Best in-car timer?

I am thinking about ordering a Hot Lap Timer setup... I want something that will show me lap times while on track (for immediate feedback on the laps).

Is that the best in-car timer?

How hard is it to setup a Hot Lap transmitter at MSR or TWS or most other tracks?

MSR has an AMB Timer setup in the track... but AFAIK there is no option for in-car display of track times with that... plus, its not clear where you'd install the transponder on a car with a solid sheet of carbon fiber on the bottom.

Suggestions?

 

Brian:

Be careful with this. Most insurance companies frown on "driver education" (track days) to begin with. My insurance company said if I wrecked my Esprit while at a "driver education" event, they would pay the claim but refuse to insure the car or another like it going forward. They also stated putting a timer of any sort in your car, or having someone time you on track constitutes racing and therefor voids insurance coverage.

Just FYI!!

Mark Pfeffer

 

Yep, that is remarkably accurate.

Gary

 

a few fellow racers use both the AMB setup for accurate timing on the racing and the hotlap for in car response. some of the hot lap timers can be purchased for as low as 150 (used).

the next thing up from that, to help with your skills would be the DL90 (www.dl90.com) - slick stuff, not cheap, but quite informative if you know how to extract the data and work with it.

in this month's race car engineering, there is one article (cannot remember) towards the back, which talks about splitting up the track and learning the times through that, which will examine more closely, which line is faster for you and the car.

 

note to self: stay the **** out of rob's cars.

doody.

 

I've used both the AMB transponders and the hot lap timer, and I prefer the hot-lap since you can see your times -- it's nice, crude telemetry feedback. the amb system is nice if you don't want to hook up the transponder , etc and don't want to worry about having your own hot-lpa transmitter w/ you at every event. nonetheless, the hot lap timer, IMO, is a better , more user friendly, timer.
i can't trust my friends with stopwatches --- to easily distracted by "pit bunnies." (feeble minded ...)

 

Note: It ceases to be drivers education the moment someone start timing cars.

So, video and timing from the video is actually the best.

 

Yep, the DL90 is cool... I have GEEZ! and the G-Cube... similar, minus the GPS.
And yes, I have also been working out kinks in my video setup... which does give a good way to get times after the fact.

But I am specifically looking for some immediate feedback... I want a nice big display of the lap time in the car.


On the Hot Lap Timer... its beacon/sensor is infrared, right? So, I assume you need to either place the beacon fairly high (not on the ground), or you need your sensor fairly high in the car... so that you get direct line of sight. Is that problematic?

 

Yeah, the actual roadside tramsmitter should be on a tripod of sorts, or elevated, and the in car reciever I usually mount to the passenger seat (to the metal bits that raise/lower the headrest), or tape it somewhere on the interior that allows for a direct line of sight to the transmitter as the signal wont pass through plastic/bodywork --- glass is okay, though. It's not really problematic, but you just have to get creative with zip ties and such; the display, however, I would have hard mounted.
The dl90 is nice, but to d/l the data off of it takes for ever; that said, it's a very functional, and more cost effectivetha a stack/pi system that has immediate recall and corner by corner telemetry.

 

I've used them all and then used STACK, PI, Motec, etc.

The biggest problem you have with a "beacon" type setup, is remembering to collect it before you go home.

At quite a few race tracks I take our traveling circus to.....there are hotlaps usually already setup by someone else.

A very quick, easy, cheap method, which I've used myself....is to tape or velcro a stop watch to the steering wheel. Just pick a straight away with a marker/point of reference. I've even used my Timex Ironman for this.

As far as the carbon and the timer...it can be mounted between the a-arms up front at the pick up points and have a clear view of the ground and also have decent protection.

David

 

Hi FerrariChat members,
I am new here but I have used a lot of systems and very experienced in one particular Oz product. I have seen the prices of data systems sky-rocket over the past several years. If you simply want a laptime display for track events, I would recommend the AIM MyChron MCL. The cost is under US $300.00 and includes the display, beacon receiver and beacon transmitter. The device is powered by coin cell batteries and is small and light so it can be velcro mounted anywhere on the dash. The trackside transmitter is either 12V or multi AA battery. Range is about 60 feet and is very reliable. It will store up to 480 laps and requires no laptop for retrieval. Multiple beacons may be used for split times and one last fact for the "purists", it's an Italian product. Yeeaaa...

PS. David, The replacement cost for the abandoned beacon transmitter, US $45.00.

http://www.aim-sportline.com/

 

I use the Motec3 on the cart. The transmitter is something that is easy to forget. Before I pull out from the track, I look at the checklist, and the first thing is: TRANSMITTER. Reminds me to pick it up. PeterS just got a new transmitter, when someone left it at Atwater tripod and all. All he needs now is the unit.

Art