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      05-22-2019, 10:46 AM   #1
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Anyone using AiM SOLO 2 DL for a lap timer/data logger?

Hi all,

Very interested in this product for an always-on lap timer solution on track days. I like how it has built-in GPS + accelerometer and can integrate with their (very expensive) purpose-built video camera and OBDII plug for ECU telemetry. Basically, I'm tired of fumbling with Harry's Lap Timer on my iPhone and forgetting to start the session or thinking I started it only to find out there were no lap times recorded after I'm done with a session. Rather than starting to invest in external GPS sensors, action cam, etc. for Harry's Lap Timer, I'd rather just invest in a dedicated solution that will always be mounted in front of me in my car and ready to go whether I remembered to take my phone with me or not. The SOLO 2 DL + SmartyCam supposedly starts recording lap times and logging data + recording video automatically just by entering the track and can all run on 1 power source being the OBDII connection to the car's ECU.

It sounds like a very well-integrated and convenient solution, but I'd like to hear about any personal experiences out there with running this setup.

Anyone care to share their experiences? Also, does anyone know if a supporting vendor offers the SOLO 2 DL at a decent discount over the typical online price of $699? It's an expensive setup, so if I can save some money with a discount, I'm all for that.

Thanks so much in advance!
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      05-22-2019, 11:43 AM   #2
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I'm considering getting one of these units but have yet to pull the trigger. I've used an AiM Solo for predictive lap timing during time trials and found it to be a reliable unit.

If you're going to get into data analysis, I'd recommend having the Solo 2 DL wired into the CAN bus rather than plugging it into the OBD II port. That connection provides you with more data channels and will enable you to do a more complete job when analyzing your on-track performance. The following document lists the data channels provided by each connection, with section 4.1 listing the OBD II channels and section 4.2 the CAN bus channels: http://aimsports.com/download/ecu/st...21_101_eng.pdf. AiM also has a roving trainer who provides classroom training seminars. I've never been to one but have heard from other drivers that they're good. More here: https://www.aim-sportline.com/en/doc...vents-2019.htm.

Ideally, you'd have a device that records these channels: vehicle speed, RPM, throttle (as a percentage), brake pedal (in psi of pressure), steering (in degrees of angle), and lat/long g-forces. I believe the Solo 2 DL will do all of those with the exception of braking in psi. It may do that, but at present I'm assuming it logs braking as on/off. That's still useful, but it won't show the degree to which trail-braking/steering is being employed, forcing the analyst to use g-forces to try teasing that out.

Before shopping on price, I'd recommend looking for a vendor who will willingly provide the support you'll need if you think you'll get serious about analyzing your data. The analysis software that AiM provides isn't always intuitive, and having a resource that can quickly answer your occasional question will more than pay for itself in time saved and insight gained. AiM also provides support in the form of youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/aimdata/videos.

The vendors I've bought from and/or interacted with and can recommend are:

Peter Krause: http://www.peterkrause.net/

Matt Romanowski: https://www.trailbrake.us/

Richard at M-World: http://www.m-world.us/.

Each knows the product well and is deep into analyzing data for driver improvement.

There's also a book out that I've found very useful for learning the basics of data analysis. The title is Making Sense of Squiggly Lines, and it provides an excellent grounding in how to use data to improve your driving. It's written in plain English and has plenty of illustrations that help get the author's points across. It's only ~140 pages, so it's a fairly quick read. I'm presently re-reading it in case I get the Solo 2 DL. More here: http://squigglylines.com/making-sens...quiggly-lines/.
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      05-22-2019, 01:03 PM   #3
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I started running the Aim Solo 2 DL with Smarty Cam in my race car, an OBD1 e36 M3, this year. I like that each component is integrated and works together pretty seamlessly. I have the Aim unit and Smarty Cam configured to start recording at a certain MPH. I never have to remember to turn it on - I love this feature.

Additionally, we have a wireless network running in the hauler. When I come off the track and park next to the rig the Aim Solo 2 data is automatically uploaded to the laptop. We can review data immediately without messing with SD cards.

