Homemade Iphone Mount

[pricebill]

I've been looking for a car mount for my new iPhone. With it's big fat touch screen connected to Google Maps I felt like this would be the first phone I'd like in my line of sight while driving. Unfortunately all of the mounts built especially for the Boxster put the phone at hip level. I don't want to glance toward the floor of the vehicle to see who is calling. I also didn't want a suction cup-gooseneck combo snaking it's way down from the windshield trailing a bunch of cords. The order of the day was; a drop-in mount containing iPhone power and an audio connection to the AUX in on my Becker CDR-220.

I've had the dash apart twice; once to clean the insides of the speedo/tach faces and again to install the OBC hack. While in there I thought there might be just enough room on the right post for a piece of metal. You can see my first mock-ups cut out of cardboard below.

I laid these templates out onto some 1/8" tin and cut them with tin snips. I quickly realized that even when doubled, the bracket was going to keep my iPhone wiggling back and forth with every bump in the road. I cut a second brace in a slight curve to eliminate fore and aft movement. I imagined the graceful curve emulating the designed curves of the interior pieces. Then I wrapped the whole mess in automotive black vinyl with good old 3M spray-on glue to keep it in place.

It's not beautiful. Bolt on the Dice iPod cradle and from anywhere but the drivers seat, I've created a monster.

The whole thing runs into the AUX channel of the Becker via Belkin's Auto adapter. Everything is hard wired under the dash and turns on with the key. Power, audio and cradle problems temporarily solved.

Hate? Access to the hazard switch is a reach around and the whole thing really takes over the dash. The Dice cradle only comes with plastic inserts for iPods so my phone is still sort of loose although they've promised a new insert for the iPhone (some day). Sure would be nice if they came out with a cradle with a phone mute line and a working RCA video / audio out.

Love? I haven't destroyed the interior; this can all disappear without a trace when someone answers my iPhone in-car dreams. It's perfect placement for navigation, in-coming calls and reading e-mail while stuck in traffic. I am cable free once again.

I never built anything like this before and I'm showing you so that either you'll build a better one or at least point me in the direction of someone who has.

-bill

[humara]

very nice install. looks pretty convenient to have the phone up there.

how's the audio quality on that setup? any interference from the iphone itself?

[pk2]

I've been looking for a car mount for my new iPhone. With it's big fat touch screen connected to Google Maps I felt like this would be the first phone I'd like in my line of sight while driving. Unfortunately all of the mounts built especially for the Boxster put the phone at hip level. I don't want to glance toward the floor of the vehicle to see who is calling. I also didn't want a suction cup-gooseneck combo snaking it's way down from the windshield trailing a bunch of cords. The order of the day was; a drop-in mount containing iPhone power and an audio connection to the AUX in on my Becker CDR-220.

I've had the dash apart twice; once to clean the insides of the speedo/tach faces and again to install the OBC hack. While in there I thought there might be just enough room on the right post for a piece of metal. You can see my first mock-ups cut out of cardboard below.

I laid these templates out onto some 1/8" tin and cut them with tin snips. I quickly realized that even when doubled, the bracket was going to keep my iPhone wiggling back and forth with every bump in the road. I cut a second brace in a slight curve to eliminate fore and aft movement. I imagined the graceful curve emulating the designed curves of the interior pieces. Then I wrapped the whole mess in automotive black vinyl with good old 3M spray-on glue to keep it in place.

It's not beautiful. Bolt on the Dice iPod cradle and from anywhere but the drivers seat, I've created a monster.

The whole thing runs into the AUX channel of the Becker via Belkin's Auto adapter. Everything is hard wired under the dash and turns on with the key. Power, audio and cradle problems temporarily solved.

Hate? Access to the hazard switch is a reach around and the whole thing really takes over the dash. The Dice cradle only comes with plastic inserts for iPods so my phone is still sort of loose although they've promised a new insert for the iPhone (some day). Sure would be nice if they came out with a cradle with a phone mute line and a working RCA video / audio out.

Love? I haven't destroyed the interior; this can all disappear without a trace when someone answers my iPhone in-car dreams. It's perfect placement for navigation, in-coming calls and reading e-mail while stuck in traffic. I am cable free once again.

I never built anything like this before and I'm showing you so that either you'll build a better one or at least point me in the direction of someone who has.

-bill

Hi,

I’m a designer (product). Do this stuff in my sleep. The main expense is the cost of a “one off”. It has either be hand fabricated or made in one several Rapid prototyping methods (Upload a precise 3d cad model file, few days later the exact part as designed is on your doorstep. Both are expensive and can be fragile. But there designed for exactly what you want and be exceptionality sweet looking!

Regards,

PK

PM for more if you want.

Edited October 16, 2007 by pk2

[pricebill]

very nice install. looks pretty convenient to have the phone up there.

how's the audio quality on that setup? any interference from the iphone itself?

The audio quality out of the iPod portion of the phone is crystal clear. The RFI from the phone communicating over the air is another story. From this position on the dash an occasional light ticking can be heard through the car speakers. Pull it out of the cradle and stick it anywhere near the Becker and the racket is terrible. I put a layer of aluminum foil between the phone / stereo and this eliminated all of the noise but then wrapping the phone up like left over food isn't really the look I'm hoping for. Pulling the Becker and wrapping it in an adhesive RFI foil like this might be the next step. Putting the phone back into it's orginial position (jammed into the far right corner of the passenger seat) also eliminates all RFI. This is a work in progress.