My New N7 Windshield Mount

[AstronomerXI]

I've been a fan of RAM mounting solutions for a long time. Their products are well-built, adaptable to most any mounting needs, and are modular. With the built in GPS chip and TomTom Navigation, the N7 is an amazing in-vehicle GPS solution. The large screen makes using it a treat as you don't have to squint to see detail, which means your eyes spend more time where they should: On the road.

A Google search for N7 mounts took me to a Canadian on-line retailer of all things GPS. I immediately ordered it and assembled it yesterday. When I say assembled, I mean it. The head of the mount is well-engineered and came in a large plastic bag. Including brackets for other 7" tablets, there were 33 parts in the bag, mostly screws and locking nuts.Once assembled, the unit is rock-solid. There's a lock on the side of it to keep the tablet firmly held, to prevent accidental release of the holding brackets, and to deter theft. In the kit I bought, the knob on the ball-socket arm has been replaced with a locking knob. Once the lock is engaged, the knob spins freely. This prevents the angle of the display from being moved if you have it set in an optimal position for yourself.

RAM has several mounting options available: for the cup-holder, for bolting onto the console or dash, for handlebars and for whatever you can think of. I don't work for them or any company with an interest in them, but I am a satisfied user of their products.

 

[fiveHellions]

Looks like a really nice mount. I don't know if mounting it on the windshield would work for me. Seems a little big. But I guess it all depends on the vehicle. I might check out some of their other options.

 

[AstronomerXI]

Mine's in my Toyota Matrix. I have it mounted low on the windshield, and it extends just far enough to have the tablet below the windshield so there's negligible blockage of the view.

 

[jdauria]

show some pictures of it mounted!

 

[AstronomerXI]

show some pictures of it mounted!

 

[anon(924308)]

great! how much did that set you back? I want to get a windshield mount since it's much safer (than taking my eyes completely off the road to look down at the cup holder) but I'm pretty sure they're illegal in my state. Anyone else live in California? if I used a windshield mount, would a cop give me a citation, or is it one of those barely-enforced laws?

 

[AstronomerXI]

great! how much did that set you back? I want to get a windshield mount since it's much safer (than taking my eyes completely off the road to look down at the cup holder) but I'm pretty sure they're illegal in my state. Anyone else live in California? if I used a windshield mount, would a cop give me a citation, or is it one of those barely-enforced laws?

This config was $103 in Canadian Pesos, roughly equivalent to US$ as we're a penny or 2 above the value of the green-back.

In the Canadian province of Ontario, it's illegal to have hand-held devices in the car, so dash and elsewhere-mounts are legal and encouraged. I have 2 iPhone mounts (work and personal), and my N7 mount. One iPhone mount is just visible as the white thing in the middle in-car picture (plugged into the cigarette adapter with FM transmitter), and I have to find a mount point for the other one.