Cingular Go Phone: Garmin Nuvi 1490T Car Cup Holder

My wife didn't want my new Garmin unit on the dash and I don't like sticking it on the window so I went looking for alternative mounts. Basically there were vent mounts and there were cup holder mounts. For the weight of the unit I could only see disaster coming my way using the vent mount so I chose the cup holder mount.

First off the Gomadic mounts are not model specific but they do seem to be product specific in other words I could use the mount Gomadic sent to me to mount any Garmin current size of Garmin unit - 4.3" right up to 5". It comes in two parts the support stem and the holder.

You put the support stem into the cup holder and turn the base counter clockwise and viola the base expands to fill the space of the cupholder giving a firm holdand support for the unit. I expected the neck of the base to be articulated but it isn't however it bends well into the position that you want.

The holder is where I ran into trouble. It has two halves which expand to fit the width of your unit. However my Garmin unit was 5" and was larger than the maximum expansion. I said a few bad words and wondered how the folks at Gomadic could get my order so wrong and vowed to call them after lunch to give them a piece of my mind. I puzzled the problem and after lunch I turned the head 90 degrees and sandwiched the unit vertically instead of horizontally which obviously was the way to do it. I then attached the holder to the stem and rotated it to the proper orientation.

I love having my Garmin next to the instrument cluster and not out my windshield. The screen is at my fingertips instead of me having to lean forward to punch in addresses. I do have to look down and take my eyes off the road to check the route but I can't think it is any less distracting than having it on the dash or attached the windshield.

Next though the stem is 6" and even with it firmly planted in the cup holder my Garmin unit vibrates with the motion of the car. No a big thing but if you were expected rock solid it comes as a little surprise.

All in all a good accessory to my GPS unit.

And oh BTW Gomadic folks a little 'how to' piece in the packaging would have been nice. At the very least a slip of paper that directed the buyers to a YouTube video of installation would have been welcome. I still may call you and give you what for; I did spend my lunch hour mulling the problem after all.

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Product Description:
The New Gomadic Cup Holder Car Mount allows you clear visibility and finger tip access to your device in an attractive; streamlined package. The Cup Holder Mount promotes reliability along with style and ease. The New Gomadic Cup Holder Auto Holder is also the only mount on the market with a lifetime warranty and keeps you in touch on even the longest road trip.

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