Location for RAM mount installation

[NORDO Industries LLC]

For the second time in as many years, the RAM Flex Adhesive Ball Base that I adhered to my panel right next to the map box failed, with the ball snapping off, so now I'm looking to upgrade to a more robust solution.

What advice do y'all have when it comes to more permanent mounting solutions for tablets? I was thinking of popping some additional holes in the panel to allow for attaching the base with screws, but I want to make sure I'm not possibly causing additional weird structural loads.

[MacCool]

The aluminum version of that 1" ball and base? I just use the suction cup mount on my panel...never broken a ball.

[Piper J3]

I have two mini iPads in my RV-12. The iPad above the center stack replaces the Garmin 296 and is held in place with small strips of 3M body side molding tape. The other iPad snaps into a plastic tray from a carrying case that is mounted on an aluminum angle.
-

[NORDO Industries LLC]

Originally Posted by MacCool

The aluminum version of that 1" ball and base? I just use the suction cup mount on my panel...never broken a ball.

As It Turns Out the adhesive ball base is entirely rubber/plastic, including the neck. I've used the suction cup mount on my panel before, and it wouldn't reliably hold for more than a few hours.

[mountainride]

I built an iphone mount with a peltier cooler built in that keeps the phone from overheating. I use it mostly in gliders but works well for keeping the phone at full brightness in the RV bubble canopy as well.

[RFSchaller]

I mounted a RAM ball on the underside of my glare shield and use a 4” arm to a iPad mini mount.

[MacCool]

Originally Posted by NORDO Industries LLC

As It Turns Out the adhesive ball base is entirely rubber/plastic, including the neck. I've used the suction cup mount on my panel before, and it wouldn't reliably hold for more than a few hours.

Sorry I wasn't clear. Aluminum ball mount.. I'd get one of the mounts made of aluminum with TPU overmold. You can use 3M or servo tape to hold them if you don't want to screw them in.

As for the suction cup...I've rarely ever had one detach unexpectedly, and in the rare circumstances where that's happened, it was associated with some big temperature change. Perhaps the finish on your instrument panel is too rough secure good suction. Hasn't been an issue for me. Of course, I've never broken a ball either, so your airplane may well be different than mine. Also, I'm speaking of the RAM suction mounts. The other such "imported" mounts one might find on Amazon or Ebay are not necessarily of the same quality as what RAM sells.

[NORDO Industries LLC]

I've decided to just go with the suction cup on the canopy bubble for now. Found one in a box yesterday along with a short arm, and it's worked great with my iPad mini.

Additionally, I've found that passengers have a tendency to make themselves overly nervous about inadvertently touching the iPad in front of them and making something Very Bad happening (despite it not being directly connected to anything)

Originally Posted by mountainride

I built an iphone mount with a peltier cooler built in that keeps the phone from overheating. I use it mostly in gliders but works well for keeping the phone at full brightness in the RV bubble canopy as well.

Do you by chance have STLs for this? Funny enough, I just picked up a Peltier cooler that snaps onto the back of my phone via MagSafe, and I was able to have my phone hang out in full sun last weekend and didn't experience any screen dimming due to thermal throttling.