[The Gonz]

Well, here come some pictures. I eliminated the entire mounting system in favour of letting the wire frame do it all. The only thing I like better than coathanger wire and and a pair of pliers is my soldering iron and a roll of solder...

1. The original compartment without modification, fully open:


2. Wire bent to form a tongue slotting into the mounting point in the bottom of the unit, then bent back and up over the top of the unit:


3. The top pf the wire frame is shaped to fit into the compartment door's slot snugly:


4. The frame drags the door down to a level that doesn't block the driver's view:


The frame holds the unit very capably and, while it's sitting on the rubber mat, it nevertheless hangs from the lid like a - you guessed it - coathanger.

I have a $5 car phone microUSB charger on order from Officeworks and I'll dismantle it to feed the bare cable down through one of the screw holes and to the back of lower centre panel where I'll reassemble most of it and parallel wire it to the existing charger socket.

My priority is to make absolutely no modification (including stick-on velcro) to the existing structure and any additions to be fully reversible.

[Dazzler]

Very neat Gonz (thanks for the pix) 

Your Mio does seem to sit quite low though.. Can you see the full screen when driving?

[The Gonz]

Can you see the full screen when driving?

It may seem low but I got it to sit back in the space and the resulting viewing angle gives me the full screen.

[Dazzler]

Can you see the full screen when driving?

It may seem low but I got it to sit back in the space and the resulting viewing angle gives me the full screen.

Thanks...

[The Gonz]

Alllllllllrighty then...

I've just reworked the mounting bracket for better placement, bringing it forward enough to use the space behind it for other things like my garage door opener while still providing sun protection for the GPS unit.

I bought a 3-in-1 USB car charger, covering iPhone, Blackberry and Nokia. I'm guessing the mini-USB plug was meant for the Blackberry but that's irrelevant. Why a 3-in-1? Because, at $5 from Go-Lo, it's the cheapest mini-USB car charger I can find (the Officeworks device never turned up despite having to prepay to put it on order!).

I dismantled the charger circuit and removed the big cigar lighter contact set, soldering speaker cable in its place, which emerges from the (12V positive) centre contact's hole.

Through the USB socket I pushed another piece of speaker cable and soldered each polarity to convenient points on the circuit board. To get past the USB socket's interior, I flared the spring tabs on the sides (ends) of the socket and pushed each of the speaker cable pair through to the space beyond the socket to the rest of the circuit board.

Why such artisan work over a $5 device? To make sure I could use the charger body unmodified and in-line for circuit protection and safety, with the 12V coming in one end and the 5V out the other.

The mini-USB plug was soldered to the '5V' speaker cable after it had made its way through the top tray's LHS screw hole and down to the charger.

The '12V' speaker cable was a much shorter length and its stripped ends were poked through the eyelets on the spade contacts on the back of the OEM socket in the console, then the OEM connector was repositioned over the top for a secure fit.

Now no more cable to be seen, and the $5 still yields a working USB to iPhone and Nokia charging cable 

(click to show/hide)

[Dazzler]

Looks good Gonz.. you are pretty handy with a soldering iron 

[Doggie 1]

Looks good Gonz.. you are pretty handy with a soldering iron 

Looks good Gonz.. you are pretty handy with a soldering iron 

Make someone a good wife. 

[The Gonz]

Looks good Gonz.. you are pretty handy with a soldering iron 

Thanks, Dazz. Perhaps this approach will give others the confidence to blow $5 on a 'custom in-dash' GPS install.

[The Gonz]

...soldering iron

Make someone a good wife. 

  30 yrs in the military makes me a good enough husband to be a good enough wife, but it also makes it necessary to have a good enough wife 

Speaking of wife, I excitedly offered to show her the finished look - missing the unsightly cable and adapter in the socket - and she just rolled her eyes and said "Only YOU would notice the difference" - 

Other détails mineurs include:
- the photo viewpoint is slightly lower than my driver's eye level and yet the lid is already below the windscreen edge.
- the lighter-reflecting floor in the tray below the sockets is a custom cut piece of black foam to overcome coin/pen/dongle rattle.
- the miniUSB cable through the screwhole pokes over the very soft and accommodating OEM rubber mat without deforming its fit.

...OK, Mrs Gonz may have a point after all 

[The Gonz]

PS. In the process of handling the panel with the power sockets, I noticed a rectangular bracket molded into the plastic between them. Any idea what this does? Does anyone have any feature between the sockets in their model?

