Car mount for iPod

[Aaron325]

hey guys,

I was just wondering what any of you would recommend for a permanent stand/mount for your iPod in the car. I am leaning towards something made by Arkon resources, either the CM622, which glues to the side of your console and has adjustable grips to hold the pod, or the CM625, which has a steel arm that bolts to the passenger side seat-rail, and has the same adjustable grips. However, i'm open to hearing about any other make/model of stand that any of you out there have had good experiences with. Also, if anyone in the Toronto area could recommend where to find a good stand, i'd be really grateful.

Any recommendations/reviews appreciated!

thanks.:cool:

[iamaustin]

I ordered my arkon cm625, seems to be the best, i dont want my ipod all the way up by the dash because im already a *REALLY GOOD* driver haha. Ill post pics when i get it.

[Neo_Mingus]

I recently got a CM123 which mounts through the car vent. The iPod is just were I want it, but it is still difficult to navigate through all my songs while I drive. Red lights are just not long enough for once.
There is another model similar to this that uses a "patented air grip technology" that is a few more dollars. It probably is easier to mount and unmount the iPod with it.
Overall I pretty happy with the one I have.

[Wired]

Good one, Neo_Mingus :p Patented AirGrip Technology is almost as good as suction cups. But seriously- the Belkin cupholder thing looks pretty cool, and it's the holder VW is selling people with the Pods Unite campaign. It's supposed to be on sale in a couple of months- it used to be on Belkin's website, but now it's been taken down for some reason. I went to see it at the VW dealer, it's cool!

[moonster]

I bought a cellphone mount from Radio Shack. It sticks to the windshield with a suction cup (very strong) and grips the iPod really well. I'll be posting some pics soon for people to see.

[rasc]

I bought a radio shack air vent mount...
here's some pics of my ipod and the mount
my iPod (http://www.rasc.org/2003/random/ipod.html)

[bdjohns1]

I use a mount from RadioShack (part 17-551) which works well. The fit's pretty snug using the silicone DLO 3G cover. Pictures of the install are at my site.

iPod in 2001 Honda Civic (http://www.ben-johnson.org/blog/archives/p/37/more/1/c/1)

[momotaro]

Check this site out:

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/mount.htm

They have vehicle specific mount kits.

[iamaustin]

that stuff interferes with my dvd player, so i wasted 48 bucks getting it, still waiting for my cm625

[Unixmonkey]

I got a $5.99 cell phone holder from the drugstore chain Walgreens, it took a little modification to fit the iPod, but at $5.99 its pretty good.

My only complaint is it would not be big enough to hold an ipod in some kind of skin, case or enclosure.

check it out here:
www.unixmonkey.net/articles/carpod/

[Macman]

Originally posted by momotaro
Check this site out:

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/mount.htm

They have vehicle specific mount kits.

I like this OEM look approach. It looks just like a bracket however. What do you attach to the bracket that actually holds the iPod. Am i missing something?

Thanks,
Macman.

[CentipedeX]

I picked up a cell phone mount from Radio Shack that fits the iPod perfectly. It is screwed right into the interior of my 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Combined with the Belkin Auto Kit, a wire to my JVC head unit's line input, and the iSkin eXo (asphalt), I think i have a pretty nice set up. Here are some pics: (sorry, I didn't realize that the parking brake is kind of in the way of the photos, and I also didn't realize how filthy my car is):

Pic 1 (http://mysite.verizon.net/~vze47b2s/august2003/caripod1.jpg)
Pic 2 (http://mysite.verizon.net/~vze47b2s/august2003/caripod2.jpg)

[ipp]

Why not just get a second dock for your car, surely the classiest solution.

[iamaustin]

Bah im writing this without power... (mutters something about blame canada) but i recieved my cm625... its awsome... get it i have pics but i cant show you them till power gets back up

[Macman]

Originally posted by iamaustin
Bah im writing this without power... (mutters something about blame canada) but i recieved my cm625... its awsome... get it i have pics but i cant show you them till power gets back up


Don't go dissin' or blaming Canada without knowing the details. That's how Americans get the reputation of being ignorant.

[iamaustin]

I got those arkon pictures:

http://ww2.aaiserv.com:8081/pics/cars/car/ipod/

[slystad810]

Originally posted by Macman
I like this OEM look approach. It looks just like a bracket however. What do you attach to the bracket that actually holds the iPod. Am i missing something?

Thanks,
Macman.

Yeah what do you put on the bracket to hold the iPod?

[Aaron325]

Originally posted by slystad810
Yeah what do you put on the bracket to hold the iPod?

i saw that bracket too, but it looked very expensive for what you got..it looks basically like it's just a metal plate with no holder....how about thinking two or three steps ahead and providing a proper holder???. I won't seriously look at this solution until the manufacturer thinks it through.

I liked the Arkon CM625 solution because it includes a flexible, secure holder and bolts securely to the car...the downsides are it's only available through one retailer here in Toronto (the dreaded Compusmart), AND it's on back-order....plus it costs a faintly ridiculous CAN$60 plus tax (~US$42).

