I want to mount my Galaxy Nexus to my Windshield, in Horizontal Mode, and have full unobstructed camera view/angle. I go 4Wheeling and want to record out the front of my Jeep.
Was really disappointed with the Samsung mount in that I couldn't adjust it to point straight out without seeing the suction cup mount (my Jeep glass is pretty vertical)
I have YouTube examples, but apparently don't have enough posts to add links to my posts yet... DOH!
Related
Just purchased the Vibrant, and I am desperately looking for a car mount for it. I have no problems finding one on ebay and wherever else...
My problem is that I use this phone for GPS/Phone/Mp3 player, I need a car dock that will mount to the windshield (or dash) and is able to be rotated from horizontal to vertical, "WITHOUT" having to loosen a knob, and re-tighten it...looking for one i can flip on the fly... I listen to long mp3 pod casts (with commercials in between (to skip through) and for whatever reason, this phone..when flipped horizontally switches to a screen to flip through songs and gives you play and pause controls...no Fast Forward / Rewind buttons....what the hell!!!??? anyways, so while docked, when the podcast gets to a commercial, i need to be able to flip the phone vertical to get my FF/RW buttons, get back into the program and flip back to horizontal to get back to navi...
Anyone know of a good mount to do this??? Vibrant is somewhat new, so it does not necessarily have to be made specifically for it, but if you know of a good universal one that will fit vibrant's dimensions, let me know..
There are tons of mounts, both galaxy specific and universal, available on ebay. Don't have time to find one for you at the moment but if I go looking later I'll post back for ya.There's also atleast one thread here with tons of car mounts. That might be the best place for you to start looking as theres a bunch of pictures, reviews, and links. Good luck.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8046869&postcount=101
This one is mounted using a ball joint, that tightens with a ring. I find that you can tighten the ring as such that it is both firm enough to hold the orientation of the dock during driving, but loose enough that you can still easily rotate it.
The rest of the thread also has many examples of other car docks, mostly universal ones. Read through them and I'm sure you'll get an idea of which ones can rotate or not, or perhaps ask some of them there if its not clear. There a few of these posts here and also in the i9000 accessories forum, so seriously do some searching and digging, the threads are not that old.
FWIW: I finally got this the other day after they were mentioned on Gizmodo a couple weeks back. Exogear sold out, Amazon sold out, and I got back ordered for week.
This is my second car mount, I also have one of the HK shipped ones that you can buy on eBay with the X10 specific mount which will let you use programs like DailyRoads Voyager to record your trips or take photos through the mount.
The main problem with that ebay mount is that it could only be mounted on the windshield, and with some cars, it's impossible to mount low without the phone being more than an arms length away, and if you mount it high, you block your view (like adding another rearview mirror) and risk a stop and ticket by a police officer for 'blocking your view' which is one of the old rules now being enforced. Additionally, your car charger may not be long enough to reach and/or adds an additional distraction.
Anyway, Exogear had a video of this new universal car mount and Giz put a link up on the Exomount. They claim that this is the stickiest mount and can stick to pebbly/leather textured dash and frame panels as well as smooth glass without an additional pad or double stick tape. Additionally, since it has a clamp at one end, as well as the suction cup, you can suction cup your phone and clamp to the air ducts which might be a necessity with the battery overheating problem during Summer.
Well, in short, Exomount does everything it says it does. It's a very short form factor (a couple inches shorter from screen to mount than my Chinese car mount), it will clamp to the airducts, and suction cup your phone (extremely well) that you may pull the back off when you try to release it and it will stick to pebbly dash. Just make sure that your surface is CLEAN. The material will pickup all the dirt/dust and have reduced suction as a result. The suction cup can be washed in the sink. The mfgr says it's better after washing.
You may want to keep the cardboard ring to put on the unit when not in use.
It does not come with one of those 'keep the louvers open' clips, but it's clips are very long and I didn't have a issue with the louvers closing once I had it in position since I spread the clip to span several louvers. I didn't see any warping of the vents.
Here is the ordering link for the official HTC Incredible 2 or S as its internationally known as car dock. It even has a cut out for the camera so you can record all your boring drives to work.
If you read carefully, it's actually not for the rear camera, it's for the front camera. This dock is also sold on the vzw website. It's for video conferencing. Why anyone should be doing this in the car is beyond me, but there you have it. From the VZW item:
Provides unobstructed camera view for 2-way video conferencing. Vehicle Mount transforms your device into a multifunctional navigation tool! Easily and safely gain access to maps, voice search, your contacts and more with a single touch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like your device mounted in landscape view this is probably the best dock you can get. Outside of that, I wouldn't recommend it. It blocks the volume buttons.
Here is another one Officially from HTC. It looks like the N1 original dock with the metal pole for support. Not sure how the phone fits in but if you look at the reviews they say it works great.
