CHJ In Virginia

For the last couple of years, I have been using a digital video camera on track. It was inexpensive using SD cards for memory and the audio quality stunk. I am considering taking a major step up and moving to a combined system that will record quality wide angle video, good audio and perform data loging at the same time. I want something that uses GPS for track location and monitors / displays RPM, MPH, G Forces etc. All data should be displayed on screen with the track video. I know this type of system is out there but do not really know where to start. What are you using, how hard is wiring the data loging interface into the car, and what is the approximate cost ?? Any help, personal experience - links to sites - etc. would be appreciated.

Bimota Guy

No experience with data. I am looking at one of these...
TraqCam Systems
I already have the ChaseCam setup. There is a "deduct $834" for havimg the ChaseCam setup. You will find it on the "Purchasing as Upgrade" drop down menu.

Lan.Jet

I have a Chase Cam and a Race Technology logger. The Chase cam gives a rock solid picture and descent sound but it is not the video quality of a hand held camera. The software that comes with the logger is not the easiest to use and you will have to buy third party software like TrackVision to manually sync the video and data. If you want a setup like this you are probably better off with a Traqmate They give the software in the package. I have recently looked at a new Cam that combines both. http://www.smartycam.com

BEZ06

I have a Traqmate like you see if you go to the link in Bimota Guy's post above:

http://traqmate1.ipower.com/

Initially I had a cheapo digital videocam that actually did a great job of taking video that you can integrate with the data you get from the Traqmate. But, last summer I got a ChaseCam for a totally integrated system.

There are a lot of data-loggers out there, and there is a video integration software you can see here:

http://www.trackvision.net/

As you can see on that website, the TrackVision software will put a "dashboard" on your video, and it will work with many different data systems as indicated on their website:

• AiM
• Advantage Motorsports
• GTech Pro RR
• MaxQData
• MoTeC
• Pi Systems
• Racelogic
• RacePak G2 Extreme
• Race Technology DL & AX series
• Stack
• Traqmate
• ...and a range of hand-held and PDA-based GPS data loggers.

As you can see, the TrackVision software will work with a Traqmate data-logger, but Traqmate has their own software that works specifically with data from their Traqmate data system.

I really like the Traqmate and the data you get displayed on your computer. Here's a screenshot of the Traqmate software of an HPDE at Daytona:




Here's a screenshot of the NCM VIR event last year:




At the VIR event I was using my cheapo Aiptek camera and I had a bullet-cam mounted in the upper right of the windshield - it gave a good view of the track, but I wanted to see what I was doing.

I wanted to see my control inputs, so when I got the ChaseCam and was hooking it up, I moved the bullet cam to back into the cockpit where I can get a view of how I'm doing at trying to be smooth, and I try to adjust it so I can see my steering inputs and at least the top of the shift lever. Here's a video of a couple laps at Daytona last Dec:

http://vimeo.com/2527482


The "dashboard" overlaid on that video was put on there using Traqmate's software, and it's a very integrated and easy to use system.

So....I like my Traqmate and ChaseCam setup. It's not the cheapest way to go, but their software gives you great info about your track sessions to help you improve, and if you get the software to integrate your video and data, you get great results and it's very easy to use.

Bob

JMB92

Race Technology and Chase Cam. Simple, agile, high quality, and expandable.

I've done the video overlay thing before, it looks cool, but is too convoluted for driver development work, they really need separate dissection.

Examples:

http://www.nearbrookmotorsports.com/Consulting.html

CHJ In Virginia

Thanks a bunch for the great detailed responses. These are exactly the type of system that I am looking for. Got to be able to get the data to inprove the driver before I go any further with the car.
I have one additonal question regarding the car interface. How difficult was it to hook up the wiring to get car data such as rpm, gear selection, etc. Is there a plug that hooks up to the ECM - or ? I'm great mechanically but very deficient at any type of wiring situation. I don't want to have to install a bunch of extra sensors or splice into a wiring harness if I don't have to.

BEZ06

The Traqmate system doesn't hook into anything in the car, unless you want it to. I hard-wired mine for power, bu you can use a cigarette lighter plug to power it, and in its simplest installation you'll get position, speed, G's, and the software will display brake zones based on sensing deceleration G's. You can do a lot of analysis with just the basic info you get by velcroing the "Sensor Unit" to the floor, plugging it into the cigarette lighter, and sticking the GPS antenna where it will get reception (and you can just stick it to the floor in the middle of the hatch compartment and it will get a good signal). You could move it from car to car in a matter of minutes if all you want is the basic data it collects from GPS and G-sensors.

