Anyone mounting an 8 inch or larger tablet?

[mebgardner]

I searched through the forum threads, and found a lot of messages for mounting phones as GPS, and most of that traffic was from 2015 or earlier.

I want to mount an 8 in. Samsung tablet, and I think the accessory bar is the "correct" place to mount it, centered and above the instruments.

I've settled on the device holder: The "Big Squeeze" from a small outfit in Montana, the Hondo Garage.

I chose this mount because too many stories from friends losing their device out of the RAM X holder from my off-road friends, even a couple stories from someone using the additional tether. Don't ask me how, I did not go into it with them. But, the "Big Squeeze" gets rave reviews wherever it's discussed (ADVRider).

So, I have the device size selected at 8 inch (though, still narrowing selection of the actual device, leaning to a Samsung for the excellent display type in full sun), and the device holder.

But, I'm asking here about mounting solutions. Mostly, I see "ball - arm - ball" style mounting solutions. What makes me wonder about the robustness of this solution for a tablet of this size, is the size factor. The tablet size will drive the selection of the arm length to be "long", and that, in turn, will likely cause display vibration.

I think about multi-point mounting, two or three points instead of just one point (ball-arm-ball is "point to point", so I consider it a single mount point).

I intend to use the OEM accessory mounting bar, and I have RAM "Torque" balls available for that bar 12 mm thickness. I already have the windshield stabilization side arms (offered from aftermarket vendor from this forum) installed on my OEM windscreen bracket, and it's now as stable as it's gonna get.

So, I'm thinking of leaning the tablet and mount against the windshield as a second "mount point", and just accept the resultant scratch damage, to trade off for the display stability.

I don't want a Rally based tower system. Too expensive, too much work for me, for this application. Yes, it would be the best solution, but it's not what I want to do. I note the towers also use the single point ball-arm-ball solutions, in the end, anyway.

Anyone else using a large tablet? What did you do for mounting it?

 

[RCinNC]

I don't think I'd use the windshield as a stabilization point; the windshield itself can vibrate independently, since there's flexibility in the plastic and there's also some play in the windshield bracket. You might just introduce a new point of vibration to the unit, rather than making it more stable.

RAM ball mounts are very stable, as long as they're mounted to a stable base. The sockets are steel (or at least aluminum), and there isn't any flex in them. If the base isn't stable though, they'll vibrate like crazy since they have a heavy weight (the tablet) at the end of a long arm. I've never mounted a tablet, but I have had both a Droid Turbo and a Garmin GPS mounted to my accessory bar at the same time; with those stabilization arms for the accessory bar attached, the vibration was negligible.

I see that the Hondo Garage site lists a Buzz Kill Vibration Isolator Mount, that looks like it works with the Big Squeeze; is there a reason you don't want to use that?

 

[mebgardner]

I see that the Hondo Garage site lists a Buzz Kill Vibration Isolator Mount, that looks like it works with the Big Squeeze; is there a reason you don't want to use that?

Ummm, because I did not see that thing? I'll look at it, thanks!

 

[mebgardner]

I checked with Hondo Garage regarding their "Buzz Kill" part.

Their response turn around / customer service is great, fantastic.

They told me the Buzz Kill does not work so good with the Big Squeeze, but they're working on another one (probably, a bigger one for more stabilization damping) for it. Their Buzz Kill is meant for phone sized devices.

 

[mebgardner]

See my report of my experience with a Samsung 8 in. device here:

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=23801.0

 

[Propsoto]

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=22728.45

These braces will help stabilize your accessory bar.