This first mount you listed is available on ebay for 5.99. It also shows the rear of the mount and definitely has a cut out for the rear camera. Also does not seem to block volume buttons
http://cgi.ebay.com/HTC-Droid-Incre...831335?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item3a68d40fe7
edit...they look similar but I see now they aren't.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using Tapatalk
My old mount didn't cover the camera either. The problem is the mount shows in the camera view and blocks a good portion of it. Might take some work to minimize this.
I do like the idea of a fitted mount, but my cradle works great without blocking vital functionality (including the front facing camera ). It does block the rear camera though.
I was thinking the same thing, the area behind the mount will block the rear camera. Really not a big deal unless there is some important reason for using the camera while driving? Only other option would be if you mounted the suction cup to your dash and angled the arm down, that might work if you have a dash that the cup sticks to.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using Tapatalk
MJL99 said:
Really not a big deal unless there is some important reason for using the camera while driving?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's an old thread but I thought I'd give a reason for using your camera while driving. My Dad uses an app called DailyRoads Voyager because he was the victim of a hit and run once and it acts like cop's dashcam essentially. Oddly enough about 2 weeks after he started using it, he was inside a gas station and forgot to turn it off and caught the abduction of a little girl. Thanks to his video they were able to identify and capture the suspect within hours.
That's pretty amazing. I only made that comment because I had no idea what it could be used for but a dash cam is pretty useful idea for certain things I suppose
Sent from my Incredible 2 using Tapatalk
As stated above, I'm looking for the best ANTI-VIBRATION car mount so I can use the E4GT as a dashcam during my daily commutes.
The "exomount universal car mount" seems to get a lot of praise:
http://www.amazon.com/MSW-Exogear-Exomount-Universal-Mount/dp/B004Z8ZLOS
What is everyone using?
Preferred criteria:
1) ANTI-VIBRATION PROPERTIES!
2) Excellent suction mounting on any surface (easily positionable anywhere and safe for all vehicle surfaces)
3) Not too bulky and thick.
4) Ball joint (or alternative) to allow for infinite positioning of phone
5) Camera lens port
ctbearz said:
Ultimate Dash Cam mount:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22552353#post22552353
For the Ultimate Dashcam app the following criteria should be met:
1) Able to customize video length by size (_GB) before looping over to preserve memory space and have overall user control
2) Able to record in any and all quality modes the camera is capable of, including night-time recording mode
3) Able to record with the E4GT Screen OFF to reduce battery drain and reduce distraction to driver
4) Able to sync with GPS/google maps
5) BONUS: able to customize overlay including but not limited to- speed, gps location, time, temperature, SYNC with TORQUE APP overlays & data!?!? or maybe just able to natively receive OBD2 data transmission from a bluetooth OBD2 module.
Any apps come close to the above? What's the best Dash Cam app you guys are using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why did you spam post this in two sections?
he probably came from the iphone and doesn't understand basic social protocol in forums...
I just bought the linked ExoMount and it arrived 2 days ago. So far I'm very satisfied with it, it keeps the phone stable, is a overall smaller mount than some of the other solutions. The spring loaded clip holds on to the Epic Touch securely. My only gripe is that I wish they made the mount with less plastic and more aluminum/metal. Overall the build quality is acceptable and the mount works great for what it was designed.
I recorded some video while mounted as a 'dash cam' and due to the position of the camera sensor you'll have to slide the phone to side while mounted, or find a mounting position that doesn't block any of the camera's view.
Previously I purchased a universal car mount by Arkon and it was bulkier, the suction cup didn't work nearly as well, and didn't secure my phone.. it would slip off after sharp turns..
Bear gri11z said:
why did you spam post this in two sections?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iamtheug said:
he probably came from the iphone and doesn't understand basic social protocol in forums...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because if you actually read the two posts carefully, you will realize there exist two different subject matters: dash cam app & dash board mount
ker0zene said:
I just bought the linked ExoMount and it arrived 2 days ago. So far I'm very satisfied with it, it keeps the phone stable, is a overall smaller mount than some of the other solutions. The spring loaded clip holds on to the Epic Touch securely. My only gripe is that I wish they made the mount with less plastic and more aluminum/metal. Overall the build quality is acceptable and the mount works great for what it was designed.
I recorded some video while mounted as a 'dash cam' and due to the position of the camera sensor you'll have to slide the phone to side while mounted, or find a mounting position that doesn't block any of the camera's view.
Previously I purchased a universal car mount by Arkon and it was bulkier, the suction cup didn't work nearly as well, and didn't secure my phone.. it would slip off after sharp turns..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the personal review!
Yes, I actually was considering the Arkon model as I randomly encountered it while on Amazon. I guess the plastic build makes it lighter? Hopefully, quality does not suffer as a result.
When you mounted it as a dash cam, did the video come out very shaky from the road vibrations or was it nice and smooth or at least bearable to be used as a dedicated dashcam mount?
ctbearz, totally off topic, is that a cat in your avatar, and do you have a larger pic of it? wife would totally love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgkJ9ESZMKg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
The quality is much higher, but the sound is ass. This is using the samsung mount, recorded 55 mins worth of high def. It killed battery...even though it was plugged in. I had a passenger so I had to set the base in the way. Top speed was 85, in the concrete dip it bottomed out.