Previously I had been using a Traqmate unit, so learning to use the new software and learning how to interpret the new graphs is an adjustment. I feel like I need a tutorial to show me all the possibilities.
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      05-22-2019, 01:48 PM   #4
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Appreciate the insight fellas! Keep it coming...
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      05-22-2019, 11:00 PM   #5
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I run a SOLO 2 DL, but no SmartyCam (I use a GoPro + RaceRender for overlays instead).

Pros:
- everyone around me seems to use some AiM datalogger (various solos, dedicated dashes, etc). That's really the big one and the main reason I got one too. Most of the racers / fast people have a ton of data at a lot of paces and don't mind sharing it. One of the ways I've improved the most is asking someone more experienced something like "Hey, I'm trying to break 1:XX, happen to have data around that pace?". Many times it's a very different car (read, a miata), but you can still learn a lot even from that.

- when it works, it's conveniently set-and-forget. I still have a bad CAN connection (long story), so dealing with that has caused me lots of a pain, but that one's on me. When you plug it in the OBD port, it's as easy as it gets and just works.

- the predictive timing is pretty good. Just make sure to mount it somewhere close -- the screen is a little low-contrast.

Cons:
- the software is downright terrible. Windows only, with a UI stuck in the early 90s. Not to mention, slow. Still baffles me how downloading a 2 MiB data file from the solo over WiFi takes something in the minutes.

- you can't just step out of the car and get immediate feedback. You have to fiddle with a laptop, wait ~forever for the data to download, etc. As DYoung mentioned, a trailer with a dedicated laptop might solve this. Because of this, I also run Harry's and usually only look at the Solo data at lunch or when I make it home. For a quick, "I lost a full second at T5", it's hard to beat a couple of taps on a phone after you pull into the pits.

I haven't tried the SmartyCam, mostly because: (i) it's expensive; (ii) video quality is meh (720p@30fps is pretty old by camera standards now); (iii) it overlays at the time of recording and you can't change it after (your RPM channel was dropping data today, tough luck, there's a giant tach showing 0 in your video now); (iv) it uses the same terrible AiM PC software.

GoPros aren't without issues either, but at least they are so popular that there's often workarounds for them on the internet.

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      05-23-2019, 12:29 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by msendit View Post
I still have a bad CAN connection (long story)
Has it worked for you at all; if so, what data was on the brake channel?
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      05-23-2019, 01:46 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
Has it worked for you at all; if so, what data was on the brake channel?
Unfortunately, no. I'd be very curious to find out as well.
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      05-23-2019, 01:36 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by msendit View Post
Unfortunately, no. I'd be very curious to find out as well.
This may be of interest. Mark Magee from the Golden Gate Chapter gave a presentation to the Genesee Valley Chapter up in Rochester earlier this year. He explained how GGC has incorporated data analysis into its HPDE events. The AiM Solo was the logger he used in his examples, and he provided us with the data files so we could begin to play around with the software interface.

I asked Mark how they handled the issue of AiM not being particularly clear about exactly what data would be logged on certain channels, and he shared that in the case of a Corvette driver they changed the Corvette model in the Solo's configuration and got a more useful set of logged channels. Not having a unit yet, I don't know what our options are in this regard, but I'd imagine that choosing the 1 Series might be a place to start if the 2 Series data streams come up short.

You mentioned AiM's wonky software, and it is that. I think at this price point we're not really in a position to complain. I had a full set of MoTeC gear in a race car, and its designed-for-professionals i2 Pro software was intuitive and quite powerful. I use it to this day to go back and use old data to answer new questions that come up.

While I'd love to have that kind of power at my fingertips again, the cost would be astronomical compared to AiM's $700 unit. I'm hoping that between the vendor I choose, AiM's youtube videos, and other users both online and at the track, I'll learn the software well enough to be able to quickly and effectively analyze my laps after each session. Based upon what what I saw and was able to use on my laptop during Mark's presentation, I think this is achievable. I already know what needs work - I just need to see the fine-grained results of my efforts before going back out to resume working towards that day's goals.
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      05-24-2019, 02:46 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
Not having a unit yet, I don't know what our options are in this regard, but I'd imagine that choosing the 1 Series might be a place to start if the 2 Series data streams come up short.
They only have one config* for all F-chasis cars, so presumably the protocol is similar for all the F-chasis ECUs. That one has channels for steering angle and F/R brake pressure. Of course, whether our specific cars broadcast anything on these channels is the unknown bit.

