Paramotor Phone and Radio Rail Mount
When flying paramotors, it is better to be able to see your phone. It needs to be mounted. And if you are going to mount a phone, you might as well mount a radio as well.
So I designed and built a phone and radio mounting system for our paramotors. The development and old designs are detailed here:
Paramotor Mounting Rail Development
README
The mounting rail provided us a way to mount all of our accessories to one swing arm, and this was specifically on the opposite side of our emergency parachute. Most of us have a right side reserve, so the right swing arm should be free of any shenanigan. If you have a right side reserve, put the rail mount on the left.
Yes, the rail is in the way when you are clipping in. On a forward launch you will clip in, then you have to lift the risers over and clear. The first time it is worrisome, after that it becomes second nature. On a reverse launch you do not even notice it.
3D Print Files
Do you want one too? The 3D print files are here:
Paramotor Phone Mounting Rail Files
3D Printing Requirements
- Use PETG or tougher. Do Not Use PLA!
- Set your 3D slicer to "Strength". You want several outer layers, etc.
Hardware
You will need (Amazon, hardware store, whatever):
- (1) 16x14x400 aluminum tube 6063
- (2) M6x50 cap screw stainless
- (2) M6x50 knurled clamping knob, 22mm diameter
- (2) M6x30 knurled clamping knob, 22mm diameter
- (5) M6 stainless nylon locknut
- (1) M5 stainless nylon locknut
- (2) M6 washers
I tried to phrase the list above so you can copy-paste into the Amazon search bar and get the correct item. I avoid links, they change too quickly. And, you might as well buy several of the above. Your buddies will ask for you to make theirs too.
Tightening Requirements
A steel screw is typically used to fasten a plastic part. In all cases where a bracket holds onto the rail tube, there is a split to allow the bracket to open. Do not tighten such that this gap is completely closed! Tighten so things do not move, but overly tightening things will simply break plastic.
Base Rail
The rail is just a tube mounted to the outside of the swing arm.
Rail Tube
The rail is an aluminum tube, 16 mm in diameter and usually 400 mm long. On some installations it is 300 mm long, or cut to length. Whatever works for you. Get the tube with a 14 mm interior diameter made from 6063 aluminum.
Frame Bracket
This tube is mounted to the swing arm with (2) M6x50 cap screws, (2) washers, and (2) nylon locknuts. Depending on which frame you have, the frame bracket will be different:
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The bracket will be a different length: The length of the bracket = (50 mm) - (the thickness of your swing arm) - (the thickness of the washer). When installed the end of the screw should not be sticking out past the nut. Something will surely catch on it otherwise.
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The bracket may have a bushing to fit the M6 screw in an 8 or 10 mm hole.
Here are a few examples:
Liberty / Limitless (12 mm thickness, 6 mm hole)
- swingarm-mount-37
- swingarm-mount-end-37
Maverick (13 mm thickness, 8 mm hole)
- swingarm-mount-bushing-36x08
- swingarm-mount-bushing-end-36x08
MacFly with holes (12 mm thickness, 10 mm hole)
- swingarm-mount-bushing-37x10
- swingarm-mount-bushing-end-37x10
MacFly without holes (needs a special bracket)
- swingarm-mount-37
- swingarm-mount-end-37
- swingarm-mount-flat-tube-L
- swingarm-mount-flat-tube-R
Scout (12 mm thickness, bushing to fit whatever triangle hole)
For the Scout, you will have to use your CAD software... Start with the following, and then modify the bushing diameter to fit as necessary.
- swingarm-mount-bushing-36x08
- swingarm-mount-bushing-end-36x08
Base Rail Installation
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Install the rail so that it points down when you are standing, and when flying it is just down from horizontal. This feels right. However, you do you.
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The length of the rail is no longer than you need. Cut it shorter if needed.
Device Brackets
Your stuff mounts to a device mount each of which is specific to the device. These mounts connect to the rail using a common bracket. Typically I install two brackets. Sometimes I fly with a radio and a phone, sometimes with two phones, but rarely do I need more than two things.
This is the basic bracket.
This is the "Breadwinner Double Barrel Backup Battery Bracket"! I designed this one to hold two round "5000 mAh portable charger power bank" (on Amazon sold in pairs).
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The bottom bracket has a lip, the top bracket does not. The battery slides in from the top and is retained by gravity and the lip.
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If you do not mount a device to it, hold it in place with a M6x30 clamping knob.
Device Connections
Let's mount stuff!
Tachometer / CHT Gauges
Vitorazzi EFI Panel
Phone Mount
Get a Quad Lock case for your phone (Amazon or quadlockcase.com). You may hesitate, they are expensive. But honestly they are a really good phone case.
At this point I would suggest to simply purchase a Quad Lock mounting bracket for a 16 mm tube, if they had one. It would be easier. Regardless, here is how you build one:
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Print all of these parts in PETG, except for the two parts with threads and print those in PLA. PETG treads are a little "sticky" and it just works more smoothly in PLA.
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You can build this with or without a "vibration isolator". Use the Quad Lock or the Amazon/Tusita version. The isolator helps protect the camera mechanism.
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If you use a vibration isolator, you will have to disassemble it to replace the short M5 screw with a M5x30 flat socket head.
Radio Mount
Icom A16B
TIDRadio H3
Rail End / GoPro Mount
It seemed a bit dangerous to have an exposed tube end, so initially a round ball end was used. But to be more useful this end was developed to be a GoPro mount. Even if you do not have a GoPro, please do not just leave the tube end exposed.
So the complete base rail now looks like this: