Waterproof phone/GPS case with cable opening

[charliefirpo]

I'm looking for a case for my phone which also doubles as my GPS.
That would be easy to find however I need it to be waterproof and it needs to have an opening to connect a USB. (I ve got a Nexus 5 but any case will do as long as it fits.)
Am I just too stupid to find such a case (don't answer that) or is this really difficult to find?

[Fisty]

Otter box.
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[charliefirpo]

Thanks but these are not available for the Nexus 5.

[talkToTheHat]

Also interested in a phone/GPS case, seen plenty for cheap on amazon, dubious. I have a moto-g in the post thanks to the cheapness of ebay. Phone chosen as it's a reasonable platform for cyanogenmod and has claims of water repellent internals that may survive the occaisonal damp jacket. Would be nice to mount phone on bars for navigation in strange new places rather than my current arrangement of stop and read map and swear at old phone for being ineffectual.

OP, are you after a pocket case or one for mounting to the bike?
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[Beehive Bedlam]

[talkToTheHat]

Are such items any good? has anyone here tried these? I am slightly concerned that the cheap ebay items bodyguard mentions are a recipe for no phone when it is needed most. Hence mine and i assume the op's interest in what others had tried.
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[charliefirpo]

[Beehive Bedlam]

[charliefirpo]

I have also thought about a magnetic tank bag but then again I don't want to look at my tank all the time if I can look at the handlebar instead. I know people do it all the time with maps but I am not comfortable with that.
My concern is less that the zipper opens but that the cheap mount breaks. So I thought I will glue some string to the case and tie it round the handle bar. That should take care of that risk. And if it really breaks right on a trip then I guess it's time to go back to the old stop and go way of driving, looking at the map (phone) every once in a while out of your pocket.
I'll probably get the biggest case I found which is 16.5 cm inside and my Nexus 5 is 14cm so with an L shaped micro USB I can lead a cable inside. Even works for the head phone jack.

These are the best options I found:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251715947732

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-Motorcycle-Bike-Bicycle-Handlebar-Mount-Holder-Case-For-Cell-Phone-/390947533060

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-Motorcycle-Bike-Bicycle-Handlebar-Mount-Holder-Case-For-Cell-Phone-/281319094306?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417fecb822

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Bicycle-Waterproof-Phone-Case-Cover-Bag-Pouch-Handlebar-Mount-Holder-Cradle-/390992779035

Something else i found is this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cycling-Bicycle-Bike-Frame-Pannier-Front-Tube-Bag-Mobile-Phone-Holder-Gift/201212616068?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27705%26meid%3D2d574ca840e34c66ab7080cbf61e5a4a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D131244779690&rt=nc

This could actually be pretty handy if it was possible to mount it properly on the handle bar. There is also space to keep other stuff protected for charging while driving for example. Or just some batteries or memory cards. And the most important part: It does have a cable outlet.

This one looks pretty cool too:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-iPhone-Bike-Mount-Shocksock/dp/B00MBNOGJK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1H1N7AD3R09N2EAQEQJG

This actually has a lot of great reviews. None like those cheap ones. Looks like they do more quality work when it's for the iphone. But this one is just a big ass case, meaning it's not really exclusively fitted for the iphone. It's big enough to fit my Nexus 5 in there plus the charger and head phone connectors. Again you'd have to make a hole on the side for these cables but I think that should work.

[Moo.]

Expensive but...

Medium, Small, Large

https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/images/products/RAM-HOL-AQ2%20BIG.jpg

https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/aqua-box-medium-size-p-1023-c-360_162.html

https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/aqua-box-small-size-p-1350-c-360_162.html

https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/aqua-box-large-size-p-1347-c-360_162.html
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[bamt]

I've been looking into doing something similar recently.
For the last year or so I've been using a Samsung S3 in an Ultimate add-ons case with this cabling kit. It was kind-of OK; the phone was perfectly dry in all conditions, but the clips on the case failed (I glued velcro to the bottom and then wrapped velcro straps around each end to keep it closed - worked perfectly and quickly for opening/closing) and the cable was very fragile - it doesn't use a standard sized USB plug do to needing to fit into the width of the case, and the strain relief is not up to the job.

As my phone started to die, I bought a 2nd gen moto G. It does what I need, and is pretty much disposable money if it gets killed by vibrations or fumble-dropped when removing from the bike (which happened more than once with the s3).

I looked at the RAM case, and most others on eBay, before deciding that the best way forward was to invest in RAM mounts, but use a Peli case for the phone. A 1040 is a fairly big case, but it means the 5" phone can fit inside still inside it's own case (less faffing and more protection if it gets dropped) and enough room for a 90 degree USB charge cable.

I'll drill a hole for the cable and seal it. Bits were ordered yesterday, so a project for next week.

It'll be something similar to the one on this ADV rider thread, but mounted horizontally. I've also seen a very neat installation where the box was mounted "upside down" - i.e. the silicon liner pointing towards the rider, with a rectangular hole cut into it for the phone to be visible through. Obviously either way some foam is needed to hold it in place.

[Aff]

I use the cheap chinese zip up ones.

However I throw away the crappy plastic mounts they give you and make bike specific ones from metal.

The current one on the Blade:

https://i.imgur.com/5ZrPGrE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2027Rg5.jpg
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[charliefirpo]

Strange, my response post vanished.

Anyway I like the hard shell solution! But then it would not be possible to operate the phone anymores. So you'd have to get it out in the rain to change the rout. Not sure I want that.

Today I tested my getto solution that is a 5Pounds open mount with a plastic bag around it. It actually worked very well but I'm not sure I want to use that on a longer trip. If it fails you're screwed. Plus I could not get it off at the gas station easily so I had to leave it on. I guess that's something you'd do at the gas station anyway but if you are making a stop somewhere longer you'd want to take it off and that would be a hassle with this bag solution. Still. It works.

https://i.imgur.com/jBxgcGO.jpg

[bamt]

With the hard shell, if you mount it correctly you have the hinge at the top, opening at the bottom. This means that it doesn't fill with water when you open it in the rain, and the cover acts as an umbrella so you can operate the phone with it undercover.
It's still a pain needing to open it though, rather than operating through the cover (with my old mount I had a small touchscreen pen cable tied to my bars so I could operate it effectively with gloves on).

[ScottT]

Go to Aldi, buy the £12 tank bag it has a phone holder build into it.

[charliefirpo]

Thanks but I'd rather have a proper mount. I'd prefer to look ahead more than down. Still might get it anyway though. Thanks.

[BigShow]

I just bought a cheap one for under £10 from the market and took a Stanley knife to it to make a hole for the charger. With the way they are usually positioned on the handlebars water would be very hard pressed to get inside. Would somehow have to splash upwards at force from the handlebar area. Used it loads of times in the rain with no explosions,

[charliefirpo]

Cool good to hear that this works for you! I think I will do the same. However I am not concerned with water splashing onto the case and getting inside soaking something but more about the climate in the case. As in it getting damp inside, occluding the screen.