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For me, with the GPS mounted higher on the left side, resting my elbow on the door shelf/top (by the drivers side window), helps ease/stabilize using left hand for screen navigational touches, and the unit is close to my eyes and ears too . FWIW...
Mine being toward the center of the car by the mirror also allows the wife to take over and enter directions if I'm too busy with the road. Volume has never been an issue with either of mine, plus I have an FM transmitter on one of them so the directions can be played through the car's stereo.
I've never understood why people do this. I tried it myself once and found it incredibly distracting, not to mention the power cord doesn't reach but to each his own.
The rearview mirror is something I look at all the time anyway. I have a battery operated unit and usually use it in rental cars. When it's mounted low on the windshield, the unit always catches glare from inside the car or the dashboard. In addition, I don't have five foot long arms, so adjusting the unit or changing options requires me to leave a normal seating position, which I don't like to do. It's harder for me to see and hear. I would get a factory system, but I already had factory navigation in a previous car and felt that the overall implementation was poor, the location was disruptive unless it was being used only while parked, and the cost for the factory system was about 30 times the cost of the portable unit that I have. And I drive 500 miles a month, so my nav unit only comes out on vacations or business trips.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
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All 3 of my vehicles have alot of dashboard real estate. So I use 1 of those bean bag thingees and it works quite well especially when the navigator makes changes or is looking for something special.
I have mine in the cup holder between the seat, sometimes I pick it up and program it with my thumb while I'm driving. I take it into the motel room to find a place to eat when I'm on the road, so I never have it mounted.
1. you want to have it within easy and confortable reach
2. you do not want it to shake and move away from your fingers, as you touch tiny buttons
3. you want to clearly see all the buttons and screen.
4. you do not want it to obscure any view in front of you or to the right, sitting in the driver seat, looking straight ahead
5. you do not want you head to be continuously turned over to one side, as then you keep losing track of what's in front of you, as in - a fast coming bumper of a car in front, that just halted due to one of those instant hwy stalls.
6. you do not want it to keep falling down continuously and from significant height
Hence:
I drive 2 vehicles, rotating them daily. One is pick up truck and one is Camry.
I tried GPS whichever way possible, and found the best way to be this one:
as you have base of it supported sturdy against the dash; it's out of the main sight line, but still "in your view"; it's very easy to tap buttons on GPS, as it does not wobble or move away from your finger; wire is easily dropped down and routed under dash; have not fallen off in LONG time; you do not have to lean forward or extend arm to reach it.
Inside the glove box. I just follow directions by ear.
Yea. I cant text and drive and also be watching the little GPS screen at the same time. That wouldnt be safe.As long as it is turned up loud enough to hear it over my tunes It will work ok.
On my rentals sits on the bean bag (I flight with my GPS and supporting bean bag) so no matter what type of car I get, I can move the GPS on the best position on the board (within my reach).
Usually on my left side of the board, but depends on vehicle.
I would never stick it on the windshield, since it could be dangerous and fall at any time (especially cold/hot weather). If it happen to fall while sitting on the bean bag, it stays there.
Then when I park the car, I remove the GPS unit and hide the bean bag & GPS bracket under a chair.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,468 posts, read 26,003,936 times
Reputation: 59848
Quote:
Originally Posted by 28173
On my rentals sits on the bean bag (I flight with my GPS and supporting bean bag) so no matter what type of car I get, I can move the GPS on the best position on the board (within my reach).
Usually on my left side of the board, but depends on vehicle.
I would never stick it on the windshield, since it could be dangerous and fall at any time (especially cold/hot weather). If it happen to fall while sitting on the bean bag, it stays there.
Then when I park the car, I remove the GPS unit and hide the bean bag & GPS bracket under a chair.
This is pretty much watch way I do.
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Volume has never been an issue with either of mine, plus I have an FM transmitter on one of them so the directions can be played through the car's stereo.