[chop158]

The company has a holder that attaches to the mounting bracket.

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/expressmount.html

[ckgreenman]

Originally posted by Aaron325
i saw that bracket too, but it looked very expensive for what you got..it looks basically like it's just a metal plate with no holder....how about thinking two or three steps ahead and providing a proper holder???. I won't seriously look at this solution until the manufacturer thinks it through.

After looking at that bracket (especially for my car. a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse) I got to thinking. Wouldn't be just as easy (and cheaper) to head down to the local DIY store and pick up a metal plate? You can always bend it the way you need it and drill your own holes and mount a cheapie cell phone holder.

Just a thought...

[dbett]

Originally posted by chop158
The company has a holder that attaches to the mounting bracket.

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/expressmount.html

Exactly.

The Pro Fit system is just that - a system. It has 2 parts, both of which are customized to your needs. One part attaches to your particular vehicle. The second part attaches to your particular device (whether its an iPod, particular model cell phone, whatever).

The two pieces then fit together.

Very elegant system. A bit expensive by the time you get both parts, but still...

[volki]

I have been using PanaVise indash mount and PanaVise holder in my car. It works great...
Picture 1 (http://members.roadfly.org/tenderidol/pod11.jpg)
Picture 2 (http://members.roadfly.org/tenderidol/pod12.jpg)

[knucks999]

Where can I buy these? Links would be appreciated!

[volki]

Here are the links to help you:

You need to find the appropriate "indash mount" for your car by searching here (http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/indash/index.html).

The holder for the mount is called "Porta Grip 2000". 702 or 703 work for iPods. Click here (http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/cell_portagrip2000.html).

You can order them directly from Panavise by calling the phone numbers on this page (http://www.panavise.com/f/contact/index.html)

Post here, if you have any questions....

[Berg]

Originally posted by volki
Here are the links to help you:

You need to find the appropriate "indash mount" for your car by searching here (http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/indash/index.html).

The holder for the mount is called "Porta Grip 2000". 702 or 703 work for iPods. Click here (http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/cell_portagrip2000.html).

You can order them directly from Panavise by calling the phone numbers on this page (http://www.panavise.com/f/contact/index.html)

Post here, if you have any questions....

In January I tried ordering Panavise products from there. I was directed to go through their resellers. After finally finding the appropriate reseller and placing my order, my order didn't arrive in the window it was supposed to. The parts got lost somewhere along the channel, and I couldn't get them before I had to go back to college. If you have luck ordering straight through Panavise, please let me know which number / extension you called, and who you talked to.

[volki]

For some strange reason, when you call Panavise to order, they refer you to one of their re-sellers, altough they DO sell directly as well... I would call the number on their contacts page and INSIST to place the order through them. I know few people did this and received their orders from Panavise. I actually ended up ordering from a reseller and received the items in 3 days. Sorry to hear your experience...
Good luck!

[Berg]

Originally posted by volki
For some strange reason, when you call Panavise to order, they refer you to one of their re-sellers, altough they DO sell directly as well... I would call the number on their contacts page and INSIST to place the order through them. I know few people did this and received their orders from Panavise. I actually ended up ordering from a reseller and received the items in 3 days. Sorry to hear your experience...
Good luck!

I actually called them earlier today, was transferred to sales. They told me I'd get a better price if I went through a reseller. I insisted on buying through them this time, given my troubles last time. Ordered a Portagrip 2000 703 for $15.99 plus 3 day shipping, though they couldn't give me a quote on how much that would be, unfortunately. I then ordered a Proclip dashboard mounting bracket, hopefully the two will fit together with little modification. I would have ordered the Panavise bracket, but it sits higher on the dash than I want it to. Rather, I used to want it as high up as possible for line of sight, but now I want it lower so that I can rest my wrist on the shifter while operating the iPod. Hopefully everything will get here by Friday in time for my road trip on Saturday.

[Berg]

Originally posted by volki
I have been using PanaVise indash mount and PanaVise holder in my car. It works great...
Picture 1 (http://members.roadfly.org/tenderidol/pod11.jpg)
Picture 2 (http://members.roadfly.org/tenderidol/pod12.jpg)

It looks like you've modified the bottom of your 703 to better support the iPod. What did you put down there?

[volki]

Glad you noticed it :)
703's bottom is not wide enough for iPod to fit snugly; so, you need to use the side arms to secure it... In order to avoid that and provide some support from the bottom, I wanted to add something there, so that my iPod can sit on a flat surface.
You know those "hemi-sphere" rubber pads that go to each corners of speakers to block vibration, I used one of them... Cut it in half and superglued it to the bottom of the 703. Now iPod sits on them securely and no need to squeeze it from the sides...

[andrew52874]

after reading through this thread about a thousand times and looking at all the pics and attached links and going to radio shack and finding squat i think i'm going to go with the arkon cm-123. i don't want to use up a cup holder. good choice? anyone know if i can buy it in person somwhere instead of online?

[andrew52874]

and how bad is it to have the air from the vents blowing on it? can you close the vent with this attached?