However, to get an RPM signal you need to tap into a tach signal. I spliced into the wire going into the back of the instrument cluster (but there are other places to tap into it), and it took about 45 minutes to pop things out where I could find the correct white wire, connect a tap-splice, and put things back together. In addition to the RPM display, you need an RPM signal to get the "gear" indication like you can see on the dashboard on the video (the number between the tach and speedo).

The only other signal I have so far is Throttle Position. The C6 is throttle-by-wire, so I easily just spliced into an APP (Accelerator Pedal Position) sensor wire at the top of the pedal and ran the wire back to where I've got my Traqmate Sensor unit mounted in the hatch (many people mount it to the passenger floor, or it could even fit in the center console). It's very easy to tap into a brake light signal to get brakes ON/OFF (instead of the signal generated by accel/decel G sensing), but I'm going to try to get a brake pressure signal off the EBCM to see actual modulation of pressure.

You can splice into wires to easily get oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, etc.

Below are a couple pics of my Sensor Unit and ChaseCam mounted to the floor of the hatch compartment, and the Display Unit mounted in the cup holder.

Bob








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exracer28

I am waiting for the SmartyCam and as long as they don't get carried away with pricing I will be adding it to the toy list.

http://www.smartycam.com/index_eng.htm

BEZ06

I'd agree with your comment about the video if all you had was the dashboard thingy on your video.

However, with the Traqmate the video is displayed right next to your data on the computer screen. You can see the screenshots in the post above from VIR and Daytona - at VIR the camera only showed the track, and at Daytona I had moved it back to pick up my control inputs.




With the video displayed right on the screen beside the data and track map, I can see if there's traffic that made me alter the line, I can tell exactly where the car was on the track and when and how much of a steering input I'm making at turn-in and whether I needed to adjust it during the turn, I can see how I'm doing unwinding steering at track-out and compare it to TPS data to see how I'm feathering in throttle to maintain traction, etc., etc.

So, I like the way the Traqmate software displays the video on the computer next to the data - I don't think it's convulted at all that way, and I think it brings the video and data together for even better analysis of what I'm doing at any particular time. As I'm analyzing the data, the video will answer a lot of questions - such as why I was slow and off-line going into a corner, the video is right there showing slow traffic that I'm trying to set up to pass at track-out (I'm just an HPDE guy, not a racer).

I like the video right there beside the data - together they are better than either one separately.

Bob

JMB92

Bob,

That is a great, clean setup. Pretty impressive!

John

CHJ In Virginia

After reading EXRACER28's reply, I contacted the company that manufactures the SmartyCam. - Interesting info -- I looked at the Smarty Cam website and found it lacking in several critical points of information -- I emailed the Italian company that manufactures the Smarty Cam and got several answers to my questions including cost etc. I think that you will find them interesting --
Curt,
thank you for your email. Heredown my answer to your questions:
1) There are many more C-5 cars on the track than the C-6 at this time. Do you have plans for a C5 ECU interface ? I really would like to get the RPM and other data.
1) In case C5 ECu has a CAN or OBD connection, we will surely develop the protocol as soon. I will keep you informed
2) What is the life of the Lithium battery pack prior to recharge? How many charge - recharge cycles in expected battery life ?
2) the lithium battery can work for 5 hours in a standalone installation. Clearly, you can anyway connect SmartyCam to your car battery, keeping it constantly charged. We haev used lithium batteries in some of our products for many years: I have no information about their life, but they surely works for several years
3) What is the size SD memory card used ? I have many of the 2GB cards, will they work?
3) microSD memory card: they are available up to 8 gigabytes. Every gigabyte records about one hour. The 2 giga, if not very old ( the old ones are verys slow, and work for picture cameras, not videocameras) are prefect. Smartycam comes with a 2 gigabytes card
4) Is a mount provided with the camera ? If not is there a screw hole provided where the camera can be mounted to one of the roll bar mounts currently available.
4) the mount is not provided with the camera, even if we are going to put some advices in our web page. The screw in the lower part of it is a standard, camera screw hole.
5) The display video shows the speed of the car in KPH. Is this reading available in MPH ?
5) Of course the system is fully configurable: MPH, but also Fahrenheit or PSI are of course available.
6) Are all camera functions controlled from the three buttons on the camera ? Is a remote control available ?
6) the functions are controlled by the three pushbuttons, even if, if connected to an ECU, it is possible to start/stop recording in defined situations ( speed > 20mph, for example)
7) When is the product going to be available in the USA ?
7) SmartyCam will be available in US before the end of this month
8) What is the cost of the camera and software package ?
8) the price will be 1000 USDollars
9) Your site shows a representative in Roanoke Virginia - they are very near to me. Do they have stock available now ?
9) Mike McKnight, our partner in Roanoke, reading us in copy, has not them in stock yet, but be sure he will be the very first to receive them!!