(* technically, and for maximum confusion, there's also one called M235, but that's for the M235iR, which has a completely different ECU from the Bosch units in ours)

Quote:
Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
You mentioned AiM's wonky software, and it is that. I think at this price point we're not really in a position to complain.
Eh, fair. Though that's the exact same software for AiM's MX-series dashes, which cost 4x and are presumably geared more toward pros. Maybe I'm a bit too harsh on it because software is my day job, and seeing something so anachronistic just sticks like a sore thumb.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
... other users both online and at the track, I'll learn the software well enough to be able to quickly and effectively analyze my laps after each session.
Yes, you can definitely dive reasonably deep, even with few channels of data, it just sometimes takes a few extra SW quirks to get there. If you want to get a head start before buying the dash, I don't mind sharing a few sessions' data files.
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      05-25-2019, 11:28 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by msendit View Post
I run a SOLO 2 DL, but no SmartyCam (I use a GoPro + RaceRender for overlays instead).

Pros:
- everyone around me seems to use some AiM datalogger (various solos, dedicated dashes, etc). That's really the big one and the main reason I got one too. Most of the racers / fast people have a ton of data at a lot of paces and don't mind sharing it. One of the ways I've improved the most is asking someone more experienced something like "Hey, I'm trying to break 1:XX, happen to have data around that pace?". Many times it's a very different car (read, a miata), but you can still learn a lot even from that.

- when it works, it's conveniently set-and-forget. I still have a bad CAN connection (long story), so dealing with that has caused me lots of a pain, but that one's on me. When you plug it in the OBD port, it's as easy as it gets and just works.

- the predictive timing is pretty good. Just make sure to mount it somewhere close -- the screen is a little low-contrast.

Cons:
- the software is downright terrible. Windows only, with a UI stuck in the early 90s. Not to mention, slow. Still baffles me how downloading a 2 MiB data file from the solo over WiFi takes something in the minutes.

- you can't just step out of the car and get immediate feedback. You have to fiddle with a laptop, wait ~forever for the data to download, etc. As DYoung mentioned, a trailer with a dedicated laptop might solve this. Because of this, I also run Harry's and usually only look at the Solo data at lunch or when I make it home. For a quick, "I lost a full second at T5", it's hard to beat a couple of taps on a phone after you pull into the pits.

I haven't tried the SmartyCam, mostly because: (i) it's expensive; (ii) video quality is meh (720p@30fps is pretty old by camera standards now); (iii) it overlays at the time of recording and you can't change it after (your RPM channel was dropping data today, tough luck, there's a giant tach showing 0 in your video now); (iv) it uses the same terrible AiM PC software.

GoPros aren't without issues either, but at least they are so popular that there's often workarounds for them on the internet.
Great info. Thanks. How do you trigger the GoPro to start recording? While I'd love to spend less than half of what the SmartyCam goes for and get better resolution too, I am wondering if giving up the auto-on integration with the SOLO 2 DL would be a regret later on. Can you give some more detail on how you use the GoPro when starting a session, how charging/power supply works over an entire weekend, etc.? Sorry, not too familiar with the GoPro cameras...

I'm hoping to hold off on the video altogether for now in hopes that AiM is working on a 1080p unit at a lower price point. Wishful thinking probably!
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      05-26-2019, 06:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
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Great info. Thanks. How do you trigger the GoPro to start recording? While I'd love to spend less than half of what the SmartyCam goes for and get better resolution too, I am wondering if giving up the auto-on integration with the SOLO 2 DL would be a regret later on. Can you give some more detail on how you use the GoPro when starting a session, how charging/power supply works over an entire weekend, etc.? Sorry, not too familiar with the GoPro cameras...

I'm hoping to hold off on the video altogether for now in hopes that AiM is working on a 1080p unit at a lower price point. Wishful thinking probably!
I use a GoPro Hero 2 model, and recording is initiated by pressing a button on the unit. You can (and should) look at the front of the unit to see if a largish red light is blinking, signifying that the unit is recording. Or, you can purchase an LCD back for the camera that will display the image that the camera is recording. This screen can be useful for ensuring that you're shooting the scene that you want the camera to capture; note that this back will run the battery down faster.

