The best option for an obsolete GPS unit is the kind that sits on top of the dash in the center. They grip the dash and hold the GPS unit while being removable and not damaging the dash or leaving a mark on the windshield. The windshield mounts are a bad idea for a phone or GPS unit.
I had thought of getting a vent mount BUT don’t you have to worry about blowing hot air on the phone all day (in terms of overheating it?) and my other concern was blocking the air vent designed to help cool or warm the interior…may take it longer to heat up / cool ?
I think the plastic vent would melt first? I noticed I lower the heat once the car is warmed up, sure turn it back up once the doors open for pax. I thought up here was colder than VA? lol. My friend looks like an Eskimo sometimes while I’m almost sweating in my car.
Do you use your stand alone GPS when driving? Don’t you get a little fumbly switching around devices? I like to be pulling away from the curb as soon as the passengers shut the door.
Just mount it level with and to the right of the rear view mirror. Adjust brightness for conditions. Viola! All problem solved. Then my dash cam mounts directly under (almost behind) the rearview mirror.
I used to use a Garmin before I bought a car with navigation and it had different settings for the voices. There were 2 male and 2 female. If you haven’t gone through all the settings to check that you might want to. Mine had one sort of “all-American” girl setting and one that was more robotic.
I watched a show about fog once. In simulators they showed that fog messes up your perception and makes your brain think you’re driving more slowly than you actually are. So if you’re not checking the speedometer you can be doing 60 and it feels like 45. When you probably should be doing 30.
I went on a 20 mile sponsored walk every year when I was a kid and it went up a hill (called Winter Hill). One year was fog so thick it was the “can’t see your hand” fog. Worst I’ve ever been in. I and 3 other 12 year olds were the last to go up the hill before the route was diverted.
I run my nav silent unless I’m in a very unfamiliar place. But I know my way around very well so that’s not often. If I do turn on the sound I tell the pax I’m doing it because I want to make sure I don’t miss a turn as I’m in unfamiliar territory. As long as it’s not talking the entire trip they don’t seem to have an issue with that.
I use a mount in my CD slot for a small tablet. The tablet runs uber and maps. It sits sideways. The maps are correct, but I have to operate uber sideways. I use a bluetooth earpiece to hear the navigation lady. I have the Uber rider contact number on speed dial in my phone.
I don’t RUN Waze per se. I actually find it uber annoying (sorry, I know that was cheesy). I’ll look at what it suggests and then make a decision. But the routes it suggests are just ridiculous sometimes. I often wonder how many people have wrecks because they’re intent on updating Waze with every pothole, stalled car and cop that they see.
The vent mount I have is pretty secure. If you’re in an accident, and the phone’s not secured, it could wind up wedged under a seat, or even out the window. I’d rather it be secured so I can use it if I’m in a ditch and have to call for help.
I’ve got all 5 ratings so far. I don’t look at it at all with the voice navigation turned on. But I do see the point in that a sudden stop could cause the phone to fly loose.
That’s what I would do or on the thigh / knee before the vent mount. I do think I got dinged for that but where are we going, its just down the street. I stay in my lane and I’m a good driver.
You can play a CD while it is in, but you must remove to eject CD. It grips the slot by tightening a screw to spread out some short fingers in the slot. I could see my CD slot spreading just a tad but I didn’t hear any cracking so I think it’s okay. It’s working very well.
I also use the CD Mount with Magnet and love it. Only drawback is mine tends to spin if I dont get the iphone positioned just right. A gravity alignment thing. No way to tighten the round magnet up, it spins rather freely. I guess I could apply myself and make it stop.