Develop Bugs

Clingo Universal Hands-free mount review.

I went ahead and purchased the clingo car mount
http://www.clingo.com/car-mounts/universal-hands-free-mount/
for $25 shipped off of eBay (find it yourself) after it was mentioned by a member on XDA. It looked cool to me and since I didn't enjoy my Soundgate M2 mount to much I decided to give it a try.
I must say that I am very happy with the purchase. It works flawlessly with my EVO. I have tried it with two different cased, one was a regular tpu style and then with this case http://www.amazon.com/High-Quality-...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1281911569&sr=8-1\
I'm not sure what material its made from but it is comparable to leather.
Both cases worked perfectly. They stuck to the Clingo adhesive without any problems and most importantly, they stayed there. A naked EVO will work just as well.
I have had the mount only for a couple days, but so far I have driven relatively long distances without no issues whats-so-ever. I live in houston tx btw, it's 5:35 rite now and 97* degrees outside, just to give you an idea of my environment.
The adhesive on the clingo does not seem to be losing its stickiness at all after my first couple days. I found this on clingos website.
http://www.clingo.com/articles/technology
If those are true facts then you can expect this baby to last a while...
Installation was extremely easy. I have mine attached to my windshield and it sticks to it like a champ. There is an optional attachment that allows you to stick it to your car dash board which works very well also.
overall I HIGHLY recommend this product if your looking for a decent car mount and in all honestly if I was to buy a home dock for the EVO I would get another clingo. It's so simple yet practical.
I know with all these knew docks coming out from htc/sprint/eBay/wireforless nobody really considered getting a Clingo product, but you can find them for relatively cheap off of eBay and it seems like it would look nice in an office/home environment. talking about this btw http://www.clingo.com/home-and-office/universal-podium
this seems pretty neat also, might scoop it up once I get some extra cash.
http://www.clingo.com/home-and-office/parabolic-sound-sphere
I dont see a need to spend 50+ on a dock just because it charges your phone. You can get a couple spare batteries, a car charger, home charger, usb cable and screen protectors for under 20 off of eBay. That matched with a Clingo product is all I need.
P.S - I suck at writing reviews. This is just my attempt to help some fellow xda members make a decision on an accessory for there phone. If your coming here to hate on my grammar and the way I type (which i have seen A LOT of lately on XDA. Must be the summer heat or something) then troll on my friend.
Oh yeah! and if you guys want a video of the mount just let me know. Only problem is my EVO is my video recorder, but I can still go ahead and try it if ya'll want.

Thanks for the review! I was actually just on their website before I came across your post. (Its actually still open in another window lol.) Can you comment on the amount of weight it can support based on its area? I know some of the pads for the phone were pretty big, but other were smaller circles. Do you think the smaller ones would be able to support our Evos?

"It’s pretty simple, really. Clingo holds your phone. It doesn’t matter if it is a BlackBerry, iPhone, Droid, Samsung, or whatever. Whether in your car, at the office, at home, or wherever - Clingo holds it."
That's a statement from the clingo website. That is for all there products except for the little necklaces which are designed specifically for iPod nanos. So according to them any of there products should be able to support any mobile device, including our EVOs.
From my experience, which is still limited, it really doesn't seem like too much surface area is necessary to grip the phone. Also, all the "Universal Products" seem to have the same surface area and shape. They only have two products that I can see with smaller surface area. One is the nano necklace and the other is the parabolic sounds sphere....
However, I remember somebody posting something about there evos slipping a little bit while using the clingo car mount and an innocase. Not sure how accurate that is though.

starplaya93 said:
However, I remember somebody posting something about there evos slipping a little bit while using the clingo car mount and an innocase. Not sure how accurate that is though.
Click to expand...
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He stated the arm came down a bit, the phone itself stayed put on the holder, but the entire assembly (ball joint) rotated down a bit.

ahh...well in his case all he had to do was adjust the knob and tighten it, which is easily done.
Thanks for clarifying that.

