Guardian iPad panel dock

[Leo Langston]

Has anyone installed a Guradian iPad dock in their panel. I have started considering one of those to mount my iPad Mini 5 in my Navion's panel. Please post any comments on the good or bad points of this dock. Are they easy to install, Do they work well and hold the iPad securely? Is anyone going to try their new engine monitoring system?

 

[Jesse Saint]

The guardian dock works great and holds the iPad securely. The only problem is the amount of space behind the panel that it takes.

 

[GBSoren]

When I had my MVP 50 installed I had them remove all the old engine gauges, cleaning up the right side of my panel. All I have left on that side now is a VOR and hour meter. I'm having a G5 hsi and new audio panel installed next month, so I'll move the VOR over to the left side, to replace my old CDI and move the hour meter down to a lower panel. IF a guardian mount for my 12.9" Ipad pro will fit I'll have that installed on the co-pilots side, if it won't I'll go with an 11" mount and buy a new Ipad.

I find the Ipad is very hard to read in direct sun, so I'm hoping that mounting it under the glare shield helps. Plus it'll really clean up the cabin by eliminating the charger cords.

 

[GRG55]

The concern I've had with in panel mounts is what happens in a few years when that model iPad needs to be replaced (typical computer hardware obsolescence cycle). Apple is always fiddling with the form factor of these devices, so will the new model iPad fit securely in the old mount.

 

[chartbundle]

The concern I've had with in panel mounts is what happens in a few years when that model iPad needs to be replaced (typical computer hardware obsolescence cycle). Apple is always fiddling with the form factor of these devices, so will the new model iPad fit securely in the old mount.

This is why the hangar fairies on my plane may have accidentally made a standard AMPS hole pattern with rivnuts when a new blanking plate was installed in part of my panel. Also coincidentally the AMPS hole pattern exactly matches the holes on the RAM Ball mount.

 

[Leo Langston]

I just tried a cardboard cutout of the Guardian iPad mini dock on my current panel and it will not fit. The back side mount structure would hit my engine gauges in either the horizontal or vertical orientation. It might fit if I replaced all my primary gauges with a fancy engine monitor but then I would not need the Smart plane engine monitoring for the iPad or the dock.