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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=kc9umr@freqradio.com
href="mailto:kc9umr@freqradio.com">kc9umr@freqradio.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=k7ftp@commtechreview.net
href="mailto:k7ftp@commtechreview.net">k7ftp@commtechreview.net</A> ; <A
title=aprssig@lists.tapr.org
href="mailto:aprssig@lists.tapr.org">aprssig@lists.tapr.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 04, 2008 7:23
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [aprssig] New Truck/Setup
Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>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.<BR><BR>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....<BR><BR><BR>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 :)<BR><BR>73<BR>Ken<BR><BR><FONT
face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif" size=2>
<HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
<B>From</B>: "K7FTP" <k7ftp@commtechreview.net><BR><B>Sent</B>: Monday,
February 04, 2008 6:14 AM<BR><B>To</B>: "TAPR APRS Mailing List"
<aprssig@lists.tapr.org><BR><B>Subject</B>: Re: [aprssig] New
Truck/Setup Ford Expedition GPS and Install Questions</FONT><BR><BR>You might
get a few ideas here. We did a Jeep, but I have built many other <BR>vehicles
into police cars and the principles are the
same...<BR><BR>www.commtechreview.net/jeep<BR><BR>Also, look into RAM Mounts.
We found them more versatile than Jotto <BR>products, and I'm pretty sure we
did one in an Expedition.<BR><BR>We run a TopGlobal MB6800 router for EVDO,
and have had great luck with it.<BR><BR>----- Original Message ----- <BR>From:
"Rich Garcia" <K4GPSC@GMAIL.COM><BR>To: <APRSSIG@LISTS.TAPR.ORG><BR>Sent:
Sunday, February 03, 2008 6:20 PM<BR>Subject: [aprssig] New Truck/Setup Ford
Expedition GPS and Install Questions<BR><BR><BR>>I am going to purchase a
Ford Expedition in the next day or two. We are<BR>> passing on the on-board
navigation for obvious reasons :-) For the price <BR>> of<BR>> an
on-board system I can purchase D-710, probably any GPS I want, new <BR>>
mounts<BR>> antennas and<BR>> all wiring/mount
materials.<BR>><BR>> Any suggestions as to which GPS units I should be
looking at? I have been<BR>> tempted to look at the AV/MAP G5 but am
wondering if there is anything<BR>> better out there. Since this will be
our primary GPS as large as we can <BR>> get<BR>> is what we are looking
for. I am getting away with this expense since the<BR>> XYL is tired of
having a laptop on her lap hours on end during long trips. <BR>> I<BR>>
was thinking of a jotto desk for the laptop but it appears that the
center<BR>> console will not allow a desk of any kind and still have
passenger room. <BR>> We<BR>> are going to go for the DVD system for the
kids I think, don't know if it<BR>> has inputs so we could hook up the
laptop, if it does maybe a mini-12v PC<BR>> would be in
order?<BR>><BR>> Also any other sig members with the Expedition? I would
appreciate it if <BR>> you<BR>> can contact me off list with any words
of advice on placement and wiring. <BR>> I<BR>> plan on doing 1 dual
band antenna, a 800/1.9Ghz antenna for EVDO, and<BR>> possibly a GPS
antenna. Radio and EVDO Cradlepoint router to be mounted<BR>> somewhere in
the rear quarter panels. The cradlepoint is a router for EVDO<BR>> AirCards
that provides a WiFi hot spot and LAN port, I'll mount the router<BR>> back
there and run an antenna wire also. When we go on a long trip I'll <BR>>
just<BR>> plug my USB card in there and flood the car with a broadband
WiFi<BR>> connection. Minimal wires is what we are aiming for, even for the
<BR>> electronic<BR>> geek that I am trips with my toys can be annoying
with the rats nest we <BR>> have<BR>> by the time we add a phone charger
and radar detector to the front<BR>> windshield!<BR>><BR>>
Rich<BR>> k4gps@arrl.net<BR>><BR>><BR>>
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