This GPS Ready Mount comes with a cigarette lighter adapter but can also be hard-wired directly into the car’s electrical system with an optional hardwire cable.
When I decided to get the Seidio G2500 GPS Ready Mount, I really didn’t pay to much attention to the system they use to attach the device. I remember seeing that there was a “goose neck” that had a suction cup at one end. I was more into the look and functionality of the mount and to be honest, a flexible “goose neck” is a flexible “goose neck”…so why pay attention to it. Clearly I didn’t have a clue as to what I was thinking because after seeing their system, it does matter.
The “goose neck” flexible pedestal is a very sturdy arm covered with a black flexible tubing. Attached at one end was a coupling for attaching the pedestal arm to the mount with the supplied attachments and at the other end was a well designed locking suction cup. Attaching it to the window of my car, I could exert a significant amount of pressure with out it breaking loose. I was more afraid of possibly breaking my window if I tried too hard so I was satisfied that it would do the job.
Along with the flexible pedestal arm, there were three attachments that were included for attaching to the mount. A locking plate for a direct connection for the arm, a “slide and lock” air vent pedestal and a 360 degree swivel adaptor. My preference was to use the swivel adapter with the “goose neck” pedestal because of the versatility it offered. I was able to locate the pedestal arm in such a way that either my wife or I could view the iPAQ while driving. The swivel allows for rotation of the device for landscape views…a great idea! I would have liked to have had a locking mechanism attached to the mount to avoid any possibility of the mount disconnecting from the pedestal.
When the mount is in place and power has been applied, there is a green light at the bottom of the mount indicating that power is present. Of course when your iPAQ is attached and power is applied, the iPAQ charge light flashes.
At the top of the mount there is an audio input allowing you to attach the audio from your iPAQ to the mount with a supplied adapter cable. It is surprising how good the sound is and with the ability to adjust the volume, it should satisfy a myriad of conditions that might arise. Next to the audio input is a GPS-Ready Port for those that use a wired GPS. This built-in RJ-11 connector allows you to plug your receiver directly into the mount for charging and connecting to your PDA for navigation. If your GPS receiver has a connector other than the RJ-11, there are several adapter cable options available to meet the needs of a wide variety of GPS units.
The left side of the unit has the volume control. The right side has the power-in connector and a DC out to allow for charging of addition devices. There is an optional DC out cable that you can purchase to charge other devices. The only want I have is a plug to place in the DC out outlet. There is a warning on the mount telling you NOT to plug the DC car charger into the DC out. A plug would help avoid a potential mistake. While I am on the subject of “plugs”, it would also be nice to have one for the GPS outlet. If you never use it, it will just collect dust.