My solution to the charging/power supply of my unit was to buy a handful of batteries from Amazon. I have eight in total, and I charge them before heading to the track. Each of these batteries yields right around 2½ hours of 1080p/30fps video. I choose to shoot using the ‘Medium’ field of view. Note that the Hero 2 has a file size limit of 2GB; that’s ~26 minutes at my resolution/fps. Once the unit reaches that limit, it closes the current file and immediately begins recording another. This is seen as a momentary blip in the video stream after merging the video files together with video processing software.

For an SD card, I bought the fastest Class 10 cards I could find (back in ~2013) – these were SanDisk Extreme 45MB/sec. units. These units hold ~300 minutes of video at my resolution/fps. I carry two of these cards, along with a pair of lower-capacity Class 10 units in case I should need them.

My guess is that it’s still wise to put very high-performance cards in any video recording device that uses them. GoPro users with slower cards sometimes had issues with them. Also, formatting the SD card via the GoPro camera was more reliable than doing so with a computer.

FWIW, I don't know how much of this is still true for later models in the GoPro series of cameras. I’m guessing the basics I’ve outlined haven’t changed much.

Incorporating the capture, downloading, and analysis of video and/or data requires that the driver establish an efficient and workable routine. It can take a while to sort out what that routine is for the driver at a given track. For example, if you’ve got classroom sessions to attend (esp. when they don’t end on time), an instructor with whom you spend time before and/or after sessions, toilets that are 100 yards away and no bicycle to speed you over and back, a phone to which you must respond, the need to go into town for gasoline, etc., you’ll want your video/data routine to be as streamlined as you can make it.

In the case of the GoPro, I found early on that having plenty of batteries and SD cards handy made my life quite a bit easier. At the end of a session, I’d pop the camera out of its case, remove the SD card and the battery, insert the SD card into the laptop and begin transferring the video file(s), put a fresh battery and SD card in the camera, and put the camera back in its case (which was suction-cupped to the windshield (so the field of view shows exactly where the driver is placing the car on the track)). This routine took only a few minutes of my time.

When I was still time-trialing in my race car, the focus was much more on analyzing data than it was on reviewing video files. My interest almost always was improving what I was doing with the throttle and brakes, esp. the transition from the former to the latter. I was very consistent with the driving line, brake initiation, and throttle application, and would only occasionally overlay data onto video to share with other drivers in my club what I was doing. Typically, they had much different cars, and my driving line and/or the amount of trail-braking/steering I was doing was what they could pick up from watching a data-overlaid video of mine.

Note that if you use one system to capture data and another to record video, when it comes time to overlay the data onto the video you’ll need a method for synchronizing the two. I don’t recall which software I was using to overlay (Dash Ware, Race Render, or ???), but I always test my brakes in the hot pits on the way to pit-out. The braking pressure from that test shows up in the data, and the reduced sound coming from the car made the synchronization fairly easy to accomplish. Our cars are so quiet I don’t know if that approach would work. You can see and hear this at the eight-second mark in this video shot at Watkins Glen during aero testing:



BTW, if you ever make it over to the Glen (which I highly encourage you to do, as it’s especially well-suited to our cars), this video, and the driver’s use of every inch of the track, is an excellent place to see the fast line around the track. More importantly, it’s the safe line around the track, esp. in T6.
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      05-27-2019, 11:48 PM   #12
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Quote:
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How do you trigger the GoPro to start recording? Can you give some more detail on how you use the GoPro when starting a session, how charging/power supply works over an entire weekend, etc.?
Pretty much exactly what dradernh described.

When mounted on the windscreen, I just swap batteries a couple of times during the day. I have something like 5-6 cheap third-party batteries off Amazon and a charger that charges 3 at a time. When mounted on the rollbar, a usb-c cable from the 12V lighter socket under the armrest.

When starting a session, I ... just press the record button in the pits. And then press it again when I come back in. It's by far not ideal -- maybe a third of the time the battery was dead, the button was a little sticky at the start, I forgot to press it at the end, etc. But video for me is not essential -- it's nice to have every once in a while -- for a particularly good lap, dicey passes, spins, etc. -- but most of the feedback I get is from the data log.