[Shambles]

Does anyone have any feature between the sockets in their model?

I have a blue flashing LED which sparks up when I turn my ignition off (pics elsewhere on the forum here).

I also remember there being some kind of construction on the back of the twin power panel; probably something to do with strengthening it?

[The Gonz]

Does anyone have any feature between the sockets in their model?

I have a blue flashing LED which sparks up when I turn my ignition off (pics elsewhere on the forum here).

I also remember there being some kind of construction on the back of the twin power panel; probably something to do with strengthening it?

Thanks, Shambles. The bracket is definitely designed for housing something and not just for strength. If you decided on adding a 'security' LED you may be very close to the intended option - but we may never really know 

[Ugly Mongrel]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

 https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=9724.msg111645#msg111645

[Shambles]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

But.. but.. but.. how would you see the satnav if it was reversed


Stupid man.

[Ugly Mongrel]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

But.. but.. but.. how would you see the satnav if it was reversed


Stupid man.

I have that scenario covered, Shambles. Mrs UM sits on the bonnet and tells me which way to go by waving her arms about. Primitive, but it works.

[rustynutz]

Pics or it didn't happen....

[Ugly Mongrel]

Pics or it didn't happen....

No pics, rustynutz. She fell off the bonnet.

[rustynutz]

No damage to the i30, I hope? 

[Asterix]

Speaking of wife, I excitedly offered to show her the finished look - missing the unsightly cable and adapter in the socket - and she just rolled her eyes and said "Only YOU would notice the difference" - 

Sounds familiar...

 

[Alasama]

  
they always thought it's not important at all.

[Dazzler]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

 https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=9724.msg111645#msg111645

  Looks a bit ducking fusty though 

[The Gonz]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

Is that a hole in the front of the top tray? I don't have one and making one wouldn't be my kind of reversible. 

Nevertheless, I credit your approach - pedestal in tray - as inspiration for my first attempt and also the fine chap who posted a series of build photos and cited using the screwhole for the cable. Also the thread on removal of the socket panel.

My paltry contribution amounts to ensuring the lid is below the driver's road view and everything's reversible.

This board is one big credit fest 

[Doggie 1]

Here's how I did my mod. Totally reversible too.

Is that a hole in the front of the top tray? I don't have one and making one wouldn't be my kind of reversible. 

Isn't it ordinarily covered with a rubber mat?

[The Gonz]

Isn't it ordinarily covered with a rubber mat?

Nope -  smooth solid contiguous plastic under my mat :

[Doggie 1]

Isn't it ordinarily covered with a rubber mat?

Nope -  smooth solid contiguous plastic under my mat :

Mm.
I had a rubber non-slip mat inside the compartment on my FD.

[The Gonz]

Mm.
I had a rubber non-slip mat inside the compartment on my FD.

Clarification, DB. I have the rubber mat - it's the hole that UM used for the cable that isn't part of the car.

[Doggie 1]

Mm.
I had a rubber non-slip mat inside the compartment on my FD.

Clarification, DB. I have the rubber mat - it's the hole that UM used for the cable that isn't part of the car.

Oh, OK, I'm with you.
A small hole under a rubber mat, inside a closed plastic compartment wouldn't bother me, but I take you're point.
Thanks. 

[The Gonz]

I guess there really isn't a substitute for a good set of build shots. I didn't snap the power adapter behind the socket panels but I can demo the 10 second reversibility of my setup, should I be concerned about thieving eyes or for resale (although I couldn't even imagine resale!)







Before we start arguing the definition of reversibility, I estimate removing the USB supply would take another 10 seconds, maybe 20, since the commection to the back of the socket is pressfit.

In all honesty though, I intend to keep this in as a permanent feature...it's just that I recall buying my first post-P car and feeling a little disappointed to find the odd drill hole in the plastic from CB radios and such.

[Alasama]

Inspired by this thread, I also made my poor work for my GPS, and found the power wire was able to go through the hole which was for the use of cover hinge, so I don't have to drill a hole. 

[The Gonz]

Inspired by this thread, I also made my poor work for my GPS, and found the power wire was able to go through the hole which was for the use of cover hinge, so I don't have to drill a hole. 

If there's no potential damage to the wire - very nice!