starplaya93 said:
ahh...well in his case all he had to do was adjust the knob and tighten it, which is easily done.
Thanks for clarifying that.
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Click to collapse
I believe you guys are referring to my post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7667216&postcount=22
When using the mount with my Evo and Innocase Active Limited Edition, problems arose between the pad and the ball joint at the end of the arm (where you can adjust the pads' viewing angle). The arm wasn't moving at all since it was as tight as I could get it to be. While driving, the added weight of the case was causing the pad to move downward. It felt like it was much easier to move the pad around the ball joint when the case was in use. I tried every which way to get the phone to sit still but it continuously moved down, to the point where I couldn't view the screen very well at all.
It doesn't really bother me, though, since the mount works perfectly on a naked Evo. Once I removed the case, the pad was not moving whatsoever and the connection between it and the jointed ball seemed much stiffer.

I just ordered the parabolic sound sphere... gonna play around with that before i pull the trigger on a car mount

hx3 said:
I believe you guys are referring to my post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7667216&postcount=22
When using the mount with my Evo and Innocase Active Limited Edition, problems arose between the pad and the ball joint at the end of the arm (where you can adjust the pads' viewing angle). The arm wasn't moving at all since it was as tight as I could get it to be. While driving, the added weight of the case was causing the pad to move downward. It felt like it was much easier to move the pad around the ball joint when the case was in use. I tried every which way to get the phone to sit still but it continuously moved down, to the point where I couldn't view the screen very well at all.
It doesn't really bother me, though, since the mount works perfectly on a naked Evo. Once I removed the case, the pad was not moving whatsoever and the connection between it and the jointed ball seemed much stiffer.
Click to expand...
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ohh, ok...maybe the innocase just adds a little to much weight for it to manage.... Have you tried cleaning the Clingo and trying it again?

dmc971989 said:
I just ordered the parabolic sound sphere... gonna play around with that before i pull the trigger on a car mount
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Click to collapse
Let me know how that goes. I'm considering buying it, but I want to know if it actually amplifies sound at all be I go for it.

starplaya93 said:
ohh, ok...maybe the innocase just adds a little to much weight for it to manage.... Have you tried cleaning the Clingo and trying it again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, several times. My problem isn't with the stickiness from the green area of the pad, it's with the back where it connects to the ball joint. With or without the case, the phone doesn't slide or fall off the sticky part of the pad at all. But when I use the case, the pads' construction moves down as if it's sliding from the ball joint due to too much weight.
Kind of hard to explain clearly. The phone sticks to the pad perfectly in any scenario, though. I just think the Evo + Innocase Active is too heavy for this mount unless some slight modding is done. Nevertheless, I'm content with using the phone with no case when used with the mount. Works just fine then.

starplaya93 said:
Let me know how that goes. I'm considering buying it, but I want to know if it actually amplifies sound at all be I go for it.
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Oh I have absolutely no doubt that it will amplify sound, im just not sure how much louder it will make things... or if its going to have any strange/****ty frequency response

hx3 said:
Yeah, several times. My problem isn't with the stickiness from the green area of the pad, it's with the back where it connects to the ball joint. With or without the case, the phone doesn't slide or fall off the sticky part of the pad at all. But when I use the case, the pads' construction moves down as if it's sliding from the ball joint due to too much weight.
Kind of hard to explain clearly. The phone sticks to the pad perfectly in any scenario, though. I just think the Evo + Innocase Active is too heavy for this mount unless some slight modding is done. Nevertheless, I'm content with using the phone with no case when used with the mount. Works just fine then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In other words it goes from this | to this /
Take a black zip tie, wrap it around the back where the ball goes into the socket and cinch it down some, may be just what you need to add that bit of extra grip.

Great review.. I have the car dock, the tethering pad and the sound sphere on the way.. should be here today.

