Lap Timing Equipment

[benm]

Awesome! Is it fussy about what type of video files?

Also, how bright is the screen in the car when it brings up split times etc.? I took my brother's car out to Wakefield yesterday which had an Aim dash, and in the sunlight I couldn't see a thing!

It's been about 18mths since I've used both Dashware and the LT-Q6000 but you just import the video file from your gopro or contour then import the data file from the qstarz then sync them together in Dashware.

I can't remember how bright and clear the screen is as Wakefield Park you are driving into the sun down the main straight. It is a much more clear and easier to read screen than the old PerformanceBox units (which I also have).

Also, how does it work out where you are on the track when you add the video file? Have you found it to be accurate?

Just can't work out how the video and data logging lines up accurately without any data from the video file.

The Qstarz unit you have to set a start/finish and also splits on the unit or in Dashware when you edit it together (which is the biggest let down of the Qstarz).

The Performance box you can actually download configuration files from there website of popular tracks from around Australia and the World and load them into the PB and it will have perfectly set start/finish and splits.

The Qstarz has an internal battery which when fully charged should get you through 2 full trackdays. The PerformanceBox has no internal battery and needs a cigarette lighter socket (which I had to get installed in my little car).

Phunky_Monkey has been using my LT-Q6000 the past few weeks so maybe he will have some feedback and/or video's available from his weekend at Phillip Island

[Pezhead]

You also have to manually sync the video and GPS data. So be sure to set the clock on the gopro so you can easily match video file to GPS data set. In dash ware you the have to use a slider bar to line up the data.

If you aren't good with software then you should just pay for a more expensive unit that does it all. I'm pretty savvy but I know others find it difficult.

When I have my lt6000 mounted on the windscreen I have no problem seeing it. I keep it set in lap time but it uses splits to estimate how you are going. Better than best lap will have green background and worse has red background while giving you a stop watch style counter on screen.

[JimmyRickard]

I like the Qstarz unit because it seems like it would give instant easy to understand feedback on the track. Green means fast, Red means slow.

+/- 0.2 sec seems like a lot of a difference though, have you tested the times against a beacon timer?

And with the video syncing, do you basically set the time of day on the video file, sync it with the GPS unit and match them that way?

[hrd-hr30]

yeah that's +/-0.2s sounds bad. I have a crappy old 1hz GPS timer and it is always within a few hundreths of the transponder times at the 3 different tracks I've used them both at.

[Pezhead]

Yes 0.2 is against drag and lap timers. Think about it, if your GPS is polling 10 times per second that's 0.1 s per data point. Dashware and QStarz software seem to calc crossing the line differently. Most of the time it's pretty close to Natsoft but can be out up to 0.2 across different software packages.

If you want more accuracy you have to be willing to pay $100's more. Just part of the technology really.

And Jimmy, you still have to open both video and GPS files, pick a point on the track and sync them that way. It's a but if guess work to get it right. Think about it, you aren't starting the video and GPS capture at exactly the same time at the track so you have to do it manually on your computer in Dashware.

All just part of learning to deal with the Tech. I can get it down to about 10 minutes of fiddling now, but that's after lots and lots of practice.

[hrd-hr30]

here's the last session (5 laps) recorded on my 1hz iPhone lap timer app compared to the transponder timing at Lakeside, in Nev's Z at Lakeside last week (I had to park my car after the first session so I put the iPhone in Nev's Z) :

as you can see the errors on those last 5laps are 0.02, 0.01, 0.03, 0.01, and 0.05

If a 10hz GPS timer's accuracy is an order of magnitude worse, something's wrong!

[Pezhead]

I think it is mainly due to the software and approximate location of start/finish.

I'm not fussed. In the car time lets me know if I'm faster/slower. That's what really matters to me.

I haven't really tried to fine tune to match natsoft.

[Pezhead]

Just remembered that most of the inconsistency is introduced from Dashware side of the equasion. (I'm out of practice cause about 10 month since I've had a track day boo hooo! )

I "think" DashWare doesn't try to interpolate it's polling. So for instance, when I was doing the drags the times were up to 0.2 out. So it reads stoped then moving 0.1 seconds later but starts timeing from full stopped. Then likewise I think it stops the clock when you pass over the mark. Thus not really all that accurate.

The devices that have 1hz signal actually assume the time based on the maths of where the finish line should have been between GPS pulses and then linearly split up the time.

[JimmyRickard]

So the qstarz live timing is more accurate then?

[260DET]

Just got a RaceChrono Pro but have not used it yet. The main reason for that choice was it has a remote mount GPS so that the screen can be located anywhere without worrying about GPS signals. Looks like the screen will be mounted on the speedo face where the colour changes at least will be readily seen via peripheral vision. Link http://roostindustries.com/lap_timers.php

[billywhiz]

I still use external GPS and free Racechrono phone software - just moved to the modern Android version which now exports all data to the csv files (not just laps as per nokia version). Therefore makes it a easy to sync data to video at takeoff.

[JimmyRickard]

Just to update I bought a Qstarz, but the dickhead who I bought it off sent me the wrong mount

For some reason I thought it would automatically detect what track I was at but it appears I need to download maps.

Which maps do you guys use? Is it easy enough to record your own map? Still don't know how to use this thing.

[mazman]

What qstarz did you buy, just the gps thingy? if so, you then need to download racechrono software on your phone and it will automatically search tracks if/when your near them(thats the feature of the racechrono software, not the gps unit).

If yours is the qstarz all in one(gps and lap timer) then im not sure... hopeful;ly someone will know.

What i would like to know... if your doing a hill climb where theres a start and finish line, how would you setup your racechrono for that?

I know you can tell it where the start and finish lines are, but that requires you to know exactly where they are... on hillclimbs i dont know! and if you set it while there at the start line(a bit hard as you have to move along pretty quickly), how would you set the finish line as you pass it at who knows what speeds?

[JimmyRickard]

I got the LTQ6000.

The colour display one

[Pezhead]

http://racing.qstarz.com/Share.html

[benm]

About time, that's 1 feature that the Qstarz was missing that the PerformanceBox had from day dot.

[JimmyRickard]

http://racing.qstarz.com/Share.html

Pez have you tried recording the tracks yourself? You had it at the SMSP South track day, how'd it go?

My only concern with the shared tracks is how old they are. Not sure if Eastern Creek is still the same layout

[Pezhead]

If you record them yourself do NOT try to do the set up from the unit. I've never gotten that to work.

Bring a laptop and record the data of the session as straight GPS data record (e.g. do not select circuit). Import in the QRacing set up the track and then load it back into the unit.

That's the only way I've been able to set up tracks.

To properly set up a track you have to drive across the start/finish slowly and you just can't do that unless you have the track to yourself.

[benm]

I used to do it on my out lap...

[billywhiz]

To properly set up a track you have to drive across the start/finish slowly and you just can't do that unless you have the track to yourself.

I've found some are missing and some downloaded tracks sta/fin don't match either the line or natsoft timing beam. So it's good to be able to record your own tracks.

As for the start/finish points, just take the gps recorder out of the car.

Walk backwards/forward a few times perpendicular to the track at your chosen point.

Later review your track session edit the sta/fin and move to where the extrapolated walk line crosses the track

Job done