TomTom Mount

I'mRonBurgundy?

I'mRonBurgundy?

Lets make that kitten purr...
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Early days yet but thinking of buying a One XL Europe. Next thing now is where do I mount it? I've seen a "stealth" job where someone fixed there's in the ash-tray but personally think this too low/dangerous.

Since I've got the useless in-dash coin tray I'm wondering if I coud fit a mount in that? Wouldn't need to be permanent as the nav would only be needed for the odd foray up north and into Europe.

Any suggestions/advice?

Cheers
Ron

ps I refuse to stick it to the windscreen or just on-top of the dash!
 
Get a peice of heavy glass cut to fit inside the coin tray. Get the edges polished so they are not sharp. Then you can use the supplied suction mount, attach it to the glass and place it in the coin tray. Should work a treat.
 
Brodit do clips that attached all over the place.
That's what I intend buying.
 
As far as I can ascertain, the beauty of a brodit clip is that the main part stays attached to the car, with different clips attaching to it, depending on what you're using.
So when you're not using the satnav, you clip on your MP3 player.
FWIW, windscreen mounting is perfectly fine for occasional use.
I've done Aberdeen to Alton Towers without recharging a Tomtom too, so you don't even have to have the power cable trailing everywhere.
The sucker marks are a pain, but they come off with a microfibre cloth fine and dandy.
 
Personally I use a PDA + software for Sat/Nav but I mount my PDA in a Brodit mount. Mine is fitted with a bracket next to my radio and hard wired so there are no trailing leads and when the PDA is not in the mount it just looks like a phone cradle.
 
I use the air-vent clip attachment for the tomtom - bought it off fleabay - works just fine :) cheap option.

The position of the vents and the bracket all angle to give an ideal viewing position.

No marks left on the windscreen when removed.
 
or you could srtip down the tomtom bracket and screw it direct to a

blanking plug on the dash, then when you sell the car, all you have to do

is buy a blanking plug from the dealers about £1
 
I don't know how the coin tray set up works but i made a bracket which is fixed into the ash tray. When not in use i pull the ash tray out, stick in the glove box and close the lid. I also hard wired the Tom Tom which was a doddle (around 2 hours max battery life). I tried to take a pic as near as the drivers view as possible although i tend not to look at it as the voice instructions have been spot on. Mine is a Tom Tom One XL Europe, lots of features, dead easy to use and i'm pretty pleased with it.

TT2.jpg
 
Here is a picture of the Brodit mount used for my PDA in my A3.

 
That's exactly the mounting position I want, David.
No chance of getting in the way in normal driving.
 
marriedblonde said:
The only problem with mounting the ~Tomtom down in the Ash tray is you have to look down to see it...
Click to expand...

I can envisage 'knuckle to Tomtom interfacing', whilst changing gear too.
The car behind would be covered in pieces of Tomtom, as it bounced it's way down the road...
 
The only problem with mounting the ~Tomtom down in the Ash tray is you have to look down to see it...
Click to expand...

Personally I always rely the voice instructions and never look at my PDA when I'm driving. To setup a route I take my PDA out of the cradle. Normally I set mine up in the house before getting the car out of the garage.
 
marriedblonde said:
Just out of interest why dont you want it stuck to the screen if it is only for occasional use?

J.
Click to expand...

Just personal preference (read laziness cos I don't want to have to clean the windscreen!).
 
bowfer said:
I can envisage 'knuckle to Tomtom interfacing', whilst changing gear too.
The car behind would be covered in pieces of Tomtom, as it bounced it's way down the road...
Click to expand...

My tomtom is also mounted in the ashtray (although a bit lower than Kris's) and I have no problems with "knuckle to Tomtom interfacing" at all! Drove to Devon and back over the weekend using it and had no problems. With voice instructions / speed camera warnings it is no problem in the ashtray. If I could have found an equally neat/discrete place higher up on the dash I would have done, but I don't like the bracket shown above next to the stereo to be honest.
 
