2. Mounting the RoadMate 1470 in the Car

Figure 13: Magellan RoadMate 1470, Mounted in the Car

Installing the RoadMate 1470 in the car is a quick and simple process that you can do yourself, and doesn't require any professional installation.

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.

Figure 14: Attaching the Mount to the Windshield

Press the base of the mount (the rubber suction cup part) against the windshield glass, and then push the lever all the way down (towards the windshield) until it locks into place.

Figure 15: Windshield Mount, Secured to the Glass

Magellan's updated windshield mount it an improvement over previous mounts. Lighter, simpler, and fewer moving parts to break, the new mount holds the GPS securely in place and is easy to remove.

One minor complaint is that Magellan continues to use a passive mount, so you have to connect the power cable directly to the GPS rather than the windshield mount. Active mounts, such as those used on some Garmin and TomTom models, allow you to connect the power plug to the windshield mount instead of the GPS, making it even easier to quickly dock or undock the GPS from the mount, without having to re-connect any wires each time.

Note: It's advisable to remove GPS and the windshield mount when parking in public places. Thieves know that a windshield mount probably means there's a GPS somewhere in the car, so it's best to keep the GPS (and the mount) out of sight from would-be thieves.

Figure 16: Connect the 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Figure 17: Connect The Power Plug

Connect the mini-USB (power) plug into the RoadMate 1470

Figure 18: Be Sure To Connect The USB Power Plug After The GPS is Mounted

I connected the power cable to the RoadMate before trying to slide the GPS onto the docking cradle of the windshield mount. That doesn't work, as the USB power cable gets in the way of the base of the mount. That means you have to slide the RoadMate onto the windshield mount first, then try to connect the power cable to the port on the bottom of the GPS (which is easier said than done, since you can't see the USB port on the underside of the GPS when it's resting in the windshield mount, so this can take some fumbling around.

This is an annoying design flaw that could easily be fixed with a differently angled power plug. The windshield mount itself is nicely designed, but having to connect the power plug after the GPS is mounted is irritating, and can be difficult -- especially at night. Hopefully Magellan will correct this and supply a different USB power plug that's either straight instead of right-angled, or that has a less sever angle to it.

Figure 19: Magellan RoadMate 1470, Mounted in the Car

Mounting the RoadMate 1470 in the car is easy, taking no more than a minute or two. The device is good looking, and the large, bright 4.7-inch display is easily read from the driver's seat.

Figure 20: Magellan RoadMate, Mounted in the Car

The windshield mount does a good job holding the RoadMate firmly in place, even when driving at highway speeds, or on bumpy surface streets.

3. Turning on the RoadMate 1470 For The First Time

Figure 21: Turning on the RoadMate 1470

Slide the power switch on the top of the RoadMate to power on the unit.

The RoadMate 1470 takes 34 seconds to turn on. Unfortunately, there's no standby power mode, so you'll have to wait a full 34 seconds every time the GPS is turned on.

Figure 22: Select Language

The first time the RoadMate 1470 is powered on, a brief setup wizard appears. Specify which language you want to use. The RoadMate supports English, Spanish, and French.

Figure 23: Time Zone

Next, tell the RoadMate which time zone you are located in, and whether you are currently observing daylight savings.

Figure 24: Select Units

Lastly, the RoadMate needs to know whether you prefer to see distances in Miles/Feet, or Kilometers/Meters. Touch whichever setting is appropriate for your region.

Figure 25: Main Menu

Once the initial settings have been configured, the Main Menu appears. The RoadMate is now ready to navigate.