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Thread: GPS mounts

  1. #1

    Default GPS mounts

    Hi All,

    I'd really love to add a GPS to my '07 MPS6. I don't want suction cups and wires, I was hoping for a better solution.

    My Honda Accord Euro for example, has a Garmin GPS mounted in the storage bin under the head unit, all cabled properly. I just close the lid on the storage bin and the GPS is hidden apart from the external GPS antenna which is barely noticeable. All the cabling is 'behind the scenes.'

    I was hoping to do something similar in the Mazda.

    I've looked at the Ebay pop-up units, but I'd really love a TomTom with the traffic conditions & speed camera POI's.

    Does anyone have any ideas?

    Tim

  2. #2

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    I did the same thing in my euro lol
    And in my 6! Just put it in the cubby hole up top. Works by the same principle, but im using my iphone with the Xcarlink adaptor.

    But i actually just purchased a whole new head unit for mine and will be getting rid of that setup soon.

  3. #3

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    i dunno but here is some more info....good but then bad result

    Has anyone installed this pop up GPS/LCD panel??? INSTALLED WITH PICS!

  4. #4

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    Hey rayd,

    Yeh the Honda is quite good for that. I recall that Honda wanted about $3K for the dealer navi on that model, no way I was going to pay that for a GPS even back then. Picked up an $800 garmin unit + external antenna which is still in there today.

    Which pop-up unit did you get?

    T

    ---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

    Yeh not sure about that one Smokey... some sort of mechanical frame that fits in to that map compartment (or whatever it is) with the mount for the GPS on it would be awesome.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by tims View Post


    Yeh not sure about that one Smokey... some sort of mechanical frame that fits in to that map compartment (or whatever it is) with the mount for the GPS on it would be awesome.
    But that's exactly what that is? He bought the map pocket, and mounted his GPS in there....although it is a 3 so that is my bad.

    Only other thing i know of are the ebay setups.....

    Kinda off topic, but it used to bend my brain as to why nobody had come up with a mounting method for iPads. I googled and searched everywhere, came up with one company called Scosche - and they dropped off the radar after Sema 2010.

    Anyway - turns out Apple has blocked anyone from creating a dash based mount - liability reasons etc. Such a shame.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by tims View Post
    Hey rayd,

    Yeh the Honda is quite good for that. I recall that Honda wanted about $3K for the dealer navi on that model, no way I was going to pay that for a GPS even back then. Picked up an $800 garmin unit + external antenna which is still in there today.

    Which pop-up unit did you get?

    T

    ---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

    Yeh not sure about that one Smokey... some sort of mechanical frame that fits in to that map compartment (or whatever it is) with the mount for the GPS on it would be awesome.
    Didnt really like any of the available pop up units , so I'm going to mod a Mazda 6 standard replacement unit into my MPS.

    I'll put up pics when it's done. Hopefully it works

  7. #7

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    I reckon you'd have to be needing a GPS an awful lot to go the trouble of spending $150 plus on a replacement dashboard centre that gives you a badly fitting pop-up unit that seriously blocks your view. Maybe a traveling salesman or similar. The TomTom is pretty compact unit and it unclips easily for security stowage or inter-car transfer. In fact I rarely leave mine in the car.

    On the rare occasions I need it, I stick it high on the extreme RHS of my windscreen but not so close to the airbag that it would not be a problem if it went bang. I don't fancy wearing a TomTom as a kind of third eye, emplaced at about 200kmh by an exploding airbag. The wires are lead under the top steering column valance and up the RH pillar and are virtually invisible but can be retrieved in seconds. My line of vision is well underneath it.

    Otherwise I view the GPS as yet another distraction and one less thing I need cluttering my view of of the road as well as my attention, despite the fact that we have all been conned into buying them or figuring they are the must-have of the moment. I also think it is hardly worth messing up a perfectly good car interior for, especially when people start talking about interfering with the car's aircon ducting as well as a perfectly good and useful storage compartment. A $500 solution to a $10 problem. I know this isn't especially helpful to you and is probably just unwanted opinion, but you should know that opinion is out there.