I want to be able to see my satnav, as I want the more accurate speedo reading.
 
I want to be able to see my satnav, as I want the more accurate speedo reading.
Click to expand...

I also have a very small MicroGo speed camera unit which is always in the car even if I don't have or need the Sat/Nav. This has a gps speed readout and I find it very useful when I drive in Europe to set this to kph. This means I can see my speed in mph on my normal speedo and kph on the MicroGo.
 
bowfer said:
I want to be able to see my satnav, as I want the more accurate speedo reading.
Click to expand...

I think the ideal place for a portable satnav is somewhere on the right hand side of the dash. For a right handed person it is much easier to use there (obviously only when at a standstill:no: ).

I am looking at other possible mount position options and was wondering about the area just above the light switch. The problem is getting a neat looking mount into that area. With the connections in the fusepanel just round from that, wiring an active mount would be easy, I just need to come up with an unobstrusive mount design. Maybe if I fix the active mount to a bracket that comes away with the Tomtom and which slides/plugs into the gap between dash and door, so that nothing is visible when it's not plugged in?

Now that I have tried and got rid of the RNS-E, I will give it a bit more thought. I could do with a newer Tomtom anyway so this would be a good excuse to update the mount as well.
 
GeoffT said:
I think the ideal place for a portable satnav is somewhere on the right hand side of the dash. For a right handed person it is much easier to use there (obviously only when at a standstill:no: ).

.
Click to expand...

And me. That's where my RoadPilot Pro sits. I used the circular air vent on top of the dash close to the windscreen pillar. 2 screws were fitted through the slats and the suction cup of the Pro's windscreen mount discarded. 2 small holes were then drilled in the plastic cap backing cup and the holder attaches to the screws with 1 small nut. The entire mount and Pro comes away in 5 seconds leaving only the 2 small screws protruding. Thes are covered with an air freshener in the form of a wheel and tyre, which I found in Halfords, when the Pro is absent. A power feed is taken from a bypass fuse holder in the nearby fuse box and terminates in a small power connector velcro'd at the very base of the windscreen pillar. The wire is pushed into the gap at the rear of the fusebox cover The connector is virtually un-noticable from outside.
The result is a system in exactly the place I want it.
 
h5djr said:
I also have a very small MicroGo speed camera unit which is always in the car even if I don't have or need the Sat/Nav. This has a gps speed readout and I find it very useful when I drive in Europe to set this to kph. This means I can see my speed in mph on my normal speedo and kph on the MicroGo.
Click to expand...

You'll know, David.
What do I need for driving a UK car to Czech?
First aid kit?
Fire extinguisher?
Yellow jacket?
GB stickers?
Left hand drive headlight things (where do you get them?)

Always driven hire cars abroad, never a UK one.
 
The screws are mounted at the front of the vent ie nearest to the driver and blocks only around 25% max of the vent.
 
Twizzler said:
And me. That's where my RoadPilot Pro sits. I used the circular air vent on top of the dash close to the windscreen pillar. 2 screws were fitted through the slats and the suction cup of the Pro's windscreen mount discarded. 2 small holes were then drilled in the plastic cap backing cup and the holder attaches to the screws with 1 small nut. The entire mount and Pro comes away in 5 seconds leaving only the 2 small screws protruding. Thes are covered with an air freshener in the form of a wheel and tyre, which I found in Halfords, when the Pro is absent. A power feed is taken from a bypass fuse holder in the nearby fuse box and terminates in a small power connector velcro'd at the very base of the windscreen pillar. The wire is pushed into the gap at the rear of the fusebox cover The connector is virtually un-noticable from outside.
The result is a system in exactly the place I want it.
Click to expand...



