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iPad car mount for Subaru Outback

dbdoug

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I discovered that the in-dash cup holder in my Subaru Outback (1998) has a quick release lever at the back and a fairly flat face, so I made it into my iPad mount. I've attached 3 photos of the installation.

I cut a piece of 1/8" plywood about 6"x7" (vertical) and marked it for drilling against the face of the cup holder. I drilled two small holes right through the plywood and the front of the cup holder. I cut out an oval in the plywood so that the cup holder release button could function and hold the cup holder against the dash. Then I glued two 2"x6" strips of plywood at the top and bottom so that there would be room for the screw heads to stick out without touching the back of the iPad.

I attached two 2"x6" strips of heavy duty velcro to the plywood strips and in matching positions on the back of my iPad, avoiding the apple logo which is the wireless antenna.

I screwed the plywood onto the face of the cup holder with two 3/4" screws, and that was it, ready to slide into the dash. The only drawback is that the heater controls aren't easily reached any more - but hey, it's summer!
 

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dbdoug

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That's creative! I don't think the Apple logo is where the wireless antenna is, though.

AppleInsider | Teardown of iPad 3G shows Apple using LCD frame as an antenna

There are actually FIVE antennas in this iPad:
Two antennas handle the cell reception -- one is in the RF window on top, the other attaches to the LCD frame.
A single GPS antenna is also housed in the RF window on top.
Just like the iPad Wi-Fi, there are two antennas that handle Wi-Fi / Bluetooth connectivity, one in the Apple logo and another to the left of the dock connector.
 

mtltdi

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How deep is the cupholder area? I wonder if you could have it flip into the dash for a stealth install?
 

benst

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Personally, I would buy a cheap silicon cover from ebay for < $10 inc postage, and stick the velcro to that.

But thank you so much for the idea. It has simplified my plans greatly.
 

Hasty

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Lol scarcely noticed the iPad holder........was staring in awe at that clean interior.
Got many kids? :)
 

cyberjo

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It looks pretty good. How stable is it on rough roads?

Hii SciFan,

it is very stable on acceleration and sudden stops or rapid turns.... I would say that it should sustain most bumps on rough roads but a bit more vertical stabilization might be required !
 

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