Building a laptop mount

[Dean Baron]

I went over to Menards this week to find some things i needed to build a laptop mount for next season. i found what i needed for the most part and have a pretty good idea of how im going to do it. but I was wondering how you make the mount swivel back and forth (and up and down) so that you can turn it from the drivers side to the passenger's side. I was looking at the security cameras at work and they were mounted to something that allowed it to move from side to side. is there something you can buy that allows this or is something you have to buy? how do you can your mount build so that you can swivel it from side to side? hope this question makes sense, if not i'll try to explain it better...

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Check RAM's site, they sell the components to their mounts as separate pieces as well. I'm going to be getting a RAM mount for my new Milan, the RAM mounts seem to be the best value on the market, though if you don’t want to purchase the whole unit you can buy parts there to assist in manufacturing your own…

 

[Dean Baron]

thanks Dustin! they've got a big selection of swivel attatchments.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I created my 'homemade' mount with pipe, a pipe flange attached to the seat bolt and a 2x10 for my laptop stand with some L brackets holding it on. I have some pictures here. All in all I spent about $30.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Some questions for Ben H:
*Does the top of your mount swivel?
*Is it made from 1" pipe or 3/4" pipe for the lower portion of the mount?
*BTW-do you find it practical having a CB in your chase vehicle - has it been useful? Be specific please...
*A lightbar , how useful is that - and what was the cost?
*You have a Diamond NR-770 antenna; does it have enough gain when chasing in KS - any complaint?

 

[Travis W Speakman]

I use a RAM mount for mine (www.ram-mount.com). You definitely could build one cheaper, but I like the pro-quality of RAM. It swivels all over, I can pitch, yaw, roll, and swing it anywhere I need it. I also got the version that was custom built for my 06 Tacoma and it attaches right to the passenger side seat bolts, so there's no drilling holes in my floor and it can be removed at any time.

 

[Travis W Speakman]

*BTW-do you find it practical having a CB in your chase vehicle - has it been useful? Be specific please...
*A lightbar , how useful is that - and what was the cost?

Just my 2 cents...

-CB, have one, never used it. Had it from years ago, put it in to talk to my other chase buddies, but am considering the ham ticket instead. Too much noise , especially in lightning storms, and non-related traffic.

-Light bars www.galls.com - http://www.code3pse.com/ - http://www.pulltotheright.com/

Make sure you check local laws applicable to lights! You should be ok just running ambers.

 

[Dean Baron]

Aaron, do you think it would be a good idea if i got just the tray for the laptop and built the stand myself? would buying just the the Ram tray be enough protection for the laptop?

 

[Eric Flescher]

nice can you post a list of specification/parts?

Ben
Looks real nice . Thanks for posting that.
I can't afford the ram mounts as I am trying to save up for another computer.
Is it possible for you to post a list of specification/parts and where you can get them (parts store etc)?
thanks
::

I created my 'homemade' mount with pipe, a pipe flange attached to the seat bolt and a 2x10 for my laptop stand with some L brackets holding it on. I have some pictures here. All in all I spent about $30.

 

[John Erwin]

Aaron, do you think it would be a good idea if i got just the tray for the laptop and built the stand myself? would buying just the the Ram tray be enough protection for the laptop?

I also use the RAM system. Although the tray works well enough I don't feel it alone provides the shock absorbtion that is important, although you could pad it somewhat under the laptop.

Have a look on e-bay; a few folks here have bought mounts from some do-it-yourselfers on there. Some of them look fairly well built, others are shady. I recall somebody who bought one and then beefed it up a bit for their needs (might have been David Drummond).

 

[Dean Baron]

i looked at the Ram site and i didnt find a mount for my car (2000 Ford Focus, they only have 2003 and newer) but i could always do the universal. i have seen some companies online that had been suggested to me by other chasers but i am reluctant to buy something like this off Ebay with a decent probability of buying a piece of crap and wasting my money. if i can, i want to build my own stand (roughly $15) and then buy the tray. i know Aaron suggested to buy the whole setup so i'll have to do some thinking. I know other chasers who have built their own mounts for pretty cheap and i havent heard them compain about it (atleast yet).

 

[Ben Holcomb]

It's not much to my mount really. I can try and take some close up pictures and give a full idea of what it's like.