Well, all my stuff showed up. The parabolic sphere is pretty cool. It does increase the volume somewhat and maybe add a little reverb to the noise. The tethering pad is okay as well.
The car dock, however, sucks. It would probably be great on a lighter phone. So far my Evo has fallen off 3 times and seems to slide around on the pad. Pretty disappointing.. looks like my quest for a good car dock will continue.

Well, Ive done everything I could do to make the car mount work and it just wont. The design is poor and it reflects in the performance of the dock. My dock will not stay where I put it, instead sagging down and eventually dropping the phone. Ive tried everything short of wire tieing it in place (Yay for ghetto engineering) and I cant make it stay. Ive tried zip tie around the neck of the mount, stuffing tape into the ball and socket, etc.. nothing helps. Guess this one is going to end up in the trash pile too along with every other Evo mount Ive bought.

If you'd point out the failing was in the positioning of the mount, and not the mount's ability to hold the phone on its sticky pad, you might have a good chance of selling it here for not much less than you paid for it.

VW91N3 said:
If you'd point out the failing was in the positioning of the mount, and not the mount's ability to hold the phone on its sticky pad, you might have a good chance of selling it here for not much less than you paid for it.
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Well, its not just that. The Evo IMO doesnt stick to the pad very well. Maybe its the oil from my hands but I had to put a plastic case on the phone just to get it to stick. For a Nexus one or something, it probably would be great. The Evo is just too much of a beast for this mount.
On a side note, I emailed Clingo about calling me regarding this mount. Its been 2 days and no call back. Another strike against Clingo.

The rattle and shake of my universal gooseneck holder has been driving me crazy since day one, and I've been looking for another option. After watching the clingo demo video with the guy flying over speed bumps I decided to give it a try.
I've been using it in my car for a week now, and am very happy with it. Right out of the box it held my EVO (in the innocase active) no matter how hard I shook it. The grip of the pad is amazing.
As others reported, the size/weight of the EVO caused it to droop forward. If I turned the pad sideways it stayed up better, but a small black zip tie around the socket completely fixed the drooping. I figure putting a small piece of rubber band into the socket should also do the trick while still allowing repositioning.
The result has been stunning. Even over big potholes and grooved highway pavement the clingo has kept my phone still. It is soooo much easier to read without the phone shaking.
Now to see how the cling pad holds up to new england winter.
JAson

bhtoque said:
The rattle and shake of my universal gooseneck holder has been driving me crazy since day one, and I've been looking for another option. After watching the clingo demo video with the guy flying over speed bumps I decided to give it a try.
I've been using it in my car for a week now, and am very happy with it. Right out of the box it held my EVO (in the innocase active) no matter how hard I shook it. The grip of the pad is amazing.
As others reported, the size/weight of the EVO caused it to droop forward. If I turned the pad sideways it stayed up better, but a small black zip tie around the socket completely fixed the drooping. I figure putting a small piece of rubber band into the socket should also do the trick while still allowing repositioning.
The result has been stunning. Even over big potholes and grooved highway pavement the clingo has kept my phone still. It is soooo much easier to read without the phone shaking.
Now to see how the cling pad holds up to new england winter.
JAson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great to here its worked out well for you. I've had mine for a while and am still loving it, however, i'd like to try out the rubberband trick that you are speaking of... What exactly did you do? How big was the rubber band?
Mines has held up to texas weather 100+ with my car out in the heat, so hopefully it can handle the cold also.

starplaya93 said:
great to here its worked out well for you. I've had mine for a while and am still loving it, however, i'd like to try out the rubberband trick that you are speaking of... What exactly did you do? How big was the rubber band?
Mines has held up to texas weather 100+ with my car out in the heat, so hopefully it can handle the cold also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not used the rubber band trick on my Clingo, as the zip tie stopped the droop, but I've done it with similar ball joints. You should be able to find a small bag of rubber bands at your local office supply big box. One about 1/4" wide should do with the clingo. Just cut a piece out of the band and put it into the socket as close to on-center as you can. Line up the ball on the clingo's arm so that the mount pad will be close to the angle you want it, and snap the pieces back together. The rubber will provide grip, and provide enough to stop any drooping while still allowing you to reposition and swivel the mount head.
JAson

