4. Mounting the Maestro 4250 in the Car

Figure 18: Magellan Maestro 4250, Mounted in the Car

Installing the Maestro 4250 in the car is a quick and easy process that you can do yourself and doesn't require any professional installation.

Before installing the GPS in the car:

• Pick a spot on the windshield where you'll be able to see the GPS easily, but it won't interfere with your view of the road. I typically install the GPS in the center of the windshield, about midway between the rear view mirror and the dashboard. Some people also like to install the GPS in the lower-left corner of the windshield.
• Since the antenna is located in the top of the GPS, try to make sure the top of the GPS has an unobstructed view of the sky through the windshield.
• Be sure to route the power/traffic cables in such a way that they won't get disturbed in the event the airbags are deployed.

Magellan also suggests using the included alcohol pad to clean the area on the windshield that has been selected for mounting the Maestro (if you do this, be sure to let the windshield dry completely before connecting the mount).

Figure 19: Windshield Mount, Connected to the Windshield

Secure the mount to the windshield by pressing the base of the mount (the clear rubber suction cup part) against the windshield glass, and lowering the lever at the base of the mount all the way down until it snaps into place.

Figure 20: Connect the 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Plug the 12v adapter into your car's cigarette lighter. Notice that the 12v plug widens at the base, so you may need to turn it on its side to fit in the socket, as I had to in the figure above.

One minor nuisance with the design of Magellan's 12v adapter: the wire sticks straight out of the back instead of being angled up or to the side, and my hand brushed against the wire when putting the vehicle into Drive or Reverse. Depending on the layout of your car, this may or may not be the case for your setup.

Figure 21: Connecting the Power and FM Traffic Antenna

The 12v adapter also contains the FM Traffic antenna, and has two cables that need to be connected to the Maestro 4250. Plug the mini-USB plug into the Maestro, then the FM Traffic antenna into the FM port, as shown above.

Figure 22: Connect the Maestro to the Windshield Mount

Line up the tabs on the cradle with the holes on the bottom of the Maestro, and then rotate the GPS towards the windshield until it snaps into the cradle.

The cradle itself is lightweight and feels a little flimsy when docking/undocking the Maestro.

Snapping the 4250 into the cradle requires a little more force than you might think. I found that I usually had to press the cradle and Maestro together using two fingers to get it to "snap" into the locked position.

Figure 23: Magellan Maestro 4250, Mounted in the Windshield

Overall the Maestro 4250 is a good looking GPS that feels comfortable in just about any vehicle's windshield.

Figure 24: Cables Connect Directly to the Maestro, Not the Mount

As previously noted, the power and FM traffic antenna connect directly to the Maestro 4250 rather than the windshield mount.

I prefer to see power and data supplied via the windshield mount rather than the GPS itself. Connecting and disconnected two cables each time the GPS is removed from the mount can become bothersome over time -- especially if you frequently remove that GPS from sight when parking the car on the street or in parking lots.

Figure 25: Magellan Maestro 4250, Mounted in the Windshield

Throughout my testing the Maestro's windshield mount did a good job holding the GPS solidly in place. There was no noticeable vibration when driving.

Magellan's mount isn't quite as elegant as Garmin's (which use an innovative ball and socket style joint that can be articulated into almost any viewing angle using one hand and without using any levers or knobs), but it is an improvement over Magellan's previous mounting hardware. TomTom's mounts are better looking, but I found Magellan's easier to operate and more practical.