Bloke who fitted my Nokia carkit suggested putting the display unit up there, I thought it was a daft idea but as I change the carkits every month or so thought why not - as it turns out its the best place I've seen in ages, higher up than on the top of the centre console makes it really easy to see and as you say, its almost un noticable from the outside
 
You'll know, David.
What do I need for driving a UK car to Czech?
First aid kit?
Fire extinguisher?
Yellow jacket?
GB stickers?
Left hand drive headlight things (where do you get them?)
Click to expand...

Hi Bowfer.

The best thing to do is to have a look at the following page on the AA site. It gives all the details for the Czech Republic. You can also check for the counties you will pass through.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/AA_Czech_Republic.pdf

One thing to note is that the use of dipped headlights or DRLs is compulsory at all times in CZ and Austria and recommended in many others. Will your new Alpina have DRLs?. As far as the GB plate is concerned it depends if your new car has EU plates or not. If it does then no GB plate required. The question of lights depends on the car and type of lights. Some have levers in the lights to block out the kerb lighting beam, others like my A3 with bi-xenon lights have to have a software change by a dealer. Also remember you must take your UK driving licence, insurance documents and the V5 document for the car with you. Most countries in Europe required a warning triangle and a spare set of light bulbs to be carried. Yellow jackets are also required as is a first aid kit. In Austria and CZ you also have to purchase a sticker - 'vignette' to use the motorways.

And also the drink-driving laws tend to have lower limits than the UK. In CZ it's zero!!

If you need any more info let me know or PM me.
 
Bowfer, what route do you intend to take to CZ? Some of the German autobahns have very big roadworks going on at the moment, particularly around Pforzheim between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart on the A8.
 
h5djr said:
Bowfer, what route do you intend to take to CZ? Some of the German autobahns have very big roadworks going on at the moment, particularly around Pforzheim between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart on the A8.
Click to expand...

The GP isn't until August.
Nothing much planned just now, just looking for a Czech hotel with secure parking!
We'll be getting ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, that's about as much as I know.
As I keep saying to my mates, I'm just the driver.
Some other sod can work the route out!:)
 
In that case you'll be going much further North through Holland and Germany, probably via Hanover, Leipzig and Dresden. Google maps give a good looking route.
 
Twizzler said:
And me. That's where my RoadPilot Pro sits. I used the circular air vent on top of the dash close to the windscreen pillar. 2 screws were fitted through the slats and the suction cup of the Pro's windscreen mount discarded. 2 small holes were then drilled in the plastic cap backing cup and the holder attaches to the screws with 1 small nut. The entire mount and Pro comes away in 5 seconds leaving only the 2 small screws protruding. Thes are covered with an air freshener in the form of a wheel and tyre, which I found in Halfords, when the Pro is absent. A power feed is taken from a bypass fuse holder in the nearby fuse box and terminates in a small power connector velcro'd at the very base of the windscreen pillar. The wire is pushed into the gap at the rear of the fusebox cover The connector is virtually un-noticable from outside.
The result is a system in exactly the place I want it.
Click to expand...


Interesting. Any pics??
 
no pics at the mo. When I figure out how to post a pic on here I'll take some.
 
[quote

Since I've got the useless in-dash coin tray I'm wondering if I coud fit a mount in that?[/quote]

I use mine in the coin tray that i never used for coins or anything, I fitted a small black square ceramic tile in that I had that just fitted without trimming, I fixed the tile in with number plate tape, but I had to buy a better tom tom mount of ebay because the one that came with it was crap there, the new one has a lever to get the suction much better, I find the position just right there, the only drawback for me is its infront of the volume knob for the stereo, but I can still get to it ok so it really is a minor issue, it doesn't matter though if you have steering wheel controls of course.
 
willnabby said:
I use mine in the coin tray that i never used for coins or anything, I fitted a small black square ceramic tile in that I had that just fitted without trimming, I fixed the tile in with number plate tape, but I had to buy a better tom tom mount of ebay because the one that came with it was crap there, the new one has a lever to get the suction much better, I find the position just right there, the only drawback for me is its infront of the volume knob for the stereo, but I can still get to it ok so it really is a minor issue, it doesn't matter though if you have steering wheel controls of course.
Click to expand...
Got any pics you can post?
 
th_P2200033.jpg
th_P2200024.jpg

Hope this helps, the tile is actually black it's come out a bit brown looking in the pic, If you decide to do it like this pm me your address & I'll post you a tile because they come in packs of 22, & i've got about 10 I don't need.
 