Windshield Mount

Hi, just wanted to give a quick impression of 2 windshield mounts I ordered.
http://www.amazon.com/Arkon-Univers..._1_3?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1305654075&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Arkon-IPM515-...Holder-Compatible/dp/B003Z4L68S/ref=pd_cp_e_2
Overall they both work OK. I much prefer the "Universal Mount" just because of how the Slim Grip opens/closes. The Universal is a squeeze style close with a button release. The Slim Grip you have to push the lower part down to open it, and the same to get your phone out. Kind of a pain.
Plus, even though the Slim Grip seems to be OK in Landscape...it still scares me not having a physical piece there to hold it up in case the spring force isnt enough.
I am using the Slim Grip as a vent mount (using the vent mount supplied with the Universal) and the Universal as a Windshield mount. So far the suction cup on the Universal seems very strong and I have not worried about it coming down.
One thing I noticed on the Universal that is a bit annoying, when the unit is fully opened and you are driving it rattles. This is remedied by simply closing it 1 or 2 clicks (which still allows you to put your phone into it without opening it back up).

I have the same Universal mount but with the frictionless pad. How do you like the Vent mount though in the terms of removing it? I got scared away from it because the reviews had that the two clips to hold it in place easily break.

Ordered the Universal yesterday, should have it tomorrow. I'm curious to see how well it works with the extended battery, but I like the idea of mounting it to the vent. Can't wait to get it regardless though, since the other one I have will only work with the stock battery.. Grrr..

I had a mount similar to the universal mount here (different brand) that I grew to loathe quite a bit because it rattled with no device in it. I didn't put my phone in it every time I got in the car and this bothered me greatly. I'm glad I avoided that universal mount because I would not tolerate that at this point.
The second mount (that you have to push down on the lower part to insert device) is the one I use now. It doesn't bother me how it functions and it is quiet. It grips well enough that you shouldn't worry about it slipping, and the extended clips make it work great for this phone without needing a huge stretch on the cradle to insert the phone.

I got the universal mount yesterday. Love it so far. Haven't noticed any rattling, but I may not either unless I switch vehicles. Keeps the phone secure though, and it works nicely with the extended battery in place (no case yet).
I do kinda like the looks of that other one too. Maybe I might order it for the wife and try it out. Not sure how often she'd use something like that though...

frankspin said:
I have the same Universal mount but with the frictionless pad. How do you like the Vent mount though in the terms of removing it? I got scared away from it because the reviews had that the two clips to hold it in place easily break.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I do not have much experience with this yet as this mount is in my wife's car.
The vent mount clips do seem a bit flimsy...especially since I am using it on the "slim" mount. With the universal I wouldnt worry too much because of the button release, squeeze in. You arent putting much if any pressure on the clips.
But with the slim mount...I have a feeling these could break on me down the road.

Those clips are definitely flimsy. Solved the problem though: rather than use the clips, I pulled that other piece off and cable tied it to my vent. Solid, and not moving.
Obviously, it does no good if you switch vehicles, but for that I will use windshield mount then.
Sent from my ADR6350 using XDA App

Just wanted to update on my "hack" for the vent mount. Been very solid so far. I have some concern over the longevity of the cable ties, but honestly, it's a very minor concern. Very little movement of the phone, great location being on the air vent (especially in the summertime, keeps it cool).
I can post pics if anyone wants to see, but I'm glad I went that route. Leaves the windshield mount available for when I'm in a company vehicle or my wifes car.