All my best

Enrico Rosignoli

Aim s.r.l.
tel +39-02-9290571
www.aim-sportline.com

97C5inSD

i also have a traqmate i also wana add they have now added the software to overlay there dash invideo and export it so you can upload it to youtube or what ever so you don't have to purchase a seperate program such as track vision now. they also have a direct link setup with chase cams so when the traqmate is activited to start time and stop timeing the video will also start and stop if you so desire.

also with there latest software update they a person can use co efficent drag for a vehicle they have also added turn radius display along with elevation change if you so desire. once you add a tach signal then it will be able to determine which gear you are in since you program your gear ratio and tire size into the car setup.

So far i have really liked my traqmate i will be adding tach signal for sure this year as for the rest i dont know yet. I have considered the chase cam but my current video setup works well.

Check out Berserkbusa on YouTube for some of my vids with the traqmate overlay in the vid done with there software

Rob Willis

Traqmate here.

I'm just an amateur having fun at HPDEs, but it's neat to show friends/family video with the stats overlayed. It's also nice to be able to look back and try to decipher some of the data.



Bob: are you using the standard or the 520 (upgrade) line bulletcam from chasecam?

BEZ06

I don't know what the line scan of my bulletcam is. I got it used and I can't recall what it was represented as when I got it.

I went out and looked at it, and there's a little sticker on it and I can read some of the text on it, but it was clamped into a mount for a harness bar or rollcage and the sticker is distorted and I can't read it all, so I don't know what model it is - but the first part of the text is "VB21CSH" and there's some more that is unreadable. You can google that much and come up with some possibilities.

I'm not worried about real high resolution of the video. You can see in that video I've got up on the vimeo website that it's not super high res. It actually looks much better when I view the raw data on my computer or when it's displayed in the window in the Traqmate software. All I want is something that will show what I'm doing at various points on the track so I can compare it with the data so I can do an analysis of my sessions.

The capability to superimpose the "dashboard" and easily make a video that you can upload to youtube, vimeo, or other site is just sort of a cute capability. After a weekend at an HPDE my friends and relatives ask what I did over the weekend and when I tell them I was on the track but not racing they just don't understand - they think I was just driving around in some highly restricted and speed limited manner. When I email them a link to a couple laps they get a much better idea of what the experience was like.

So....for what I want out of the video I don't need real high res. Actually, the higher the res the more space the files take up and the less time I can record to a memory card, and if you do upload them to vimeo or youtube it takes a much longer time if they are a higher resolution.

I do my analysis on my computer by looking at the data displayed by the Traqmate software, and it displays the video in a very good resolution right there in a window like you can see in some of those screenshots in earlier posts. The video right next to the data and track map is a great analytical tool.

Bob

zdave83

I've been looking also. But for the money spent, compared to other things, do these really do much to improve lap times?

Thanks - Dave

yakisoba

I don't know that the data acquisition improves lap times, but I can say that most of the folks I know who have worked to shave the last few seconds off have used data acq as a tool. Accurate analysis and someone that has seen such data many times before would seem to be called for.

Interim solution: Find a driving coach that uses data acq.

redtopz

I just picked up one of these made by Racelogic. Simple plug and play with a built in gps antennae and accelerometer(s). Haven't tried it at the track yet, but its worked great on street testing. I found out about it from an old Road and Track article comparing the zo6 to the gt-r and porche 911 turbo at Buttonwillow raceway. I guess these are pretty popular for vehicle comparisons since its easy to move from one car to another. I like how it gives accurate lap times without a transponder.

http://vboxusa.com/performancedrift/performancebox.php

VRedZ06

This post provides allot of data. Does anyone out ther know if there's a really great person in NJ that can help sort the complete package out and help integrate it all together and help understand the software??

I realy like the integrated views that show the track driver input and them can also suggest where to make more time up. Like corner speeds, brake points etc.

Any help is appriciated.

Ernie O

autoxer6

If you want a simple system, I'd look at MaxQ. They just came out with a new one, accurate & cheap!

Having said that, I like the time slip features of the DL-1.

Slalom4me

I have Racepak's G2 Extreme and the TrackVision software
(although I hate to give plugs for TrackVision.) I have yet to
upgrade from the older Sony video camera that is used for images.

Tim at Racepak is an exceptional resource.

Since I bought my G2 Extreme, there have been a number of
developments on the hardware & software front at Racepak.
They are very responsive to customer input and work at
implementing improvements and new features.

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