Any inventive people here?

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 300 sat nav. This...

I'd like to be able to use it on my bike occasionally so I want something which will hold it securely and keep it dry. It doesn't need power. I'd rather not pay loads for something that I'll use rarely, (even if something purpose made did exist!) so I'm looking for something that I can adapt with a handlebar bracket etc. Some kind of plastic or metal box with a window, for example, but I can't think of anything suitable. It has an antenna flap thing on the back which needs to come out to turn sat nav on.

Any ideas?

Si

[Mat C]

Would it fit into one of those huge "TicTac" boxes? If you were lucky the antenna would pop out where the mints normally come out. They sell massive ones at the petrol station near me...

Mat

[George]

Havn't got any ideas but this is just a gripe

I believe that this type of gizmo and others in car accessories are a nuisance in the sense of accidents,it takes a split second to knock someone down because of some careless drivers who want to fiddle with a gadget or look away from the road ie looking for their lighter or looing for the road map whilst driving.

I know its for your bike but on two wheels this will be your worst road enemy to yourself.

Rant over.

[R]

AH! You'll be *that* Volvo driver doing 35 in the middle lane of the motorway then while reading the map lodged in your steering wheel then!

[George]

No,I'll be the angry bastard knocking seven bells out of the prat who pranged my back end because he was reaching for mobile phone.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

That's not a bad idea at all, only I haven't seen any of those. I'll definitely have a look for one though. That and some manner of clamp might do the job nicely.

You wouldn't think it'd be so hard to find a plastic box!

Si

[salesguy]

So, you have never had a conversation with a passenger, used a mobile (hands free), adjusted the radio station/volume, changed a cd/track, travelled with children, or eaten an apple whilst driving then?

If you can say no to all the above, then you are in the minority you sanctimonious prat.

Accidents *DO* happen, despite the lawyers & insurance companies desire to prove blame.

Driving is dangerous, and you do need to give it full attention, but 'gadgets' are the least of your worries.

SalesGuy

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The whole beauty of a sat nav is you set it before you start a journey and generally don't need to touch it until you reach your destination - unlike a map. You don't need to look for street names etc either. So used sensibly can be an aid to safety over conventional methods.

[robgraham]

Having nearly come cropper while fiddling with the buttons on my cycling computer recently, I do have to agree with George's sentiments. Having said that, I'm not sure which is worse - peering at the map on top of the handlebar bag or trying to understand what a Sat Nav is telling you.

What about a mobile phone holder.

Rob

[George]

Having a coversation with a passenger does not mean you have to look at them,I know a couple of people who always keep their eyes on the road whilst chatting. Mobile phone (hands free) or not you still have press the button to recieve the call. I don't like having the radio on whilst driving that also goes for when I'm doing work,cant stand music whilst working. As for travelling with children,so long they have the seat belt on thats will do me fine. I dont eat at the wheel thanks,however I have seen a woman drinking coffee and become involved with a little mishap.

Sanctimonious...nah! just a careful driver towards other careful drivers.

[Peter Parry]

If you can manage the bracket I've a box full (probably a hundred or so) of old mobile phone cases with belt clips and transparent fronts that are fairly waterproof you are welcome to. Even at one per journey that should keep you going for a bit!

[dtechy]

What about a cable tie or 2 onto handlebars, couple of quid for 100 an can be snipped off after use. Cover sat nav with clingfilm each use

-- dtechy

[Peter Parry]

However the disadvantage is that if you don't have a map, or more importantly understand spatial orientation you end up blindly following the talking box to Lyneham in Knowsley rather than Lyneham in Chippenham. This creates much angst and the beating to death of the innocent (ish) crapnav which leaves a demented driver just outside Liverpool with no map and no plastic voice issuing instructions trying to find their way to Wiltshire. This is generally not an improvement in safety.

You also get the 35 tonne HGV's trying to go down farm lanes and under bridges which won't fit them because satnav has replaced knowledge and thinking.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

Jolly decent of you, Peter, although I don't think I'd need a hundred :)

Do you think it would fit in a phone case? It's 9.8cm wide, 7.4cm high,

2.2cm deep.

Si

[Dave Plowman (News)]

There's an old expression - rubbish in, rubbish out. No device is foolproof in operation when the operator is a fool. The answer to your point is to use the postcode. It's pretty unlikely an input error on that would give the result you describe.

You think a map would help such an idiot?

You get buses doing the same without the help of satnav.

I've only had one this year. And I'm impressed with it. Saves having to write down usually rubbish directions when visiting.

[John Rumm]

Hardly the fault of the satnav is it? If you don't bother having a quick check of the route, or at least notice that the anticipated distance and journey time is ten times what you expected, then you are probably beyond help!

Slapping in a destination postcode seems a reasonably fool proof method so long as you are careful what you type.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

They'd have to be very tight and there's a lot of screen and not much frame...

Si

[Huge]

35? I've been overtaken on the A1 by a woman in a green Audi who had a 4-ring binder propped on the steering wheel and was rummaging in a briefcase on the passenger seat. She must have been doing well over 80.

[Peter Parry]

I have carefully crafted a lump of Kingspan to the required size and will try it shortly :-). (I won't be near the box full until Monday).

[Steve Firth]

For the waterproofing, why no use on the drypacks sold for holding GPS/Radio/mobile phone etc?