iPad 2 in 2008 Nissan Altima - Magnet Dash Mount

Hey all - I wanted to share the iPad 2 dash mount I came up with for my Altima sedan. Hopefully it's of some help to somebody. I wanted something that would leave the dash intact, and use the OEM stereo system.

I found that I easily could remove the center HVAC vent cover and mount some strong neodymium magnets behind the panel. There's plenty of places to buy these online for pretty cheap. I would then attach some more of the same magnets to the back of a cheap iPad hard shell case. This gives me the ability to take the iPad out of the car when I want, and leaves the dash looking stock when the iPad is not in place.

Initial Plans
http://f.cl.ly/items/0F0G1i2P243Y1o1...48:33%20PM.png

Inside of the HVAC vents
http://f.cl.ly/items/0K2V1z3d2y1Y2k3...23:14%20PM.png

Close-up of the double-stacked magnets behind the HVAC panel
http://f.cl.ly/items/0H233k1R2L3o3Q4...24:42%20PM.png

Back of the iPad Case
http://f.cl.ly/items/041i340r3I2Z2C2l1U1X/diagram.jpg

I had to use some adhesive rubber feet, and some foam double stick tape from RadioShack to make the three magnets on the back of the case conform to the curve of the dash. All in all, I used 9 magnets, 7 rubber feet, and one package of the foam mounting tape (with a few leftover strips).

The most important part of the mounting scheme, as it turns out, was the group of rubber feet that I placed on the back of the case so that it would support the iPad on the main center PWR/VOL knob on the stereo. This would obviously change depending on your own stereo and dash layout, but for me it worked perfectly.

Altima stereo with cables run behind it
http://f.cl.ly/items/423w3L2y0E0v0O2...23:23%20PM.png

The cable I bought gets the audio from the dock connector as well as power, so I ran an 3.5mm extension with a right angle end over to my AUX on the right side of the stereo from behind.

Here's a video that shows the first test-drive to see how the mount would hold at freeway speeds and the bumps I run across to and from work each day. Holding strong!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YieMzcVYyJQ

Final shot of the iPad 2 mounted in place
http://f.cl.ly/items/1w1e2f3T0m430p1...23:19%20PM.png

Hope this helps someone, or at least gives some ideas for a non-permanent solution for mounting a tablet.

super clean setup + removable...and it doesn't look like it moves a bit. do those magnets interfere at all with any wifi/3g/4g reception?

Before I started rigging this up, I ran a few 'Speed Test' app tests on WIFI and 3G with the magnets scattered all over the iPad, and then ran some tests without the magnets on it and I really couldn't see any difference in the signal performance either way. Not a super scientific test, but it works for me.

I'm usually running at least Pandora or Spotify, plus Waze for GPS while I'm in the car, and so far I haven't run into any signal problems. I'm in San Diego, so it may differ if I was in a more rural area with spotty 3G.

who knew you could get such good signal in a whale's vagina

Did you have any problems with the magnets wiping the ipad memory? I just got some some and they are really strong and come with a warning to keep them away from electronics and memory.

Inspired by this post I did something similar with an ipad mini and bmw e46. I may have used too many magnet but it works great.

That's awesome Kelmk! Glad you could take some inspiration from my little rig. Interestingly enough, I was just thinking the other day about how an iPad Mini would be even better for this type of setup :) Thanks for posting!

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Originally Posted by kelmk

Inspired by this post I did something similar with an ipad mini and bmw e46. I may have used too many magnet but it works great.

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looks legit....soundmanca.com is charging 1200.00 for a more pro install but hey this way no need to spend all that money or start building with messy fiberglass. Can you guys tell me where yall bought those magnets please. Thanks

any good places where i can buy the magnets?

Holy crap; that's simple!!! What a great idea.

I've been toying with the idea of an iPad in my dash but didn't want to completely make the leap yet. This is a simple way of trying it without taking the dive off the cliff.

Any problems you've noticed after using it for a while?

Thanks