Track forum general chit chat.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by StripclubDJ

I hope my wife doesn't have a account on m3post btw

I confirmed years ago with mine. LOLOL

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by StripclubDJ

Says the guy with the screen name...StripclubDJ :

[bigjae1976]

This is what it looks like driving at Hallet for the first time on 4 year old NT01s on the front and 2 year old Toyo RRs in the rear and way too much spring rate. The guy at TC Kline kinda laughed at me when I described my setup...what an a%*#hole!!! : - kidding, those guys are awesome!

It was surprisingly decent in the dry!

Kind sketchy in the wet...

[Bimmer Barney]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i've never stayed at one. my wife likes to come to the track and i know she wouldn't dig it and we'd just have to drive home anyways. i'd rather just bring a tent and camp in the paddock, but i don't think they allow that at bw.

Used to camp at BW when I'd ride motorcycles so I do think it's allowed. It's the nearest track to me as the crow flys, but not as the car drives. Being in Santa Barbara sucks. (Yeah right hehe).

Btw 2:04 first time out on those tires is a very respectable time for a mostly stock M3. 2:00 is the benchmark. If you're below that you're allowed to say you're quick there! (It's in the rulebook)

[Bimmer Barney]

I have a go pro, a carly, an external mic, and an iPhone. How do I make a fancy HPDE session video with rpm and speed overlay?

[macdude357]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Barney

I have a go pro, a carly, an external mic, and an iPhone. How do I make a fancy HPDE session video with rpm and speed overlay?

Cheapest way is to get Harry's Lap Timer iPhone app. That will get you mostly there. For RPM you need some device that hooks up to ODB II (HLT website lists some options that are compatible with the app).

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Barney

I have a go pro, a carly, an external mic, and an iPhone. How do I make a fancy HPDE session video with rpm and speed overlay?

The question is: How much time and money do you want to spend on this? And do you really need RPMs?

Cheapest: ($28 assuming you already have an iPhone)
If the answer is that you want pretty darn easy, and you don't need RPMs, then Harry's Lap Timer (HLT) on the iPhone is your answer. HLT makes a very decent basic speed and time data overlay video using your iPhone as the video camera and GPS device and the whole process is quite easy. If you want GoPro video with HLT overlay, it is possible, via a number of steps, to import a GoPro video onto your phone and have HLT use that when it makes the overlay, but it is more work. If you want RPMs in HLT, you can connect an [HLT approved] OBD to HLT and it will incorporate RPMs and gears into it's videos. I found it to be spotty in it's reliability when it came to OBD. Even though I had bought the OBD piece, I never made a single video with it. (I don't see the Carly in the HLT-approved OBD device list on their website.)


The way I make videos: (not cheap, and not very easy, but I like the results with 1080@60 frame video, great sound and custom gauges that I created)

-GoPro with external mic plugged in. Good video, good sound.
-AIM Solo 2 DL (or the original Solo DL) recording LOTS of CAN bus data like RPMs, GPS Speed, Engine oil temps, water temps, G-Forces, gas pedal, brake pedal, gear, ambient air temps, and much much more that is tied to GPS. (export the AIM data as a .csv file.). This data drives all the gauges that will be in the video.
-RaceRender is the Mac/Windows app that can import video and AIM .csv data and make fancy gauges and combine it all together into videos that can look very nice.

It's not the cheapest way--$1200 for all the pieces new (AIM Solo 2 DL - $700, plus GoPro - $400, plus microphone - $40, plus RaceRender - $60). And it does take a fair amount of work to build a decent looking template in RaceRender, but once it's done, it's easy to plug video and data into it in the future. Synchronizing the audio from the microphone with the RPM gauge takes some patience and practice. But I find the results worth it.

A typical video of mine:

Most expensive but easiest option: SmartyCam (all-in $1500+)
If you want full data overlaid onto video with ZERO effort, you can pony up the money for an AIM SmartyCam. It puts full CAN data onto video in realtime while you're driving, so when you pull the SD card and look at the video for the first time, it already has FULL data on it. What makes the SmartyCam costs go up is that, in addition to the SmartyCam, if you want the RPMs, gas/brake, temps, etc, you will need some ECU logging device like an AIM Solo DL or an AIM ECU Bridge to feed that into the SmartyCam. Plus, there are other things like microphone cables and stuff that needed to be added in. And you'll most likely need a shop to help wire things up. But once the AIM SmartyCam is all setup, it is by far the easiest way to view full data overlaid onto video instantly----literally get out of your car and go watch your fully rendered video. Again, the main drawback with the AIM SmartyCam setup is the entry cost. Also, some people are turned off by the fact that the video specs seem to be from yesteryear---720@30 frame. And in my opinion, the gauges look---umm---ok. Quite a few people have been waiting for AIM to release a new generation of SmartyCam......they're still waiting.

