The Black Arm is a 3-axis dampening system with an additional vibration mount for stabilizing roll and tilt errors as well as vertical motion and vibrations. It's a hard mount system, made for gimbals, that you mount on vehicles such as cars, ATVs, boats, snowmobiles and more.
Standard or Complete
The Black Arm comes in two versions. The Black Arm Standard is made to work for gimbals and cameras with a weight range between 5-13kg (11-28lbs). The Black Arm Complete is for users working with higher loads and carries between 5-32kg (11-70lbs). You also have the option to upgrade the Standard version into a Complete later, if needed.
The Black Standard ships with two 7.0mm springs, which carry the 5-13kg range. The Black Complete ships with four 7.0mm springs and four 7.5mm springs, covering the entire 5-32kg range. You can run the springs in single (one spring per side) or dual (two springs per side) configuration to precisely achieve the lift you need.
The damping on all three axes — vertical, tilt, and roll — comes from custom-made, fully adjustable hydraulic actuator dampers. A 22-step adjustment knob lets you dial in the exact amount of damping for your shot. The Black Standard ships with one damper for each of the three axes, while the Black Complete ships with six dampers total, allowing dual dampers per axis or spares.
Anti-vibration mount
Each Black Arm ships with one anti-vibration mount (AVM). The AVM's main job is reducing high-frequency vibration, like engine noise coming up through a car chassis. To get the most out of it, pick the AVM that matches your load and conditions.
There are two types of AVMs: the original Wire AVM and the Tranquilizer. The Wire AVMs come in five weight ranges and are dead simple — put the correct one on and go. The Tranquilizer has many adjustments to fine-tune its performance, and can give better results if you have the time and skills to configure it properly. Pick the one that matches the total weight of everything (gimbal, camera, and accessories) you'll hang on the Black Arm.
Wire AVM weight ranges:
- No.01 – 7-10 kg (15-22 lbs)
- No.02 – 10-14 kg (22-31 lbs)
- No.03 – 14-19 kg (31-42 lbs)
- No.04 – 19-26 kg (42-57 lbs)
- No.05 – 26-34 kg (57-75 lbs)
Tranquilizer weight ranges:
The Tranquilizer ships with two sets of polymers, shore 30 and shore 40. The remaining packs are sold separately.
- Shore 20: 5.40 – 10.75kg
- Shore 30: 6.70 – 13.25kg
- Shore 40: 11.25 – 22.50kg
- Shore 50: 13.75 – 27.50kg
- Shore 60: 19.00 – 34.50kg
Flight case
The Black Arm ships in the Pro case, made in all-black to match the arm. It features powder-coated black metal corners, heavy-duty recessed handles, butterfly catches, and all-black foam. It also has wheels, so you can roll the case just like a cabin bag.
Mounting options
Mounting the Black Arm is as simple as clamping it onto standard 48-52mm speed rail. Build a rig onto your vehicle using standard grip components like speed rail and dual clamps, then clamp the Black Arm on with the two single clamps at the back of the arm.
There are several ways to attach your gimbal. The included base plate has hole patterns to match the Freefly Toad-in-a-Hole and CineMilled Universal Ronin mount for easy attachment of MoVI and Ronin gimbals, and a female Mitchell mount is available for gimbals that use a Mitchell connector. On each side of the Black Arm's head there are cheese plates for mounting batteries or Kenyon gyros.
Customise your Black Arm
Put together the package that suits your needs by picking the arm version and the vibration mount from the options above:
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1. Choose your version: Black Standard takes 5-13 kg (11-28 lbs); Black Complete takes 5-32 kg (11-70 lbs)
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2. Choose your anti-vibration mount: Wire AVM #1-#5 (matched to your rig weight) or the Tranquilizer
