RaceChrono (GPS based lap timing freeware)
Discussion
Hi All!
I was quite surprised that "racechrono" did not give any hits when searching this forum.
/Because it is freeware, and a very good one, I assumed that there would be more hits.
I have been a very satisfied RaceChrono user for five-six years (with 1Hz, 5Hz, and 10Hz GPS).
It is very accurate and very versatile. You just need a suitable mobile phone, and preferably a 10Hz GPS receiver, and off you go. That is why it is very popular among track day people.
First version of RaceChrono came out 2007 and its is still been very actively developed. There are versions for symbian (S60) smartphones, PDAs and computers:
S60 5th edition
S60 3rd edition fp0, fp1 and fp2
S60 2nd edition
Windows Mobile Professional
Windows Standard
PocketPC 2003
Windows computers/ laptops
And and at the moment the author of the RaceChrono is developing version 2.0 for Android.
If you are not familiar with the concept, let me recommend you to:
Buy a old (I have one from year 2005, and it suits the need perfectly well) smartfone, if you do not have one. Nowadays you get them almost for free.
Then by a 10Hz GPS receiver, for example Qstarz BT818XT (from ebay for example).
Why 10Hz GPS?
Because it is very accurate; 0,01 seconds when taking lap times. AND all speed data (hi/lo/cornering speeds), and G-force graphs/ acceleration/ cornering/ braking data, etc, are very useful too.
If you have/use 5Hz GPS, then lap time accuracy is about 0,03, and other data is also quite useful, but not nearly as accurate as with 10Hz GPS.
If you have/use 1Hz GPS, then lap time accuracy is about 0,1 seconds, that is good. But other data is way too harsh to be useful.
If you have internal GPS in your phone; it might be accurate as 1Hz. But overall concept; GPS in mobile phone is not good for lap timing, because it is very sensitive for interference.
Also, GPS needs "good visibility" to the sky/ satellites, and a external GPS receiver is easy to locate to dashboard or windshield, while you have your phone at your range of vision/ real time live timing visible.
You can also export the data in VBO format and use Performance Tools or Circuit Tools to view/analyse the data.
I was quite surprised that "racechrono" did not give any hits when searching this forum.
/Because it is freeware, and a very good one, I assumed that there would be more hits.
I have been a very satisfied RaceChrono user for five-six years (with 1Hz, 5Hz, and 10Hz GPS).
It is very accurate and very versatile. You just need a suitable mobile phone, and preferably a 10Hz GPS receiver, and off you go. That is why it is very popular among track day people.
First version of RaceChrono came out 2007 and its is still been very actively developed. There are versions for symbian (S60) smartphones, PDAs and computers:
S60 5th edition
S60 3rd edition fp0, fp1 and fp2
S60 2nd edition
Windows Mobile Professional
Windows Standard
PocketPC 2003
Windows computers/ laptops
And and at the moment the author of the RaceChrono is developing version 2.0 for Android.
If you are not familiar with the concept, let me recommend you to:
Buy a old (I have one from year 2005, and it suits the need perfectly well) smartfone, if you do not have one. Nowadays you get them almost for free.
Then by a 10Hz GPS receiver, for example Qstarz BT818XT (from ebay for example).
Why 10Hz GPS?
Because it is very accurate; 0,01 seconds when taking lap times. AND all speed data (hi/lo/cornering speeds), and G-force graphs/ acceleration/ cornering/ braking data, etc, are very useful too.
If you have/use 5Hz GPS, then lap time accuracy is about 0,03, and other data is also quite useful, but not nearly as accurate as with 10Hz GPS.
If you have/use 1Hz GPS, then lap time accuracy is about 0,1 seconds, that is good. But other data is way too harsh to be useful.
If you have internal GPS in your phone; it might be accurate as 1Hz. But overall concept; GPS in mobile phone is not good for lap timing, because it is very sensitive for interference.
Also, GPS needs "good visibility" to the sky/ satellites, and a external GPS receiver is easy to locate to dashboard or windshield, while you have your phone at your range of vision/ real time live timing visible.
You can also export the data in VBO format and use Performance Tools or Circuit Tools to view/analyse the data.
Edited by RaceDAC on Monday 5th March 12:38
Ian_sUK said:
The search must not be working, I've posted about it before.
Oops, you are right. I used the "PistonHeads Forum Search" field for seaching, and it did not give any hits. But now I tested with the upper search field, and it gives 17 hits, but most of them are common threads, not particularly about racechrono.Well, anyhow, I hope this thread/info is useful for you all.
Android has track master already, and iPhone has Harry's lap timer, amongst others...
I'm not sure how good any of them are at *quickly* comparing laps and lines...the vbo format sounds useful as the Qstarz lap time software actually looks surprisingly good, but I haven't tested it yet.
I'm not sure there are any easy/cheap solutions that will take video files, and logging files, and quickly allow side by side comparisons. The all in one boxes do this but are £1k plus...that's a lot of trackdays!
My plan is to try the Qstarz software...if not it will need to be race render twice. Once to embed the log info into the video stream, then again to put the two video streams side by side....
Happy for anyone to post with better solutions!
I'm not sure how good any of them are at *quickly* comparing laps and lines...the vbo format sounds useful as the Qstarz lap time software actually looks surprisingly good, but I haven't tested it yet.
I'm not sure there are any easy/cheap solutions that will take video files, and logging files, and quickly allow side by side comparisons. The all in one boxes do this but are £1k plus...that's a lot of trackdays!
My plan is to try the Qstarz software...if not it will need to be race render twice. Once to embed the log info into the video stream, then again to put the two video streams side by side....
Happy for anyone to post with better solutions!
Irrotational said:
Android has track master already, and iPhone has Harry's lap timer, amongst others...
I'm not sure how good any of them are at *quickly* comparing laps and lines...the vbo format sounds useful as the Qstarz lap time software actually looks surprisingly good, but I haven't tested it yet.
I'm not sure there are any easy/cheap solutions that will take video files, and logging files, and quickly allow side by side comparisons. The all in one boxes do this but are £1k plus...that's a lot of trackdays!
My plan is to try the Qstarz software...if not it will need to be race render twice. Once to embed the log info into the video stream, then again to put the two video streams side by side....
Happy for anyone to post with better solutions!
Not a better solution but a cheaper one! You can buy the Qstarz 5hz logger but without the software for £40 from ebay. Export the data from the logger into Racechrono in NMEA format. You can look at the data in racechrono or export as VBO for v-box software (which was free to download last time i looked)I'm not sure how good any of them are at *quickly* comparing laps and lines...the vbo format sounds useful as the Qstarz lap time software actually looks surprisingly good, but I haven't tested it yet.
I'm not sure there are any easy/cheap solutions that will take video files, and logging files, and quickly allow side by side comparisons. The all in one boxes do this but are £1k plus...that's a lot of trackdays!
My plan is to try the Qstarz software...if not it will need to be race render twice. Once to embed the log info into the video stream, then again to put the two video streams side by side....
Happy for anyone to post with better solutions!
As for overlaying data onto video you'll still have to use race render.
V8mate said:
Link to this bargain?
Search Ebay for i-Blue 747. Be warned though its not a plug and play operation. You need to download "BT747" to configure it to log the right parameters in the right way to import into racechrono. Once set up though its just a case of flicking a switch to log. You can get about 6 hours logging onto the onboard memory depending on what you log. (for instance theres no need to log altitude)
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