[rhyary]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Barney

I have a go pro, a carly, an external mic, and an iPhone. How do I make a fancy HPDE session video with rpm and speed overlay?

I think external GPS, such as the Dual GPS, is a must for two reasons. Placement and 10Ghz sampling.
.
.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by rhyary

I think external GPS, such as the Dual GPS, is a must for two reasons. Placement and 10Ghz sampling.
.
.

is this a gps antenna for a phone or something? i've never heard of a single person using one of these.

[Redd]

Dogbone, your racerender template is awesome!

What exhaust is that?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Redd

Dogbone, your racerender template is awesome!

What exhaust is that?

Thanks! I took a photo of my dash and then adapted it to be the background for the speed, rpms, gears, oil temp gauge. (Look at that oil temp gauge on that lap. In one lap, it moves from 210 to the 3/4 dot. Think there's some serious heat being generated there? )

The exhaust setup on this car is:

-X-pipe: Akrapovic Evo X-pipe. (it's very light)
-Rear section: custom made straight through rear section with Vibrant resonators and EAS black tips. The exhaust only has a total of two tips, instead of the regular M3 4 tips. (Again, going for lightness, but I could NOT stand a straight through exhaust without some kind of resonators-----WAY too loud for me. The 2 pieces of the rear section exhaust weigh a total of 14 lbs.)

The microphone that records the exhaust is a stereo microphone that sits inside the rear bumper. The REALLY nice thing about it is that it does not need any batteries and it does not have a power switch. The microphone is entirely passive and receives its power from the GoPro. You never forget to turn it on and it never runs out of battery. You just have to remember to plug it into the GoPro. This is the microphone that I use: Audio Technica AT9901 | Stereo Lavalier Microphone ( Japan Import ). https://www.amazon.com/Technica-AT99...pan+Import+%29

[slicer]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

is this a gps antenna for a phone or something? i've never heard of a single person using one of these.

You need that to have accurate timing from HLT. The refresh rate is far higher than the iPhone's internal GPS. Go on the HLT web page and it's fully explained. I went that route and it turned out to be a PIA. HLT was not for me. It only works 50% of the time. Everyone I know who uses HLT has the same success rate. Great when it works. I switched to Aim solo2 DL

[dparm]

Originally Posted by rhyary

$210 per tire.
Worth it for track?

No way. Old tire design. If it were $125 it's a different story.

[Bimmer Barney]

Originally Posted by dogbone

The question is: How much time and money do you want to spend on this? And do you really need RPMs?

Cheapest: ($28 assuming you already have an iPhone)
If the answer is that you want pretty darn easy, and you don't need RPMs, then Harry's Lap Timer (HLT) on the iPhone is your answer. HLT makes a very decent basic speed and time data overlay video using your iPhone as the video camera and GPS device and the whole process is quite easy. If you want GoPro video with HLT overlay, it is possible, via a number of steps, to import a GoPro video onto your phone and have HLT use that when it makes the overlay, but it is more work. If you want RPMs in HLT, you can connect an [HLT approved] OBD to HLT and it will incorporate RPMs and gears into it's videos. I found it to be spotty in it's reliability when it came to OBD. Even though I had bought the OBD piece, I never made a single video with it. (I don't see the Carly in the HLT-approved OBD device list on their website.)


The way I make videos: (not cheap, and not very easy, but I like the results with 1080@60 frame video, great sound and custom gauges that I created)

-GoPro with external mic plugged in. Good video, good sound.
-AIM Solo 2 DL (or the original Solo DL) recording LOTS of CAN bus data like RPMs, GPS Speed, Engine oil temps, water temps, G-Forces, gas pedal, brake pedal, gear, ambient air temps, and much much more that is tied to GPS. (export the AIM data as a .csv file.). This data drives all the gauges that will be in the video.
-RaceRender is the Mac/Windows app that can import video and AIM .csv data and make fancy gauges and combine it all together into videos that can look very nice.

