I have been looking for a while for the right phone mount, and have tried a bunch, like a vent mount, dash mount, CD slot mount, etc.
I wasn't completely happy with them I think because I always had to look left and down, taking my eyes off the road. I didn't want to go with a windshield mount because that can block your view as well.
A few folks here mentioned Proclip USA mounts, which has an awesome pillar mount, but I didn't like that they want you to buy their slide in phone mount to go with it, since every time you change phones you have to buy a new $30 part.
So I decided to hack a cheap $5 magnetic mount together with the pillar mount.
I've been using it every day for a month and like it. Barely have to take gaze from the road, magnet is quick and easy, as is changing from landscape to portrait.
This is just a quick guide in case it gives someone else the inspiration to do something different. It only took 5 mins.
Proclip part for CX-5
http://www.proclipusa.com/store/products/proclip-left-mount-804782.aspx
Magnetic vent mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
I got it on sale for $5, now $8, but it is generic item and there are a lot around $5 or less.
Mount
Taken apart with 1 screw
Back of mount. Turns out the raised area had to be shaved off so the same screw could be used. It is soft plastic so it was easy to shave with a box cutter.
This is the pillar mount. I marked from corner to corner to find center and drilled a hole just big enough to pass screw through.
Two parts fitted together
This is the mount in the car. It could go higher or lower on the pillar, but I put it where when the phone is in landscape it won't touch the instrument cluster of the dash
And here it is with the phone
Next thing to do is to run the USB cord back through the dash so it comes out somewhere near the base of the pillar. Right now it is working fine laying over the steering wheel.
I wasn't completely happy with them I think because I always had to look left and down, taking my eyes off the road. I didn't want to go with a windshield mount because that can block your view as well.
A few folks here mentioned Proclip USA mounts, which has an awesome pillar mount, but I didn't like that they want you to buy their slide in phone mount to go with it, since every time you change phones you have to buy a new $30 part.
So I decided to hack a cheap $5 magnetic mount together with the pillar mount.
I've been using it every day for a month and like it. Barely have to take gaze from the road, magnet is quick and easy, as is changing from landscape to portrait.
This is just a quick guide in case it gives someone else the inspiration to do something different. It only took 5 mins.
Proclip part for CX-5
http://www.proclipusa.com/store/products/proclip-left-mount-804782.aspx
Magnetic vent mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
I got it on sale for $5, now $8, but it is generic item and there are a lot around $5 or less.
Mount
Taken apart with 1 screw
Back of mount. Turns out the raised area had to be shaved off so the same screw could be used. It is soft plastic so it was easy to shave with a box cutter.
This is the pillar mount. I marked from corner to corner to find center and drilled a hole just big enough to pass screw through.
Two parts fitted together
This is the mount in the car. It could go higher or lower on the pillar, but I put it where when the phone is in landscape it won't touch the instrument cluster of the dash
And here it is with the phone
Next thing to do is to run the USB cord back through the dash so it comes out somewhere near the base of the pillar. Right now it is working fine laying over the steering wheel.