[tech]

So it looks like there are three good options being discussed here:
Panavise
Arkon
Pro-Fit

About the ProFit: It looks like you would have to attach a cellphone "nub" to the iPod to get it to connect to the Pro-Fit system. Is that correct?

T

[Berg]

Originally posted by volki
Glad you noticed it :)
703's bottom is not wide enough for iPod to fit snugly; so, you need to use the side arms to secure it... In order to avoid that and provide some support from the bottom, I wanted to add something there, so that my iPod can sit on a flat surface.
You know those "hemi-sphere" rubber pads that go to each corners of speakers to block vibration, I used one of them... Cut it in half and superglued it to the bottom of the 703. Now iPod sits on them securely and no need to squeeze it from the sides...

I don't think I've ever seen these before. Any idea where I could buy some? I suppose I could pretty much attach anything down there, but your solution looks nice.

[chinhster]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned proclip (www.proclipusa.com). They make a mount and a holder. For my current install, check out http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16482.

I have a similar setup in my 2003 4Runner with the same holder and a vehicle specific mount. However, I swapped out the holder in the 4Runner with the cell phone holder from Radioshack because I want to skin the iPod. I used only the holder and none of the extraneous pieces that make the holder stick out more. I took apart the holder and screwed it into the mount from inside the holder.

The proclip holder is tons better than the radioshack one though. It looks cleaner, seems more secure, and is much easier to insert and remove (just slides in and out). I'm actually replacing the the holder in the Porsche with a proclip holder for the mini. The reason I didn't go with the radioshack one again so that I could use both my iPod and mini is because the radioshack one sticks out too much and would interfere with 5th gear. Since the Porsche is just my weekend car, I don't need access to all of my tunes making the mini a perfect accessory.

Since I'm replacing both of my holders, they're both up for sale for $20 each shipped (they include the tilt swivel). The holders cost $35 new.

[Berg]

Originally posted by chinhster
I'm surprised no one has mentioned proclip (www.proclipusa.com). They make a mount and a holder. For my current install, check out http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16482.

I'm actually using a dash mount from Proclip, with a holder from Panavise. Hopefully they'll work well together. Should find out on Friday.

[lieutenantglorp]

Originally posted by chinhster


Since I'm replacing both of my holders, they're both up for sale for $20 each shipped (they include the tilt swivel). The holders cost $35 new.

Do you still have them? I sent you a PM.

[albamac]

Has anyone checked out the seidio holder. It plugs into the lighter. Looks good but may not be too secure?????


www.seidio.com (http://www.seidio.com)

[Asian_N02]

I use a Panavise indash holder for my car. It's for cellular phones, but it works with an iPod belt clip...you just have to clip it on there, and it holds very well. It's easy to view. The only thing is that it's on the passenger side of where it's mounted, so to change the songs, you'd have to use a remote.

Here is a picture of the mount and where it is located:

http://www.panavise.com/idfinalimages/75130-296.jpg

[coolvirus]

Damn it! I ordered the pro-clip mount and really thought it would come with the holder as well. It has to be ordered separately???

[chinhster]

I've still got two 3G 10/15/20G holders if you're interested. $20 each.

[lieutenantglorp]

Originally posted by chinhster
I've still got two 3G 10/15/20G holders if you're interested. $20 each.

And I'm still interested! I will buy them. I'm sending you a PM again.

Thanks

Darren
lieutenantglorp@hotmail.com

[chinhster]

Ok, there's gotta be a problem with the PM system. You're the second person who's said they've sent me a PM and I still don't have any showing. I sent Berg a reply PM but I don't know if he got it or not.

[pirate87]

I just got this new set up from RadioShack which fits in my Jeep Cherokee's cup holder nicely. The best part, the mount only cost 9 bucks and no further modifications were needed to make it work out. It comes with an optional plastic disc that can be used anywhere, to attach it's suction cup to. I put the disc in the bottom of my cup holder, attached the suction cup to the disc, and voil?!

[djtnut]

Originally posted by Macman
I like this OEM look approach. It looks just like a bracket however. What do you attach to the bracket that actually holds the iPod. Am i missing something?

Thanks,
Macman.

Yes, you still need a cradle for your iPod that will mount to one of those VSM brackets.

I bought an iPod specific cradle from ProClip:
www.proclipusa.com It works great!

You can also get the InDash Brackets from PanaVise: www.panavise.com

Here are my install pics:
www.uvm.edu/~dtepper/iPod_install_march_2004

[lieutenantglorp]

Originally posted by chinhster
Ok, there's gotta be a problem with the PM system. You're the second person who's said they've sent me a PM and I still don't have any showing. I sent Berg a reply PM but I don't know if he got it or not.


Please email me at: lieutenantglorp@hotmail.com I'll take however many you have left.

[Berg]

Originally posted by chinhster
Ok, there's gotta be a problem with the PM system. You're the second person who's said they've sent me a PM and I still don't have any showing. I sent Berg a reply PM but I don't know if he got it or not.

Just got it. But you meant to PM lieutenantglorp. One thing I don't like about this board is that the user info / buttons are below the post, not above like most people are used to. This happens to people with PMs frequently.