are: 4.4"W x 3.2"H x 2.25"D.
BTW, what is a Proclip Mount?
Yeah, yours might be a little on the thick side.
Does Garmin offer any solutions besides the dash mount? My friend has his with a suction type plunger attached to his windshield. It's pretty clunky looking.
Proclips are designed to mount electronics to your dashboard, they are really a perfect fit for many applications. You match the device to the vehicle.
They have some Garmins listed, not your model though. You can send them an Email and they will let you know if other mounts will work.
Here's their site: Proclip |
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| Kris |
| I place mine on a suction cup at left/down windshield corner. Is perfect for me. |
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| Corin |
| Do a search for Garmin. We've talked about this quite a bit. I don't use a mount at all for my c320, just set it on a non-slip pad right on the dash just above the LCD screen. Works great. |
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| Starsushi |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
...set it on a non-slip pad right on the dash just above the LCD screen.
Thanks Corin. This might be a stupid question but would a non-slip pad leave any kind of mark? I ask because I'm leasing.
I tried above the LCD screen but it's kind of a reach for me when driving. My arms are too short I guess. ;) |
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| Kris |
| The non-slip pad does not leave marks. However, this solution did not work for me. I found the unit going forward and backward during braking/acceleration - maybe i have too heavy foot! ;) |
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| Corin |
It's a little bit of a stretch to reach it when placed there, but not bad.
There are only 2 times when mine moves at all, and in those cases it "tumbles", not slides:
1) When taking off hard from a dead stop uphill
2) Taking a VERY hard turn
Otherwise, it's pretty stable for me.
The non-slip pad that I use is from Home Depot around the carpeting department. It's like a small checker-board pattern, and I think it's typically used to put under throw rugs so they don't slide around on your hard-wood floors. They have all kinds of colors, and the black works very well on my black dashboard.
It hasn't left any marks on my dash (2 years) but it DID leave a mark on my painted entry shelf of my house when I left it there for a few days in the sun. It scrubbed off, but was kind of annoying. It doesn't stick like this to the dashboard, though, no matter how long it sits in the sun (I leave it there). The only marks I get there is a checker-board pattern of dust when I remove it to clean the dash... :) |
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| jason1234 |
I have the c550 ... well, actually, I had the c550. Left the car doors unlocked 2 nights ago, and it was stolen (along with my change). They left my ipod and sunglasses though :rolleyes:
Back to the original question - I keep mine stuck on the dashboard, just above the LCD display. It's within arms reach, and doesn't block my vision. Plus, the bluetooth hands free speaker / mic sounds pretty good from there. |
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| jason1234 |
At least they left me the mount for my c550. This is where I keep mine.
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| Gonzo |
| Jason could I see a picture of the unit mounted to that? |
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| jason1234 |
| It'll be about a week before my replacement unit arrives. I ordered it online (GPS City - have been great with me in the past). I'll be sure to post a photo once I get the new unit to replace my stolen one. |
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| jason1234 |
I got my replacement today. Here's what it looks like. I popped off the trim piece (the one with the 2 vents surrounding the LCD) and fished the power wire down there to hide it. The power cord just comes out below the 12V power connector by the glove box. You can hardly notice the wire on either end.
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| GripperDon |
| How do you like the Unit. What is it's exact model number, if you love it and place to buy. Thanks Grip |
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| jason1234 |
It's the same unit the OP had mentioned - the Garmin Streetpilot C550. I've used it on 2 x 6500km trips so far, plus for navigating around cities looking for addresses. I've been very happy with it (hence why I purchased the exact same model a second time). On my long trips, I'd just type the address of my hotel for that night, and it would calculate the route there within 5 seconds, and successfully navigate me there.
Some of the features I see to be essential in a GPS navigation system are voice prompts (including verbal street names), and auto-rerouting. A nice to have is bluetooth compatibility for cell phones (since the Mo doesn't have it).
The only problem I experienced with it was driving in downtown Toronto - all the high rise office buildings blocked out my GPS signal reception, so I was left to navigate old school style using the GPS purely as a map. I'm guessing most GPS models will have this issue.
I purchased the unit from http://www.gpscity.ca/ based out of Calgary. I've placed a couple of orders through them now, and have been quite happy. Prices are good, and customer service was good too. They have US based stores too: http://www.gpscity.com/ |
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| Mr3Putt |
quote:
Originally posted by jason1234
[B]
The only problem I experienced with it was driving in downtown Toronto - all the high rise office buildings blocked out my GPS signal reception, so I was left to navigate old school style using the GPS purely as a map. I'm guessing most GPS models will have this issue.
Jason,
You can really eliminate most signal interruptions with an external antenna.
I have one on my Magellan, I rarely lose signals unless in a tunnel or a garage. |
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