I've bought a Navmat from the USA simple idea to get around the windscreen marks. Its like a flat beanbag with non-slip surface underneath but with a shiny plate on top - which you sucker your satnav to. The idea is the weight of the beanbag and the non-slip backing means you can simply sit it on your dash and it wont move around - however it leaves no marks anywhere - and you can just shove it away ina cubby hole somewhere or boot when not in use. It doesn't look particularly pretty if im honest but im not bothered about that for occasional use - if i wanted pretty id have built in sat nav but then lose out on functionality because I have recently discovered how naff it is! Car manufacturers should start fitting ready made tomtom docks onto cars - that would be the handiest thing ever.
 
Car manufacturers should start fitting ready made tomtom docks onto cars - that would be the handiest thing ever.
Click to expand...

Only if you like TomTom. What about all the other makes of Sat/Nav.
 
h5djr said:
Only if you like TomTom. What about all the other makes of Sat/Nav.
Click to expand...

It's the same with MP3 players in your car, David.
If you want full functionality, you sometimes have to go i-pod.
Even if they're not the best, or not your preference.
I suppose, from the manufacturer's point of view, it makes sense to go with the market leaders (ipod and tomtom)

BTW, a pub meeting last night decided to sack the driving to Czech republic on the head.
Frankly, I can't be ***** with the rigmarole.
Once you add the cost up, flying's easier and cheaper.
Would have been a nice little adventure, but there you go.
Cheers for the advice anyway!:icon_thumright:
 
I suppose, from the manufacturer's point of view, it makes sense to go with the market leaders (ipod and tomtom)
Click to expand...

Yes I agree to a degree but in Audi's home market in Germany TomTom is not the market leader.

Shame about the drive to CZ. As you say it could have been quite an adventure but I have to admit it's nearly always cheaper these days to go by air, especially with someone like Easyjet. I only drive each year because I still prefer it. We're going on a river cruise in September from Amsterdam to Vienna and we are flying there and back by Easyjet, but I shall still be driving for a week in the Mosel Valley in Germany an a second week in SE Switzerland in June. Still need my continental driving fix!
 
h5djr said:
Shame about the drive to CZ. As you say it could have been quite an adventure but I have to admit it's nearly always cheaper these days to go by air, especially with someone like Easyjet. I only drive each year because I still prefer it. We're going on a river cruise in September from Amsterdam to Vienna and we are flying there and back by Easyjet, but I shall still be driving for a week in the Mosel Valley in Germany an a second week in SE Switzerland in June. Still need my continental driving fix!
Click to expand...

Easyjet, god, the horror!:scared2:
I'm a 'proper' airline man, these days.:)
The investment it would take for me to make my car 'euro-ready' would be fine if I planned to do it regularly, but doesn't make sense for what could be a one off.
So some poor hire Astra/Fiesta/Punto will be getting thrashed to death instead.
 
Pity because I'm sure you would have enjoyed driving your new Alpina on some derestricted stretches of Autobahn!

The great advantage of Easyget for me is that I live only 30mins from Luton Airport and I have a friend who lives half way been us and Luton so I drive my car to his place and he takes me to the airport. Door to door service.

To use other airlines I would have to fight my way to Heathrow, Gatwick or Birmingham as well as pay at least 3 or 4 times the price for the privilege. We flew from Luton with Easyjet last year and it was all very straight forward and quick with no problems at all.
 
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