Phone mount for track addict?

I've been totally unsuccessful in getting autocross video with either of my cameras. I want to try my phone.

Don't want to mount it on the windshield, not a lot of real estate there in a Miata. 

While I could suction cup it inside the rear window of the hard top, I'll get too much of the interior and not much of the course.

Any suggestions?

Do you run with the top open or closed?

If open, use a clamp mount on the top of the windshield?  Add a tether to ensure your phone doesn't go flying.

If closed, then maybe mount it on the door mirrors so that the camera is able to view down the course but you can still reach the phone?

In reply to Stefan :

Hard top, which I don't remove. Also have a roll bar. Is there a mirror mount that would be secure enough for a phone?

Do you use a data logging software that can use an external camera? In that case you might want to look at sticking a used GoPro on your hardtop and have the datalogging software interact with the camera.

In reply to Floating Doc :

this is supposed to be a good one:

https://store.windingroad.com/ram-mount-for-smartphones-p2952.aspx

RAM makes great mounts. Go to their site and assemble your own mount in the style you want (I'd suggest bar mount since you have one).

Floating Doc said:

In reply to Stefan :

Hard top, which I don't remove. Also have a roll bar. Is there a mirror mount that would be secure enough for a phone?

duct tape?

In reply to Stefan :

Lol’d until I realized you’re right...

I use ram mounts on everything. If they can hold my phone solid on my bike at triple digits they can handle race tracks in a car.

Im also looking for one that mounts at the top of the tombstone, but for the Na. Though I’m not sure if video can be taken at that level in the picture. 

BoxheadTim said:

Do you use a data logging software that can use an external camera? In that case you might want to look at sticking a used GoPro on your hardtop and have the datalogging software interact with the camera.

I've got a Hero 4 black, and an Akaso EK7000. Both are junk. The Gopro locks up. I've had to remove the battery to get it to reboot. The Akaso runs for a couple of seconds and shuts itself off. Won't last for a 40 second autocross run. 

Eventually, I'm going to get another camera and start over, but in the meantime, I might as well have the features that come with Track addict. 

I have an ioport "CM1" camera mount that I bought years ago for my camcorder (this was in the pre-GoPro days, when the smallest DV video cameras you could get were multi-pound affairs).  It mounts to the roll bar, and adapts to a tripod screw.

https://www.ioportracing.com/i/o-port-products/camera-mount-for-medium-to-large-cameras-i/o-port/

The articulating arms let you mount the camera level even if the roll bar is at an angle, and the poly (?) base provides good vibration isolation.  Since it's got a standard tripod screw, you can use it in combination with a cheap tripod mount for any camera -- I have one for my GoPro (hero2), but I imagine there are probably some good ones for cell phones too.

Floating Doc said:

I've got a Hero 4 black... The Gopro locks up. I've had to remove the battery to get it to reboot.

In response to the above. Buy a better SD card. I had all kinds of GoPro problems when I first bought mine. The lock up issue was traced to a cheap SD card. It would not write fast enough for the GoPro, the buffer in the camera would run out of space and lock up. It HAS to be a class 10 SD card in the 100mb/s range. Anything less would make mine lock up. 

That said, I still hate the GoPro, but I did finally get it to record with some reliability. 

As to mounts. RAM is the best in the business. 

In reply to Toyman01 :

I thought I had an adequate chip in the camera, but swapped it out on your advice.

While I'm not going to be sure until I get actual video from an autocross, it seems to be working.

After a couple of tries, I've also got the ap working, which I hadn't been able to do previously.

Thanks for the advice.

Now if I can just get the other camera to work, also.

we use multiple RAM mounts in both our track car and our stage rally car. Nothing has ever come loose or come out of the holders, and the rally car has taken some large impacts......

In reply to irish44j :

Ram mounts are familiar to me. They're used to mount electronics on fishing boats. They have to be tough for that.

Floating Doc said:

In reply to irish44j :

Ram mounts are familiar to me. They're used to mount electronics on fishing boats. They have to be tough for that.

They make mounts for all kinds of stuff. I use a hard mount base with their X-Grip phone holder in the boat and a suction mount with the same holder in the Jeep. The suction cup comes off about once a quarter, but if you remember to unlock the mechanism and re-suction it every so often it's gold. Plus I have it near the edge of the windshield where it curves.

They do make an adapter base that mounts to the little arm of your rear view mirror, but I'd be careful about how much weight you put there. I've considered mounting my ham radio control face that way.