Cutting Mount Down Length Wise

mealto

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Has anyone cut the sticky mount down in size? Want to put either the A119 V2 or A119 pro on the rear window but the entire window has the defrost lines. The only way to mount without any sticky part touching those lines is to cut the sticky mount length wise so it fits in between the defrost grid. Right now, I am mounting the cam on a tiny side window and the recording angle is not that good.

1. Has anyone done this?

2. What is the best way? I don't have any industrial strength clippers and I don't think regular scissors will work.
 
couple of choices, cut a thin piece of tape and stick over the demister lines before you stick the 3M on, cut a strip out of the 3M (probably harder to line up like this though
 
I would be wary about making the pad narrower as I think you could create a less stable mount. Removing a small strip from the middle of the pad might not be easy, but done right would probably be the better solution.

But, a question, what would be the downside of sticking the pad directly onto the heating wire? Fire? Damage to the wire when removing the mount? If you cover the wire with some other material (tape) what better situation is achieved?

How about cutting a thin strip of aluminium foil and sticking that to the pad before mounting, in a position to exactly cover the wire? Or cut the strip quite long and secure it at either end with Blutack, without gluing it to the window, and then stick the pad over the top with less need for perfect precision.
 
I am up for any ideas actually. Those defrost lines are so fragile. Slight damage and that entire line does not defrost anymore. I just checked the entire back portion of the cabin. I am wondering if Velcro would work on top of the interior ceiling! Trying to NOT have to pull panels apart and pull wires. I still think cutting the sticky mount is a good idea. If I can cut it cleanly lol
 
how often do you change cars, you ever consider just leaving the cameras in when you sell the car and not worry about it?
 
I am up for any ideas actually. Those defrost lines are so fragile. Slight damage and that entire line does not defrost anymore. I just checked the entire back portion of the cabin. I am wondering if Velcro would work on top of the interior ceiling! Trying to NOT have to pull panels apart and pull wires. I still think cutting the sticky mount is a good idea. If I can cut it cleanly lol
The sticky pad should cut quite easily if you score it with a sharp knife a few times and then peel the unwanted strip off, however it will look neater if you just stick a thin strip of clear tape or a strip cut from a polythene bag over the area that you don't want to be sticky. There is plenty of sticky pad to hold the camera, masking off a thin strip will not make it fail, as long as everything is clean and grease free when you apply it.

Alternatively, you could cut a thin strip of electrical tape and stick that over the heater wires before sticking the mount over the top. The glue used for electrical tape is not very strong and will not damage the heater wires when removed, also it normally dries up in UV light fairly quickly so tends to almost fall off when you want to remove it. much easier to position the camera this way.
 
@jokiin I don't plan to move the dash cam, just wanted to make sure I don't do any damage to the defrost lines. And want the ability to remove the sticky mount without causing any issues as well. Thinking ahead, you know? lol

@eezytiger I agree. I may just do that if I can't cut the sticky or find a good way to tape it off.

@Nigel You just made me realize that when taping, I should be taping the sticky side of the tape to the sticky side of the mount! This way, no sticky material ever touches the defrost line. I was originally thinking what you are recommending but then realized I could do the opposite. :) I wonder if I tape electrical tape to the sticky mount in a thin strip to protect the grid, would that work. Will the defrost grid still be able to carry enough current to do it's job?
 
@Nigel You just made me realize that when taping, I should be taping the sticky side of the tape to the sticky side of the mount! This way, no sticky material ever touches the defrost line. I was originally thinking what you are recommending but then realized I could do the opposite. :) I wonder if I tape electrical tape to the sticky mount in a thin strip to protect the grid, would that work. Will the defrost grid still be able to carry enough current to do it's job?
Yes, you can stick the electrical tape to the sticky mount, it is easier to cut to shape and position than most tapes, and yes, stick sticky to sticky! But then it is more difficult to get the positioning correct, sticking it over the wire first makes it easy not to miss the wire.

You don't need to worry about current through the heater wire, it is enclosed in transparent plastic so will be unaffected whatever you do. At least for a rear window, the ones in windscreens are actually embedded in the glass.
 
Has anyone cut the sticky mount down in size? Want to put either the A119 V2 or A119 pro on the rear window but the entire window has the defrost lines. The only way to mount without any sticky part touching those lines is to cut the sticky mount length wise so it fits in between the defrost grid. Right now, I am mounting the cam on a tiny side window and the recording angle is not that good.

