Showing posts with label beanbag mount. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beanbag mount. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

GPS Dash Mount For The TomTom GO 720, 730, 740, 920, 930, 930T, 300, 500, 510, 630, Plus, Receiver GPS Systems Review

GPS Dash Mount For The TomTom GO 720, 730, 740, 920, 930, 930T, 300, 500, 510, 630, Plus, Receiver GPS Systems
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Contrary to the advertisement the holder does not work for the TomTom 920, unless you drive your car with your head directly under the review mirror staring down on the GPS. I would not buy this for any TomTom product as I doubt the suction cap is different on the others.

Click Here to see more reviews about: GPS Dash Mount For The TomTom GO 720, 730, 740, 920, 930, 930T, 300, 500, 510, 630, Plus, Receiver GPS Systems

The Dash Mount is the most convenient mounting accessory for your portable GPS today. Using the physics of weight distribution along with high tech anti-skid materials, it creates a solid mounting base while turning your windshield mounted GPS into a dash mounted GPS. The Dash Mat conforms to the contours of your dashboard, allowing it to work on uneven or textured surfaces while the anti-skid underside keeps the device from sliding. Designed to work with devices up to several pounds using the stock windshield suction mount sold with most popular GPS units, the Dash Mount requires no tools for installation and can easily be moved from vehicle to vehicle or put out of sight when leaving the vehicle.

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Click here for more information about GPS Dash Mount For The TomTom GO 720, 730, 740, 920, 930, 930T, 300, 500, 510, 630, Plus, Receiver GPS Systems

Friday, September 30, 2011

Arkon MM329-ST Removable Swivel Tightening Air Vent Mount for Mio Moov 300 Series GPS Review

Arkon MM329-ST Removable Swivel Tightening Air Vent Mount for Mio Moov 300 Series GPS
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It definitely works, but only has one mount adapter compared to some alternatives like NAVGEAR 14027 Universal GPS Vent Mount which come with many adapters for various GPS devices, except missing the single-slot Magellan or Mio. I bought this primarily to get the single-slot adapter that comes with this and can be used with the NavGear 14027. This mount comes with a 2-slot adapter built in that the single-slot mount you see pictured connects on top of. This mount underneath the single-slot adapter matches the 2-slot magellan mount. So you can take the single-slot adapter and connect it to another 2-slot magellan adapter on another mount if you want to convert it to a single-slot mount and use that mount. I really liked the NavGear 14027 vent mount and can use just the adapter plate that this comes with to connect to that which didn't come with it. However, this mount still works well enough on its own.
This connects to your vent similarly to the other mounts by sliding between the vent blades whether they are horizontal, vertical, or have different spacing as long as they are not too narrow. It fits fine in my Honda Accord. The arms are quite versatile and can be adjusted within the bracket by being able to freely rotate them to angle up or down depending on your vent angle on horizontal blades, or rotate them to grab vertical blades. Just rememember you can completely turn them over to adjust as you see fit. You can also slide them left and right within the bracket to match the spacing of your vent. The weight ultimately sits on the bottom lever so all it is trying to do is hang on for stability and use gravity to hold the unit most of the time.
This vent connection differs from the NavGear 14027 by using clips instead of a spring and slider system. It makes it easier to slide on and off compared to the NavGear 14027's spring-based system. However this makes you squeeze an all-plastic clip to make it flex unlike a metal spring. Both will have fatigue over time, but I think a spring will last a lot longer than the all-plastic clip that you bend by squeezing. I suspect the force of frequent use will break this faster. Also, it is pretty strong, and it feels rougher on my vent blades than the spring system which is rougher on my hands. So this one is easier to put on and take off, but I worry more about the durability and being more rough on the vent blades. I prefer the NavGear connection, but this one seem fine. I would just be careful and it should probably be fine.
The mount adapter itself that connects to your GPS unit work well enough. This seems to be identical to the single-slot adapter on the magellan windshield mount that came with my magellan, except that as you can see from the picture it doesn't have the offset slot to connect the power to the mount. You can still plug in the power while mounted, it is just that the power cord isn't also mounted firmly on the adapter like the official magellan adapter. I prefer this in some ways because I had a really hard time trying to get my official magellan windshield adapter to connect because it didn't perfectly line up. So by being free of the mount it is very easy just to slide your magellan over the mount slot and connect the power separately. I really like that. However, the magellan seems to rely on the offset power connection being tied into the adapter for a more firm grip and stability. It by no means will fall off and is a good connection with just the single slot. You can still use the screene asily. However, it isn't a firm enough grip to keep it from shaking around more with road vibrations an bumps. So it definitely shakes more than other mount methods that have a firmer grip. It just seems to be a flaw in a single slot design that requires an adapter to hang onto the power cord too to add stability. I was going to use a twist tie or something next to try to connect the power cord a little bit to add some more stability. It is certainly usable as-is, just not as nice as a firm grip compared to my TomTom, and more annoying for it to shake more. However, this same single-slot connection is about the only choice you have for single-slot magellans and will be the same on most until they improve as single-slot magellans become more common. Even magellan only offered just the windshield mount that it came with, which I cannot use.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Arkon MM329-ST Removable Swivel Tightening Air Vent Mount for Mio Moov 300 Series GPS

