What's a Good Performance Meter These Days?

[Sylvan]

Just wondering what's the latest in the performance box-type meters. I'm kind of looking for an inexpensive box that can measure and display parameters like lap time, 0-60 accel, 60-0 braking, lateral g's, things of that nature. Bonus points if you can download the data to a computer and view plots over time. Cost: somewhere around the neighborhood of < $300. Anyone have experience in something like this?

 

[Hapa88]

If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or BlackBerry Storm and about $13 get Dynolicious from the iTunes store...
http://www.dynolicious.com/

Here's how it does against a $150 Dynometer.
http://gizmodo.com/5034542/13-iphone-app-faces-off-against-embarrasses-150-dedicated-dynometer

 

[Tytus]

Interesting but no lap times offered for use on a road course from what I see. Other than Harry's Lap timer App is there anything else?

Tytus

 

[Hapa88]

Interesting but no lap times offered for use on a road course from what I see. Other than Harry's Lap timer App is there anything else?

Tytus

I have Harry's Lap Timer for iPhone and it works phenominally well. Accuracy is +/- 0.15 seconds to the pro timing I sometimes get for free. It graphs speed over the course, lateral Gs, acceleration/braking Gs and elevation.

I only have the $8.99 version and it is way more than I could ever ask for in a timer. The Pro version (maybe even my version too, I haven't checked), allows you to overlay all the data when you're recording videos.

I don't believe Harry's does the 0-60, 1/4 mile & HP estimations like Dynolicious does which is more in line with what the OP was looking for.

 

[Sylvan]

Cool maybe I'll just get both apps then

 

[Tytus]

I have a GoPro and would like to overlay the data over that but do not want to video with the IPhone. Can Harry's do this?

Tytus

 

[Hapa88]

I have a GoPro and would like to overlay the data over that but do not want to video with the IPhone. Can Harry's do this?

Tytus

Read all about it here:
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Home.html

Actually you may be able to just output the Data-video stream and merge it in a 3rd program. Read here (all the way at the very bottom):
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Video.html

I may have to try this tonight!!

 

[R13]

So how does Harry's overcome the 1hz limitation of the phone GPS? Just really clever extrapolation? Most dedicated timers that I've considered (AIM SOLO, Performance Box, etc.) log GPS data at 10hz, so you're getting location resolution down to .1 of a second vs. just 1.0 seconds.

 

[Hapa88]

So how does Harry's overcome the 1hz limitation of the phone GPS? Just really clever extrapolation? Most dedicated timers that I've considered (AIM SOLO, Performance Box, etc.) log GPS data at 10hz, so you're getting location resolution down to .1 of a second vs. just 1.0 seconds.

Here's a thorough explaination on how Harry's Laptime computes location and timing.

http://www.gps-laptimer.de/GPS_and_Accuracy.html

The program also allows for the input of external sensors to increase accuracy and update rate.

 

[Dhalsim]

Does Harry's Lap Timer work only for tacks or can you use it to overlay on drives around town?

BTW - I downloaded Dynolicious and cant wait to try it out on the NSX. I always wondered what my 0-60 and 1/4 miles times are.

 

[Hapa88]

Read all about it here:
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Home.html

Actually you may be able to just output the Data-video stream and merge it in a 3rd program. Read here (all the way at the very bottom):
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Video.html

I may have to try this tonight!!

I did it! Took the video from the GoPro, cropped it using Quicktime, uploaded it to my iPhone with iTunes, started Harry's Laptimer and merged this video with the lap and clicked Overlay (then uploaded it to Youtube). Sorry, this is my Mazdaspeed3 from this past weekend at Buttonwillow.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s97ufiFjSio" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[integrals]

My favorite by far is Qstarz laptimers. They have two versions. I have the 199 dollar version, and its one button operation and learns the track after one lap. Love it.

http://www.qstarz.com/

UMS Tuning does group buys occasionally.

 

[Sylvan]

Awesome thanks. I actually have Dynolicious on my phone but it doesn't do 60 - 0 braking. I wonder if it would be pretty easy I might make a simple App to do just that.

 

[e.pie]

I have a GoPro and would like to overlay the data over that but do not want to video with the IPhone. Can Harry's do this?

Tytus

Yes you can, it's kind of tedious though.

 

[e.pie]

So how does Harry's overcome the 1hz limitation of the phone GPS? Just really clever extrapolation? Most dedicated timers that I've considered (AIM SOLO, Performance Box, etc.) log GPS data at 10hz, so you're getting location resolution down to .1 of a second vs. just 1.0 seconds.

I have my phone jailbroken so I can use external bluetooth GPS receivers. I use a QStarz 818XT 10hz receiver with Harry's Lap Timer. It works really well.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mZdkGznL7Vw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>