Posted: 5/25/16
When I find myself out on the trail, I always run into the same problem. I use a Go Pro and a few other cameras, but like most people I also use my phone. The issue I run into is trying to take a pic or video with my phone and drive.
I have looked for mini tripods or anything close to that to hold my phone. With nothing on the market, I went home and looked through my RC parts bins.
After looking at some parts and pulling stuff that may work, I started configuring parts together.
The rock sliders from parts tree AX80042 looked like it would cradle and protect my phone. I mention protect because I have hit my phone that I had propped up with a rock while filming my Axial Yeti TT at full speed on 3s. It took an unexpected bounce and that was all she wrote. Phone insurance doesn't really work as well as you would hope; it's always expensive.
After finding what I think will work for a cradle I looked for pieces that would connect the two. The upper left pieces are straight so they looked like they will work. I found these on the Axial parts tree AX80085A.
Next I needed some sort of hinge or a way to connect these pieces. If you look you can see I broke off the pieces I needed. I found these on Axial parts tree AX800858 part #7.
These are all of the pieces I have gathered. Parts tree AX800858 on the left, AX80085A in the middle, AX80042 on the right (you will need 2 of these), and a Axial hook and loop battery strap pictured at the top.
I started by attaching these hinge pieces to the foot of a complete rock slider.
It should look like this, I was able to use the plastic hinge side to secure the screw, so I did not use a nut. Try not to over tighten as it's plastic and will be loose if you do so.
This is done on both sets of rock sliders.
Here I have assembled one side and you can see the pieces needed on the left.
Make sure the sliders are both facing same direction. Mine are facing down, this should act as the cradle.
You should end up with something like this.
When folded over this is what it looks like.
After putting my phone in this contraption I could see I needed something to latch it down. This is where the battery strap comes into play.
I used a Dremel tool and cutting wheel to make any opening for the strap to feed in on both rock sliders.
Once feed through it should lock on itself and hold phone securely.
With the hinges on the top and bottom I have a lot of adjustment to tilt the phone up or down and since its a hook and loop strap, for adjustment I can fit it to pretty much any phone!
Now when I am on the trail, I have adjustment and protection for my phone and I can focus on driving.
This is a bit of a steep angle and even without the strap you can see the phone stays securely in the phone pod. After weeks of use, it's still working out great. No more looking for a rock or stick to prop it up. Repurposed Axial parts can work for more than you think.