This was on a closed road, and done by a professional driver...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Use either the stock windshield mount dock, or the Samsung Infuse one - see if the special is still going for $15. Either way, both have the hole cut out for the camera already for this reason.
If you've had windshield mounts that vibrated in the past, chances are they were mounted on a gooseneck or similar, that can be set into oscillation really easily. Neither the ET4G or Infuse windshield mount are like that, these are solid, adjustment made with a ball that tightens rigidly with a collar nut. That means these won't vibrate any more than your windshield itself.
And there is some vibration protection in that the suction cups are rubber/silicone. I suspect your past experiences are not vibration but oscillation though. Cars themselves don't vibrate, or shouldn't...
If your windshield is vibrating, that's bad news - could indicate your motor mounts are shot, they are supposed to isolate vibration (Google NVH).
If you mean eliminating jarring when you drive over potholes - that isn't something that even advanced camcorders with anti-shake can fully resolve, and it's done at the digital level, not built into your phone. Rubber mounts won't do anything for this, other than possibly increase oscillation - sort of like driving over a bump in a sports car, then riding over it in an old Cadillac - you feel the hit more in the sports car, but it stops instantly, where the old Cadillac absorbs more of the initial impact, but sets the suspension in oscillation, bouncing up, down, maybe up, down again, eventually settling down.
If you've got some sort of specialized application like a drag car with a V8 and solid motor mounts that you want to record your run down the strip, you'll need specialized equipment. Standard cars don't vibrate, so you'll be fine.
Also, the stock mounts come with a disk backed with double-sided tape, so you could adhere it to the dash and suction-cup mount to that disc as an alternative to the windshield.
It's also the standard four-square-post mount, you can clip off the actual phone dock from the suction cup mount, to adapt to another mount, or you could fabricate your own, and still have the solid phone mount. By far, the ET4G or Infuse factory dock will hold your phone most securely, and without allowing for oscillation, more so than one of those grab-your-phone-via-foam-pads that has some play and give even tightened up.
In regards to an ultimate dashcam APP, I think a good work around for the screen being on issue is an app called screen filter. It allows you to super dim your screen to variable levels, and disabling is as easy as touching the active notification in the drop down. So, you could lower your brightness all the way, then find the right level in screen filter to where it's barely visible (youll need to be able to see a LITTLE so you can disable it...or else pull your battery lol.). It does work while in the camera app, I've done it before.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Less vibrating mount than this one
I found this video on youtube ... (Link its not available) search for ExoMount Vibration Test on you tube
it have some moments where the movie vibrate a bit.
Does any one have informations about a better dash cam mount?
or this its the best one?
Thks
http://www.amazon.com/TechMatte-Eas...389641448&sr=8-1&keywords=techmatte+car+mount
http://www.amazon.com/TechMatte-360...389641448&sr=8-3&keywords=techmatte+car+mount
TechMatte Easy-Touch Universal Windshield Car Mount
+
Dash Disks
With all the features of smartphones (GPS, Streaming music and much much more) a car mount is a must have.
I've used cheapo car mounts before from ebay and its safe to say they didn't stay in my car for long. I decided to try out another one when I got my Nexus 5 and glad that I did.
This mount is made purely out of ABS plastic I believe. Simple, sturdy and lightweight. Being that it'll hang from your windshield, Lightweight is a good thing. There are a couple things to note here.
First; It has a really, really strong suction cup. This is probably due to the lever style suction cup and not the type that you press onto glass. I've yanked on this pretty hard when it was on my windshield and it didn't budge.
Second, there is a lot of different angles that this can be set in it. First is the verticle angle adjustment. It's set by a simple knob that loosens or tightens the hinge.
Next is the swivel joint of the phone cup/claw/base holder. It's a ball joint and NOT hinge so it can be moved up, down, left, right and any combination of them. The cup/claw/base can be removed I don't know why you would remove it but it can be.
The phone is held in place by the "Claw" that squeezes together via a spring. The "claw fingers" are lined with a cushion so no scratches and to have a better grip on the phone. As shown in the picture, it can open up pretty wide and would accommodate most if not all phones.
Some people don't like having the mount on the windshield so there are these rotating disks that meant to be mounted on the dash. At the bottom is a sticky pad to placement. The disks can be locked into place or unlocked to rotate around when the mount is suctioned on them
Pulling the pin out allows for rotation e.g. facing the driver or passenger seat. Here is a picture showing with a line where it actually rotates on the disks. It's important to note that it can rotate 360 degrees around.
The dash disks comes in a two pack so it can be placed in two cars. So transferring the actual amount from one car to another is simple and easy.
Conclusion
Nice, simple, sturdy and affordable mount.