SkySpy
Pre-Flight
Has anyone used the Ram suction mount in a Cessna 172 or a Piper Archer with the iPad mini? What length arm did you select, the short or standard length? Did you mount off the side window or the left windshield?
Ipad mini window mount
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MtPJimB
Pre-takeoff checklist
I use one in a Beech Musketeer on the far left corner of the windshield (which is really off to just left of the panel). I use the standard length arm. No issues.
arkvet
Line Up and Wait
I hate suction mounts in general Have used RAM type for ipad and the one that came with the stratus 2. The issue I had is putting it on while on ground. During the climb the pressure change would cause it to fall off the window.
I'm sure some people have had better results but I opt for alternatives where I don't have to rely on a suction cup to hold anything important.
I'm sure some people have had better results but I opt for alternatives where I don't have to rely on a suction cup to hold anything important.
Tantalum
Final Approach
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San_Diego_Pilot
Out of curiosity, what is the benefit of suction cup mounting an iPad to the window vs bolting it to the yolk? Seems like in my experience the suction cups don't work great, and it's a big obstruction to your view..?
James331
Ejection Handle Pulled
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James331
I've always just had the thing sideways on my lap, or in a side pocket, worked great.
SkySpy
Pre-Flight
Thanks so far for the help..... I also use an iPad Air and have the yoke mounts for that. I run the arm elbows under the yoke and it is really good...no blockage. The window suction is for the iPad Mini ( just got it) in case I want both which I doubt. I do want it to be independent and not use parts back and forth from the yoke mount,,,I also think the window mount is faster to setup ( for rentals) and would bring the smaller mini closer to see details.
SkySpy
Pre-Flight
Thanks for the std length arm info !!!!!!
arkvet
Line Up and Wait
One benefit is that if you fly different aircraft (that presumably have different yokes) it's a one size fits all with the suction cup. Another is that some people just don't like anything on the yoke. I admit the first time I stuck an ipad on the yoke it had a little different feel with the added weight. Didn't take long for that to be unnoticed all together.
Tantalum
Final Approach
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San_Diego_Pilot
When I moved over to the Cirrus I started doing the same.. no really good spot to mount it, and with a G1000 it's less useful. The side pocket is great place to keep though and still use it as an AFD / chart backup
Yeah I can see that. I guess it comes down to personal preference. It is odd to mount the ipad first then preflight the plane and feel the ailerons full deflect on you
Lachlan
En-Route
I used to fly in several club 172s with the iPad Mini 4 in a RAM mount with the standard arm and a single suction cup mounted in the lower right corner of the right side of the windscreen, above the yoke, out of the way of full control movements. It was great there. Angled just enough to be visible to my navigator and me, easily within reach, and didn't move around with every subtle movement of the yoke. Never, ever had a problem with it falling off or being in the way of anything. Now I fly a 150 and I use the claw mount on the right yoke, same arm, and it still allows me to angle it slightly toward my view while being usable from either seat. Yoke heights are different between a 150 and a 172, also. 172 seems a little lower; 150 feels a bit higher up near my chest comparatively. Anyway, I don't use my suction cup mount for the iPad any more because it doesn't fit in the 150 in the same place as the 172 without blocking my ammeter and tach.
denverpilot
Tied Down
Bought a double suction cup plate of metal that accepted two RAM suction cups. (RAM doesn't make that, and the double mount they make is a lot more expensive than an eBay sourced black metal powder coated metal plate for $7 shipped to your door).
Then used all RAM components to get the correct length and adjustability of the arms I wanted. (Dual adjustible one-piece mid-length arm worked better for me than two arms, but there's all sorts of options there.)
And an X-Grip to hold the iPad mini, which works great... but it's not going to be strong enough for anything bigger than the mini.
Future:
The new larger X-Grips for the giant tablets are ridiculous. Look like an erector set gone horribly wrong, or something. The top/bottom spring loaded thing, or the more positive locking arm version, are going to work better once you go above mini sized iPads.
Past:
I've got piles of RAM stuff, some of which got re-used in the automobiles as I figured out what I liked in the airplane. Yoke mounts, the roller-clip things for an iPad 1, number of arms (most of those got used in the cars) and suction mounts, etc... they stand behind the stuff perfectly (suction cups eventually wear out, get too floppy to hold suction, they'll happily send free replacements years after you bought it)...
Your future:
Prepare to try a bunch of stuff and have to switch it in different aircraft. You'll have a box full of whatever brand of stuff you decide to use. I like RAM. They've treated customers right for a long time.
denverpilot
Tied Down
P.S. To directly answer the question... In the Cessna, the portion of the windshield that wraps around and *is* a side window, or part of it... just ahead of the door pillar.
Archer, can't say. Seminole the same place. Didn't like it on the window in the door, too far aft, and too much chance of opening the door and forgetting the iPad was in the mount, and sending it for a drop and a slide down the wing to its death.
Archer, can't say. Seminole the same place. Didn't like it on the window in the door, too far aft, and too much chance of opening the door and forgetting the iPad was in the mount, and sending it for a drop and a slide down the wing to its death.
SkySpy
Pre-Flight
You are right,,,, in a 172 it's only the windshield in front of the pillar.. the side would be the window that opens .. and there goes your setup .... in the Archer you can use the window or windshield but I tried my iPAd Air with the suction mount and the window was too far back and to the side,,,, didn't like turning my head so much to see the screen, especially during approaches.
Yeah, you think they’d require gps to be panel mounted in clear view of the pilot for use on approaches to avoid this problem.
MtPJimB
Pre-takeoff checklist
For me, the advantage is having the iPad level with the rest of the panel. I found with yoke mount or lap, every time I'd look down to see the iPad, I was steering off course. With it level with the panel, I don't have that issue. I have not had any issues with the suction mount failing so far (probably have at least 100 hours flown with it).