GPS Mounts
Other than handhelds, GPS devices that are being used while navigating need to be secured. While most manufacturers provide some sort of mounting accessory, there are a lot of people who choose to buy optional GPS mounts even when a perfectly good mount is included in the original packaging. The first thought would be that the manufacturers of GPS systems don’t care, or are too cheap to include GPS mounts that will work with the units that they sell. This isn’t really the case. It is more likely that GPS companies can’t anticipate how and where their devices will be used.
A great example is the TomTom GO 910. This is a portable navigator that readily goes from backpack to car and comes with a lot of accessories. This includes a remote control, a carrying case, a USB cable, an AC adapter, a car charger, an external microphone, audio cables, and a windshield mount. According to the reviews, everything checked out okay, except for the windshield mount. It was easy to install, but the arm didn’t stay in place while driving because it seemed like it couldn’t support the weight of the device.
The TomTom GO 910 wasn’t alone when it came to people who were dissatisfied with their GPS mounts. There were many car devices which relied on suction-cup mounting that actually popped off of the windshield while the consumer reviewer was driving. There were even a few cases where mounting a GPS device on a windshield was against the law.
It may seem like the companies that manufacture GPS navigational devices are being purposely negligent, but they really aren’t. They just can’t anticipate how and where all of the GPS devices that they sell are going to be used. This is why you will see so many different companies on the internet that sell GPS mounts. These are smaller companies, their families, and their friends who have used GPS devices in almost every outdoor situation, and sometimes every corner of the world. They do this in order to bring the average consumer GPS mounts that will survive anything.
Ram Mount is just one of the companies that have a number GPS mounts available. These particular mounts are for the people who purchase TomTom GPS systems and mistreat them more frequently than average users. They offer GPS mounts that always keep the display of your GPS device in view when you are moving faster than other people on the road or the water. Because companies like TomTom can only guess where you are going to use your GPS system, RAM Mounting Systems picks up the slack and allows you to position your TomTom GPS system for optimum use in your car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or anywhere else you need it.
People who are new to using GPS systems don’t quite understand this philosophy, but navigators who are out everyday appreciate what customized GPS mounts do for them. Take marine mounts for example. There isn’t any way that Garmin or anyone else who develops GPS devices for every sport can anticipate how their navigational device will fit on the railing or helm of every boat that sets sail. This is why boating enthusiasts rely on someone else who specializes in GPS mounts to secure their navigational equipment to the vessel that will weather many storms. All this, because the tracking equipment they trust is anchored properly.
Companies like Ram Mount, Touratech and others provide mounts that are custom-fitted to make sure that more expensive GPS devices don’t go overboard, fall in your lap while driving, or go missing in action while your motorcycle successfully takes a hair- pin turn. These GPS mounts range from a few dollars to a few hundred, but they are worth checking out if you want to keep your GPS device functioning in extreme condtions.
Posted in General GPS Information
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