Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1673080
I’m shortly to nick an unused old iPhone from my daughter which I intend deploying as a dedicated traffic awareness device displaying the SD traffic radar, at the left hand end of the AA5 coaming.

This slot was formerly occupied by a GPSMap296 on a G-Force suction mount which has served me admirably over the years but is now never used.

The RAM X-Grip combo looks like it might do the job. Does anyone have any experience of using one of these, or any recommendations for alternatives?
By JodelDavo
#1673142
I've got an X-Grip as a spare mount for those aeroplanes I fly that don't have a permanent mount fitted. In my own aeroplane, I use an iPad mini with RAM mount that is attached to the panel.

I've had the X Grip for a few years now and it does what is says it does well (although I haven't tried it with anything bigger than an iPhone..)
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1673163
GrahamB wrote:I’m shortly to nick an unused old iPhone from my daughter which I intend deploying as a dedicated traffic awareness device displaying the SD traffic radar, at the left hand end of the AA5 coaming.

This slot was formerly occupied by a GPSMap296 on a G-Force suction mount which has served me admirably over the years but is now never used.

The RAM X-Grip combo looks like it might do the job. Does anyone have any experience of using one of these, or any recommendations for alternatives?


Mind you don't exceed your two PC and two phone/tablet SD iterations or the last one will get switched off.

As I found to my surprise when airborne last autumn.

Peter :(
By cecilthecat
#1673171
The Ram mounts are probably the best, however the the problem I have found with the X Mount is that due to the way it is designed it swivels about 20 degrees each side which means the device is always cock eyed and drives me nuts
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1673197
PeteSpencer wrote:Mind you don't exceed your two PC and two phone/tablet SD iterations or the last one will get switched off.

As I found to my surprise when airborne last autumn.

Peter :(


I'll not be using the phone for anything other than a traffic display device, so it will have nothing else loaded on it. I'll connect it to the internet now and again to update SD's charts etc. and leave it in offline mode, thus not using up a mobile licence allocation.

This works. I've tested it with my everyday phone which I've been using as an interim traffic display now and again, pending the 'repurposing' of daughter's old phone.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1673199
cecilthecat wrote:The Ram mounts are probably the best, however the the problem I have found with the X Mount is that due to the way it is designed it swivels about 20 degrees each side which means the device is always cock eyed and drives me nuts

Can you be a bit more specific - do you mean it can rotate in the plane of the screen by 20 degrees each side of vertical? Can it not be tightened up (as @Peter Mundy implies)?

Thread drift - it was from @Peter Mundy that I bought the current G-Force mount for the 296, and jolly good it's been too. :thumright:
#1673209
Because the X-Mount arms are spring loaded it will rotate a certain amount depending on the width of the device inserted and the take up of the spring, for an iPhone 10 in the mount it moves about 45 degrees in total, for a wider phone like the iPhone 8 plus it is probably 30 degrees. there is no way to tighten this as it is the tension of the spring and not the mount moving in the arm.

It should only be a problem in turbulence, if you are flying aerobatics or knock it but I found it annoyed me as every time I looked the phone seen was off vertical. If you are using an older device RAM did specific holders for these rather than the universal type and these are perfect, unfortunately they seem to have stopped making these from iPhone 5
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1673210
cecilthecat wrote:If you are using an older device RAM did specific holders for these rather than the universal type and these are perfect, unfortunately they seem to have stopped making these from iPhone 5


https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/apple-iphone-5-5s-se-holder-p-1738-c-360_162.html

https://www.flightstore.co.uk/pilot-supplies-c1/ram-mounting-systems-c36/ram-phone-holders-c735/ram-iphone-6-holder-p5174/s6968

https://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-HOL-AP18U

https://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-HOL-AP19U
By NickA
#1673218
We also use the x-grip to mount iphone. We tried suction mounts but alighted on this solution, which we find much better. https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/small-tough ... c-675.html

It is a spring-loaded clamp that we leave attached to the lip of the coaming. In our sportcruiser it is possible to get the phone much better positioned with this device than with a suction pad. It can scratch a bit, so we put some black duct tape over the coaming edge where it is clamped. Pic here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wjjnaie4fcmfc ... p.JPG?dl=0


Nick
#1673219
cecilthecat wrote:Yep that's seems to be the last model supported as don't see the iPhone 6 onwards, I thought that is what I said ??


Paul, I stand corrected, I thought they had stopped supporting the later devices so this is good news and the way i would go if looking for an iPhone mount

BTW every time I post I need to get the post approved for some reason which is a pain as you updated your post twice since mine came up which leaves my original comment out of context, why is this ?