Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 29
Number 7
April 1, 2003

Handheld Holders

Ram Mounting Systems will put a firm grip on your GPS, VHF radio, or any other handheld. Less expensive products from Arkon and Davis work, too, but need some tweaking before you can feel confident about your gear slamming in a seaway.

Who makes the best universal holder for handheld electronics? We tried 14 holders from 10 manufacturers. The products were mounted on a piece of plywood. After inspecting their quality of materials and workmanship, we shook, rattled and pounded the test platform to weed out the weaker candidates.

Two beaten and battered handheld electronic devices sparked the research for this one. In one hand, we have an old Garmin 48 GPS, with a cracked window and a missing cover for its antenna; in the other hand, a cell phone riddled with cracks, scuff marks, and gouges.

Most of the damage to these tools occurred while banging around running tests in the Twin-Vee we share with Powerboat Reports. Ever try running a powerboat in a chop while reading a GPS position on a handheld and relaying it by cell phone to someone in another boat or on shore while making notes on a windblown clipboard? Well, if you have,…

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