Do any of these after-market mounts activate the car panel app? I've seen how you can find and run it through the HTC universal search but is there any other way to activate it (like with a magnet on the OG Droid)?

jesand83 said:
Do any of these after-market mounts activate the car panel app? I've seen how you can find and run it through the HTC universal search but is there any other way to activate it (like with a magnet on the OG Droid)?
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Click to collapse
Not with a magnet. My gut is that a resistor or something is what's required. Check this thread:
http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-incredible-2/350066-there-anyway-trick-dinc2-into-car-mode.html

universal phone holder for car

http://news.discovery.com/tech/oona...=referral&utm_source=pulsenews#mkcpgn=rssnws1
looks nice and simple.
might not be full-featured as our Moto car docks. but. just throwing it out there.

A similar option it’s the Exogear Exomount Universal Car Mount
This product looks very promising, and the only thing that I’ll be worried about is the quality of the suctions cups that I think it’s the key about this product.
I have been using the Exogear Exomount Universal Car Mount with my Garmin gps device and my Motorola Atrix and works great.

Doesn't really look like the hold will be up to much tapping or sliding on the screen. I guess if you just use a bluetooth headset and want to be able to SEE the screen ... Interesting design though.
I don't know, the way I fling my car around corners and stuff, I don't think Oona will be riding with me.

nunjabusiness said:
Doesn't really look like the hold will be up to much tapping or sliding on the screen. I guess if you just use a bluetooth headset and want to be able to SEE the screen ... Interesting design though.
I don't know, the way I fling my car around corners and stuff, I don't think Oona will be riding with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my wife one of these for her iPhone. It was one of those 9PM "oh ****" kind of purchases, because her Garmin gps crapped itself during an update the night before a trip. Got it at Wal-Mart. The cool thing is the suction cup has the sticky stuff on it as well, so I'm pretty sure it's not coming off even in a head on crash with a Mac truck. I tried it out with both my phones and even my HTC Flyer. They all stick fairly well. The first time I pulled my Droid Charge off it left the back cover attached to the mount!

barry99705 said:
I got my wife one of these for her iPhone. It was one of those 9PM "oh ****" kind of purchases, because her Garmin gps crapped itself during an update the night before a trip. Got it at Wal-Mart. The cool thing is the suction cup has the sticky stuff on it as well, so I'm pretty sure it's not coming off even in a head on crash with a Mac truck. I tried it out with both my phones and even my HTC Flyer. They all stick fairly well. The first time I pulled my Droid Charge off it left the back cover attached to the mount!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had that mount as well. While the suction cup is great, the sticky material that holds the phone is not. It will quickly lose it's "stickyness." The instructions tell you to clean it with soap and water once in a while to restore the adhesive, but this will only work a few times. Also if you leave it in your car on hot days, the adhesive will begin to melt a bit. If you use it after that, the adhesive sticks to phone even after you take it off.

biggins1870 said:
I had that mount as well. While the suction cup is great, the sticky material that holds the phone is not. It will quickly lose it's "stickyness." The instructions tell you to clean it with soap and water once in a while to restore the adhesive, but this will only work a few times. Also if you leave it in your car on hot days, the adhesive will begin to melt a bit. If you use it after that, the adhesive sticks to phone even after you take it off.
Click to expand...
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Good to know! We've also found that when it's in the 30's the sticky doesn't work so well.

OEM car mount review

Hey guys,
So im still wondering which one is the best car mount for me...my car has limited spots where to put it but I got this as a gift so cant complain hehe
I made a review as I always do with my products
Hope this helps you choose the right one for you
http://youtu.be/x8XNr7A91j0

Does the mount scratch up the bezel of the phone?

did u make this review? i don't see the phone being removed from the dock. that's my only issue with the dock. it's not that easy to take the phone off.