For a brief amount of time I had Harry's controlling the gopro through wifi -- start at the first lap, end in the pits automatically -- but that caused some strange issues where the wifi drained its battery very fast. It has been about a year since I've done that though, maybe it's fixed by now...
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      06-06-2019, 11:08 PM   #13
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I find that I need a checklist to make sure I'm doing everything on pit-out and pit-in. I put a piece of tape on my dash to remind me to turn off the HVAC, put it sport mode, start the data app, start the camera, and to check the tire pressures. The checklist helps a LOT.

I have a Hero5 Black, and do about the same as dradernh and msendit . I use a headrest mount and power it from the back armrest socket with a long cable. No battery worries. I find that a 64GB card lasts a day. It's just over 2 hours of raw storage, which just covers 4x 25m sessions. I was using the free M LapTimer app to trigger the GoPro via WiFi, which worked great for me for the past year.

If you have nothing, the M Laptimer app is great. Only issue is it takes major computer geeking to get the data out of it for video overlays. But otherwise it gives you some nice data to review on your phone. (Like seeing how much I coast into some corners, but I'm blaming some of that on being at redline which the app also shows well.) The M Laptimer app is controlled via the iDrive control, which is sweet. You can even get a preview of the GoPro view in iDrive to confirm it's working.

Unfortunately, for some odd reason, M Laptimer was freaking out during my last weekend and shutting down after 4 laps. (ARGH!) Just to get data I was using the free TrackAddict app. I find I'm really missing the throttle, gear, and RPM data. But for simple lap timing and G meters, it worked great.

Some friends use Harry's Lap timer also, which is similar to Track Addict. Both Harry's and TrackAddict can use your phone camera to create video if you have a good dash mount. It works, but a GoPro (or similar) tends to have way better video than a phone camera. The phone cameras tend to get really confused by the motion.

TrackAddict is supposed to control GoPro's also, but I wasn't going to mess with that at the track, so I just reached up and pressed the button to start it when I was on the pit-out, and off again on pit-in. The Hero5 has fairly loud and unique audible beep patterns when powering up/down, and starting/stopping recording so you can tell just by sound what it is doing. Frankly, I might just keep doing that from here on out.

There was a rep at the track talking up the Apex Pro device, and giving demos. It looked really nice and had a neat feature that was calculating how much grip you were using. Had a slick interface you could run on a phone or iPad. If you are really looking for driver improvement info, this app looked really nice. For about the same price as an AIM Solo you might want to look at it. No OBD data though. (The rep said he runs a AIM Solo DL in addition to the ApexPro for the more car oriented data.)

Just starting to experiment with overlays, and pulled this lap from one of my sessions last weekend. Still have a lot to learn, but it works for a first effort. This is footage from a GoPro Hero 5 Black, data from the free TrackAddict version, and overlayed and edited with the free RaceRender software. (Will likely buy RaceRender.)



(You can see my checklist on the yellow tape below the iDrive display. )
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      06-07-2019, 01:50 PM   #14
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Quote:
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I find that I need a checklist to make sure I'm doing everything on pit-out and pit-in. The checklist helps a LOT.

...the Apex Pro device...had a neat feature that was calculating how much grip you were using.
I've used checklists for years; once you've got enough steps to follow, they can really help ensure you don't miss anything. Like one I missed in a car that was still new to me: making sure the hood was locked-down. I had just gone to full-throttle leaving pit-out when I discovered I'd missed that step.

Did the Apex Pro rep happen to refer to that feature/image as a "traction circle" or a "friction circle"? The basic AiM Solo will produce one of those for you - they're great for gaining an overall view in one image as to how hard you're working the car.
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      06-08-2019, 10:29 AM   #15
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CP911 in looking at your thread, I realized most of my comments weren't answering your question. M Laptimer, Harry's, TrackAddict, and ApexPro all rely on smartphone integration while on track to work. You're right that having to link and reliably start all those systems IS a pain. And, as I saw this past weekend, sometimes they get flaky. A checklist helps a lot, but it's still steps you have to go through and lots of things to futz with.

