I can't believe no one makes a good car mount

[HamDog]

I've been researching a good car mount and can't believe no one makes one. Currently, I'm using the Motorola car mount which works well, but I don't like to hook up the cigarette lighter power cord every time I get in my car. Seidio makes a car mount with power built-in, but the reviews here haven't been very good and it's very bulky. I've seen reviews of the ProClip system, where it mounts and hooks up to power in one shot, but the damn thing costs over $120 ($80 for the Droid mount and another $30 for car specific mount + shipping). The price is overkill for such a device in my opinion.

I would have thought with the popularity of the Droid, there would be other reasonable options out there.

Anyone aware of any other companies making holders with power built in? Something I can just snap my phone into and not worry about hooking up separate power. I think up to $50 is a reasonable price.

 

[brochaos]

time to bust out the dremel, files, hacksaws, etc. that's what i just did, making myself a custom car mount. i haven't permanently attached power yet, since i sometimes switch between cars.

 

[HamDog]

time to bust out the dremel, files, hacksaws, etc. that's what i just did, making myself a custom car mount. i haven't permanently attached power yet, since i sometimes switch between cars.

If you have 2 cars, then you should make 3 of them. 2 for your two cars and 1 for me :biggrin:

I actually have a dremel, abs plastic sheets, and tons of small little hardware. I just suck at making things! I'm really good with duct tape though. And partially capable of using super glue.

Ok, lets be serious. I have hooked up an Alpine EX-10 Bluetooth adapter to my factory Honda stereo system. I just turn on the ignition, and my phone automatically pairs with my car stereo and starts playing music. I can play/pause, change tracks, make and receive calls, etc. without ever touching my phone. It's really friggin cool! But I get depressed when I have to plug it into a charger. I HATE CABLES!

All I should have to do is pop it into a window suction mount holder and be done with it! Cables suck! :icon_evil:

 

[brochaos]

i agree. what kind of honda do you have? i have on 07 civic coupe. i'm trying to avoid the window suction cup. the ones from proclip are nice, but i can't justify the price. the one i just put together cost me less than $10. and yes i did use superglue.

 

[HamDog]

I have a 2005 Accord LX. I used one of these PIE adapters to turn my factory stereo's CD changer input into an auxiliary input. Then I hooked up an Alpine EX-10 to the aux input I just installed. The Alpine EX-10 is $30 at Amazon!

So all I need is the mount with charging. I even installed a retractable type of cigarette lighter adaptor on the left side of the steering wheel for convenience (so I don't have to stretch a long cord to the center console). I just get lazy to plug the damn thing to my phone.

I actually prefer a window mount because it's easier to look at while driving. I can keep my eyes on the road and avoid hitting some cyclist! Although some bikes may make good hood ornaments, but for some reason our society looks down on that kind of stuff So I'll keep my phone high so I can keep a good eye on the road.

Do you have pics of your custom mount? Or do you need to get it patented first?

 

[takeshi]

I've seen reviews of the ProClip system, where it mounts and hooks up to power in one shot, but the damn thing costs over $120 ($80 for the Droid mount and another $30 for car specific mount + shipping). The price is overkill for such a device in my opinion.

IMO you get what you pay for. ProClip is precisely what I use (and have used for several prior devices) and their device mounts work extremely well. The Droid mount with wired power can be installed very cleanly and the mount is very secure.

I'm not quite as fond of ProClip's vehicle mounts though. I'd suggest using Panavise instead.

I think up to $50 is a reasonable price.

While I agree that $50 would be a great deal, good luck finding what you're after for that price. Have you looked at the $50 mounts out there? I think you're stuck with DIY (or buy and mod) for that price range.

 

[rlfitz]

the proclip setup is awesome. it is a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. so its not that nobody makes a good mount, you just want a cheap one. yes the cheap ones are cheap and not very good.
I use the pro clip with a mini jack hardwired to my car stero. just slide the phone in and plug in the mini jack. the phone charges auto matically and plays through my stereo system. couldnt ask for a cleaner installation.

 

[Nealius]

the proclip setup is awesome. it is a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. so its not that nobody makes a good mount, you just want a cheap one. yes the cheap ones are cheap and not very good.
I use the pro clip with a mini jack hardwired to my car stero. just slide the phone in and plug in the mini jack. the phone charges auto matically and plays through my stereo system. couldnt ask for a cleaner installation.

I wish I got the pro clip with hardwired goodies, but still pro clips make a awesome car mount.

 

[fastpat]

The Pro Clip mount looks really good, I checked, for a car specific mount base and a Droid holder it came to $114.00 plus shipping. Not cheap, but first class seldom is.