Phone mounts for boats

[Bass Tard]

Hey guys, I'm wondering what you all are using for mounting your phone for navionics in your boat? I don't have money for a sonar/gps unit right now and I use my phone a lot, but I look and feel ridiculous out there trying to drive and hold my phone.

 

Thanks

 

[Sterling]

RAM mount all the way. The X-grip is dynamite.

 

For a phone I'd use this; http://www.rammount.com/products/x-grip/un7-purchase

 

Personally I use a tablet (phone is too small); http://www.rammount.com/products/x-grip/un9-purchase

 

You can get most RAM products at radioworld.

[landry]

The steelie is cool if y have a console.

[AKRISONER]

honestly been struggling with this myself. I tried a suction mount and it holds like a IQ challenged, but the subsequent vibration in the tinner makes the mount come loose.

 

So stay away from suction...ill save you a few bucks there...the screw in ball mount might be the way to go...then all you need is a waterproof case and a external battery.

 

 

Can anyone comment on the battery life using a tablet as their nav system? How long can one expect a charge to last running navionics.

[Sterling]

honestly been struggling with this myself. I tried a suction mount and it holds like a IQ challenged, but the subsequent vibration in the tinner makes the mount come loose.

 

So stay away from suction...ill save you a few bucks there...the screw in ball mount might be the way to go...then all you need is a waterproof case and a external battery.

 

 

Can anyone comment on the battery life using a tablet as their nav system? How long can one expect a charge to last running navionics.

 

The obvious is that it depends on battery size, screen brightness (which should be cranked), GPS on/off and any other services you might have running.

 

With a t-box I run full screen brightness, GPS and wi-fi. I get 5-6 hours on a single charge. But I do have a USB outlet for charging on the go. With the tablet plugged in, it lasts indefinitely.

 

The ability to map new areas (and to re-map the occasional awful map) is unique to Navionics, except for the Onix units. Unless I'm mistaken anyway.

 

Absolutely love navionics with a tablet by the way.

[DRIFTER_016]

https://www.seasucker.com/

[Jds63]

https://www.seasucker.com/

Very cool ... I like the cup holder dry box combo , may have to get one

[porkpie]

RAM mount all the way. The X-grip is dynamite.

 

For a phone I'd use this; http://www.rammount.com/products/x-grip/un7-purchase

 

This

Personally I use a tablet (phone is too small); http://www.rammount.com/products/x-grip/un9-purchase

 

You can get most RAM products at radioworld.

This

Edited August 22, 2016 by porkpie

[dave524]

https://www.seasucker.com/

 

Hope they are paying royalties, they had vacuum mount pencil sharpeners long ago , they held pretty good too on a smooth surface like a metal filing cabinet, don't know about vibration though.

[Jon]

I have the RAM X-Grip with a suction mount for my car windshield. Works great and would buy another in a hearbeat. I like the modular ability of the RAM mounts and use them for attaching GPS/GoPro/camera to my canoe and extension pole.

 

For a boat, this might work better - http://www.rammount.com/part/RAP-B-138-UN7U.

 

As mentioned, Radioworld sells a lot of RAM stuff but I have also bought on-line from Amazon and GPS City.

 

Jon

 

 

[AKRISONER]

anyone have any real experience with the sea sucker?

 

As mentioned earlier regular suction cups mounted on the seat in my tinner fail due to the vibration.

[DanD]

anyone have any real experience with the sea sucker?

 

As mentioned earlier regular suction cups mounted on the seat in my tinner fail due to the vibration.

 

Not sure if this would apply too you, when you say seat; but if you mean bench seat this is what I did on my old 12 footer.

Get a small piece of thin plexiglass, about a 1/2 inch bigger then the diameter of the suction cup. A few dabs of hot glue and stick the glass onto the bench. Now you have a smooth porous free place for the suction cup to hang on too. When not using the mount the plexiglass is thin enough that its not in the way. Worked to hold my handheld gps for as long as I owned that boat.

 

I forgot to add that I did the same thing to the outside of the transom. It was for the suction cup on the transducer of portable fish finder. No more issues with the transducer blowing off when under power.

 

Dan.

Edited August 24, 2016 by DanD

[AKRISONER]

 

Not sure if this would apply too you, when you say seat; but if you mean bench seat this is what I did on my old 12 footer.

Get a small piece of thin plexiglass, about a 1/2 inch bigger then the diameter of the suction cup. A few dabs of hot glue and stick the glass onto the bench. Now you have a smooth porous free place for the suction cup to hang on too. When not using the mount the plexiglass is thin enough that its not in the way. Worked to hold my handheld gps for as long as I owned that boat.

 

I forgot to add that I did the same thing to the outside of the transom. It was for the suction cup on the transducer of portable fish finder. No more issues with the transducer blowing off when under power.

 

Dan.

I actually am definitely going to try this before blowing a bunch of money on a mount...thanks for the tip.

[Canuck]

Ram mount and I bought a waterproof "snow lizard" iPAD case in the US for $49 at West Marine. It has a build in battery too that extends the life of the ipad battery (running Navionics really runs the battery down).

 

Re the plexiglass idea, I don't recommend hot glue. Its too weak. Clear silicone caulking holds much better.