mounting a handheld scanner

[jdc50]

I have a holder that clips to the air vent and it works pretty well. I am concerned about the temperature changes it goes through. In the summer with the air conditioner on it gets very cold. The opposite in the winter. I am not sure that this is good for the scanner's electronics. Anyone have experience with this?

Question 2 is does the 3m command tapes work well for mounting of the face of a dash board? Will they hold up to the temperature changes plus be able to taken off without damage when I sell my vehicle in the fututer?

Thanks for any imput.

 

[2112]

I have a holder that clips to the air vent and it works pretty well. I am concerned about the temperature changes it goes through. In the summer with the air conditioner on it gets very cold. The opposite in the winter. I am not sure that this is good for the scanner's electronics. Anyone have experience with this?

Question 2 is does the 3m command tapes work well for mounting of the face of a dash board? Will they hold up to the temperature changes plus be able to taken off without damage when I sell my vehicle in the fututer?

Thanks for any imput.

Most scanner that I'm familiar with don't mind being run in very cold temperatures. However, if your radio has an LCD display like most built these days, it can have trouble in very cold temperatures.

I wouldn't want to place my high-dollar equipment into a heater vent's stream. Couldn't you just redirect the heated air to use the vents at the floorboard while your scanner's in-place?

Something to consider in hot humid environments is taking a scanner that's acclimated to the outside and placing into a cold A/C vent's stream. That will tend to condense water out of the air that's inside your scanner... right onto the interior componentry of scanner itself. Scanner + Water = Uh oh.

I'm not fond of using tape for anything mounted in a car. It generally has trouble holding up to periods of alternating hot and cold (especially hot). It'll get gooey and/or brittle with time, and could fail at the worse possible time, for example, during an accident. The gooey residue left behind from removal of the tape can be easy or nearly impossible to remove, depending on the type of tape used, the manufacturer of the tape, and the environmental conditions the tape was exposed to during its installed lifetime.

In the shack pictures forum, there are lots of people who have shown examples of successful installs of portable scanners with various bolt-in clamps. If a portable has to be mounted in a vehicle, this is the method I tend to recommend. Many times, something can be done that involves mounting the base of such a mount in a sturdy, yet hidden location... for instance, the passenger seat mounting bracket, or directly to the floor beneath the carpet (with a very small slit cut cleanly in the carpet for the pole... dark-colored carpet helps to hide the slit at sale time). In any case, I strongly recommend tethering the scanner so it doesn't bounce off your forehead if you are forced into a high-performance driving scenario.

Hope this helps...

 

[lockoutspecialist2]

I mounted my handheld with heavy duty velcro beside my shifter in the car works great I am always pulling it out to reprogram.

 

[twolf816]

i used to have mine on a cellphone mount with velcro to keep it from swiveling...worked very wekk

 

[52to12]

I saw a cell phone/small electronics mount at Office Depot recently .that fits in a cup holder. It looked like it might work with a HH scanner. Cost was around $25.

 

[wilbilt]

Another thing to consider about tape mounting is the fade factor.

The dash surfaces will fade over time due to UV exposure. Even if you can remove all of the tape and residue, there will be obvious unfaded areas beneath where the tape was.

As for mounting, I agree a location out of your body's trajectory in the event of an accident would be best. You certainly don't want a keypad imprint in your forehead, etc...

 

[DickH]

As for mounting, I agree a location out of your body's trajectory in the event of an accident would be best. You certainly don't want a keypad imprint in your forehead, etc...

Here's what I did. This is in and out of the car many times every day for nearly 2 years and it is still just as solid as when I started.

http://www.pbase.com/dickh/image/40547826

http://www.pbase.com/dickh/image/40547839

 

[wogggieee]

Not sure what scanner you have, that might be helpful to know. I have a 396 and what i did was to take a CB mic holder and attach that to the dash with screws and then the belt clip attachment thing on the back of the 396 fits perfectly i there and its easy to insert and remove. If your scanner doesn't have a belt clip attachment thing maybe you could get one. either way its a very cheap and easy way to do it. also regarding the heating, you would be better off running it to the floor anyways. hot air rises. doesn't make much sense to blow something that rises out of the highest vents in the car. makes for more uneven heating. use the floor vents.

 

[DickH]

Not sure what scanner you have, that might be helpful to know.

You won't need help if you read the title under the linked photos.