[hudres]

I just bought an automobile mount for the Storm (necessary to use VZ Navigator). I did the usual read through of all the available mounts. What I discovered is of great importance:

None of the available mounts which purport to be compatible with the Storm actually are. Here's the catch:

The clamps that hold the phone cover the (micro) USB jack and also depress the right side button. This partially locks the keyboard.

Blocking the USB jack is a real problem. I am fortunate in that I have a machine shop and was able to fix the problem by machining a 0.475 inch diameter hole in the clamp. WARNING: Do not attempt this with a handheld drill. Do not attempt this unless you are a competent machinist. You will almost certainly break the clamp. Locating the hole is critical and requires extreme precision. This requires special measuring equipment.

I am pointing this out as I want to alert other users to this problem and hopefully the manufacturers and resellers so that that they will stop advertising products that are not Storm compatible (resellers) and make one that is (manufacturers). 73

[sniperkj]

why not just make the hole bigger with a regular drill?

[hudres]

The issue is not specifically how big the hole is. The problem is holding the part while drilling. Drills in the range of 1/2 inch put enormous torque loads on the part. If the part is not properly clamped, it either breaks or gets caught in the drill and spins potentially causing severe injury. These issue are a result of the relatively soft nature of the plastic (as opposed to metal). Even if you drill it out as a series of increasingly larger holes (as I did), once you get to the larger sizes, it becomes very difficult to do. I did the work on a sophisticated milling machine. I spent about a half hour setting up the clamping of the part.

The main reason I did this post was to make forum readers aware that the current crop of automobile mounts will not allow the use of the charging cable which is a serious disadvantage. If you don't care about this, then they are fine.

The other reason I posted is to alert the manufacturers and resellers that the product they are selling is not compatible and that (hopefully) they should do something about this. The Storm is clearly a popular unit worth making a special model for. But this modification is best done by the manufacturer. They can do the necessary modifications in a proper fashion without compromising the structural integrity of the mount (as my modification does).

Is it possible for someone without a machine shop to successfully make this modification: maybe. But it is more likely to result in destruction of the part and or injury. This is why I do not recommend making this modification. 73

[costonbw]

I've found the auto mounts from "Proclipusa.com" to be very high quality and well designed. If you haven't seen them before you should check them out. They're a little more expensive, but are easy to install and look very professional. I recently emailed them to inquire about the availability of holders for the Storm and received the following response:

Hello Brad:

Thank you for your interest in our ProClip holders. At this time
we do not have a holder for the BlackBerry Storm. We do
anticipate making one, however due to the large number of new
products we are developing, we cannot give a specific date as to
when this will be available. You will be notified by e-mail as soon
as the holder has been received at our warehouse and is ready
for online ordering.

Best Regards,

ProClip USA Customer Service
Toll free: +1 800-296-3212
Email:
Web: ProClip Mounting System - Choose Your Country

So there is hope for a high quality car mount! When I hear about the Storm holder being available I'll make an announcement here. I would also suggest that anyone else who's interested in one contact them... the more people who do the higher priority they're likely to put on a holder for the Storm.

[Teledatageek]

Originally Posted by costonbw

I've found the auto mounts from "Proclipusa.com" to be very high quality and well designed. If you haven't seen them before you should check them out. They're a little more expensive, but are easy to install and look very professional. I recently emailed them to inquire about the availability of holders for the Storm and received the following response:

Hello Brad:

Thank you for your interest in our ProClip holders. At this time
we do not have a holder for the BlackBerry Storm. We do
anticipate making one, however due to the large number of new
products we are developing, we cannot give a specific date as to
when this will be available. You will be notified by e-mail as soon
as the holder has been received at our warehouse and is ready
for online ordering.

Best Regards,

ProClip USA Customer Service
Toll free: +1 800-296-3212
Email:
Web: ProClip Mounting System *-*Choose Your Country

So there is hope for a high quality car mount! When I hear about the Storm holder being available I'll make an announcement here. I would also suggest that anyone else who's interested in one contact them... the more people who do the higher priority they're likely to put on a holder for the Storm.

I'm a big fan of ProClip as well and got the same response. However, I was pleased to discover that my existing 8330 (Curve) ProClip works just fine with the 9530. It fits a little snug but works just fine.

[HarlyFan]

Pro Clip makes a UNIVERSAL holder that works fine on my 8830 and 9500 with or without the silicone case on it.

