Cheap IPad Car Vent Mount
Intro: Cheap IPad Car Vent Mount
It might be ugly, but it works, and if you already have a bungee cord it will only cost you $1.99.
Materials
• short bungee cord
• wood clamp with plastic coating on the grips
Home Depot HDX 2 in. Spring Clamp Model # 80002 $1.99
One use for an iPad in the car
I have a long, stop-and-go commute out of the city after work. I was listening to podcasts and audio books, but it still felt like a tremendous waste of time. Recently, after reading a post on Lifehacker, I tried iTunes-U. I downloaded an IOS programming course with video lectures. It is a combination of XCode demos and slides. I was using the iPhone on a dash mount, but it is too small to read the code. I have plenty of time to study a screen, as there are at least 20 lights and fullstop merges between work and home. Now I can listen to the audio lecture all during the commute AND I can read the code and bullet points on the slides while stopped in traffic.
STEP 1: Short Bungee Cord
Find or buy a bungee cord just long enough to span your middle air vent. Knot it to shorten if necessary.
STEP 2: Wood Clamp
Buy a wood clamp with plastic tips. The plastic tips give it a good grip, and won't damage the surface of the iPad. I first tried this with a big binder clip, but it slipped right off.
STEP 3: Attach Bungee to Air Vent
Hook both end-hooks of the bungee cord over one of the air slats on opposite sides of the air vent.
STEP 4: Open Wood Clip and Insert Bungee
If the bungee cord is short enough it will hold the clamp upright. I leave it like this when not in use.
STEP 5: Insert the Top Edge of the IPad Into the Clip
The clamp is very strong and a little hard to open with one hand at first. It gets slightly easier, or maybe my hand got stronger, as it is used.
Comments
Jdsardone 10 years ago
From the first picture I thought this was the front grill of your car. As in, if you wanted to mount your iPad as a front license plate. Which just made me think that hitting a speed bump a little hard would get really expensive.
But overall good job, simple and effective.