Arkon CM715 - Great Piece Of Gear!

USMC - Retired · 01-26-06, 12:05 PM

Yesterday I received a package in the mail with my new Arkon CM715 powered PDA mount. After spending the better part of last night and today playing with and testing it I must say I am very pleased with my purchase, so much so I can’t help but pass along my impression of this outstanding piece of hardware. Let me start by saying that I do not work for Arkon and did not get any special deal from anyone for posting my comments, I just feel strongly about the quality of this item and wanted to pass this along to other Aximsite users. I purchased my mount “New in box” off EBay for $40.00 with free shipping, well below the retail price, but knowing what I now know about this mount I would consider it a bargain even at the suggested retail price of $59.95. The following is a list of the mounts features and my thoughts on each:

1. PDA cradle that accepts several different mounting solutions - My mount came with a 9“ Windshield Swivel Pedestal that works great for my uses, but I also have the flexibility to choose from twelve other pedestals that will work with my cradle. At first I was concerned about trusting a suction cup to hold my Axim, but after mounting it and trying to force it loose I fully trust it’s holding power. I have found that in my situation it is best to mount the cradle so it rest the bottom edge against the car dash to eliminate road vibration and make it easier to read as well as keep a clear view through my windshield.

2. Padded Side Grip Support Jaws and Moveable Support Legs - This mount is universal in nature to allow use with just about any PDA. The support legs adjust to allow full access to the connectors on the bottom of your PDA while the side grips hold it firmly in place. The dense foam pads on the support jaws molds around the PDA and holds it firmly in place with no fear of it popping out on a rough road. To release your PDA when leaving the car you simply disconnect the power and speaker cable then push a single button and you’re on your way.

3. PDA charging and data cable- The mount comes with a short sync/charge cable that interfaces the PDA with the mounts 5.2V USB data and charging port. This both provides power to charge the PDA as well as communication to a mouse type GPSr via the RJ12 jack on the top of the mount. What I think is so great about this feature is it allows you to keep the same mount when you change PDA’s with a minimum of cost involved. All you need to do it purchase a cable to match your new PDA from Arkon or use any PDA to USB sync/charge cable if you don’t mind the extra cable length dangling.

4. USB Accessory Power Slot – The mount provides a second power port for use with any device you have that needs a 5.2V USB charging capability. I currently don’t need this but it could prove useful in the future.

5. Aux DC Power Port – The mount also provides power to most GPSr units via a 5.2 V 4.0 Jack and an included 3’ charging cable. This works great with my Bluetooth Delorme Earthmate and allows me to take long trips without worry of dead batteries or the need for a second lighter socket in the car for the GPS.

6. Built in speaker – The mount has a built in 2 Watt speaker with it own volume control. Simply connect the included audio jumper cable between the PDA and the mount and your set. I found the sound quality to be outstanding and am very pleased with the ability to adjust the volume to let me hear the voice prompts from my Pharos Ostia Nav software over my car stereo.

7. Input Power Cord – The car lighter socket power cord for this mount is permanently attached to the mount and works great, however I would prefer a detachable car adapter to allow the user to replace it if it were to become damaged. This is the only fault I can find with this unit!

Overall I must say I am extremely impressed with this mount and very happy I made this choice as I can tell by the quality of the unit that it will last a long time and will allow me to keep it in service even after my X30 is retired for a newer model PDA.

USMC - Retired · 01-29-06, 01:05 PM

Just in case anyone is interested the same seller on ebay that I got this mount from is offering another one with a "buy-it-now" price of $40 with free shipping. They offer other mounts as well, so the good deals are out there if you shop around.

stevenator65 · 03-13-06, 10:30 PM

usmc, had I read this before I bought my seidio, I would've bought the arkon. Great review.

USMC - Retired · 03-14-06, 07:51 AM

Steve,
Sorry you saw it to late, a month and a half later and several long car trips for both business and fun and I still love this mount and would recommend it to anyone. Rare to come across this kind of quality and versatility for a reasonable amount of money.

03-14-06, 09:50 AM

Awesome review! Thanks.

USMC - Retired · 03-14-06, 10:07 AM

My pleasure, glad you liked it, hope it helps someone.

Knumb · 03-21-06, 12:03 AM

USMC-Retired---who is the seller? That looks pretty sharp and I need a holder....TIA

USMC - Retired · 03-21-06, 03:43 PM

The seller's ebay ID was "jdn11". I just looked and he still has them on there. Good luck with it.

03-21-06, 06:22 PM

I've got a CM720 which is very similar and it's flakey at best. The ratchet mechanism for the side grips wears so after a while your axim is likely to just fall out while you're driving along. Also, the pieces of foam dont comply well to the the axim and tend to activate the wifi or sound recorder (X50v). The barrel power socket is poor quality and if you dont plug in your GPS or whatever to charge just right then a power surge will cause a reset! The volume control works most of the time but sometimes it just cuts out. The sucker mechanism works well though. Oh finally the goose neck pulled out of the suction cup while I was realigning it so I've jammed it back in. Nasty bit of kit in my experience.

dontbugme · 03-21-06, 07:22 PM

You can also buy them from Amazon for under $40 if you'd rather not use eBay.