It's not the cheapest way--$1200 for all the pieces new (AIM Solo 2 DL - $700, plus GoPro - $400, plus microphone - $40, plus RaceRender - $60). And it does take a fair amount of work to build a decent looking template in RaceRender, but once it's done, it's easy to plug video and data into it in the future. Synchronizing the audio from the microphone with the RPM gauge takes some patience and practice. But I find the results worth it.

A typical video of mine:

Most expensive but easiest option: SmartyCam (all-in $1500+)
If you want full data overlaid onto video with ZERO effort, you can pony up the money for an AIM SmartyCam. It puts full CAN data onto video in realtime while you're driving, so when you pull the SD card and look at the video for the first time, it already has FULL data on it. What makes the SmartyCam costs go up is that, in addition to the SmartyCam, if you want the RPMs, gas/brake, temps, etc, you will need some ECU logging device like an AIM Solo DL or an AIM ECU Bridge to feed that into the SmartyCam. Plus, there are other things like microphone cables and stuff that needed to be added in. And you'll most likely need a shop to help wire things up. But once the AIM SmartyCam is all setup, it is by far the easiest way to view full data overlaid onto video instantly----literally get out of your car and go watch your fully rendered video. Again, the main drawback with the AIM SmartyCam setup is the entry cost. Also, some people are turned off by the fact that the video specs seem to be from yesteryear---720@30 frame. And in my opinion, the gauges look---umm---ok. Quite a few people have been waiting for AIM to release a new generation of SmartyCam......they're still waiting.

Thanks!

Also the Miata track entry was ridiculous

[dparm]

I use a cheap Audio-Technica lapel mic that I tape to the rear bumper. GoPro Silver 3 mounted to my harness bar (which is only 1080p60 and is controlled with the iPhone app). Nothing fancy but I'm quite happy with how it works.

[kyippee]

I use waylens. With the optional suction cup mount and external GPS, it's $500-$600 ish. Gives track map, lap times, g force, speed, rpm, throttle, ambient weather, boost if you have FI

Not perfectly reliable, but I've managed to get it to work nearly all of the time. External GPS placement is key to ensuring accurate start/stop. Does not support external mic.

[rhyary]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

is this a gps antenna for a phone or something? i've never heard of a single person using one of these.

Explanation from Track Addict about external GPS. The internal smartphone GPS is not accurate enough and lap times can not be trusted using just the iPhone or Android internal GPS.

This one is connected via Bluetooth.

http://racerender.com/TrackAddict/docs/Interop.html#GPS

[crzydave17]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

This is what it looks like driving at Hallet for the first time on 4 year old NT01s on the front and 2 year old Toyo RRs in the rear and way too much spring rate. The guy at TC Kline kinda laughed at me when I described my setup...what an a%*#hole!!! : - kidding, those guys are awesome!

Fun track right?

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by crzydave17

Fun track right?

Fun and challenging!

First couple of laps I thought the track was really easy. I was very wrong once I started picking up speed. Every corner is at least a minor PIA. The b1tch was the least of my issues. I could never be consistent into T4 and its a weird elevation change with no good reference points...or at least one I could find. Definitely needs a track walk to figure out.

[Bimmer Barney]

Hey all I'm looking for a busted up DS corner felt piece. Just a scrap piece that someone may have and can part with. Have posted in the WTB threads and in Deansbimmer's thread. Amazing that with all the trays busted and all the metal pans sold no buyer has one lying around. Just need it to mess around with on some brake/cooler ideas.

Any help appreciated

[SQ13]

I would recommend a GoPro hero session instead of the more expensive gopros with screens, if you don’t need a screen.

My hero session 5 was $200. Push one button to turn it on and start recording. A red LED blinks when recording, which I can see in my rear view mirror. I can also control everything, play with settings, and play back videos using my phone. I do that so I don’t have to reach back and press a button to start recording.

I have mine plugged into a USB car charger, so the camera never dies on me. Only drawback is that if you want to charge it and use mic at the same time, you have to pay $50 for an official bulky GoPro adapter. Overall I’m very happy.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by StripclubDJ

HA!!!

Who needs backpage when you got free roaming lot lizards to chose from


I hope my wife doesn't have a account on m3post btw

I just saw a van on my commute today with vinyl everywhere saying BACKPAGE IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER...one of those park it marketing vans on the street lol