GPS: Can you SEE yours while riding?

[GunNut37086]

I use a tablet as a GPS, I need to mount mine vertical, I can't see it if I'm wearing polarized sunglasses when it's horizontal.
I wish I could mount it horizontal above the "gauge cluster" like a rally bike, would be easier to see without having to look down so far.

One of the best ideas I stole from a forum member was to go with a Vstream windshield. It has a bar that is perfect for mounting my Note and keeping it well above my speedo.

I also got a Palmer Products adjustable screen mount. You can add an accessory bar to it as well that serves the same purpose.

Hope that helps.

 

[Grey1one]

Are you using the Palmer mount with the vStream?

I've considered it as the adjustabilty might allow me to keep the bigger screen on when it gets hot.

I switch it with the stock screen in the summer.

 

[StratTuner]

I got the family GPS on a handlebar mount and took it out on a desert ride. It was reassuring to have it there,
but I could barely read it.
How do you SEE your GPS when you're out on a ride?

Since I'm the one who posted this, I thought I'd answer it ...three years later.

My solution was to get a helmet with a sun visor. You can easily put the sun visor up/down as needed... you don't have to stop, and it's not quite as polarized as glass. I put the visor HALF WAY down so that the road ahead is darker but the instruments ARE NOT.

To help with glare, I've constructed pyramids in honor of our escaping.... hold it! ... that's Jim Morrison.... let me try that again...

I've constructed sun visors that attach to the GPS/Phone mounts. The black visor is made from a subject notebook binder, $1 from Walmart. (The "Five Star" brand seems to work best)
I made two visors: one for horizontal and vertical mounts.

One mount is a special order mount with a 1" RAM ball mount on the back. (a little expensive)
The other is a piece of...you guessed it... plastic from a Rubbermaid waste basket... (cheap, and I make a lot of stuff from that.) I just zip tied the RAM one inch ball mount to that.

The second, cheaper, mount uses that rubberized wire stuff (I call it gumby wire) that's may be found in "tie downs" at the hardware store.
You can bend it easily, but once bent, it pretty much stays that way. It overlaps the edges of the GPS device and holds it to the backing quite securely!

The shades are cut to fit each base and attached with zip ties. (I want something I can field repair when I'm on the road). I have two RAM ball mounts that replaced the two bolts that hold the handle bars on... I'd photo that, but my darned NC is still at a shop 100 miles away!
Both mounts have micro-sd cables available so I can charge two as I ride.

The combination of the helmet sun visor (half way down) and the sun shades over the GPS/phone screens makes it very easy to see.

here are two pictures. There will be a short quiz on this material at the end of the period... (sorry, worked in schools for many years!)





It is my sincere hope someone will find this useful.... oh, and there's no test coming.


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[GunNut37086]

Are you using the Palmer mount with the vStream?

I've considered it as the adjustabilty might allow me to keep the bigger screen on when it gets hot.

I switch it with the stock screen in the summer.

Yes, I have the 18" Vstream on the Palmer mount. I plan to get a shorter one before next summer, because it's too hot to ride without a breeze when it's 95 degrees out. The only complaint I have is that the big screen has a degree of wiggle to it on the Palmer bracket at cruising speeds. It's not so bad that I can't see an upcoming turn at a glance though.

 

[werdigo]

Using IPhone and Givi housing. This helps to maintain good contrast and visibility, unless the sun is behind and at the angle that causes glare of the protective plastic screen.

View attachment 4539

Gee, sorry for replying to such an old post, but I just got this Givi mount and tried it, with a Samsung S4 Active phone, on its first ride. Sun glared off the shiny plastic cover so badly that I could really only see it when trees provided shade by overhanging the road!

How did you mount the Givi? I tried to squeeze it in to the right (like yours) and left of the center, but finally resorted to the center flat section between the handlebar mounting bolts. Plan is to construct a more serious sun shield.

EDIT: With your photo as inspiration, I tried it again just to the right of the center handlebar mount... and it fit. Wonder why I didn't think so before. I'll give it a road test when the local rain stops!

 

[Deleted member 5383]

Mine is usually in the frunk, so NO ; }

 

[drdubb]

I bolted a ram mount, the type that goes on the brake or clutch perch to the metal shield on my Madstad. Added a sun shield and i can see it with a quick glance.

Got the idea on this forum.

 

[GregC]

Finally figured out how to mount my Garmin 660LM above the instrument cluster. Used a RAM rail mount (RAM Rail Base with Zinc Coated U-Bolt, ATV/UTV Strap & 1" Ball for Rails to 3.15" in Diameter Unpackaged - RAM-B-231Z-2U | RAM Mounts) and some serious zip ties (175lb strength).

Not pretty but works perfectly, no rattle or vibration, and the GlareStomper works well.

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