Data Logging for a Newbie

[Ewheels]

Looking for some help and advice on data logging and making videos with data overlays.

Some back story: I currently use the Trackaddicts app on my phone and then use RaceRender to easily make videos for Racers360 coaching submittals. This works pretty well but the video always comes out shaky (I guess my cheap phone doesn't have stabilization). I now have a roll bar in my car and I want to get a bar mounted camera and pair it with a more "serious" data logging system.
I don't have the largest budget so I was looking at a Go Pro and the Racepak Vantage CL2. Do both of these work fine with RaceRender? Racepak is listed under supported data loggers on RaceRender's site but not specifically the CL2. (I assume as long as it can export the necessary file type, it should be fine.)
Syncing video and data still confuses me a bit but I'm sure it's fairly straight forward.

Does anyone have a budget-friendly setup they like or have inputs on the setup I listed above? Any and all advice is welcome.

 

[flyhalf]

Racepak is a pain in the butt for racerender.
What's your budget Eric?

 

[Ewheels]

Racepak is a pain in the butt for racerender.
What's your budget Eric

$600 to $800 for everything (data and camera) would be ideal.
I could go up to $1000 if it's really worth while but I'd need to save a bit longer

 

[flyhalf]

$600 to $800 for everything (data and camera) would be ideal.
I could go up to $1000 if it's really worth while but I'd need to save a bit longer

Call me later. I have a solution.

 

[Fabman]

$600 to $800 for everything (data and camera) would be ideal.
I could go up to $1000 if it's really worth while but I'd need to save a bit longer

I've used a bunch of different stuff, all of it sucked for one reason or another.
Like you I don't have a fortune to spend. If you do not need OBD data, a go pro 7 will provide
speed, G's, MPH, lap times, track map, altitude, best lap, list of laps etc. This is what we are currently using.
You can add OBD data from track addict and an OBD sender but you'll need to sinc it in race render.

 

[Fabman]

Call me later. I have a solution.

I'd love to hear about this as well.

 

[flyhalf]

I'd love to hear about this as well.

Sure Sal

 

[Dave_W]

Check out the Aim SOLO DL, but check their website tech section for the OBD2 PIDs/channels available for your year. AiM has it's own data analysis software as well. They also have a camera (SmartyCam) that ties into their datalogging, but it's pretty pricey.

 

[Fabman]

Check out the Aim SOLO DL, but check their website tech section for the OBD2 PIDs/channels available for your year. AiM has it's own data analysis software as well. They also have a camera (SmartyCam) that ties into their datalogging, but it's pretty pricey.

I've been eyeing that myself but that smarty cam. Ouch.
I like to have data on the video. Looking at raw data after wards without video seems less connected to me so I am still on the fence about the subject. I'm glad this conversation has come up and looking forward to various solutions.

 

[Fabman]

@AJ Hartman has some videos on the SOLO DL perhaps he'll pop in here with some comment.

 

[flyhalf]

My combo after trying many is

600$ ish APEX PRO (data gps laptime obd)
300$Garmin Vibe camera mounted on the rollbar.

Racerender 3 for overlappimg data and video (it takes me 20min)

 

[Ewheels]

I've used a bunch of different stuff, all of it sucked for one reason or another.
Like you I don't have a fortune to spend. If you do not need OBD data, a go pro 7 will provide
speed, G's, MPH, lap times, track map, altitude, best lap, list of laps etc. This is what we are currently using.
You can add OBD data from track addict and an OBD sender but you'll need to sinc it in race render.

The Go Pro itself doesn't give you all that info, does it? That's after you sync it in RaceRender?

I actually really like the data provided by TrackAddicts and I like that it auto-overlays the data onto the video so you can review immediately after the session.
OBD data would be things like temps, throttle position, and brake pressure, yes?

Is there a system that essentially acts just like TrackAddicts but can be affixed to the roll bar and then syncs to a phone?

 

[Fabman]

The Go Pro itself doesn't give you all that info, does it? That's after you sync it in RaceRender?

I actually really like the data provided by TrackAddicts and I like that it auto-overlays the data onto the video so you can review immediately after the session.
OBD data would be things like temps, throttle position, and brake pressure, yes?

Is there a system that essentially acts just like TrackAddicts but can be affixed to the roll bar and then syncs to a phone?

Temps, gear selection, throttle etc. is all OBD info.
The go pro has the non OBD info in there but it doesn't show up until you render it.
I used trackaddicts too and while the software was pretty good I couldn't get very good stable video from my iphone. Seems like it started getting shaky when iphone 7 came out and some generations after that as well so I quit using it and only use the go pros now. While all that info is great to have in the end what I care about most is quality video, MPH, lap time, fastest lap/list all lap times. It would be nice to have RPM but no OBD in my case so a simple online calculator gets me rpm from mph/gear ratios. Its not ideal but it's cheap and it works.

 

[Fabman]

This is what I get:

There is more info in there but I turn it off....this is all I need to see.

 

[flyhalf]

Garmin Vibe has a program that render automatically the gps data to the video.

 

[Fabman]

Garmin Vibe has a program that render automatically the gps data to the video.

this?

Garmin VIRB® Ultra 30 | Action Camera 4K

VIRB ® Ultra 30 is a waterproof HD 4K action camera that features voice control, so you can tell the camera to start, stop.

buy.garmin.com

 

[Ewheels]

Garmin Vibe has a program that render automatically the gps data to the video.

And you can watch that on the Garmin after your laps or it bluetooths to your phone and you watch it there? This might be all I need...

Temps, gear selection, throttle etc. is all OBD info.
The go pro has the non OBD info in there but it doesn't show up until you render it.
I used trackaddicts too and while the software was pretty good I couldn't get very good stable video from my iphone. Seems like it started getting shaky when iphone 7 came out and some generations after that as well so I quit using it and only use the go pros now. While all that info is great to have in the end what I care about most is quality video, MPH, lap time, fastest lap/list all lap times. It would be nice to have RPM but no OBD in my case so a simple online calculator gets me rpm from mph/gear ratios. Its not ideal but it's cheap and it works.

This is exactly my problem! Love TrackAddicts but the video from my phone is not the best.

 

[Fabman]

Garmin Vibe has a program that render automatically the gps data to the video.

Does it collect OBD info? I don't see that on the website...

 

[Fabman]

This looks interesting:

Garmin Catalyst™ Driving Performance Optimizer | Racing

The Garmin Catalyst driving performance optimizer provides real-time audible coaching & immediate session analysis to show areas for improvement on the track.

buy.garmin.com

 

[Ewheels]

Does it collect OBD info? I don't see that on the website...

It does not gather OBD data.


Ale, the Garmin Virb seems like what I want. It says it has 10k GPS which is much better than a phone's GPS. If I paired this with TrackAddicts for lap times and such and rendered the two together, can I choose to take the GPS data from the video file over the TrackAddicts phone data?


@Fabman the Catalyst looks like the best all-in-one package but $1000 is a lot for my cheap ass and I'd prefer a camera position that shows my steering and shifting inputs like you'd get from a roll bar position