Hey Mud!
I’ve made a new product to help you bring your 2003+ (98-2002 hopefully to follow) navigation equipped LC or LX into the 21st century. I call it the Owl Expedition Media Mount. I know there are other companies working on replacements for the navigation unit, but I personally believe this setup has way more functionality and possibilities.
First off, I can’t take credit for this idea. There have been several members here who have made a similar bracket for themselves. I believe @nnnnnate was one of the first, so kudos to him! I just have the ability and desire to make them and sell them so people with less time and abilities can enjoy the same advancements.
What it is, is a 12-gauge steel bracket which is epoxy painted black that replaces the tape deck, allowing you to mount a 1” RAM ball mount to it. It takes about 30 min-1 hour to install and requires no irreversible modifications to the system. I plan to get some directions written up this week which should make install a breeze. It incorporates a foam pad on the bottom side which rests on the bottom of the tapedeck opening. This makes is extremely strong and stiff. I wouldn't hesitate to put any size tablet on this thing. I would even maybe put a laptop on it, but that may get close to, or go over its limit.
Here are some photos!
I am using the Samsung Galaxy S2 8.0” tablet for a number of reasons. I believe android is the best platform for this type of usage. It has the ability to not allow the screen to time out when charging, so the screen only turns off when you stop the car. It has built in GPS so apps like Gaia GPS, google maps, and others work wonderfully. It still has auto brightness on the screen so even though it stays on, it will dim when it gets dark out. You can use the Torque app which is awesome and the Bluetooth OBD2 receivers are cheap. You can have split screen meaning you can have maps and music showing on the screen at once. It has 32gb internal storage but can be expanded to 128gb using a microSD so you can pre-load maps and music. It also has an AMOLED screen. This means that the color black is the pixels turning off instead of trying to display a black color like in other screens. That means less light to blind you if you choose a dark background. It also has very vivid colors and is easy to see in the bright sun.
You do have to have a wireless tethering with your cell phone to get all these features. You can still do a lot without it if you download stuff before leaving the house. I believe most carriers allow you to wireless tether for free now though.
I’m also using a magnetic charger (not included in price breakdown below). It allows me to take the tablet out and put it back into the cradle pretty effortlessly. No dealing with cables.
I think this system is awesome. I have pretty much everything you could want in a vehicle media system. It has endless apps you can use for music, navigation, tracking, etc. I’m really excited to see what some of you come up with since the possibilities with RAM mounts is nearly endless.
Here is a demonstration video and some more info. I had to use my gopro mounted to the headrest for the video so its not the greatest quality.
Here are links to my specific setup. You can obviously do whatever you like, but this suites my needs very well:
Tablet: $300
Amazon.com: Samsung Galaxy SM-T713NZKEXAR Tab S2 8.0, 32GB, Black: Computers & Accessories
Tablet Mount Holder: $28
RAM Tab-Tite Cradle for 8" Tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Unpackaged - RAM-HOL-TAB30U | RAM Mounts
Ram Ball 1: $9
Amazon.com: Ram Mount 1/4-Inch-20 Female Threaded Hex Hole with 1-Inch Ball: Cell Phones & Accessories
Ram Ball 2: $7
https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Motorc...id=1528761931&sr=8-14&keywords=ram+ball+mount
Ram Arm: $16
Amazon.com: Ram Mount Double Socket Swivel Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases: Automotive
Vais Bluetooth Adapter: $230
Amazon.com: SL3B-L SoundLinQ3 Bluetooth streaming audio music kit with USB charge. For select Lexus radios: Cell Phones & Accessories
Owl Expedition Media Mount: $55
Total cost for the ultimate media center: $645 (prices may change)
So right now, I have 5 handmade (will have slight imperfections, but the visible part when installed should be nearly perfect) brackets ready to go and hope to get them shipped this weekend after I finish up some directions. I’m not sure what the demand will be for this, but I would love to get some responses here as to if you would buy one or not if you don’t make the first five (assuming there is even 5 people interested!). If the response is good, I will have some laser cut and make them readily available for purchase.
The first 5 go out at a discounted price of $40 apiece and I will throw in a free decal of your color choice (red, yellow, orange, purple, or white).
So the first 5 people to respond wanting one, say so on here and I will send you a PM with paypal instructions.
