13Sep Ram mount 1″ ball adapters: buyers guide
I’m a big fan of Ram Mount 1 inch ball adapters, they’re easy to mount, come in all kinds of configurations, and they’re very rugged. The only problem with Ram Mount is that they make a lot of stuff and because of that their website is about as organized as a riot in a prison yard. Whats worse is they use a numbering system for all of there parts that has little to do with anything I could figure out. An example of this is the 1 inch ball to 1/4 20 stud adapter (above bottom left), just look under “RAM-B-237U”. I have no idea what any of those numbers mean or how I would every guess that they belonged to the item I was looking for. It’s so bad that I actually have to keep a cheat sheet with a part number list in my parts bag.
So here is a quick little over view and guide to what I’ve found useful. First lets start with part numbers. I use all 1 inch ball adapters, they work well and they also connect with other camera equipment I have. The barbell looking thing on the top left is a Ram Aluminum Double 1” Ball Adapter (part number: RAM-B-230), it runs about $10 to $15 and works great when you need to extend the length of your mount. Below that and to the left is the RAM 1/4″-20 Female Threaded Hole with 1″ ball (part number: RAM-B-348U), it runs about $6 to $10 and gives you a good option for mounting on adapter plates with open holes. Directly below that is the Ram 1″ Ball with 1/4″-20 Aluminum Stud (part number: RAM-B-237U), it’s use should be obvious and it’s price is $6 to $10. To the far right are 3 of the Ram Marine Double Socket Arms (part number: RAM-B-201), I have a few of these that were sold with the word “marine” in the title and a few just labeled “double sock arm” and I have no idea what the difference is, price is about $8 to $15.
The (above) and the ram mount system (below) are ruffly the same length and price, but there is a trade off. The Ram Mount Arm has more adjustment options, is a lot stronger, handles more weight, and is a lot more durable, but because of this it weighs almost twice as much as the petite
.
One other thing to consider is that RAM makes so many different types of adapters that they can be attached to almost anything. If you need a ball mount on your windshield or even on your cup holder they make it. You’ll have to decide for yourself what works best for your application, but if you need something rugged RAM 1 inch ball mounts are definitely something to consider.
If you do decide to go with a RAM Mount setup, make sure you keep an eye out for shipping prices. Some sellers like to mark the price up by double. I’m an Amazon Prime
September 13th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
I have a base-x rig and i want a better grip system.
I like most the cinevate uno
http://www.cinevate.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=192
Does cinevate buy a lot of ram mounts to make their products? It looks to me the design is very similar to ram’s ball and double socket arm.
If I just buy the parts from ram, how would I get it to clamp onto my rail. and then what would i use as grips?
September 13th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Cinevate designed there own ball mount system as fare as I know, but it’s almost identical to RAM’s system with only a few changes in handle and clamp design and a very large price markup. You might be able to cheap out with this hand grip and one of these low price rail clamps.
October 4th, 2011 at 9:30 am
I found a used cinevate uno grip on one of the forums.
The first thing I did was test it with my ram mount.
although they worked together. I think the cinevate is a tiny bit smaller than the ram version. So…
RAM ball -> cinevate clamp = good.
Cinvate ball -> ram clamp = slightly looser…