    People who know me know I am totally anal about cable neatness, fitment and alignments and if there was a halfway sensible and economical way of dealing with this I'd have done it. But for me and given my GPS usage, even in my profession where I live with the things daily, KISS rules.
    CP_e Standback & PNP; CP_e 3" SS Downpipe; Corksport FMIC with Top-mount K&N filter & OEM Ram CAI; Turbosmart BOV; Dashhawk; Prosport Boost Guage; JBR solid shift bushes; DBA 4000 Wiper-Slot front rotors; Hawk Ferro-Carbon HPS Street front brake pads (@ 69,000km); Sumitomo HTRZIII's in 225/45 x 18

  8. #8

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    If I were to get a cubby hole replacement unit , I would go for this one: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/190676159...84.m1423.l2649

    Nice big screen and it doesn't flip and sits level with dash so it's not in your way.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rayd View Post
    If I were to get a cubby hole replacement unit , I would go for this one: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/190676159...84.m1423.l2649

    Nice big screen and it doesn't flip and sits level with dash so it's not in your way.
    Why don't they make this for the 3's ?

    Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
    "la fortuna favorisce il coraggioso"
    CP-E TMIC, K&N typhoon SRI , COBB 2way adjustable shifter, TWM bushings, Sure AGS 212g knob, JBR 70a trilogy mounts, JBR boost tubes, Medieval 2.5" TIP, 2XS racepipe, 2XS interior light upgrade, Hypertech , RDA slotted front rotors, DGR coilovers, hotchkis RSB, Ultragauge EM, Work CE28N'S in blaze blue, D1 blue lugs

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by raffa View Post
    Why don't they make this for the 3's ?

    Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
    You mean this:
    http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com.au/vi...id=59158522493

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    werribee
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    37
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    491

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rayd View Post
    Nah Ive seen millions of them I want the one that fits in the center piece in the top of the dash like the same as the 6

    Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
    "la fortuna favorisce il coraggioso"
    CP-E TMIC, K&N typhoon SRI , COBB 2way adjustable shifter, TWM bushings, Sure AGS 212g knob, JBR 70a trilogy mounts, JBR boost tubes, Medieval 2.5" TIP, 2XS racepipe, 2XS interior light upgrade, Hypertech , RDA slotted front rotors, DGR coilovers, hotchkis RSB, Ultragauge EM, Work CE28N'S in blaze blue, D1 blue lugs

  12. #12

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    Ok.. I think I've made a decision to go with an Xcarlink + IPOD + DAB radio and a separate TomTom with TrafficHD & Speed camera POI's etc..

    I'm hoping I can secure the TomTom mount to the bottom of the dash cubby, cable up behind the console through the back of the dash cubby and just fold the GPS down and close the cubby when I don't need the GPS.

    I have speed camera anxiety so like to know where they are and how fast I'm actually going as I pass.. also these point to point things are a dog so I like to know average speed.

  13. #13

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    nice - let me know what GPS you decide to go with - I want to get one but too lazy to research!

  14. #14

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    I know the feeling Will do..

    My criteria is;
    - Speed to find your current location on power up
    - Speed to calculate route
    - Route quality
    - Route options (re-route mid trip, add stop over point etc..)
    - Speed camera accuracy (POI)
    - HD traffic quality
    - Size \ fit in to cubby

    Let me know if you think of anything else..

  15. #15

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    Hi All,

    I finished up buying a Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT 4.3" GPS and doing a permanent install in the MPS6' cubby hole. A bit of cut'n'shove was required to make the GPS fit, but now I can happily close the cubby lid and you'd never know there was a GPS lurking in there. Powered with thanks to a splice in to the ciggy lighter, the GPS starts up and shuts down with the ignition.

    I'm really happy with the finished product, and the GPS itself performs really well including bluetooth hands-free and voice commands. It's actually better than the factory GPS in the BMW by far.

    Whilst I'm a crap photographer, I do have some photos of the install if anyone else wants to copy let me know and I'll upload.

    Cheers
    Last edited by tims; 04-07-2012 at 09:53 PM.

  16. #16

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    Definitely upload ?!

  17. #17

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    Ok here goes - again apologies for the crap photos.

    So step 1 - break it apart. Remove dash cubby. I just followed what I'd see on youtube.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Step 2 and beyond came after much head-scratching. We actually noticed that when the cubby is removed, it doesn't quite shut tight on the sides, so we built a jig in the exact replica of the GPS (not pictured) and attached it to a wire stand (like a photo frame) and stood it inside the cubby to ensure it would close properly and to get the alignment right. We could see how much clearence we had by looking in from the sides through the gap when it was closed.

    We held the jig in with bluetac and then finally used a chinagraph pencil to sketch the outline.

    We knew the suction cup was useless in this case, so I elected to remove the pin that held the rubber cup, spring and lever on to the mount. Now we're just left with the plastic shell.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The GPS came with the standard suction cup mount, but annoyingly the clip that attaches the GPS to the suction mount makes the whole thing about 12mm too big for the cubby. Que more head-scratching and a dremel tool.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The annoyance with the Garmin GPS is the size of the powered clip mount. It's required for the speaker function and also the traffic receiver. This mount makes the GPS too big to fit in the cubby so I had to cut in to the floor of the cubby and let the bottom of the powered clip mount sit below the surface, but just high enough that the GPS still mounts in properly. It's a bit fiddly and you need to measure carefully.

    The suction cup was also deemed useless as it made the GPS sit too high in the cubby. Ignoring the fact that the clip with the mount in it needed to literally go through the floor of the cubby, and after some careful measuring we took it off with a band-saw. Removing the suction cup exposed a hollow in the end of the mount - more on that soon.

    Then, we used the dremel tool to cut a carefully measured rectangular hole in the bottom of the cubby (carpet was removed by this stage) for the bottom of the mount to sit slightly in to that hole. (in the end by about 5mm - there's heaps of space under the cubby's base).

    Click image for larger version. 

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    TBC..
    Last edited by tims; 04-07-2012 at 10:09 PM.

  18. #18

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    Continued...

    Next step was to epoxy a bolt in to the mount's hollow where we removed the suction cup. The bolt will be used to secure the mount to the base of the cubby.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    We let that cure, then cleaned it up. TIP: Getting the epoxy down in to the hollow and around the bolt head was made easier by firstly heating the epoxy, then using some low pressure compressed air to gently push it down.

    We also needed to grind the top off the mount as that stuck out by a few too many mm and the cubby wouldn't shut. It was easier to grind that than take a few more mm off the suction cup mount.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Next was to secure and hope like hell we'd cut and drilled properly.... success.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I wanted the carpet back in, and thankfully we'd left a few mm tolerance so it fits in without any problems. Where we had cut the big hole to allow the GPS mount to sit below the floor of the cubby I cut a H shape in the carpet so it was less obvious that it was a hole once it was finally installed.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Then we just ran the power/traffic receiver cable up behind the hole, secured everything down (double sided tape for the carpet) and mounted the GPS. Notice you can't even really see the hole where the bottom of the powered mount sits down below the base of the cubby thanks to the way I cut the carpet.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    TBC.
    Last edited by tims; 04-07-2012 at 10:04 PM.

  19. #19

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    Only thing left to do is re-install in the car and splice in to the ciggy lighter cables and here's the finished product:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    When we built the jig, I set the GPS so that it was pretty much in direct eye-line with my driving position. There's not much adjustment in it because of the size of the hole we cut in the base of the cubby. If you want some adjustment you'll need to cut a bigger hole.

    One point to note is that it's pretty hard to get to the power button on the GPS (top RHS) even with the cubby fully opened, but the cool thing about the Garmin GPS' is that the will auto power on and off with the car ignition when plugged in, so you don't ever really need to use the power button. On this model (different to Garmin's I've had in the past) it actually just sits in some sort of hibernate mode, so when you turn it back on it finds the GPS signals quite quickly without having to boot up.

    Hope this helps someone who wants to do something similar. Give me a yell if you need more info.

    Cheers
    Last edited by tims; 04-07-2012 at 10:16 PM.

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