iPad Mini Articulating mount options?

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Leo Langston

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I have a RAM Claw yoke mount for my iPad mini but it’s not letting me position the iPad where I want it. It’s either hitting my belly on full aft yoke or covers too much of my panel instruments. Are there any mounts that allow easy movement of the iPad into view when I want it but allow me to flip it up or over out of the way when I don’t need it. Then I could mount it over my radio stack but flip it out of the way when I need to change frequencies. The RAM articulating joints are set once and tighten so it’s not easy to articulate them in flight. Do any other mounts have friction joints that allow for ease of movement but are firm enough for finger touching to control the iPad?
 
Look up go pro mounts- you can epoxy the clip portion to the iPad case- gives you tons of options for different mounts
 
I can't visualize your situation - perhaps a photo of your current setup. But have you tried multiple socket arms and a different cradle? Or coming under the yoke instead of over it? Or landscape rather than portrait (or vice versa)? I fly multiple airplanes and the only ones so far where a claw yoke mount hasn't worked for me are airplanes without yokes (well, Bonanzas are a challenge).
 
midlifeflyer said:
I can't visualize your situation - perhaps a photo of your current setup.
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OP may be grossly overweight as he talks about it hitting him in his belly. I never flown a plane where a yoke is anywhere close to my waist.
 
Consider a ram suction cup mount and have the I pad eye level off the left side of the windshield.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
OP may be grossly overweight as he talks about it hitting him in his belly. I never flown a plane where a yoke is anywhere close to my waist.
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I wouldn't make that assumption. I've had them hit my knees and there are a few in which I end up sitting very close to the yoke because of the length of reach needed to fully depress the rudder pedals.
 
Not quite what you're looking for, but Pivot makes a kneeboard that let's you flip the iPad out of the way.
 
I use the RAM suction cup paired with a tension arm like you describe. I find the tensioner on the arm to be good, as there are times I don't want it to "flip out of the way", but I definitely have 2 or 3 different "positions" I want it to be in, for various phases of flight.

Generally when I want it out of the way, it's a half-twist on the tensioner and the thing is now "repositionable" but not loose -- and I can flip it to its best new spot, or just out of my way as needed. I've never found it cumbersome.

It's been awhile since I used a ram mount on a yoke, so no specific advice to offer there if that's where you want the iPad to live. :)
 
Here is my yoke mount with the yoke fully forward. My issue is the jaws of the RAM claw contacts the 2 bolts that secure the yoke to the control rod and forces the ball on the claw to tilt slightly to one side of vertical. That forces the 3” extension arm to angle as it extends forward such the the ball on the iPad holder can’t adjust to provide the proper orientation that I want. If I move the claw back so it only contacts the yoke tube and misses those attach bolts, then the iPad hits the panel before I get full forward travel. I am trying the RAM 2 joint extension arm and it’s just too large. Not sure how to center the Claw ball without resorting to carving on the Claw itself. Are there other RAM Balls that can attach to the yoke tube with a screw on clamp or something that will allow it to stay centered and not hit the panel at forward travel. And yes at full back travel the bottom of the iPad will touch my gut! It never gets there in normal flight but it’s annoying. Mounting the iPad in portrait mode covers up too much of my panel. Even now my gear light are right behind the iPad so I have to look over it during approach to see 3 green. I can’t really put in on the pilot side windscreen as that is way too cramped. I haven’t tried it on the copilot yoke tube since I like it in front of me for VFR GPS navigation. Somewhere over the radio stack would work bit only if I could easily flip it out of the way when I need to tune the radios. No AP so I have to keep a hand on the yoke and can use both to loosen, reposition and retighten the iPad.
 

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This is the reason I fly with an iPad mini. Fits perfectly inside the yoke on the cherokee.
 
murphey said:
This is the reason I fly with an iPad mini. Fits perfectly inside the yoke on the cherokee.
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The topic title says it's a Mini. Besides, from his description, it sounds like his problem is where the claw attaches to the yoke, not the size of the iPad.
 
Leo Langston said:
Here is my yoke mount with the yoke fully forward. My issue is the jaws of the RAM claw contacts the 2 bolts that secure the yoke to the control rod and forces the ball on the claw to tilt slightly to one side of vertical. That forces the 3” extension arm to angle as it extends forward such the the ball on the iPad holder can’t adjust to provide the proper orientation that I want. If I move the claw back so it only contacts the yoke tube and misses those attach bolts, then the iPad hits the panel before I get full forward travel. I am trying the RAM 2 joint extension arm and it’s just too large. Not sure how to center the Claw ball without resorting to carving on the Claw itself. Are there other RAM Balls that can attach to the yoke tube with a screw on clamp or something that will allow it to stay centered and not hit the panel at forward travel. And yes at full back travel the bottom of the iPad will touch my gut! It never gets there in normal flight but it’s annoying. Mounting the iPad in portrait mode covers up too much of my panel. Even now my gear light are right behind the iPad so I have to look over it during approach to see 3 green. I can’t really put in on the pilot side windscreen as that is way too cramped. I haven’t tried it on the copilot yoke tube since I like it in front of me for VFR GPS navigation. Somewhere over the radio stack would work bit only if I could easily flip it out of the way when I need to tune the radios. No AP so I have to keep a hand on the yoke and can use both to loosen, reposition and retighten the iPad.
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If I understand your problem - location of the claw itself- will a window suction mount or a series of shorter double-socket arms work! If it is your owned airplane I'd look into a more permanent mounting solution. Perhaps a ball mount which zip ties to the yoke or a Pivot mount? I don't have something specific in mind but between the aviation, marine, and trucking offerings of RAM and other companies, there is probably something which can solve your issue,
 
midlifeflyer said:
The topic title says it's a Mini. Besides, from his description, it sounds like his problem is where the claw attaches to the yoke, not the size of the iPad.
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I know, but the picture looks like a larger version. But it’s probably just my eyes. Or perspective. Or...
 
murphey said:
I know, but the picture looks like a larger version. But it’s probably just my eyes. Or perspective. Or...
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It does, kind-of. But in this case, as far as I can tell, his issue isn't the iPad size. I used full-size iPads in landscape mode before I moved to a Mini. Never a problem and I wouldn't have any trouble moving back to a 10" one if the Mini was discontinued.
MooneyIpad.PNG
 
For me it comes down to keeping the eye pad eye level so I can read the charts. It seems to work better for me be looking down. I do need to get better at note taking. Maybe a yoke mount note book holder ????
 
WDD said:
For me it comes down to keeping the eye pad eye level so I can read the charts. It seems to work better for me be looking down. I do need to get better at note taking. Maybe a yoke mount note book holder ????
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Depends. I have been using a tablet EFB for more than 10 years but after a few years of "scratchpad on the iPad" deided paper and pen work far better for me than the tablet, even with an Apple pencil. So, my tablet is on a yoke or suction mount (depending on the airplane) and I have a pad and paper (sometimes including kneeboard, sometimes not) for note taking.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Depends. I have been using a tablet EFB for more than 10 years but after a few years of "scratchpad on the iPad" deided paper and pen work far better for me than the tablet, even with an Apple pencil. So, my tablet is on a yoke or suction mount (depending on the airplane) and I have a pad and paper (sometimes including kneeboard, sometimes not) for note taking.
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I’ve been known to use erasable marker on the sde window.
 
http://www.qrmounts.com/store/p20/ClearView_Yoke_Mounting_System.html

This is what you want. :yeahthat:

I have been through probably close to $300 of various Ram mount components trying to find the perfect (for me) yoke mounting solution. The mount at the link above solved my problem in my C182K. Like you, I have (ahem) a bit of "insulation" around my middle, and I didn't want the iPad to hit my gut, and I also didn't want it to cover any of my instruments.

The Clear View mount achieved my goals. It's a really good piece of equipment. Very well thought-out and made. The owner of the company, Steve Silverman, is a really good guy and a pilot! He was very patient answering my questions.

No affiliation with the company...just a very satisfied customer!
 
I have various mounts from mygoflight.

They are made out of aluminum, are rock solid, and have an excellent amount of articulation.

Worth every penny.
 
Mygoflight sells a good system based on a machinist’s NOGA mount. Works great.
 
You might try attaching a RAM mount to the blank panel under your radios which is what I did. In your case it's probably going to block your bottom radio a bit, but might offer a better solution.
_DSC2283.jpg
 
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