[aprssig] Summary: vehicle laptop mount for APRS rig

[Jason Winningham]

A few days ago, I asked:

> Can anyone recommend a vehicle laptop mount?
>
> I'd also be interested in hearing about success with display mounts,
> especially touchscreens, for mobile computing rigs.

I've gotten several replies, both on and off list.  Thanks to all who  
replied.  For anyone else who's interested, here's a summary:

Traditional, platform-on-a-stick laptop mounts are made by JottoDesk  
(www.jottodesk.com), RAM Mounting Systems (www.ram-mount.com), and  
Gamber-Johnson.  The Gamber-Johnson is apparently the most heavy- 
duty, popular with public safety types, and precludes having a  
passenger.  JottoDesk doesn't have too much for vehicles more than 5  
or 6 years old, but appears to be the least expensive, and can be  
found on ebay regularly.  RAM appears to be fairly new to the laptop  
mount business, but I like their other stuff (I've got a RAM Garmin  
MAP60 suction cup mount).  There's also a plethora of homebrew  
solutions.

Something new to me, but which makes a lot of sense given that I  
currently put the laptop on the console, is rissler-rd.com.  It's a  
platform that straps to the center console.  Here are some example  
pictures:
http://www.23.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=sarmissions

In the touchscreen category, Dynamix makes a 7" version specifically  
designed for mounting in autos.  It would take a bit of work, but I  
would like to have one of these mounted in the dash to replace the  
D700 control head, GPS, and APRS app.  I could run xastir instead of  
using the D700's APRS application and get more functionality out of it.

Of course, all the warnings of the eyes on the road, don't break the  
law, and watch out for Newton varieties apply.  Luckily I have the  
option of turning off the passenger side airbag in my truck, so that  
my navigator doesn't get force-fed a laptop if there's an impact.

For now, I'll probably home brew a console mount, and start saving  
money to build a mobile computer for my next truck. (:

-Jason
kg4wsv