3. Mounting the nuvi 680 in the Car

Figure 17: Mounting the nuvi 680 in the Car

Mounting the Nuvi 680 in the car is simple and straight forward:

• Connect the 12V power cable to the bottom of the mount, and connect the other end into the cigarette lighter plug in your car.
• Garmin suggests cleaning and drying the windshield and the suction cup prior to mounting it, although I did neither and everything still held solidly in place.
• Press the suction mount against the windshield and flip the locking lever into the locked position.
• Flip open the patch antenna.
• Fit the bottom of the nuvi into the cradle and tilt the nuvi back until it snaps into place.
• The Nuvi can now be docked and undocked by pressing the small tab on the bottom of the cradle and tilting the nuvi forward (towards you).

Figure 18: Connecting the MSN Direct enabled 12v Adapter

The nuvi 680's 12v adapter is also the MSN Direct receiver (used for receiving real-time traffic data, movie listings, gas pump pricing, and weather), and has its own internal rechargeable battery. MSN Direct data is only available when the 12v adapter is connected to the nuvi 680 and is in a coverage area for MSN Direct.

Figure 19: Garmin's new MSN Direct receiver / 12v Adapter

Although I was pleased to see Garmin had updated the styling of the 12v adapter / traffic receiver, in my car there was JUST enough room to clear the lip on the ash tray. Nevertheless, it did fit.

Figure 20: Connecting the Windshield Suction Mount

With the 12v cigarette lighter adapter / MSN Direct receiver connected, next you'll need to attach the suction mount to the windshield. Press the suction cup firmly against the glass and lower the locking lever into the locked position.

Figure 21: Connecting the 12v Adapter to the Dock

Thankfully the 12v adapter connects to the dock instead of the nuvi unit directly, making it that much simpler to dock/undock the nuvi 680 from the windshield mount.

Figure 22: Attaching the Dock to the Mount

Garmin's excellent windshield mount derives much of its strength from its simplicity; to connect the dock to the mount, you simply press the socket onto the ball-style joint. Once the dock "clicks" onto the ball joint, the two pieces are held firmly in place and do an excellent job holding the nuvi. The mount and dock can then be articulated into almost any viewing angle.

Figure 23: Side View of the nuvi 680, Mounted in the Car

Here you see the nuvi 680, connected to the mount and dock. The mount design is excellent. The ball and socket style mount holds the unit securely in place while driving, and allows you to tilt the unit at almost any angle. In my testing there was no vibration at all when driving (due mostly to the light weight of the nuvi combined with the solid construction of Garmin's windshield mount).

According to Garmin, this is the correct position for the antenna. The patch antenna should be parallel with the surface of the earth.

Garmin's GPS units have outstanding mounts, and the nuvi 680 is no exception. In fact, the suction mount makes such a solid connection with the windshield, I had a bit of a time getting it off the windshield (had to use 2 hands). I always pay special attention to the mounting hardware, as it is a critical component that often seems to be get overlooked by some GPS manufacturers (cough*TomTom*cough). Kudos to Garmin for continuing to invest in simple, elegant, and functional mounts.

Figure 24: nuvi 680, Mounted in the Windshield

At first I thought I wouldn't really care that much about the wide screen, but I have to admit I really liked having the extra screen size. It made navigating menus easier and made the map view easier to see at a glance. After living with the nuvi 680 for a few weeks, I'm so accustomed to the bright, large display that I find all other GPS units look small in comparison.

Figure 25: Turning off Safe Mode

The first time you try to use the nuvi 680 while driving, the screen shown above appears. "Safe Mode" makes it so you cannot use the nuvi while the vehicle is in motion. I find Safe Mode annoying, so I answered yes and disabled it. There are many legitimate times you would want to use the GPS while driving, such as forcing a route re-calculation, searching for a nearby POI, or letting the passenger use the GPS. Therefore, I find it best to leave Safe Mode disabled.