vw671 said:
Does the mount scratch up the bezel of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No,
the way the phone goes in you dont have any hard contact with the bezzel and also its ruberized on the corners. The back part of hard plastic but there is no movement of the phone so scratches will be minimal..Be sure of course to check for hard particles before putting your phone

dn3g3l said:
did u make this review? i don't see the phone being removed from the dock. that's my only issue with the dock. it's not that easy to take the phone off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes , this is my review ..In the first part of the review when I put it in the table you can see me putting it in and out IIRC.
Indeed taking it out is not the easiest task as it is plugged into the charging port, however the benefit of it is the fact that you are minimizing cables and wires . When you pull out the part of the charger the removal is easy and the suction cup is strong enough to keep it in place
I rather it be locked in securely tho..However, as I explain on the video, there are better options out there with more mobility and same performance

i'm pretty sure removing the phone from the cradle got cut off. i saw you put the phone into the cradle 2 or 3 times but not removing it. just wanted to know if you have to push back on the tab really hard to kinda pop the phone out from the top part. everytime i try removing it, it seems like i'm not doing it correctly and will break it.

rault18 said:
Yes , this is my review ..In the first part of the review when I put it in the table you can see me putting it in and out IIRC.
Indeed taking it out is not the easiest task as it is plugged into the charging port, however the benefit of it is the fact that you are minimizing cables and wires . When you pull out the part of the charger the removal is easy and the suction cup is strong enough to keep it in place
I rather it be locked in securely tho..However, as I explain on the video, there are better options out there with more mobility and same performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the better options out there for car mounts for this phone?
thanks

Did he say 49.99 or 14.99?

49.99 plus tax

Thanks for the review I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon $34 shipped.

dn3g3l said:
i'm pretty sure removing the phone from the cradle got cut off. i saw you put the phone into the cradle 2 or 3 times but not removing it. just wanted to know if you have to push back on the tab really hard to kinda pop the phone out from the top part. everytime i try removing it, it seems like i'm not doing it correctly and will break it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh im sorry well to be honest pushing was not that hard..yes there is resistance but not necesarely hard just be sure you are moving the bottom away first so the charging port doesnt go on an angle..the click you hear is more of the plastic getting in place than the charger getting in. It was slightly harder than removing a regular car charger. Just be careful when pushing the tab back and try to do it straight . The removing process should be exactly the opposite of the inserting one

$50 for a mount is too much. Although I love the phone and Google Navigation a lot, but it does get quiet hot while on GPS and charging at the same time. I will stick with my Garmin GPS.

Nice!
Great review! Thanks!! Saved me $50. This mount would have been a huge dissapointment for me and I was super close to getting it today. It's not like Samsung to skimp out on looks and functionality!?!

CincoDeDrinko said:
Great review! Thanks!! Saved me $50. This mount would have been a huge dissapointment for me and I was super close to getting it today. It's not like Samsung to skimp out on looks and functionality!?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad I was able to help! there are better ones out there..I will be trying to review some as well ..just waiting to purchase some hehe
I just dont understand why did samsung used so much plastic in the wrong parts!

It serves me perfectly.
The OEM Car Mount serves me really well.
I modified it with a vent mount because I did not want to install it to the glass.
After I put it to the vent, it works really well. It stays firmly even if I operate while I am driving. I do not have any problem to put or take out the phone from the mount even thou my phone has Ghost Armour Black Carbon.
Of course I have to use a force a bit to the tap, but no trouble to me.
After I got the mount, I have not used Garmin 1450LMT at all, so finally I sold it. The Car mount is the most useful accessory that I've purchased for the phone. I paid around $33 for the OEM mount & $2.50 for the vent mount from Amazon.com.
PS. Please excuse the dust in the vent. I was surprised when I saw the pictures. I think I need to detail the car very soon.

very well done sir! I like your custom mount option! The product is rock solid..however in my case I just needed more flexibility

I'm really digging the OEM navigation mount. Works wonderfully if attached to the windshield. But completely useless as a dash mount, don't know why they even give you the dash "puck" as there is not way in hell you can adjust it as a dash mount (*at least in a 4Runner).
But the BEST thing is the line-out capability in car mode!!! IT'S AWESOME!!!

