MOUNTED: Auvio 7" 800x480 TV from Radio Shack ($170 on sale) at DVinfo.net

Dave Therault · December 29th, 2009, 02:38 AM

This is the TV:

AUVIO™ 7" High-Resolution Portable Digital TV - RadioShack.com

The mount centers on this inexpensive Targus suction cup camera mount:

Amazon.com: Targus Digital TGT-SP Suction Cup Tripod: Camera & Photo

The suction cup uses a mechanism to attach firmly to surfaces.

The basic idea is to mount to the battery/battery door on the back of the Auvio, which is the only smooth flat surface. The door measures about 3" x 2.25" and the suction cup is 2.75" in diameter, so another surface must be bonded to the battery that will cover the entire suction cup area.

I decided to use a sheet of 3/32" thick glass (cut 3"x3") attached with velcro to the battery. Glass is not porous or grained and makes the best material for an airtight seal for the suction cup. I used industrial strength velcro, 2" wide, from Home Depot.

I mount to a flash bracket attached to a modified Shrigg Rig from indifocus (HV30, RNG35, Nikon 105mm, Mamiya Prism Finder).

For storage, I remove the suction cup from the glass. The Targus device has a quick release mounting disk which I leave on the flash bracket. I leave the glass velcroed to the battery. Everything stores safely in a netbook case.

In order to apply appropriate pressure to the battery when attaching the suction cup to the glass, I first remove the battery from the TV. I slightly moisten the suction cup before attaching. I did have the suction cup mount come off once when I failed to apply appropriate pressure when mounting it, so I recommend being attentive. When applied properly the suction cup holds very well to the glass. I plan to do an overnight test and report the results here.

The suction cup isn't a permanent mount so it should probably be removed for storage after a shoot, or at least checked regularly.

I think it's a clean, elegant, easy-to-adjust solution. It is certainly easy to rotate/flip the unit for use with a DOF adapter. The Auvio is lightweight and compact. I find the resolution to be sufficient for focusing. (I do wear a pair of magnifying diopters regardless the focusing monitor I am using.)

This Auvio is not to be confused with another 7" Auvio TV sold at Radio Shack that is only 480x234.

A word of caution on glass cutting. Be sure to polish the edges and corners with a wetstone remove sharp edges and strengthen the glass.

Dave Therault · December 29th, 2009, 04:44 PM

Some more suction cup mounts:

Suction Cup Camera Mount

Delkin Devices | DDMOUNT MINI Fat Gecko Mini | DDMOUNT-MINI

Suction Cups & Accessories

The only drawback to this set I see is that in a handheld situation I may want to adjust the position of the monitor without setting it down to use the clamp. Perhaps something like this could be used to extend the Targus mount which would allow for one-handed adjustment of the monitor position:

Barber Tech | 3KFA.1/4 3-Knuckle Flexi Arm 1/4-20 | 3KFA.1/4

Dave Therault · December 29th, 2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Therault

In order to apply appropriate pressure to the battery when attaching the suction cup to the glass, I first remove the battery from the TV. I slightly moisten the suction cup before attaching. I did have the suction cup mount come off once when I failed to apply appropriate pressure when mounting it, so I recommend being attentive. When applied properly the suction cup holds very well to the glass. I plan to do an overnight test and report the results here.

The suction cup isn't a permanent mount so it should probably be removed for storage after a shoot, or at least checked regularly.

Okay, it passed the overnight test, which included about 90 minutes of handheld use today.

Dave Therault · January 3rd, 2010, 02:26 AM

Just to report that I got 3h50m from one battery charge.

Dave Therault · January 4th, 2010, 11:52 PM

I added this Petrol hood for 7–8 inch monitors:

Petrol | PMH-6 Monitor Hood | PMH-6 | B&H Photo Video

I had to mess with it and added velcro around the front rim of the hood and a few pieces of it on the sides of the TV. I use industrial grade velcro and I use a hair dryer to heat and soften the adhesive.

It probably would have been easier to get this one for 6.5–7 inch monitors but it was unavailable from B&H and I went with the bigger one:

Enhanced View Services, Inc.

I also added a little security backup to the suction cup using velcro stuck on the back of the cup and on the back of the TV, and six small velcro straps. I am mostly concerned about potentially losing suction in extreme temperature changes. This system is really holding the TV and hood well for long periods under heavy use.

The knuckle I ordered was too lightweight:

Barber Tech | 3KFA.1/4 3-Knuckle Flexi Arm 1/4-20 | 3KFA.1/4

Art Varga · January 5th, 2010, 07:46 AM

Dave - how would assess critical focus capability with this setup?

Dave Therault · January 6th, 2010, 07:13 PM

Hello Art. My experience is consistent with what is reported by those using the Sony 800x480 DVD player. Resolution is the approximate equivalent of my camera LCD (HV30).

