Oliver Enterprises

Guys,

I'm looking for a few good ideas. I want to mount my cell phone where it can be legibly viewed and reached to use the touch screen while driving. I don't want to drill holes, or use adhesive. I wouldn't mind suction cupping to the windshield but that puts it a little too far away. And on the windshield would require the use of a fairly visibly dangling power wire.

I think I've come to the conclusion of using a vent clip. Unless anyone here can think of any reason this is a bad idea (other than blocking off air flow), I would like to hear it.

Here is the problem: How to get power to the smartphone, at the vent location (or any location for that matter) without a wire dangling? I can access 12 volts from either the OHC, or the console box (my car has no cigarette lighter / ashtray). But in either scenario, there's going to be a wire where I don't want it.

I'm looking for ideas. My leading idea at this time is to tap the OHC switched power, run it across the headliner toward the driver, then down (behind) the driver's A-Pillar, behind the left side of the dash and around to the left most vent, where I could vent-clip my smartphone.

Any better ideas?


Jason

comotiger

Tapping power this way to power your smartphone seems to be a whole bunch of work to avoid a dangling wire. Even by your method, you cannot avoid a bit of dangling wire as you have to plug the free end into the phone.

Proclip has two good mounting bases, one for the vent and the other for the center console.
http://www.proclipusa.com/dashboard-...-460/2010.cmsv

IMO, mounting on the left side vent is problematic because you will be using your left hand to navigate the phone screen and that location is not the most accessible to the eyes. Mounting on the right side vent is better I think, as shown for the Proclip mount. Unless you are a southpaw and manage well with your left hand.

I was "gifted" the Proclip center mount for Christmas . I am waiting to install the Beatsonic mirroring kit next month before I install the phone mount.

bigdizave

Anker makes a nice CD slot mount:

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Univers.../dp/B01GNOEZB6

This is only good if you don't use the CD player any more. Might be out of your line of sight like you're looking for but its close to the lighter there for easy power with a short cord.

Chuckinnj

Pro Clip makes a nice clip and I also like the KUDA phone mount......... www.kudausa.com

comotiger

Yes, the Kuda mount next to the glove box looks great also. Unlike Proclip, Kuda's holder is more elegant because it comes covered in pleather with stitching to match with the LS dash. Since they don't make one for the 2013+, I contacted their US rep. Two calls and emails later, there was no response, I gave up, and went with the Proclip.

shinbob

Living in California, I was forced to buy some kind of phone mount for 2017. Wasn't crazy about any of the windshield, dash, or CD mounts that I saw.

Based on a recommendation from a post here, I bought the Kuda mount for my 2010 LS, in light grey, and I love it! Though maybe a little pricey for what is essentially a piece of sheet metal and some fake leather, I like that it almost looks like the mount was built-in from the factory. Their actual phone clips were a bit too expensive, so I got one from Amazon which I think works even better.

I ran the power cable behind that trim piece that connects the dash with the center console box, and all I have to see is a short 4" section of cable from there to the mount.

roadfrog

Another vote for the pro clip. And since I have the Vaistech SL3B module, which comes with a charge cable, I ran the wire along the console to the Proclip. Wire out of sight and my phone is near the console whre the mount is.

Gbp

I currently use a kludge for navigation when driving, a combination of linking my phone's Bluetooth to the car, issuing Android navigation voice commands (starting with "Listen up, Moto X", which wakes up the phone), and looking at the car's relatively large screen as directions come through the car's speaker(s?). Alternatively, I link my phone's Bluetooth to a headset-type device.

In short, I no longer look at the phone or touch it when driving. I look forward to more reviews on the Beatsonic mirroring system. I need to ask them whether it's compatible with 2010-2012 LS MY's. My ultimate goal is to get the Google Maps display (which shows other details like traffic) on my nav screen.

comotiger

I will be buying the IF-04-EP mirroring kit from Beatsonic for my 2014 LS. I just checked, and this kit is only compatible with 2013+ LS460s. I am getting it for exactly the reason you mentioned: Mirroring the google maps screen on my Nav screen. I am also hoping this will make it easier to switch channels for podcasts etc. The product gets good reviews (check youtube), and I will post one here in a few weeks. Now that Beatsonic has decided to drop the Apple Carplay product they introduced at CES2016, there appears to be nothing in the market that would work with iPhones and get Google Maps (or Apple Maps) to display on the Nav screen. There is the GROM V-Line but that's a stand alone product.

Oliver Enterprises

I do like the kudausa bracket. The problem that I see with that bracket is, I do not want that bracket on the passenger side of the vehicle, or a wire in that passenger side vicinity either. If it could be mounted mirrored over on the driver's side, then I would be down with it. Someone with this bracket let me know if that's possible.

The second thing is ... regarding displaying google maps on the Nav screen. Forget for a second that the system may not work on my 2010 model. My question is, does the actual navigation / car placement then depend on the smartphone's GPS signal? Because my smartphone's GPS gets a little off position from time to time, and then google maps tries to direct me from the wrong position. Which, when I don't know where I'm at, leads to wrong turns. However, if the google maps displayed on the LS Nav screen will work with the vehicle's GPS signal (which is much more robust), this would be GLORIOUS. Does anyone know which GPS signal is used?

Lastly: Here is my current direction: I'm going to vent clip mount my smartphone in the left-most vent. I'm buying a pigtail 12V to 5V Micro B wire harness. I'm going to tap 12V from my hardwire harness that is powering my Valentine 1. Run that power to the left A-Pillar. I have removed the left A-Pillar cover, and the left side Instrument Panel Cover (the panel cover with the vent to the door trim). Once the wire harness exits the bottom of the A-Pillar cover, it will route unseen behind the panel cover. The Micro B connector will route through the panel cover's vent (to the door trim) and around the side of the dash. The only visible wire will be when the door is open around to below the vent to the bottom of the smartphone. Maybe 6" of exposure. But a passenger will not see that. The wire will be getting a little crushed when the door closes in the seal from the IP to the door trim ... but it's just a rubber seal, so it should be OK. I'll make do using the smartphone there ... that's why God gave me a left hand.

I'll post up some pictures when I install. Right now, it's just stuff taken off the car, and the car sitting in the garage.


Jason

salesguy

My solution for this is pretty simple. I use a vent mount that holds my iPhone, on the left most vent where the phone hangs down over the volume button. I have a 4" power cable that just reaches the cigarette lighter where I have a USB adapter plugged in, and it's super clean. Only blocks a few buttons and there is no annoying extra cable all over the place. I'd take a picture but I don't have a second phone handy. People comment on how tidy it looks.

Sometimes simple solutions are a good option!

comotiger

The Google maps App is running on the smartphone and will use the GPS signal generated in the phone. If you were to install GROM V-line, it comes with a GPS receiver (or uses the vehicle GPS, I forget which), and it will run Google Maps in Android OS.

roadfrog

This was the same reason why I didn't go the Kuda route.

Gbp

i called Beat-Sonic today and confirmed that their phone mirroring products aren't compatible with pre-2013 LS460's. The reason is that before MY 2013, the LS460 infotainment system is unable to receive an A/V signal directly from secondary devices, such as the ones Beat-Sonic offers.

This leaves Vaistech as an option for me, but that requires either some sort of casting of a phone that either has HDMI output capabilities or can accept an MHL or possibly a Slimline to HDMI adapter.

comotiger

The beauty of the IF mirroring kit is that it includes a DVD/Nav bypass module that is also sold separately. With the Vaistech phone kit (iVIC6), you still have to get the Nav Bypass kit separately. And I don't think you will be able to use Google maps. Some of you may remember my thread about this from a while back.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...n-2014-ls.html