I bought my Autoexec Reach car desk in 2021 when I started doing more with ham radio, particularly when I began exploring digital modes and needed a computer to ride with me. I was still logging on paper sheets and content to continue. At the time, I had a simple “desk” that slips onto the steering wheel. I still use it for some tasks today (shown below). I knew that I needed more space when I committed to bringing my laptop out for radio activities. Oddly enough, I hadn’t shared much about the Autoexec desk before now because I was constantly experimenting with it. I didn’t want to write about it until I found a configuration that I liked. I replaced it with a homemade project after about two years.
I did share the replacement project desk. My main gripes about the AutoExec desk centered around both its bulk and housing the antenna rotator controller. The rotator controller fits perfectly in the area beneath the desktop. I had said at the time that “reading the [rotator’s] dial and adjusting the antenna’s position was very distracting since the dial faces the gear shift instead of my face.” It’s more accurate to say that the inboard protrusion that supports the laptop swivel made it necessary to dip my head in order to get a good look at the rotator display. That was definitely no-good when driving! I used my project desk for two years and liked it well enough. But I decided that I wanted more storage and an all-in-one solution for the computer and rotator controller. I set out to mitigate my gripes about the AutoExec desk.
The “Reach” desk does exactly that: It REACHES across a large vehicle so that the desk base can sit in the passenger seat while the laptop stand is able to swivel WAY over to the driver. But that is not necessary in my small car. Knowing how I survived with my smaller project desk, I took another look at Autoexec’s line of car desks and spotted the “Efficiency GripMaster,” which is half the price of the Reach. The plastic base is identical to the Reach; so, there was no way that I was going to buy an entire replacement. Instead, I contacted AutoExec and ordered only the desktop. This is just my opinion, but the fit of these desktops is not nearly as tight as what’s shown in their online photographs. My photo above shows that the front edge has nearly a ½” gap! The same gap exists on the Reach desk (see album below). I’m sure these are machine-cut; so, fix the templates! It doesn’t matter, though, because I quickly knew that I was going to cut a replacement.
Looking at the photo above, you can see that the front of the desk still protrudes to the driver’s side by a couple of inches. It has no impact on my driving or to use of the desk, but it still obstructs the dial on the rotator controller just a little. I also knew that I was going to cut some holes in the desktop and I didn’t want to ruin a new factory part. Instead, I used it as a template, made corrections to account for removing the protrusion and fixed the fitment to the base. To be clear, I’m no master craftsman! Just because I can draw a good line on a piece of wood doesn’t mean that I can follow it perfectly with a jigsaw! 😀 But I was still confident that I could improve the gap between the desktop and the plastic base of the desk. This photo shows that I’ve restored full view of the rotator controller and that I had cut a hole in the desk to accept the laptop swivel arm.
It didn’t take long for me to conclude that the laptop swivel brought back some the bulk and complexity that I didn’t appreciate with the Reach desk. I decided to remove the laptop stand and just place the computer directly on the desk. I like it much better! I need to reach a little more than when I could swivel the computer to me, but I like the simplicity of just having the computer sit on the desktop. I use an anti-slip mat by CatTongue to hold the computer in place when I’m driving. This photo was taken from approximately my eye level and shows the great visibility that I have of the rotator controller. It also shows about an inch of clearance between the front of the desk an my screwdriver antenna controller with the passenger seat in its most rearward position.
What about the hole that I had drilled for the laptop swivel? I experimented with placing my rechargeable fan’s remote control there. The fan sits behind the passenger seat so that I can have air circulation while operating in the car when it’s parked. Having the remote in front with me proved to be very convenient! I liked it so much that I committed to the location by cutting a 2¼” hole so that I could recess the remote into the desktop. There’s a metal plate beneath the hole to keep the remote from falling through. The remote has a magnetic base that’s compatible with both the fan and my desktop. I think it looks and works great! This photo also shows splinters in the plywood and other imperfections from my cuts. I’m still happy with the result, but may cut another piece if I decide to perfect my product or try new ideas.
What do you think of using a car desk? It’s been great for my application and can be removed in about a minute if I need to carry a passenger. The filing area is good for holding notepads and other office supplies and there’s still storage remaining beside the rotator controller. Finding a place to store it when not in use is my greatest challenge. But I manage. Could you?
Desk Duty on the Move!
Scott