Installation Instructions
Owl Expedition Media Mount Instructions.pdf
I’ve made a new product to help you bring your 2003+ (98-2002 hopefully to follow) navigation equipped LC or LX into the 21st century. I call it the Owl Expedition Media Mount. I know there are other companies working on replacements for the navigation unit, but I personally believe this setup has way more functionality and possibilities.
First off, I can’t take credit for this idea. There have been several members here who have made a similar bracket for themselves. I believe @nnnnnate was one of the first, so kudos to him! I just have the ability and desire to make them and sell them so people with less time and abilities can enjoy the same advancements.
What it is, is a 12-gauge steel bracket which is epoxy painted black that replaces the tape deck, allowing you to mount a 1” RAM ball mount to it. It takes about 30 min-1 hour to install and requires no irreversible modifications to the system. I plan to get some directions written up this week which should make install a breeze. It incorporates a foam pad on the bottom side which rests on the bottom of the tapedeck opening. This makes is extremely strong and stiff. I wouldn't hesitate to put any size tablet on this thing. I would even maybe put a laptop on it, but that may get close to, or go over its limit.
Here are some photos!
I am using the Samsung Galaxy S2 8.0” tablet for a number of reasons. I believe android is the best platform for this type of usage. It has the ability to not allow the screen to time out when charging, so the screen only turns off when you stop the car. It has built in GPS so apps like Gaia GPS, google maps, and others work wonderfully. It still has auto brightness on the screen so even though it stays on, it will dim when it gets dark out. You can use the Torque app which is awesome and the Bluetooth OBD2 receivers are cheap. You can have split screen meaning you can have maps and music showing on the screen at once. It has 32gb internal storage but can be expanded to 128gb using a microSD so you can pre-load maps and music. It also has an AMOLED screen. This means that the color black is the pixels turning off instead of trying to display a black color like in other screens. That means less light to blind you if you choose a dark background. It also has very vivid colors and is easy to see in the bright sun.
You do have to have a wireless tethering with your cell phone to get all these features. You can still do a lot without it if you download stuff before leaving the house. I believe most carriers allow you to wireless tether for free now though.
I’m also using a magnetic charger (not included in price breakdown below). It allows me to take the tablet out and put it back into the cradle pretty effortlessly. No dealing with cables.
I think this system is awesome. I have pretty much everything you could want in a vehicle media system. It has endless apps you can use for music, navigation, tracking, etc. I’m really excited to see what some of you come up with since the possibilities with RAM mounts is nearly endless.
Here is a demonstration video and some more info. I had to use my gopro mounted to the headrest for the video so its not the greatest quality.
Here are links to my specific setup. You can obviously do whatever you like, but this suites my needs very well:
Tablet: $300
Amazon.com: Samsung Galaxy SM-T713NZKEXAR Tab S2 8.0, 32GB, Black: Computers & Accessories
Tablet Mount Holder: $28
RAM Tab-Tite Cradle for 8" Tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Unpackaged - RAM-HOL-TAB30U | RAM Mounts
Ram Ball 1: $9
Amazon.com: Ram Mount 1/4-Inch-20 Female Threaded Hex Hole with 1-Inch Ball: Cell Phones & Accessories
Ram Ball 2: $7
https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Motorc...id=1528761931&sr=8-14&keywords=ram+ball+mount
Ram Arm: $16
Amazon.com: Ram Mount Double Socket Swivel Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases: Automotive
Vais Bluetooth Adapter: $230
Amazon.com: SL3B-L SoundLinQ3 Bluetooth streaming audio music kit with USB charge. For select Lexus radios: Cell Phones & Accessories
Owl Expedition Media Mount: $55
Total cost for the ultimate media center: $645 (prices may change)
So right now, I have 5 handmade (will have slight imperfections, but the visible part when installed should be nearly perfect) brackets ready to go and hope to get them shipped this weekend after I finish up some directions. I’m not sure what the demand will be for this, but I would love to get some responses here as to if you would buy one or not if you don’t make the first five (assuming there is even 5 people interested!). If the response is good, I will have some laser cut and make them readily available for purchase.
The first 5 go out at a discounted price of $40 apiece and I will throw in a free decal of your color choice (red, yellow, orange, purple, or white).
So the first 5 people to respond wanting one, say so on here and I will send you a PM with paypal instructions.
Installation Instructions
Owl Expedition Media Mount Instructions.pdf
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