When we designed the Comms Rail, we set out to create a solution that would allow us to mount a variety of gear within easy reach, ideally without blocking the nav screen. While we’re not fans of the nav and we do plan to upgrade it at some point, the simple fact is that we need to get to it for climate controls, etc. and we didn’t quite dig other solutions on the market. You can read all about our design process here if you’d like.
Once we’d designed and prototyped our Comms Rail, it was time to figure out how to organize it. Ideally, we wanted space for:
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2 mobile devices
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GMRS radio
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Garmin InReach
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Spotify Car Thing
That’s a lot of stuff to squeeze into a relatively tight space. Luckily, at nearly 15 inches wide, our Comms Rail can accommodate.
Even still, we wanted to find mounting solutions with reasonably small footprints to allow for the maximum adjustability and minimal crowding. After research popular mount solutions like RAM, 67 Designs, Scoshe, and Apple, we weren’t quite satisfied. Rightly or wrongly, we’re just not fans of the X design of the RAM device holders. 67 Designs makes gorgeous gear, but the price is tough to swallow just to mount a few things on the dash. And we were warned that popular magnet/magsafe solutions may not stand up to off-road use.
Luckily, we stumbled onto Tackform during our hunt.
They make a wide array of mounts in a variety of sizes, all of which are compatible with other popular brands (like those mentioned above). And Tackform’s mounting solutions offer a few unique features that made them a no-brainer for us. For example, their Pinch Bolt Mount can be mounted directly to our Comms Rail. In conjunction with the Flange Socket Arm, which can be mated to a standard 1” ball, this makes for a very simple mounting solution.
Overall, to meet our mounting needs for the items above, our shopping list looked like this…
For each phone:
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RAM Ball Adapter with 1/4" - 20" Female Threaded Hole and Hex Post
(We bought the RAM ball mounts because they were a couple of dollars cheaper, but Tackform also offers a similar ball mount.)
For Baofeng GMRS Radio:
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RAM Diamond Ball Base
(This is another that we could have purchased from Tackform but the RAM was a few bucks cheaper.) -
Rugged Radios MT-5R Single Side Radio Mount for Baofeng RH5R & RDH Handheld Radios
(We did have to drill two new holes in the Rugged Radios mount to allow us to attach the diamond ball mount.)
The Finished Product
Once mounted and installed on our carbon fiber Comms Rail, everything comes together nicely.