1. Has anyone done this?

2. What is the best way? I don't have any industrial strength clippers and I don't think regular scissors will work.

I set up the mount on the seat using a garmin attachment on2017_12 Acura rear camera mount IMG_3175.JPG2017_11_23 Acura rear a119 setup garmin attachment IMG_3094.JPGA119 Camry rear-power direct to camera fixed mount IMG_0413.JPG both my cars. Pics above. The suction mount included with the Garmin did not stay very well, and therefore I had to use a fixed mount which was attached to a disk taped to a spot on the rear seat area. The Garmin mount made it easy to remove and replace the camera.
 
At least for a rear window, the ones in windscreens are actually embedded in the glass.

Windscreens, love it lol. I know it as a windshield but I understand! :)

On a side note, that mesh in the front windscreen / windshield is not electrical or even an antenna like most people think. Modern windshields have a metalized substance that help with protection against UV rays and, glare and even defrosting. Some electronics will get interference and this mesh area is where you could install electronics that may have interference. I read this in a manual on an Australian government agency somewhere. I have my front cam installed in the mesh area actually.
 
@Smiley Thx for sharing. Creative way to get the job done. Unfortunately, I don't have a rear seat to mount it your way.
 
You just made me realize that when taping, I should be taping the sticky side of the tape to the sticky side of the mount! This way, no sticky material ever touches the defrost line. I was originally thinking what you are recommending but then realized I could do the opposite. :) I wonder if I tape electrical tape to the sticky mount in a thin strip to protect the grid, would that work. Will the defrost grid still be able to carry enough current to do it's job?
I wouldn't use electrical tape as it gets really goopy in heat. I would use regular masking tape and maybe color it black with a sharpie. Or you could just stick a strip of paper on the adhesive and color it black as well. There's really no need for tape since you the adhesive is pretty much tape in and of itself.
 
I wouldn't use electrical tape as it gets really goopy in heat. I would use regular masking tape and maybe color it black with a sharpie. Or you could just stick a strip of paper on the adhesive and color it black as well. There's really no need for tape since you the adhesive is pretty much tape in and of itself.
Ink never keeps it's colour for long in sunlight, looks a mess after a while, black electrical tape does keep it's colour. Some types do go goopy, most don't, but it doesn't matter since it wont be holding anything once it is trapped under the mount.
 
i guess it depends on the vehicle, but i've never had a problem sticking and then removing dashcams or even window tint film on the back glass of a vehicle with defroster lines and radio antennas. in fact, i've had 3 different rear cameras attached to the glass (directly on top of defroster lines) in my rav4, with no issues. also had 3 or 4 different cams in the back of my camry, two in a toyota highlander, and one in a toyota sienna van, also directly on top of the lines.

but if i was concerned about it, i'd choose the option of cutting out a section of the foam tape on the mount itself rather than trying to add layers of other tape.
 
i guess it depends on the vehicle, but i've never had a problem sticking and then removing dashcams or even window tint film on the back glass of a vehicle with defroster lines and radio antennas. in fact, i've had 3 different rear cameras attached to the glass (directly on top of defroster lines) in my rav4, with no issues. also had 3 or 4 different cams in the back of my camry, two in a toyota highlander, and one in a toyota sienna van, also directly on top of the lines.

but if i was concerned about it, i'd choose the option of cutting out a section of the foam tape on the mount itself rather than trying to add layers of other tape.
Thank you for that, that's good to know. I asked my master mechanic, someone I've known and trusted for many years, about the defroster wires and he stated quite plainly that he strongly recommended against it – he said the wires could be damaged., He further said that if at all possible, avoid placing anything directly over them. I confirmed that with another mechanic as well. It sounds like so far you've been lucky. The idea of cutting out a section of the foam tape sounds like a really good one–that way you don't have to worry.
 
I personally think it may be easier to cut the entire piece down, and not just the foam tape. Let's see what happens when I have time to look into this.
 
When you do remove anything on the back glass, it's important to only use plastic tools. You can use some pretty aggressive solvents, just don't let them drip on the upholstery or carpet. Maybe that's how I've never had a problem - I was a mechanic (halfway to being an ASE master tech) for almost a decade, and also installed new car accessories, including window tint. And since I could do tint, that also meant occasionally stripping old tint and installing new. So I'm no stranger to working on glass.

I'm not saying your mechanics are wrong - it really doesn't take much to scratch or damage the defroster lines, and once the damage is done, it's often not possible to repair (at least, no repair I've seen had ever lasted long). I'm only relating my experiences with my personal vehicles (which as it happens are all Toyota) as well as customer cars (which were lots of different brands).
 
@jokiin , as always, thanks for your advice.

@Gibson99 , I am with you on this one. Hence, I want to cut the entire mount so nothing touches the defrost lines.

Let's see what happens!
 
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