I tried most phone mounts for the car and did not like them. I don't like the window mount as it obstructs your vision and leaves circles inside the front windshield. It is also too far away to touch the screen/phone as you drive. I didn't like the vent mount because during the hot Summer days, you have one less AC vent blowing at you. I recently bought the CD player slot mount and I LOVE IT! It places your phone a lot lower than the vent mounts and it fits a wide variety of phones. It is also more discrete to motorists around you and its way closer/easier to touch the screen. You just place your phone on it and squeeze the sides until it locks. Then you can tilt it to landscape, tilt it back and forward, and tilt it towards the left or right. When you are done, you just press the top rear and it opens up. It will fit our phone and even the Galaxy Note. Oh yeah I had to buy this as my 4.5" screen Samsung T989 did not fit my old vent mount that fit my G2X. I bought mine from a vendor through Amazon. Check out the 4.5 star rating from 134 customers. Its $19.95 with Free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Mountek-MT500...W3D4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325492429&sr=8-1

Is there a mount that I can place down by where the gear is? I don't want windshield or dash because they obstruct my view. I don't want vent mount because I need my vents for air conditioning and it's still a bit high. I can't do CD mount like the guy above posted because my cd slot is behind my built-in GPS which flips out to put CDs in.
Can anybody recommend a good mount or would any dash mount work for that situation. I'm thinking maybe putting it in the cup holder or nearby.

Here's my custom effort:

Best universal car suction mount for < $20

Hi guys,
I've gone through a few generic mounts of eBay and unfortunately none have lasted me more than a few months. I've tried the design that consists of the round suction area and round mount, and the cheap claw style mount.
I know there must be a perfect one out there. What I'd like is one that has minimal vibration, strong suction, great build quality and NFC would be a nice bonus.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

What exactly has failed with the previous mounts?

surprising nobody responded to this one, anybody got a good experience with mounts?

I asked for more details about his previous experiences, without any reason... What else could I have said more? Maybe you, @sam008 could add something and we could continue the discussion from there.
PS: I have some experience with mounts.

Well the issue I've had and most people see as well is the suction has a very short life. In a few months, when driving, the phone just falls off and you have to re-attach it

That behaviour is rather normal. It's rather hard to create a plastic (rubber, silicone or whatever it is) that can resist in the sun. Even the suction cup that came with a Garmin (which might be considered above generic suction cups) fell down after a few weeks. Imagine that that suction cup is constantly pulled on and the longer the arm (I've seen 20-30 cm or almost one foot long arms) the worse it is. Not to mention that the phone will balance more.
That is why I tend to avoid suction cups and prefer vent or CD slot mounted holders, with as short as possible arms.
Vent mounted holders also have the advantage that during summer the phone will be cooled down by the car's A/C.
One of these days I'll come back with a few opinions about what I tried until now.

Even my iOttie dock couldn't handle the Texas heat! Not only did it keep falling off, whatever the suction cup is made of came apart and left a sticky goo all over my windshield. Now I use a CD mount that is below the dash and gets cold AC blown on it to help keep the phone cool.

At first I used a cheap suction cup holder. It was OK, but the phone was a little bit too far away from me. It used to fall every now and then, but not too often. But then again, Eastern Europe is not Texas. Some venting would have been welcome anyway.
Then I used a CD slot holder. It was pretty OK, A/C was blowing on the back of the phone (small clamp). But it used to resonate sometimes with the car at around 110 km/h.
Then I switched cars and broke the CD slot holder so I could use a vent holder and I did. The clamp is a bit big on this one, so the A/C is not that efficient, but it goes. Actually this one is made up of two holders, the clamp from one and the claws (that go in the vent) from another.
I tried a very small one for a few minutes (bought it from a mall and promptly returned it after I tried it in the parking lot) but it looks like it doesn't even have a chance of being stable.
Now I am using the amazon bought combo, but I might switch back to CD vent.
The linked pictures are as example only. The amazon links are the actual products.
In the end I recommend something that can easily enjoy the A/C and with a very short arm. Be careful that some car brands (like my old Fiesta) don't allow the air flow to be turned off while the vent's fins are used for the phone holder.