I need a new track app to replace Harrys

[JD Krull]

Disclosure: I am a Garmin employee.

I help test Catalyst and provide feedback to the development team. I attend brainstorming sessions and design reviews. I am familiar with most of the features and many of the reasons why. Some of the features have patents pending and some are trade secrets.

My objectives in participating in this group are to make sure “The Truth is Out There” (think X-Files), help users get the most value from their Catalyst, and collect user feedback to continuously improve current products or apply to future products.

I will not know the answer to every question, but I know people who do. I may not be allowed to answer every question (see paragraph 2, last 2 words above). I have a full-time job (this is only part of it) and many hobbies, so my availability to participate is limited. Please be patient with me and continue to support each other and the Motorsports community.

 

[67GTA]

Disclosure: I am a Garmin employee.

I help test Catalyst and provide feedback to the development team. I attend brainstorming sessions and design reviews. I am familiar with most of the features and many of the reasons why. Some of the features have patents pending and some are trade secrets.

My objectives in participating in this group are to make sure “The Truth is Out There” (think X-Files), help users get the most value from their Catalyst, and collect user feedback to continuously improve current products or apply to future products.

I will not know the answer to every question, but I know people who do. I may not be allowed to answer every question (see paragraph 2, last 2 words above). I have a full-time job (this is only part of it) and many hobbies, so my availability to participate is limited. Please be patient with me and continue to support each other and the Motorsports community.

OBD interface in the works? That would make it an easy sale for me.

 

[JD Krull]

The Garmin Catalyst is a great step up product from most mobile phone applications. It retails for $999.99 and comes standard with a 7 in screen ruggedized tablet, a very good camera, and all the hardware required for temporary or permanent mounting in your car. The tablet can be easily removed from the mount to review session video and data analysis between sessions at the track (no computer required). The Garmin Catalyst does the data analysis for you, tracks your "Optimal Lap" and "Intelligent Average" comparing the two to identify and highlight your three top opportunities to save time after each session. It provides real time voice coaching with immediate feedback and a delta timer while on track. It will create videos with overlays of a full session, any single lap, or your "Optimal Lap" ready to be posted to social media. It is also very easy to install and use.

 

[JD Krull]

OBD interface in the works? That would make it an easy sale for me.

Garmin is always working to improve the features and capabilities of the products we offer, but I am not allowed to discuss details of future development. I would however, be glad to explain why an OBD interface is not required to help users optimize their driving performance and reduce lap times.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Disclosure: JD is one fast motor scooter, in fact he is a Diseased TrackRat, Instructor and Ironman ----he often runs two cars, then zips over to Instruct and I never see him eat or drink, ha.

I am glad to see he posted something as it looked like an impressive set up when I saw it and it seemed like a viable alternative for many. A lot of the Central Region NASA drivers were interested and since JD is a TMO Member I thought I would toss it out there. Glad to see Mr. Krull pop in, as I would be at a loss to explain the system as well as he can.

 

[805Greg]

Question for JD -

I see the Garmin Catalyst on sale everywhere, does that mean Garmin is close to releasing a new Catalyst?

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I think this KC Metro company is doing plenty of volume and that may have helped their overall cost to warehouses drop, as the " Sale " price is virtually identical everywhere. Grassroots Motorsports ( gotta be the best magazine in the World for track sickos ) raves about the system and the guys I know using it are very positive on it. Saving my pennies so I can attack my Credit Cards again in the future for this Garmin. Hearing it was simple was the " Catalyst " for me to consider, since at my age complex means I would have to think and I am enjoying retirement where that is no longer a necessary day to day requirement.

 

[Cornerz]

I think this KC Metro company is doing plenty of volume and that may have helped their overall cost to warehouses drop, as the " Sale " price is virtually identical everywhere. Grassroots Motorsports ( gotta be the best magazine in the World for track sickos ) raves about the system and the guys I know using it are very positive on it. Saving my pennies so I can attack my Credit Cards again in the future for this Garmin. Hearing it was simple was the " Catalyst " for me to consider, since at my age complex means I would have to think and I am enjoying retirement where that is no longer a necessary day to day requirement.

There’s a webinar coming up through the Speedsecrets group on the Catalyst with Ross Bentley and some Garmin reps. I’m signed up.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Speedsecrets Group? Tell us more as I have not heard of this and anything with speed in it sound intriguing.

 

[docs302]

There’s a webinar coming up through the Speedsecrets group on the Catalyst with Ross Bentley and some Garmin reps. I’m signed up.

Signed up as well. I have a Catalyst and need to make sure I know how to use all of its features.

 

[Cornerz]

Speedsecrets Group? Tell us more as I have not heard of this and anything with speed in it sound intriguing.

I signed up at Speedsecrets.com a while back for some Instructor resources etc. Bentley was part of the consulting team on the Catalyst, with Peter Krause. With that comes invites to webinars on various track driving related topics and access to various downloadable resources. I did a paid webinar a while back on data capture and analysis basics that was worth while.
It’s all based around Bentley’s “SpeedSecrets” books and podcast products. A good resource overall.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

Question for JD -

I see the Garmin Catalyst on sale everywhere, does that mean Garmin is close to releasing a new Catalyst?

curious as well. @JD Krull any insight you can lend?

 

[JP X]

I tried out the Catalyst this week at VIR. For me (much more novice than most of you) I thought it was great. Mainly because it just plain worked. I’d been mucking around with Harry’s over several events and finally gave up. Sometimes it would record the session, sometimes it wouldn’t. The GoPro was also inconsistently participatory.

My Catalyst proved easy and reliable. I can see where the more advanced drivers would miss the OBD stuff, and some products like V-Box have lots of analysis. But I really liked the “Optimal Lap” feature. It gives me a goal to shoot for based on reality, because it is derived from my own historical performance.

I‘ll post a video to the lap time thread whenever I find a computer I can download it to. My work disables the USB ports for security.