Engineering type folks, inspiration please. [Archive] - SV650.org

Specialone

31-01-12, 12:20 AM

Cut a long story short I wanna better satnav mount, ram do some for my satnav but they don't allow use of the charging side of things.

So I've got a standard Tomtom sucka mount and took it apart to get to the ball, like so...

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx225/specialone0055/d6ce3a93.jpg

Ram do ball to ball clamp arms but only in .560" and then 1"" so nothing will fit this as it's approx 18mm ( I didn't write exact size down when I checked it with my vernier).

So, does anyone have any ideas where I can get a ball clamp that I can get for this size? Or any suggestions on another way to mount it?

Mounting to the bike is the easy bit, I just need to be able to clamp the sat nav end.

I could remove ball altogether but thought this would be a good form of adjustment using this method.

Cheers

Bibio

31-01-12, 01:24 AM

depending on the diameter of the stem of the part you have. you could cut the ball off it and cut a new thread onto the stem and use one of these.

http://www.buybits.com/Product/4692/Ram-1-Ball-With-14-20-Female-Thread-Ram-b-337-sku-4692.aspx

if the stem will go into the above RAM ball but not accept a thread cut onto it then just use 2 part 'liquid steel' down the hole of the RAM ball with the tomtom stem in the middle. i would be inclined cutting small grooves in the stem if using the liquid steel method.

once achieved the it will fit any RAM mounting hardware.

-Ralph-

31-01-12, 02:27 AM

I reckon a standard RAM arm will hold that ball, the width of the jaws is just adjusted by tightening the screw thread. It's basically just a clamp and within reason will grip other sizes of ball. My RAM arm will grip the mirror stem on the XT.

http://www.ram-mount.com/Gallery/images/RAM-B-201U/RAM-B-201U1.jpg

Stenno

31-01-12, 02:54 AM

Or just add some rubber to make up the gap within the ram mount.

Specialone

31-01-12, 06:54 AM

Thanks guys, you gave me some ideas there.

Bib, the 1"ball would be ideal as I could then get two clamps and have one on my DRZ as well, a 1/4 unc thread is bigger than the Tomtom thread but I could just bush it which makes it removeable.

Col, would that clamp work on two different diameter balls, meaning the standard 1" one end then my 18mm one the other?

Can I try yours on it? If this worked this would be cheapest and best solution.

Thanks again, my creative juices have started flowing :)

Dicky Ticker

31-01-12, 08:38 AM

Utilizing the front centre tank bolt,replace with a Telforiser ball mount,use the bracket shown in Ralph's post with hard sponge rubber[as in draught excluder]to take up the difference in ball mount size. I ran the lead under the tank,cable tied where applicable, direct from the battery and cable tied it to the bottom of the Telforiser front tank mount.
This was a Garmin Zumo which allowed me to either remove the set itself or remove the complete fitting by removing the bracket,only the front ball mount and the power source remained in place when the bike was left overnight,

I used this for the best part of 10,000miles and had no problems it only takes 30secs to refit in the morning,hope the idea helps.

yorkie_chris

31-01-12, 09:39 AM

Same thing with ball on centre nut, but then just take 2x plates, drill holes a little smaller than the balls in each end, add a stainless coach bolt, wingnut and spring washer and job's a good un.

Use 5mm ally for ease, you could even have it looking fancy and polish it up.

-Ralph-

31-01-12, 10:00 AM

Yep, the clamp is just two halfs, with a bolt through the middle. It'll clamp two different size balls, or it'll clamp one ball with the jaws closed at the other end. You can try it on mine, but it would be good to try both 0.56 and 1" clamps to see which one grips better, from the perspective of the diameter curve of the ball vs the curve of the clamp. It looks like your ball there is hard plastic and the RAM mount is designed to hold a rubber ball securely, so maybe a bit of rubber between would be required to stop it vibrating loose, particularly on the DRZ, but the clamp can clamp pretty tight and you may not need it. As with anything not designed for the purpose, it would be a bit of trial and error.

Specialone

31-01-12, 12:06 PM

As YC said, my plan was to put a ball on centre stem nut, then a longish clamp arm to get it up the level I need it.

Im glad I posted this now as it's gave me a couple of good ideas :)

Cheers

Specialone

31-01-12, 09:37 PM

After measuring the ball again accurately, its exactly 19.60mm, a standard ram ball is 25.40mm so that leaves 2.9mm either side of the ball which as suggested i could make up in rubber if needed.

So, im gonna gamble and order the 6 inch double 1" ball socket arm and a threaded 1" ball which i will attach to my central stem nut.

Im hopeful this will be a quality fit rather than something lashed together.

They do one of these (http://www.ram-mount.co.uk/tomtom-go-510-710-910-holder-p-1436-c-360_611_666.html) which would work but id still need the rear docking shoe fitted to power it, but not attached to anything will look naff but its a plan B if plan A dont work.

-Ralph-

31-01-12, 10:12 PM

So, im gonna gamble and order the 6 inch double 1" ball socket arm and a threaded 1" ball which i will attach to my central stem nut.

You can put them back on ebay again if it doesn't work.

Specialone

31-01-12, 10:17 PM

Can't see it not working tbh mate, worse case it will need rubber shims round my ball ( ooh Er) :)

-Ralph-

31-01-12, 10:39 PM

worse case it will need rubber shims round my ball ( ooh Er) :)

Knowing how hard those arms can grip, I think your ball will be quite secure, no rubber need be involved. :lol:

Bibio

01-02-12, 01:05 PM

just had a quick play with the RAM clamp and ball i have and it's bloooody close to fit the size of ball you have. its that close that you could file off some of the inside edge on the mating surfaces to make it grip.

Specialone

01-02-12, 06:10 PM

Cheers Bib :)

I'm ordering tonight, I've decided to go for another ball mount rather than centre stem nut type.

I had my previous mount on one of the handlebar bolts and it was a good place, and having a ball at either end I'll be able to infinitely adjust it until I get it in the right place.

-Ralph-

01-02-12, 06:24 PM

I bought a charging mount for the TomTom Rider for going to France, and so bought another RAM mount so I had one for each bike.

This was the best price I could find, but I needed the square plate also for the back of the mount.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110679670509#ht_2924wt_1139

Specialone

01-02-12, 06:30 PM

If this works ok I'll get another ball and short arm for my DRZ, then it'll be lovely jubbly :)

Specialone

03-02-12, 10:09 AM

Stuff has arrived this morning :)

It doesn't clamp my Tomtom ball, it's probably about a 1mm off a side, so I could do as bib said and remove some material from clamp and I think I'd just get it or glue some thin rubber ( preferred) to the inside of the clamp halves and this should work.

So as I'm not working today im gonna play about with this now, which supersedes my first plan which was to go out on my mtb.

-Ralph-

03-02-12, 01:57 PM

Specialone

03-02-12, 02:03 PM

You mean the clamp is fully closed, but the jaws are still 1mm wider the the diameter of the ball? I assume you went for the 1" clamp then?

Yeah clamp fully closed.

Anyway, glued some rubber to either side of one end of the clamp, it now clamps like a good un :)

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx225/specialone0055/fd777332.jpg

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx225/specialone0055/c4e65b1d.jpg

The position is nigh on perfect when sitting on the bike as it's above my tank bag but I can still see all the clocks, I'm pleased.

Slight downside is actual Tomtom shoe is the wobbly bit now, but it's been fine before so I'll see how it goes.

-Ralph-

03-02-12, 02:16 PM

LOL! How much did that arm cost?

You going to get a shorter arm as well for when the tank bag is not on the bike?

Anyway you could mount a ball in the recess above your clocks, so you could mount the TomTom in the double bubble part of your screen. That way you can get away with light rain without it getting wet. This is where I mounted my last sat nav in the SV, using the rev counter for the suction mount.

Specialone

03-02-12, 02:20 PM

There's not much room in that space above the clocks col I dont think it would fit.
I know some sprinters have put satnavs there but have been smaller units.

When the tank bag isn't on I can just rotate the clamp and lower it towards opposite side by the brake fluid reservoir.

I like it tbh, works better than expected.

-Ralph-

03-02-12, 02:27 PM

I can't see my clocks when the larger of my tank bags is on, but my sat nav clamps to the clutch lever, so it's off to one side, I can see it by looking down the side of the tank bag, and I use that to see what speed I'm doing.

kaivalagi

03-02-12, 05:25 PM

Specialone

03-02-12, 05:28 PM

I've got one of these with the ram mount arm etc: http://www.buybits.com/Product/6525/Universal-Waterproof-Weather-Proof-Gps-Satnav-Case-With-Ram-1-Ball-Fitting-For-Ram-Mounts-sku-6525.aspx

Works okay, you can pass the car charger lead through the bottom and it waterproofs the tomtom too...

One of them would've been perfect except for one thing, you can't fit the charging shoe on it while in that case, would work fine on battery though, but wouldn't last long.

kaivalagi

03-02-12, 05:52 PM

One of them would've been perfect except for one thing, you can't fit the charging shoe on it while in that case, would work fine on battery though, but wouldn't last long.

Sorry I didn't realise, I have a TomTom 530 which has a mini usb port on the bottom which I charge via a normal car charger unit...not possible with yours I take it?

Specialone

03-02-12, 06:33 PM

Sorry I didn't realise, I have a TomTom 530 which has a mini usb port on the bottom which I charge via a normal car charger unit...not possible with yours I take it?

Nah, the pic in the op is how it has to be, I wish it was like yours tbh, would make things more simple I must admit.

kaivalagi

03-02-12, 07:09 PM

Nah, the pic in the op is how it has to be, I wish it was like yours tbh, would make things more simple I must admit.

Just a thought, £119 refurbed: http://www.totalpda.co.uk/TomTom/TomTom-GO-530-Refurbished.7792.html