Easy ipad mount for pedestal guard

Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,693
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
I am being asked more and more to integrate tablets into a boats existing nav set up. As always I try to be certain of the quality of components before I install them for customers. I discovered the Scan Strut ROKK mounts a while ago and they are really quite amazing. With almost 1/4 turn they lock solidly into place. Scan Strut hired one of the design engineers from Dyson who designed this elegant solution. Hands down the finest ball & socket mount I have ever used.

Finding a truly waterproof case for an iPad that has a robust back mount design proved more difficult than I had anticipated. Some companies that initially made them have stopped production and others were not as water proof as they claimed. After three or four cases tried I wound up with a LifeProof Nuud case and their mount.

Side view Scanstrut ROKK mount & iPad Air... The ROKK mount will even fit at the rounded part of the pedestal guard.


Daylight visibility, overheating in the direct sun & battery life of the iPad still sucks, but it is nice to have it firmly mounted. This iPad Air is in a Lifeproof Nuud case SKU: 1901-01 with the Lifeproof Mounting Cradle SKU: 1935. The Scanstrut ROKK uses the AMPS adapter plate to connect to the LifeProof mount.



LifeProof Mounting Cradle with AMPS standard bolt pattern:



You need the adapter (left) RL-505 / AMPS and the ROK mount RL-ARM (right). Together they run a bit over $100.00



This is a great mount for the iPad and when not charging it remains water proof. The mount is solid as a rock and can be bumped and nudged without knocking the iPad out of the mounting cradle.

This still does not solve any of the standard iToy issues such as;

Screen smudges
Waterproof charging capability
Battery life
Poor daylight visibility
Screen glare
Overheating & subsequent shut down in direct sun
The need for an internet connection to refresh charts when the software notes a change in the IOS
etc. etc..

Disclaimer: I DO NOT and WILL NOT endorse an iToy as a primary means of electronic navigation. These are great toys or great as additional electronic devices but their use as a primary electronic aid to navigation is not something I can endorse.
 
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Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
MS... and therein lies the rub. The picture of all the toys shows an almost perfect contrast to everything, even the remote, and then there's the ipad, acting just like a mirror. You are right about the overheating, we've had ours down below streaming some music, out of the sun and it has shut itself off. Not a very good scenario if it were being used for nav purposes.
 
Bill1565

Bill1565

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Jan 22, 2008
1,483
Hunter 37 C sloop Punta Gorda FL
In our experience, the Nuud case is great except. The sticky plastic around the edge stretches and breaks.

Contrary to recommendations, I use Ipad running navionics as primary nav tool. We have a Raymarine A 50 D running also, but the screen is small, the colors dark,and I screwed up and mounted it in a fixed position in a Nav Pod. Seems like there is always glare and reflection.
I used Ram mount stuff for the Ipad and can turn, tilt and twist so the screen is always free of glare and reflection. We boat in SW Florida and the keys,so we always have the bimini up to keep us out of the sun. Also keeps the Ipad sheltered. Have never experienced the " overheat" .
 
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iSailor

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Oct 17, 2011
221
Catalina 310 USA
I second the Lifeproof Nude case with RAM mounts. Had this setup for 2 years now and works well. I donot have a problem with overheating because I do not keep the screen on all the time. Usually have it set for a 5 minute timer and it turns off....just need to hit the "on" button to bring it back up.
 
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iSailor

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Oct 17, 2011
221
Catalina 310 USA
iSailor said:
I second the Lifeproof Nude case with RAM mounts. Had this setup for 2 years now and works well. I donot have a problem with overheating because I do not keep the screen on all the time. Usually have it set for a 5 minute timer and it turns off....just need to hit the "on" button to bring it back up.
Click to expand
pic
 

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Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,288
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
I missed the memo I guess.

Why go through the effort to securely mount something impossible to see in daylight?
 
Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,288
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
iSailor said:
? I can see mine just fine with the screen on full bright. It is off in the pic.
Click to expand
I'm sitting in my cockpit with mine now and have to use a towel over it/me to read/type.

Brightness level on full. I must be. Doing something wrong.
 
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