On the other hand, I keep going through the same pricing exercises I'm sure you do. Even if you add in an external GPS and OBD module, these cheap/free tools are really appealing compared to the $400 and up for an AIM device (~$700 for the DL). And I'm sure for most of us HPDE guys the instructor feedback and just more track time is way more important than the occasional data loss.

I would suggest that starting a GoPro (or similar) separately isn't that hard (especially with a checklist), and is likely to have way better video quality than the AIM camera.

dradernh I don't recall exactly what the Apex guy was calling the friction feature. It did go beyond the typical g-meter friction circle. Like many exotic tech things, it's in the realm of 'fancy magic', and the FM is the result of some algorithm that may or may not be real. The rep stated that it worked by watching the high data rate multi-axis accelerometers (9 axis ?), calculating yaw rates, and inferring the max level of grip based on the short instances you are meeting/exceeding them. It apparently takes a few laps to learn your car. I'm also sure there are some fudge factors in the FM. But several of advanced drivers tried the demo units, and we reviewed a lap by one of them in the classroom, and it seemed to be useful and accurate info.

However, I haven't seen the AIM output and can't compare them directly. Maybe the AIM has similar FM output.
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      06-08-2019, 04:01 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ggggbmw View Post
On the other hand, I keep going through the same pricing exercises I'm sure you do. Even if you add in an external GPS and OBD module, these cheap/free tools are really appealing compared to the $400 and up for an AIM device (~$700 for the DL). And I'm sure for most of us HPDE guys the instructor feedback and just more track time is way more important than the occasional data loss.

I don't recall exactly what the Apex guy was calling the friction feature. It did go beyond the typical g-meter friction circle. Like many exotic tech things, it's in the realm of 'fancy magic', and the FM is the result of some algorithm that may or may not be real.

However, I haven't seen the AIM output and can't compare them directly. Maybe the AIM has similar FM output.
I think of data analysis as having two aspects or parts to it: 1 - The data acquisition hardware and the process involved in using it; and, 2 - The software used to analyze the data. I believe the latter is more important, and the greater its power and ease of use, the potentially speedier your development. It does take some study and/or instruction in how to get the most out of the data provided by these systems. In the case of AiM, there are quite a few online videos that can help with that.

Regarding speeding up a driver's development, the fastest way to do that is to hire a pro driver who coaches when he or she isn't racing. They're not inexpensive, of course, but if you share one with a few other drivers at an event, you'll get both sufficient seat time with them and also learn quite a bit during the debriefing sessions they conduct with each of the other drivers.

Speaking as an instructor who has instructed with a variety of clubs, I can tell you that as a group we're all over the map in terms of what we have to offer. We're volunteers who have a variety of experiences and exposure to the different aspects of this sport (e.g., track, autocross, rally, snow & ice, drifting, etc.). Pros who are in cars 250+ days each year are operating at an entirely different level, and you can learn a lot in a short period of time with one. If nothing else, they will help break any bad habits you may already have developed - the same way a golf pro or pro skiing instructor would. You'll get better faster and cheaper with professional instruction - at least that's been my experience. <end sales pitch>

The AiM software is reasonably powerful, even with the modest amount of data made available by the basic Solo unit.

It sounds like the rep may have been explaining G Sum, a data channel created by applying some simple math to the lateral and longitudinal g-forces captured by the data logger. G Sum shows how close to the limit the driver is driving the car, especially when transitioning between braking and lateral acceleration. This is a common place for drivers to lose a fair amount of time.
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      06-17-2019, 10:31 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
It sounds like the rep may have been explaining G Sum, a data channel created by applying some simple math to the lateral and longitudinal g-forces captured by the data logger. G Sum shows how close to the limit the driver is driving the car, especially when transitioning between braking and lateral acceleration. This is a common place for drivers to lose a fair amount of time.
This is basically what the Apex pro is doing in real time and providing instant feedback using a simple LED interface.
I bought one as it sounded like an interesting bit of kit.
You can do a decent amount of analysis in the Apex app but you can also download the data and analyse it further, I do this in Track Attack.
You can see it in action in my M140i here.
https://youtu.be/o3qSOl-Bo2I
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      06-18-2019, 11:53 AM   #18
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This is basically what the Apex pro is doing in real time and providing instant feedback using a simple LED interface.
I like that you can see in real time how you're doing. Thanks for posting the video.
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      09-08-2019, 05:52 PM   #19
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Unfortunately, no. I'd be very curious to find out as well.
my iPhone and forgetting to start the session or xender discord omegle thinking I started it only to find out there were no lap times recorded after I'm done with a session. Rather than starting to invest in external GPS sensors, action cam, etc. for Harry's Lap Timer,