As for the pipes, I think it's 1" pipe, but I really don't remember as it was over a year ago I built it.

It basically goes like this:

Flange (attached to the seat with the seat bolt) to a short piece of pipe. 90 degree pipe curve/turn/whatever and then a section of pipe up. I ended up getting another small piece of pipe and a piece to put them together to bring it up a little higher as they didn't have exactly the size I wanted. Your mileage will vary on that. Then to top it off I have another flange, and that screws into the 2x8 or 2x10 board that I cut to about the size of my laptop. To hold it to the board, I put 2 L brackets on the bottom side of the board.

The pipes spin (screw/unscrew) enough where I can push the laptop towards my passenger door or pull it closer to me and I can also spin it to change the angle I'm looking at it at. Is it a ram mount? Not hardly, but it is 10% of the cost! and it works really really well.

>*BTW-do you find it practical having a CB in your chase vehicle - has it been useful? Be specific please...

I hardly ever find the CB useful for anything but to know what a traffic jam is about. Traffic info is great. I hardly ever even put the K40 CB antenna on unless I plan on going a long distance and think that I might end up in a traffic backup. As far as the 2008 chase season, I never used it once other than when I was driving home one night and bored listening to the truckers.

>A lightbar , how useful is that - and what was the cost?

It isn't very useful, and I never have it on my car except for chasing. I paid $70 for it from Tractor Supply (It's $99 now). The only time I ever use it is if I am pulled off to the side of the road shooting video or stopped for whatever reason. In Michigan we have curvy/winding roads and hills and trees, and it can be useful here to have extra awareness on a road that isn't completely safe. I have only used the lightbar maybe a dozen times total.

>You have a Diamond NR-770 antenna; does it have enough gain when chasing in KS - any complaint?

It's a Diamond SG7500 and the thing performs very well. I have had the antenna for almost 4 years now and I don't have a single complaint. That antenna, coupled with my Kenwood TM-D710A has proved to be completely rock solid. I have been told I sound good on the air, and I always make it in very nicely from 'fringe' areas.

 

[Joe Dorn]

If you want pictures email me. Also, for anyone looking at RAM, don't use the "what fits my vehicle" drop downs. It isn't linked to the actual parts that fit a vehicle custom. It has been that way for some time now.

Aaron...

I just ordered mine using the drop downs for a Tahoe... Why aren't the drop downs good?

BTW... Our group of spotters/chasers are moving to the RAM mounts after seeing the quality and adjustment capabilities. The price varies by vehicle from $180 to $260, mine was on the high end as usual...

The RAM mount becomes a significance addition as we had video streaming and other toys to our rolling electronic centers...

In relation to the CB question in a previous post...

One reason, perhaps the main one, for buying the RAM mount is that my wife has traveled thousands of miles with the laptop dujour riding in her lap and listening to the CB on channel 19. That combination has saved us many hours avoiding traffic problems on the Interstates.

CB is not my radio of choice for intra-vehicle communications since I have one or more amateur radios installed. We had a convoy to Fort Worth SKYWARN Appreciation Day yesterday that used simplex and repeaters to maintain constant reliable communications.

 

[Joe Dorn]

i looked at the Ram site and i didn't find a mount for my car (2000 Ford Focus, they only have 2003 and newer) but I could always do the universal.

One of our folks could not find the pre-fitted RAM mount and he contacted the people and they built him a 'no-drill' mounting at no additional cost... However, his is a fairly new vehicle and they probably needed to add the mount to their inventory. Sorry, I don't know the exact make and model...

 

[Hans Schroeder]

For a build it yourself mount, pipes and plexiglass work great. Here's a link to pics of one I built several years ago here. It was about $20 I think for the whole thing, as long as you already have the tools (drill, propane torch, clamps, etc). The pics are pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions, just ask. It's made out of a 12"x12" piece of 1/4" plexiglass and 3/4" pipe.
Edit: I used a 3/4" air line fitting to make a quick disconnect and horizontal swivel at the base. It worked great for a few months, but the rubber wore quickly and allowed for about an inch play at the top. In hind-sight, if I were still using this mount, I would either use a compression fitting in its place or use larger pipe at the base with a hand set screw drilled in the side with the 3/4" pipe down inside instead.