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BUYING A
SYSTEM
There are a few basic things to
think about before leaping in and laying down your hard earned cash on a data
logging system. Some of this is boring – but all of it is important.
Start at the end. Sounds daft but first think about what you want to
get out of a system. What information do you want out ?
Most customers
when posed with this question reply “ I want everything “. This is
clearly unrealistic so make a list of what you want. A Formula Ford driver
might have a list like this :
Speed – see when he is fast or slow
through any corner by overlaying laps
Rpm – to work out what gear
he is in, see what the minimum rpm is through a corner, see if top gear is
correctly geared.
2 front wheelspeed sensors - to spot braking lock
ups
throttle - see when he is on and off the throttle
G
sensor to draw a track map
And for a simple Formula Ford system this may
be enough.
A Supersport bike rider may have a list like :
I
need to be able to :
Sort out my overall gearing
Find out what
gear I am in some corners ( ‘ cos I often don't know )
Be able to
talk to my suspension guy intelligently because he often asks how much stroke I
am using.
Be able to tell my engine tuner that it feels too rich /
lean / slow. He is always asking about the lambda reading.
See how the
lambda reading compares with the dyno.
By knowing what you want out of
a system you can work out what your system needs to be capable of.
Software
This is the most important part of the system, it is the part of the system that gives you the information. Unfortunately most customers don't even look
into this. Common pitfalls here :
Cost – expensive
Software free with the system is nobbled, you only get full
functionality if you upgrade.
Upgrades – expensive
Some
systems software can only be installed a certain number of times, after that
you need to buy a new copy.
One manufacturer will not give a clear
answer if you can transfer the software when you sell / buy a system
secondhand. Who owns it ? – they won't say.
Most manufacturers will
supply demo disks or include demonstration laps with a software downloaded over
the net.
We suggest that you look closely at systems where the software
:
Has demos available
The software with the system can achieve
your goals ( know what you want out of a system ) with out costly upgrades
Upgrades are clearly priced
Cost
Many customers buy on price, and this
is just false economy. They end up with systems that don't do what they want,
eat up AA batteries, find the sensors they need to make it run cost half the
original cost of what they thought was the entire system, - its all causes
frustration, and frequent leaving in a box under the workshop bench.
Look at the total cost – include all the parts you need to make it
work. Headline cheap prices are an easy way to attract your attention. A water
temperature sensor is an essential part of a system, yet popular kart systems
are sold with out one. What use is that ? – it makes the system look cheap.
Many customers buy kart systems and fit them to cars and bikes. Don't.
Bike systems often have gyros built in, car systems have G sensors, run on 12 volts,
take different sensors. Manufacturers have been making different systems for
different vehicles for years and it is for some very good reasons. On the
surface they may be a price difference but when you do your research you will
find that they do different things.
Time
Once your shiny new toy has turned up
it will take some time to fit, practice with and understand. Budget some time
for this ! – your time ! You wouldn't buy a new engine fit it, and then
say I haven't got time to fill it with oil. Your new system will not improve
with neglect.
Like any new tool it takes time and experience to get the
best out of it. Don't expect all the answers to just leap out of the pc !
Give your self time to buy, install, test, practice with your system
well before you expect to go out. We get a large number of calls “ its
urgent, I am racing this weekend …..” Sorry, we have heard this so
often, we can't get excited by customers poor planning.
Installation
We maintain 90% of problems with all data logging systems
originate with poor installation. These systems are not trick, just require
common sense and mounting sensors etc properly. Read the case studies below and
weep. Enough said.
Computer equipment
Many customers persist with using
some old pc that no one else wants. It might have cost £1400 five years
ago but with 8mb memory but it runs Windows pretty slow. Give it back ! Or
laptops with such shot batteries that it goes down after a minute off the
mains. Buy a new battery for it !
Treat the pc as part of your tool
box.
Backup / support /
spares
All data logging systems take
some degree of maintenance and support. When you buy, do you expect some one to be
at the track ? are you willing to pay for some one to help you track side ?
want some one to help with a installation problem over the phone ?
Think about this carefully before buying. We support customers over the
phone and travel to circuits where the customer or championship is paying for
the service. However we only help genuine customers who have purchased from
Dataspares. We always ask for serial or invoice numbers as proof of purchase.
Warning - don't expect help from a specialist when you have purchased off some box shifter on eBay ! If you have problems always go back to the dealer you purchased from. Thats what he is there for.
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