Arkon MM329-ST mio moov 300 series removable air vent mount

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

ARKON TTEP112 TomTom EasyPort Friction Dash Mount Review

ARKON TTEP112 TomTom EasyPort Friction Dash Mount
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is a friction mount that stay puts. Like all friction based (bean bag) mounts if will slide forward if you have to really slam on the breaks, but for normal driving situations, it stays in one place. It seems well constructed and is very easy to adjust.
It comes with a large weighted platform that is very grippy. The platform is stiff and will not conform to contours of the dash, like some other, floppier, mounts I've used. If you have a dash that has rounded contours, this could be an issue., You really need a flat area, the width of the base on your dash for this to work well. They also provide a safety hook, that you can attach to your dash with an adhesive backing. This hook then attaches to a small loop on the back of the mount. This is intended to keep the GPS from falling on the floor if you accelerate rapidly. This is a nice safety feature but does have a downside. It makes it a little harder to put the unit on your dash, or remove it, when you park in a public place. Nothing major, but hooking/unhooking just adds another step to this process.
This will take up some real estate on your dash. At its widest part, the mount is about 8 inches wide. Much wider that other dashboard mounts I've used. This makes it more stable, but make sure you have the room on your dash.
The GPS attaches to an adjustable jointed arm. The arm, if extended would place bottom of the GPS over 4" above your dash. I'm not sure why you'd want the GPS up that high, but they must have felt someone would. Because it is adjustable, you can make it lower than this, but then it extends outward.
I only have a couple of complaints, hence the 3 stars. First, because the arm is so long, the unit can pick up road vibrations and bounce around slightly
My big complaint is the mechanism that attaches the GPS to the arm. It is based on the standard TomTom mounting ring, but it is not as secure as the mount that TomTom supplied. I've had the GPS rotate slightly (clockwise or counterclockwise) as I drive. It is easy to straighten, and it does not happen on every trip, but it can be annoying. What is worse is that I have had the GPS actually fall off the mount when I hit a large bump (like a speed bump). To be fair I have a 4x4 ,with a stiffer suspension,and it only happened once, but still, having the GPS come off the mount when you hit a bump is not ideal (note, this was on the road, I was not "off-roading"). It also has come off when I just moved the power cord, for example to move it out of the way of the radio controls. It only takes just a slight tug on the cord, which can happening when you are moving it, and suddendly you're reaching on the floor, trying to see where the GPS landed. The mount just doesn't snap in as securely as the OEM mount. Because of this I no longer use the supplied arm. Instead I now use the mount that came with my TomTom, and stick in the ARKOM base. This actually works very well.
I've owned several GPS mounts over the years, and none is perfect. This one is worth of consideration. If it were not for the fact that the GPS can be so easily dislodged from the mount, I probably give this a much higher rating.