Last edited by MAILIYAT; 09-10-2019 at 12:49 PM..
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      09-08-2019, 08:26 PM   #20
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Hi all,

Very interested in this product for an always-on lap timer solution on track days. I like how it has built-in GPS + accelerometer and can integrate with their (very expensive) purpose-built video camera and OBDII plug for ECU telemetry. Basically, I'm tired of fumbling with Harry's Lap Timer on my iPhone and forgetting to start the session or thinking I started it only to find out there were no lap times recorded after I'm done with a session. Rather than starting to invest in external GPS sensors, action cam, etc. for Harry's Lap Timer, I'd rather just invest in a dedicated solution that will always be mounted in front of me in my car and ready to go whether I remembered to take my phone with me or not. The SOLO 2 DL + SmartyCam supposedly starts recording lap times and logging data + recording video automatically just by entering the track and can all run on 1 power source being the OBDII connection to the car's ECU.

It sounds like a very well-integrated and convenient solution, but I'd like to hear about any personal experiences out there with running this setup.

Anyone care to share their experiences? Also, does anyone know if a supporting vendor offers the SOLO 2 DL at a decent discount over the typical online price of $699? It's an expensive setup, so if I can save some money with a discount, I'm all for that.

Thanks so much in advance!
I have an older Solo DL wired into the CAN bus on my E46 M3 track car. For general lap timing I find Harry's is good enough. Where the Solo shines is in the advanced telemetry captured that can be viewed and analyzed through their software. Here you will be able to review lap trends to help you determine where you left time on the track. Where you too soon/late on the brake or throttle? Suffering from under/over-steer?

The software is pretty extensive and a great tool to help learn where you can work to go faster. You'll need to invest the time if you want to take advantage of the telemetry. Otherwise it can just be used for gps data capture and basic telemetry to build videos. So it will depend on what you plan to use it for. Here is a good example using the software for analysis.



G'luck.
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      09-09-2019, 07:16 AM   #21
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Here is a good example using the software for analysis.
As the video linked by jgalaxy demonstrates, this YouTube channel of James Colborn's has some excellent AiM videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/colbornjames/videos.

This is AiM's YouTube channel; it's got a few dozen videos, many of which will be useful for improving HPDE driving: https://www.youtube.com/user/aimdata/videos.

Without an organized approach to data analysis, you can easily get side-tracked in all the data these types of systems offer. I continue to use Chris Brown's Making Sense of Squiggly Lines as a reference. I've heard good things about Bob Knox's A Practical Guide to Race Car Data Analysis, but have no experience with it.
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      10-20-2019, 02:47 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by dradernh View Post
Has it worked for you at all; if so, what data was on the brake channel?
Finally got a chance to wire my SOLO correctly for the F-series CAN protocol*. From some quick testing in my garage, there's two channels for front and rear brake pressure in psi. The data seemed reasonable (~200 psi when fully pressed). There's a channel for steering angle too.


* wasn't that hard -- most of the time was undoing connections that a local "performance" shop had done very incorrectly. Just needs a connection to the PT-CAN bus, which is directly attached to the ECU. It goes out to a few places in the cabin [1] -- easiest are the FEM (front-electronics module, passenger footwell), and the KOMBI (instrument cluster). I used the KOMBI because my SOLO is mounted right next to it in one of the AC ducts. The connector is A71*1B [2]. The CAN+ and CAN- pins are 6 and 12 on the far left end [3]. I also grabbed power from pin 2 of the same connector, which is the KL30 wire. KL15 would've been a bit better (shuts down when you lock the car, KL30 waits 30 min IIUC), but I didn't see it on the KOMBI and was too lazy to run a wire across the whole cabin.

[1] https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...-1v/1VnYPmmFVs
[2] https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...i-cou/KYufZcGQ
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...i-cou/EZvHnNQC
[3] https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...ter/1VncUvu43R
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