Dry Run: Magnetic Mount

[Chode]

I decided to get 0803 for the rear cam, however due to combination of tailgate shape, top brake light and sunblind, the standard mount is not suitable, so I set to make a magnetic one. Rather than experiment on the real thing, I bought a GS608, aka "fake 0801" to play with ... and here we are:

I also had to modify the rotating ring to allow 360º rotation, which incidentally means it can now be mounted upside-down (well, at the bottom), without the need to flip the image.

It was as simple as opening the cam (see niko's excellent post on that), cutting off the lug, limiting rotation to 45º, and replacing it with precisely filed down tiny blob of epoxy (to compensate for loss of support point). Result: smooth and tight 360º rotating mount ring

 

[Chode]

Finished

As you can see, the back of the cam almost touches the sunblind - tight fit indeed.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Is that magnet plenty strong? (no wobble even driving over a pot hole?)

 

[Chode]

Is that magnet plenty strong? (no wobble even driving over a pot hole?)

Yup, these are very strong - no wobble even when the tailgate is slammed down hard enough (well, it ain't S-Class - brand new lock last year, but still requires certain force to engage) ... The only potential "variable" was rotating on the vertical axis, but that's sorted by USB cable being held firmly in a fixed position, thus keeping the [very lightweight] cam from spinning

However, in the interest of science, and since we have plenty of potholes here, I'm going to test it on a couple I routinely swerve around ... these are substantial enough to always register as an incident on my front cam, even though its G-sensor is set to absolute minimum.

 

[Nigel]

The only potential "variable" was rotating on the vertical axis, but that's sorted by USB cable being held firmly in a fixed position, thus keeping the [very lightweight] cam from spinning

Assuming you are using magnet to magnet rather than magnet to metal, the spinning can be prevented by using two or preferably three smaller magnets. You then have magnetic force preventing the spin.

 

[USDashCamera]

my only concern would be in an accident it flies off. one users mobius flew outta the mount after being rear ended and those mounts hold it in pretty tight.

 

[Chode]

Assuming you are using magnet to magnet rather than magnet to metal, the spinning can be prevented by using two or preferably three smaller magnets. You then have magnetic force preventing the spin.

Of course it would, and had I set off to design a mount, it could've been an option (locating pin still being preferred one though), however I just used what I had in a draw - 15mm neodymium magnets: one is fixed to the tailgate trim, the other to the cam. Simples

 

[Chode]

my only concern would be in an accident it flies off. one users mobius flew outta the mount after being rear ended and those mounts hold it in pretty tight.

I'm sure it would, given enough impact force, however, I have my sunblind between me and the cam, and I believe Mercedes sunblind is capable of stopping a short-range ballistic missile