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Author:  Jack Cook

Vendor:  RAM Mounts

Cost:  Cost varies  by product

Rating:  5/5

I am fortunate that I am now able to spend an immense amount of time traveling to those places that I have always wanted to visit and when I go someplace new I usually use my Pocket PC with TomTom 6. It is a great program and always gets me where I want to go but sometimes I really want to “adapt” the route I have to travel and if it is a long trip adding “vias” using my Pocket PC can prove to be a tedious task.

In the final analysis, I prefer to use DeLorme’s Street Atlas USA on my Sony Vaio laptop, LS800 tablet or SonyUX because I can easily plan my route on my PC and import the route onto those devices. Ease of planning is a huge factor and using the “bigger screen” often proves to be a big advantage. But the issue is how do you deal with the bigger device? I have a great mount for my Pocket PC that adapts to virtually all of my phone devices but it won’t adapt to my bigger devices and even if it could, it just is not durable enough to handle a larger heavier device. So the search began to find a great mount and it stopped at RAM Mounting Systems.

When I first visited their site and started to look at their solutions I could see that the products were “heavy duty”, yet designed to be as unobtrusive as possible without compromising the ultimate reason for using a RAM Mount …. security for your device. I was convinced that I wanted a suction cup mounting system for ease of use and I was sure that I wanted to get one that I could use my Sony UX with.

So the search began through their products listing to see what was available and I found that they offered 5 suction cup mounting solutions and there was one that was specifically made for the UX. That impressed me! I thought it was a distinct advantage because I was confident that it would have been designed to fit perfectly and would be able to balance the weight of the UX appropriately.

What it looks like

When the mount arrived, I was immediately impressed with its looks. It most definitely lived up to the name RAM. For me, the name RAM depicts something that is sturdy and strong and when you hold this mount in your hands for the first time, it definitely lives up to its name. The mount consists of three main parts: the suction cup mount, the adjustable arm and the device specific holding bracket.

Suction Cup Body

The body of the suction cup mount is made from a very heavy duty ballistic plastic. The rubber suction cup is made of EPDM rubber. As you inspect the cup, you can see its quality is designed for years of use. Integrated into the base is an easy to use on/off lever that twists, locking the cup onto any glass (or smooth) surface providing a very rigid and firm attachment to the mounting surface.

As I tried it on a variety of surfaces, I was impressed with the grip it had. Enough so I was absolutely confident that once it is attached, it will remain attached. I did some serious “stress” tests on several surfaces and it would not budge.

Adjustable Arm

The “arm” of the mount consists of 5 parts: two attachment plates, two halves of the arm and a locking mechanism.

The attachment plates have a large ball that allows for infinite position adjustments on either end of the arm. The arm itself consists of two halves that are clamped together with a locking mechanism. Adjusting the arm in the correct position is easy and a simple twist of the knob locks it into place. The attachment plates have two holes with screws that bolt into the base and the device bracket. The balls on the attachment plates are metal but have a rubberized coating that not only looks good but also helps with the gripping power of the two halves as they are clamped tightly onto the balls.

Device Bracket

When I first saw the device bracket I was perplexed as to how it would work and wondered if it would be as secure as I had hoped. Silly me! I should have known that after I looked at the base and the arm, the attachment plate would meet or exceed what I had already seen and in fact it did!

The UX has two grooves in the bottom rear of the case that a portable stand clips into. RAM made their bracket so it slides into these grooves and neatly clips onto the top of the UX over a rounded part of the UX case. It is very secure and adds virtually no extra “girth” to the UX. The attachment plate is designed to allow air flow between the UX and the attachment plate. Each time I look at it I smile; it is a really neat design.

Ease of use

It is incredibly easy to mount and lock the RAM Mount on your windshield. The locking lever makes for quick and secure attachments. Its design is such that when you twist it, it literally sucks the rubber cup in, creating a vacuum, and a thus a secure mount. When you remove the mount, you release the suction and the device will unmount. There is a tab attached to the suction cup to aide in the process if needed.

Conclusion

It’s a pretty simple device that performs a task very well. So what makes this mount better than others on the market? From my experience, I have never seen a mount as well made. It has great quality, excellent craftsmanship and provides the security you want for cradling your device.

I am particularly pleased with the design of the cradle and how well it fits my SonyUX. Once it is attached, there is extreme confidence that your device is safe. Based on my experience with this RAM Mount, I would hesitate to give it my highest recommendation.

Pros

1. Durable high quality ballistic plastic
2. Superior construction
3. Well designed, easy to use
4. Secure locking system

Cons

1. There simply are none. This mount has met and exceeded my every expectation.

Cost

RAM Mounts vary in cost depending on the mount choice. My mount cost slightly over $40 + shipping

Rating:  5/5

You can find the perfect mount for your device here at RAM Mounts

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