[aprssig] New Truck/Setup Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions

Mon Feb 4 10:07:29 EST 2008

Jotto has both the console units that you describe, and laptop mounts.  The consoles are great for mounting gear with lots of wiring that needs to be hidden as long as they have a version for the vehicle.  We used them in all sorts of vehicles.  But the RAM Mount laptop holders are much better than the Jotto units.  We can have a passenger in a Jeep Wrangler with the laptop mount in there.  They are a bit pressed for space, but the passenger seat can be used.  There is also a quick release mount so that the pedestal can be removed from the base and the whole thing taken out in about 30 seconds.  Routing wires does become an issue in mobile installations, it's just part of the game.  

We ended up mounting a Lowrance Baja 540C GPS Unit on the top of the center console in the Jeep.  It has a big enough display, and shows APRS received positions as well as supplying our position to a D700A.  The only problem is that in this model they switched from 2 RS-232 ports to only 1.  At least they still offer one.  We checked around with Garmin and others at CES and most of them are totally dropping RS-232 in favor of USB (with the exception of many marine-intended units, which don't accept road maps).

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: kc9umr at freqradio.com 
  To: k7ftp at commtechreview.net ; aprssig at lists.tapr.org 
  Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 7:23 AM
  Subject: Re: [aprssig] New Truck/Setup Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions

  without making this a completely install-related discussion, i think the Jotto and RAM fill two completely different needs - I actually use both for various things.  The jotto is nice for larger, fixed equipment (CBs, scanners - things withotu removeable heads - though i also have my D700 on a Jotto)...  The jotto also gives a fair amoutn of space for hiding radio bodies, GPS receivers, wires, etc.    The down side is you can't pull it out easily, and it replaces an OEM part of your vehicle.

  The RAM mount gives you a LOT more flexability for moving the control head around, adjusting angles, etc.  the down side is that you're stuck with wires hanging out to get to the control head.  Another plus is that you can easily remove whatever's on the RAM mopunt and put it under a seat or in a console....

  it's all a matter od what the user is looking for.  Come to think of it...  now i have a few more ideas i want to play with in my own install :)

  73
  Ken

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: "K7FTP" <k7ftp at commtechreview.net>
  Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 6:14 AM
  To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
  Subject: Re: [aprssig] New Truck/Setup Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions

  You might get a few ideas here. We did a Jeep, but I have built many other 
  vehicles into police cars and the principles are the same...

  www.commtechreview.net/jeep

  Also, look into RAM Mounts. We found them more versatile than Jotto 
  products, and I'm pretty sure we did one in an Expedition.

  We run a TopGlobal MB6800 router for EVDO, and have had great luck with it.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Rich Garcia" 
  To: 
  Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 6:20 PM
  Subject: [aprssig] New Truck/Setup Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions

  >I am going to purchase a Ford Expedition in the next day or two. We are
  > passing on the on-board navigation for obvious reasons :-) For the price 
  > of
  > an on-board system I can purchase D-710, probably any GPS I want, new 
  > mounts
  > antennas and
  > all wiring/mount materials.
  >
  > Any suggestions as to which GPS units I should be looking at? I have been
  > tempted to look at the AV/MAP G5 but am wondering if there is anything
  > better out there. Since this will be our primary GPS as large as we can 
  > get
  > is what we are looking for. I am getting away with this expense since the
  > XYL is tired of having a laptop on her lap hours on end during long trips. 
  > I
  > was thinking of a jotto desk for the laptop but it appears that the center
  > console will not allow a desk of any kind and still have passenger room. 
  > We
  > are going to go for the DVD system for the kids I think, don't know if it
  > has inputs so we could hook up the laptop, if it does maybe a mini-12v PC
  > would be in order?
  >
  > Also any other sig members with the Expedition? I would appreciate it if 
  > you
  > can contact me off list with any words of advice on placement and wiring. 
  > I
  > plan on doing 1 dual band antenna, a 800/1.9Ghz antenna for EVDO, and
  > possibly a GPS antenna. Radio and EVDO Cradlepoint router to be mounted
  > somewhere in the rear quarter panels. The cradlepoint is a router for EVDO
  > AirCards that provides a WiFi hot spot and LAN port, I'll mount the router
  > back there and run an antenna wire also. When we go on a long trip I'll 
  > just
  > plug my USB card in there and flood the car with a broadband WiFi
  > connection. Minimal wires is what we are aiming for, even for the 
  > electronic
  > geek that I am trips with my toys can be annoying with the rats nest we 
  > have
  > by the time we add a phone charger and radar detector to the front
  > windshield!
  >
  > Rich
  > k4gps at arrl.net
  >
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > aprssig mailing list
  > aprssig at lists.tapr.org
  > https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig 

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