[hudres]

I didn't see this brand when searching. I have one question: Can you plug the USB cable in? If not, the mount is useless. Any mount can grab a phone. If it doesn't accommodate the cables and buttons, it is not a mount for that device. 73

[costonbw]

Hudres,

Their other clips allow for wires and buttons. I would expect new holders to also. Check out their website.

[BigA]

Proclip.com is the best. I have used it for both my TomTom 720 and all of my Blackberry's, which include.
8130, 8330 and 8830. I can't wait until Proclip comes out with a holder for the Storm..

Also note to hudres.
Proclip has always made two style of holders. They usually make one with and one with out a built-in power adapter. It will be interesting to see how Proclip handles the Storm, since when navigating most GPS apps work better with a landscape (horizontal) vs the portrait view. Also note that if you are in landscape with the GPS running and a call comes in the phone app will always by design only work in portrait view. So that might be a negative to some.

[BigA]

Also note hudres that Proclip holders are not your typical adjustable holder all-in-one style. It's more of a glove fit specific to one device only. They also have lots of options and adapters to hold more than one device on a single mount/clip.

[hudres]

Originally Posted by costonbw

Hudres,

Their other clips allow for wires and buttons. I would expect new holders to also. Check out their website.

They don't. That's why I went through the exercise described above. 73

[mindhead1]

I am a ProClip user and look forward to getting one for my Storm. In the meantime I am considering this one from Bury. Is anyone familiar with it?

I was not able to post the link b/c I am new to the forum. Google 'THB BURY Comfort Cradle for Blackberry Storm 9530' and you will find references to it.

[SamMyers]

I've currently got the Bury Comfort Cradle for my 8830. Works perfectly.

[jjd228]

More importantly, why do you type "73" at the end of every post? is that some kind of secret terrorist signal? Huh? Is it??

[CEV]

How does the "THB BURY Comfort Cradle" work? Only picture I could find was from the front. How does it attach to the car? And how does it charge. I think the perfect one would be that it plugs directly into the cigarette lighter and extends out and is adjustable. Then when you insert the Storm into the cradle it starts charging with no need to mess around with attaching the charging cable every time you put the phone into or remove it from the cradle.

[hudres]

Most cradles will grab the Storm and hold it. The problem is that they block the USB port and sometimes press the side keys. Other than that they are fine. 73

PS: 73 is an old radio code for Goodbye. Better? Mystery Solved? Could also be a checksum for my messages.

[costonbw]

Hudres,

What I was saying above is that other ProClip holders I've seen allow for wires and buttons, therefore I would expect new holders by ProClip would also allow for wires and buttons. Sorry for the confusing use, and misspelling of pronouns.

[hudres]

Originally Posted by costonbw

Hudres,

What I was saying above is that other ProClip holders I've seen allow for wires and buttons, therefore I would expect new holders by ProClip would also allow for wires and buttons. Sorry for the confusing use, and misspelling of pronouns.

It would make sense that any holder designed for a specific phone would have holes and stuff in the right place to allow access for wires and button access. My point is that the current crop of "universal" holders do not work properly with the Storm. I will check out the ProClip and see if it is better than the Arkon I have (which, after some work in the machine shop is pretty good). 73

[costonbw]

I got an email from Proclip today announcing the availability of the Storm holders. When I try to buy one though, I get an error. I've emailed them about it, and I'll report back.


From: ProClip CustomerService
Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Subject: ProClip Device Holders for the BlackBerry Storm Available Now!
To: costonbw

Dear Customer,

The ProClip Device Holders for the BlackBerry Storm are now in stock and available for online ordering at ProClip Mounting System - Choose Your Country

Item #848375 - Standard Holder
Item #848875 - Holder with Tilt Swivel
Item #968875 - Holder with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Charger
Item #971875 - Holder with Tilt Swivel and Straight Cable for Fixed Install

Thank you for your interest in our products and have a terrific day!

Best Regards,

ProClip USA Customer Service
Toll Free: +1 800-296-3212
Fax: +1 608-838-8949
Email:
Web: ProClip Mounting System - Choose Your Country

[CEV]

$130 for the holder, charger, and mount. And you still have to plug the cable into the storm manually!! This is more than I paid for the phone itself. Someone should make one like the desktop charging cradle where you just set the Storm in it and take it out when needed, no need to keep plugging and unplugging the cable every time.