Click Here to see more reviews about: ARKON TTEP112 TomTom EasyPort Friction Dash Mount

Arkon's TTEP112 is compatible with TomTom GPS devices that came bundled with the TomTom EasyPort fold up Mount.Compatible with TomTom ONE 125, ONE 130, ONE 130-S, ONE Europe 22, ONE Regional 22, TomTom XL 330, XL 330-S, XL Europe 22.Innovative design includes optional adhesive safety hook that attaches to loop on dashboard mount.Anti-skid material on base prevents movement of mount.The perfect alternative mount for California and Minnesota drivers where windshield mounts are banned. U-Shaped rim design more optimal than fully enclosed Non-Skid mounts as it allows you to lower the windshield pedestal for optimal viewing. Plastic disc on friction mount acts as the base for your windshield suction pedestal

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Magellan AN0302SWXXX Dashboard Beanbag Mount for GPS Navigators Review

Magellan AN0302SWXXX Dashboard Beanbag Mount for GPS Navigators
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I purchased the Magellan Beanbag Mount to securely hold my new Magellan 1475T to the dash of my car. First off, as mentioned in other reviews, this mount is not effective in cars with a curved dashboard since the base is rigid and won't conform to the dash. In reality, the name of the product is misleading since it is not a beanbag in any way shape or form. Amazon should quickly remove the term beanbag from the name of the product and from the product description. It is a rigid friction-based dashboard mount that requires the dash to be relatively flat. There is an attachment provided with the kit that can be adhesively attached to your dashboard and actually hooks to the back of the mount to prevent it from sliding around or falling off the front of the dashboard, but I would still be hesitant to purchase this if your car has an overly curved dashboard. I also don't like the thought of attaching anything to the dash which is why I considered the beanbag mount to begin with. While this mount works in my new Subaru Outback (which has a flat surface at the center of the dash), it doesn't work so well in my older Acura TL which has a curved dashboard.
Using the beanbag mount in the Outback, I am able to position the GPS on the dash at a good viewing level (doesn't interfere with my view out the front window at all) and within comfortable arms reach (I know, I know - you're not supposed to be using it while driving so it shouldn't make a difference). Basically, you just suction the window mount that came with the GPS to the smooth plastic surface of the mount and place it on your dash. The mount is heavy enough to stay in place while driving and convenient enough to store in the center console when not in use.
Unfortunately, I did have one problem. The first unit shipped to me had a slight discoloration in several places on the mounting surface (that I initially didn't notice) which I am assuming was glue that dried to the plastic mounting surface during the manufacturing process. This defect prevented the GPS Unit from securely suctioning to the mount which resulted in the GPS unit coming loose after a few minutes and flying from the dash. Fortunately, no one was in the passenger seat at the time and, more importantly, there was no damage to my GPS. Thankfully, Amazon came through and immediately sent out a replacement (it's good to know that at least one company still provides a solid level of customer service).
If you have a car with a relatively flat dashboard and want the convenience of mounting your GPS to the dashboard, this could be a good alternative. However, I'm sure the other "real" beanbag mounts would work just as well (if not better) and provide much more flexibility when placing them on the dashboard of any car.
As an aside, this mount looks very similar to the Arkon CM012 sold by Amazon for less than half the price of the Magellan. Sure, if you look at the pictures of the Magellan and the Arkon on-line, you would clearly see that although both mounts look somewhat similar the mounting surfaces are clearly different. However, when I received the Magellan Beanbag Mount, the mounting surface looked exactly like the one pictured for the Arkon and not the one pictured for the Magellan. This initially made me think that Amazon sent me the wrong one by accident because the Magellan name wasn't anywhere on the product. However, I did finally see the Magellan name on a small piece of literature that came in the box with the mount. If I had to guess, it is manufactured by the same company and then sold under the Magellan name. So if you are interested in this mount, you may want to check out the Arkon CM012 first.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan AN0302SWXXX Dashboard Beanbag Mount for GPS Navigators

Magellan GPS Bean Bag Mount

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount for Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and more Review

Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount for Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and more
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
My husband and I absolutely love this Gilsson portable mount !!! We own a Garmin Nuvi 350, Magellan Maestro and a TomTom One and this mount works well with all of them, even with our aggressive driving style in a Lotus Elise sports car ! We have tried both the Garmin Friction Mount as well as the Bracketron Nav-Mat beanbag mounts and found this Gilsson mount to be most stable for several reasons: (1) This Gilsson Mount is heavier than Nav-Mat and Garmin Mounts, (2) Gilsson Mount is square-shape, allowing one to point the corners of the mount toward the windshield and the driver, thereby creating a longer "moment arm", effectively making the mount to be more stable and less likely to tilt or fall off the dashboard (3) The non-skid material surface area on the Gilsson mount is larger than Garmin and Nav-Mat mounts, thereby making it even more resistant to skidding and sliding. One of our friends has a Toyota Prius with slanted dashboard and have had no problems with this Gilsson mount staying at the same spot. This mount is made of high quality and durable neoprene / wet-suit material, I am sure you will be very happy with it !

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount for Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and more

This Gilsson portable beanbag mount is a great base mount for your GPS, MP3 Player, smart phone, or most any portable electronic device. Weighing about two pounds, it's just heavy enough to make sure your electronic device stays put, even with sudden or abrupt maneuvering. It's an ideal choice for drivers in states where the use of windshield suction cup mounts is illegal, and for those who prefer a mount that can quickly be moved out of the way. It won't leave any ugly adhesive residues on your dashboard, and allows you to hide the GPS from thieves when exiting your vehicle.

Note: this beanbag mount requires the use of a fixed marine, dashboard or suction cup pedestal, which is secured to the the detachable plate on the beanbag mount base.
Works like a charm with Garmin, Magellan, Mio, TomTom, Mio, Lowrance, Motorola, Apple iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone, MP3 or other portable electronics devices.
What's in the Box Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount, User's Manual

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Click here for more information about Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount for Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and more

Saturday, March 19, 2011

TomTom GPS Dashboard Mount for TomTom GPS Navigators Review

TomTom GPS Dashboard Mount for TomTom GPS Navigators
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
After many hours of shopping for a GPS for my car I settled on a TomTom model XL 330 S. Being brand new to these navigation systems I didn't think I needed anything more sophisticated. I think I made a great choice and I'm very happy with the brand and model I chose. What I'm not nearly as happy with is the TomTom GPS Dashboard Mount for TomTom GPS Navigators I bought at the same time. It looks like it's made well enough, as it's heavy and substantial, but when you try to attach the GPS's suction cup to it to try to anchor the GPS to it, there is just no way! I removed the protective film that protects the surface on the mounting plate from scratching during shipment and cleaned the surface with an alcohol swab they include. I cleaned the suction cup on the back of the XL 330 and tried it again, no better result. I still am using the Dashboard Mount but now the plate which is attached to my GPS sits "under" the Mount as it is heavy enough to keep it from moving too far. A brick would serve the same purpose, but would scratch your dashboard and wouldn't look as nice. Then again the Dashboard Mount looks kind of goofy too. The Mount is not a good/wise investment. rob

Click Here to see more reviews about: TomTom GPS Dashboard Mount for TomTom GPS Navigators

This universal bean bag dashboard mount allows you to mount your navigation device on the dashboard of your vehicle. Non-skid backing and safety anchor ensure it stays in place. Can be easily removed and stowed away leaving no sign of a navigation device in the car. Compatible with all TomTom devices and fits most cars.


What's in the Box Bean Bag dashboard mount, adhesive safety hook, cleaning pad, installation poster


About TomTom Founded in Amsterdam in 1991, TomTom has established itself as a global leader in navigation by being an innovative company with a strong brand, clear customer focus, and high quality products and services.
TomTom is the world's leading navigation solutions provider with navigation products sold in 30 countries and in over 20 languages. To further our commitment to car navigation, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas maps in 2008 so we can continually provide the most up-to-date maps and intelligent routing.

We have our own mapping company! Did you know that every year roads change by up to 40% in high-growth areas? Tele Atlas manages this by using the world's most comprehensive systems to identify and incorporate these changes into our maps with unprecedented levels of speed and accuracy. All TomTom devices benefit from the Tele Atlas advantage--more coverage, more points of interest, and more freshness and accuracy.

Why TomTom? At TomTom, we believe that personal navigation should be as easy and safe as possible. We develop smart technology that gives you straightforward solutions, innovations to make life easy.


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