This is a good solution for me until small HD screens come down in price this or next year. The Auvio is smaller and lighter than the Sony DVD player, and I can usually hit the sweet spot in the short "throw" of the lens's focusing ring between which there is no change in the image at it's apparent sharpest.

Here's a short test I made using the Auvio last night:

I racked from target to target quickly, and now realize I should have lingered longer at each target to make it easier for you to see how well I was hitting the mark. My apologies for that, but I hope you can see some of the hits.

BTW, the Auvio is now $160 at Radio Shack.

(I still really like using the Mamiya prism finder velcroed to the HV30 LCD.)

George Strother · January 13th, 2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Therault

This is the TV:

I decided to use a sheet of 3/32" thick glass (cut 3"x3") attached with velcro to the battery. Glass is not porous or grained and makes the best material for an airtight seal for the suction cup. I used industrial strength velcro, 2" wide, from Home Depot.

This is probably too simple, but... Why not stick velcro to the inside of the suction cup and press that to the velcro on the back of the monitor? That 2" industrial stuff should hold up a 30" monitor.

Dave Therault · January 13th, 2010, 08:13 PM

Good thought, George, and you may be satisfied with that method.

I tried that first, but while the velcro has strong grip strength, sticking with the concave cup made the whole thing wobbly, whereas the flat surface of the glass velcroed to the battery over a 6 square inch area is very sturdy, and the suction cup on the glass is similarly sturdy. With this setup there is only a little movement between the glass and the battery, and none perceptible between the suction cup and the glass. I imagine that the torque force applied when a big hood is attached would challenge the method you are suggesting.

Also, it was difficult to flex the cup and stick it, and then to remove it repeatedly, so I decided to use each component as designed.

Robert Rogoz · January 25th, 2010, 06:42 PM

Right now this TV is 129.99 at RS: AUVIO™ 7" High-Resolution Portable Digital TV - RadioShack.com

Dave Therault · January 26th, 2010, 09:04 AM

Good eye Robert, and thanks for posting this. I'm just within my 30-day price guarantee with RS. Nice! This puts a great solution within price point of the Sony DVD player.

Dave Therault · January 26th, 2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Therault

Just to report that I got 3h50m from one battery charge.

Normal usage seems to be closer the advertised 2 hours per charge.

Robert Rogoz · January 26th, 2010, 11:55 PM

I just bought one today, as I decided not to wait for new Vizio. At some point I would like to switch to 5.6" Ikan, but I don't have the budget for it now. Anyway- I'll have to see how to rig it to my HM100 camera. Does anyone know if I can find a spare battery for it? Also if any 12V will power this puppy?

Dave Therault · January 27th, 2010, 02:21 PM

To get a spare battery you have to go to a Radio Shack store and have them order for you. You prepay and they ship to your address. (You can't get it from radioshack.com and you can't get it from auvioperformance.com )

The part is RSU # 12475919

Ready for the price?

$65

Robert Rogoz · January 28th, 2010, 03:27 PM

Dave, thanks for the info. I guess I'll be better off by buying a regular 12V battery with cigarette plug attachment. You can buy one from B&H for almost the same price, but it will last several hours.

December 29th, 2009, 02:38 AM	#1
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	MOUNTED: Auvio 7" 800x480 TV from Radio Shack ($170 on sale) This is the TV: AUVIO™ 7" High-Resolution Portable Digital TV - RadioShack.com The mount centers on this inexpensive Targus suction cup camera mount: Amazon.com: Targus Digital TGT-SP Suction Cup Tripod: Camera & Photo The suction cup uses a mechanism to attach firmly to surfaces. The basic idea is to mount to the battery/battery door on the back of the Auvio, which is the only smooth flat surface. The door measures about 3" x 2.25" and the suction cup is 2.75" in diameter, so another surface must be bonded to the battery that will cover the entire suction cup area. I decided to use a sheet of 3/32" thick glass (cut 3"x3") attached with velcro to the battery. Glass is not porous or grained and makes the best material for an airtight seal for the suction cup. I used industrial strength velcro, 2" wide, from Home Depot. I mount to a flash bracket attached to a modified Shrigg Rig from indifocus (HV30, RNG35, Nikon 105mm, Mamiya Prism Finder). For storage, I remove the suction cup from the glass. The Targus device has a quick release mounting disk which I leave on the flash bracket. I leave the glass velcroed to the battery. Everything stores safely in a netbook case. In order to apply appropriate pressure to the battery when attaching the suction cup to the glass, I first remove the battery from the TV. I slightly moisten the suction cup before attaching. I did have the suction cup mount come off once when I failed to apply appropriate pressure when mounting it, so I recommend being attentive. When applied properly the suction cup holds very well to the glass. I plan to do an overnight test and report the results here. The suction cup isn't a permanent mount so it should probably be removed for storage after a shoot, or at least checked regularly. I think it's a clean, elegant, easy-to-adjust solution. It is certainly easy to rotate/flip the unit for use with a DOF adapter. The Auvio is lightweight and compact. I find the resolution to be sufficient for focusing. (I do wear a pair of magnifying diopters regardless the focusing monitor I am using.) This Auvio is not to be confused with another 7" Auvio TV sold at Radio Shack that is only 480x234. A word of caution on glass cutting. Be sure to polish the edges and corners with a wetstone remove sharp edges and strengthen the glass. Attached Thumbnails

January 4th, 2010, 11:52 PM	#5
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	I added this Petrol hood for 7–8 inch monitors: Petrol \| PMH-6 Monitor Hood \| PMH-6 \| B&H Photo Video I had to mess with it and added velcro around the front rim of the hood and a few pieces of it on the sides of the TV. I use industrial grade velcro and I use a hair dryer to heat and soften the adhesive. It probably would have been easier to get this one for 6.5–7 inch monitors but it was unavailable from B&H and I went with the bigger one: Enhanced View Services, Inc. I also added a little security backup to the suction cup using velcro stuck on the back of the cup and on the back of the TV, and six small velcro straps. I am mostly concerned about potentially losing suction in extreme temperature changes. This system is really holding the TV and hood well for long periods under heavy use. The knuckle I ordered was too lightweight: Barber Tech \| 3KFA.1/4 3-Knuckle Flexi Arm 1/4-20 \| 3KFA.1/4 Attached Thumbnails

January 6th, 2010, 07:13 PM	#7
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Hello Art. My experience is consistent with what is reported by those using the Sony 800x480 DVD player. Resolution is the approximate equivalent of my camera LCD (HV30). This is a good solution for me until small HD screens come down in price this or next year. The Auvio is smaller and lighter than the Sony DVD player, and I can usually hit the sweet spot in the short "throw" of the lens's focusing ring between which there is no change in the image at it's apparent sharpest. Here's a short test I made using the Auvio last night: Critical Focus Test using Auvio 7" TV (800x480) as video assist on Vimeo I racked from target to target quickly, and now realize I should have lingered longer at each target to make it easier for you to see how well I was hitting the mark. My apologies for that, but I hope you can see some of the hits. BTW, the Auvio is now $160 at Radio Shack. (I still really like using the Mamiya prism finder velcroed to the HV30 LCD.)

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December 29th, 2009, 04:44 PM	#2
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Some more suction cup mounts: Suction Cup Camera Mount Delkin Devices \| DDMOUNT MINI Fat Gecko Mini \| DDMOUNT-MINI Suction Cups & Accessories The only drawback to this set I see is that in a handheld situation I may want to adjust the position of the monitor without setting it down to use the clamp. Perhaps something like this could be used to extend the Targus mount which would allow for one-handed adjustment of the monitor position: Barber Tech \| 3KFA.1/4 3-Knuckle Flexi Arm 1/4-20 \| 3KFA.1/4

January 3rd, 2010, 02:26 AM	#4
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Just to report that I got 3h50m from one battery charge.

January 5th, 2010, 07:46 AM	#6
Art Varga Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 552	Dave - how would assess critical focus capability with this setup?

January 13th, 2010, 08:13 PM	#9
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Good thought, George, and you may be satisfied with that method. I tried that first, but while the velcro has strong grip strength, sticking with the concave cup made the whole thing wobbly, whereas the flat surface of the glass velcroed to the battery over a 6 square inch area is very sturdy, and the suction cup on the glass is similarly sturdy. With this setup there is only a little movement between the glass and the battery, and none perceptible between the suction cup and the glass. I imagine that the torque force applied when a big hood is attached would challenge the method you are suggesting. Also, it was difficult to flex the cup and stick it, and then to remove it repeatedly, so I decided to use each component as designed.

January 25th, 2010, 06:42 PM	#10
Robert Rogoz Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 457	Right now this TV is 129.99 at RS: AUVIO™ 7" High-Resolution Portable Digital TV - RadioShack.com

January 26th, 2010, 09:04 AM	#11
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Good eye Robert, and thanks for posting this. I'm just within my 30-day price guarantee with RS. Nice! This puts a great solution within price point of the Sony DVD player.

January 26th, 2010, 11:55 PM	#13
Robert Rogoz Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 457	I just bought one today, as I decided not to wait for new Vizio. At some point I would like to switch to 5.6" Ikan, but I don't have the budget for it now. Anyway- I'll have to see how to rig it to my HM100 camera. Does anyone know if I can find a spare battery for it? Also if any 12V will power this puppy?

January 27th, 2010, 02:21 PM	#14
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	To get a spare battery you have to go to a Radio Shack store and have them order for you. You prepay and they ship to your address. (You can't get it from radioshack.com and you can't get it from auvioperformance.com ) The part is RSU # 12475919 Ready for the price? $65

January 28th, 2010, 03:27 PM	#15
Robert Rogoz Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 457	Dave, thanks for the info. I guess I'll be better off by buying a regular 12V battery with cigarette plug attachment. You can buy one from B&H for almost the same price, but it will last several hours.