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Images and write-up courtesy of Kenn Stamp from 2WF.com
RAM Mount shown:
RAM-B-166-237U
RAM-B-166-GA25U
RAM-B-166-UN4U
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I'm sure you've heard of RAM Mounts since they have been in business since 1995 and supply equipment mounting solutions to law enforcement, the military, and the private sector.
Looking through the RAM Mounts website (at www.rammount.com), you'll find a bewildering assortment of mounting solutions for just about any type of electronic device you want to stick somewhere; I'm sure I could find a way to mount a laptop to my handlebars if I really wanted to.
What I was most interested in was RAM's suction cup base mount. I wanted this because; A) I wanted to see how it would stack up against the Delkin/Panavise mount (it is a completely different design), and B) it can be used not only as the base for a camera but the base for other RAM products as well; both on a bike and in a car; I like things that are versatile and can be used for multiple purposes.
The second thing I was interested in was a cradle for my Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS. RAM Mounts sent me their cradle along with a shorter arm than what comes on the suction cup base mount. The third thing RAM sent us was something called the "RAM Mount Adjustable Rugged Universal Finger Grip Holder Cradle for Cell Phone and Smartphone Mobile Devices (U)" which I shall call the "RMARUFGHCCPSMD(U)" from here on out for simplicity's sake; or not.
The RAM's base suction cup mount is built around a smaller suction cup than the Delkin/Panavise mount but it seems to hold just as well. As a matter of fact RAM says they suspended a 15# weight from one at the beginning of a trade show and at the end of the show it was still holding the weight. That said, they do not recommend using the suction cup base mount as a on-bike/vehicle camera mount without tethering the camera to the bike/vehicle in some fashion; this is CYA speak for "We're not paying for your broken camera".
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RAM Suction Cup Base Mount
All of the RAM products that I've ever come in contact with have been very sturdy and well made and the Suction Cup Base Mount is no exception. The base is 3 ΒΌ inches across and is made of plastic. The top part of the base where the first ball screws into is made from metal as is the ball shaft while the ball is a hard rubber. The actual arm is metal and has a large plastic knob on the side controlling tension on both the top and bottom rubber ball sockets.
The Suction Cup Base Mount is dead easy to use too; simply place the suction cup on a flat smooth surface (glass, painted metal/plastic, etc..) and twist the locking arm. I can attest to the fact that it does indeed stick very well. I stuck it to the side of my car (our usual test mule is in for painting) with a camera mounted to it and there was no movement at all. The heavy metal arm and rubber ball sockets do a great job of damping out vibration and controlling flex; very important if you are going to use the RAM Suction Cup Base Mount as a camera mount.
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RAM GPS Cradle
This mount comes with a shorter arm than the Suction Cup Base Mount and doesn't come with any mounting attachment. It can be attached to either the Suction Cup Base Mount or any of the other mounting bases that RAM manufactures.
The biggest benefits to anyone stepping up to a RAM GPS Cradle over the stock cradle that some GPS's come with are strength and security. The cradle itself is made from a high grade plastic that feels 10x stronger than the plastic cradle that came with my Garmin GPS. This added beefiness brings added security as the RAM GPS Cradle hold onto the GPS much better than any stock cradle as well.
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RAM Mount Adjustable Rugged Universal Finger Grip Holder Cradle for Cell Phone and Smartphone Mobile Devices (U)
This thing looks like something out of a sci-fi movie and I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. The premise behind this device is an almost do-it-all holder for all kinds of electronic gadgetry.
With two adjustable end bases, and four adjustable gripper arms, the Universal Finger Grip Holder can hold anything from a small(ish) cell phone up to a large GPS. Adding to the adjustability is the fact that not only are the gripper arms on the sides adjustable but RAM gives you those arms in three different sizes; Realistic, Wishful Thinking, and Ron Jeremy. (The picture shows Realistic and Ron Jeremy on the desk with Wishful Thinking attached to the cradle ) OK RAM calls the arms "short, medium, and long" but I thought my descriptors to be much funnier.
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While the Finger Grip Cradle certainly looks ungainly it works very well. If you have a device that maybe is a bit rarer than a DROID or iPhone or you have a older GPS system that you can't find cradles for, then this device might work for you.
This interchangeability of mounting bases and arms, and the staggering number of cradler/holder options, is truly what sets RAM Mounts apart. You can get different length arms and different types of mounting bases and most of them all work together. This allows you to truly customize a product that works best for your application(s).
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If you are using a RAM Mounting System, send us some pictures and a brief paragraph of text so we can show other people how they can benefit from the RAM Mounting System!
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