Showing posts with label logger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label logger. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Race Day: Jettribe Lake Elsinore Open Round 4 with Tanaka Racing

Just a quick recap of our last race event (for points) at the Jettribe Lake Elsinore Open for Round 4 of the CA series.

We arrived early again to set up our pit area at Lake Elsinore in sunny California. It's was looking to be another hot day for race day at this closed course race.

Certainly not the biggest, but Tanaka Racing's Tundra is well suited to pull a full trailer with two runabouts and a full-size quad/ATV
 Maneuvering full size trucks and trailers in the makeshift pits can be tricky, but it seems riders/teams stake out the same spots every season, which makes things a little easier if you know your way around. We positioned the truck at a location similar to last season and began unloading our gear/watercraft. Did I mention it was really hot?

Typical of the usual pit setup - large area to work, and canopy to cover all tools, equipment, gear, etc.

This was the temperature just as it was coming down from peak, a canopy/tent is a must here at the lake races

We made a quick tour of the pits and made our way to the front to check the course layout and race schedule. PWC racing is definitely no joke, as some teams bring 4-5 skis per trailer, with full pit crew personnel in tow. Everything from converted panel trucks, vans, commercial trucks, and tricked out personal rides fill the pits and parking area. Many teams arrive early to pick out the best launch area pit spots, as the rest of the shore is dotted with branches and debris, making it difficult to launch and retrieve watercraft.

The Xterra behind this custom GMC dually looks very small in comparison...

Many crews show their support in numbers, as in the case with the KMG racing crew

A shot of the pits on the shore side, these guys come early to set up their tents and launch areas right by the shore

The course layout has a split section similar to the last Lake Perris open layout, and just about as small/technical as the last race. Although max speed won't be realized in this race, previous testing with our DigSpice Data Logger has shown that we have improved acceleration compared to previous data.

Here's the course layout for the day's race

Data from practice sessions and straight line testing showed approximately 3.1-3.5 sec for 0-40mph sprints for Tanaka Racing's stock-engine Ultra 260X

Not sure how clean the waters are but luckily there are showers for those who get into the water

All day, there are skis lined up and ready to go

In all, there were about 50-odd participants spread across 18 races

The line of jet-ski's keeps going and going...

Just before the second set of races, riders in the free style event compete during a timed session. People gathered to watch two riders show their best moves.









Ok... Getting back to the race! Due to the smaller groupings in the Amateur and Novice classes, the runabout stock class was entered in with the N/A Runabout and Expert Runabout (Open class) groups to make for an exciting race.

Akira Tanaka staying close to Evelyn's 300X running in the Women's Runabout class

...however Akira's older 260X could not match the 300X's straight line speed with a close finish

Race #8 proved to be exciting as expected with 3 different classes running head to head with Novice class starting last with a "dead start" (no key in ignition)

The Expert Open class riders come up to the Stock class runabouts at about half way through the race... very fast skis

Anthony's lighter Novice/Stock class RXP-X 260 proved to be a tough competitor

N/A Runabout class skis, such as Brian and Brandon's Sea-Doos also proved to be very quick around the track







Another race finished and some points! Congrats to Akira and Tanaka Racing for their finish!

Viewing the data, we can see that his fastest times were realized taking the smoothest turns with wider radius (red line) through the turns. Despite the short course and stock engine, the ski still managed to hit 50mph in the short straight which is quite something considering the weight of these large runabouts.

The red triangle on the Y-axis of the G map shows the radius of the turn at that moment on the track

At the end of the day, Akira Tanaka managed 1st in Amateur/Stock, and 2nd in Novice/Stock classes for runabouts. With nothing but a 2 man team getting this 1000+lb behemoth watercraft to and from the start line throughout the busy day, it was a long day, but a great finish!


Thursday, April 11, 2013

Video: DigSpice Driving Analysis Software Playback

As many racers now, simply watching a video playback of their run may not be enough to understand what was actually happening at the moment the video was taken. How fast is he going? How tight is that turn?Since DigSpice Driving Analysis Software is also capable of displaying playback video simultaneously, it can aid in understanding time discrepancies between laps, different drivers, different vehicles, etc. from viewing the data-logger info during playback.

View elapsed times and lap times, as well as the usual speed, corner G, acceleration/braking points, all while viewing the video as it occurs. When paired with synced video footage, not only do you have visual reference to the point on the track, it can tell you if a driver is having difficulty passing, difficulty maintaining control, or other problems that can't be seen in the data.

Since the video is synced (essentially "locked" into position in relation to the recorded data), you can freely switch between course, G/Radius meter, and the video footage on the fly during playback. We will show this in a how-to in a later video.

Monday, March 18, 2013

How-To: Vehicle tests and 0-60 times in DigSpice Driving Analysis Software (also 0-100, 0-100-0, etc)

0-60, 0-100, 40-0, 60,0, 0-100-0, 60-80... What are we hinting at here? Many motoring enthusiasts will probably recognize these numbers as common testing benchmarks for all sorts of vehicles during acceleration and braking tests, usually on a flat straight line.

Something as simple as a 0-60 (MPH) sprint can be calculated on many GPS-based devices today, but the same method can be applied to testing a wide range of data within DigSpice's Driving Analysis Software. With the DigSpice II GPS Logger and the Driving Analysis Software, you will be able to extract all sorts of data, such as sprints (ex. 0-60), braking (60-0), slalom, top speed, and more.

While many lap timers or applications will require you to use certain modes to record your acceleration times, this same data can be extracted from the Driving Analysis Software at any time during playback, without having to worry about using predetermined routes, stopwatches, settings, etc.

How does this work? Simply record you data as you would with any run with the DigSpice II GPS Data-Logger. You will save your raw data as you normally would, but take note of which session you wanted to extract your acceleration data from if you have a mix of lap times and acceleration tests mixed within your data.

Basic steps:

1) Make sure to place the DigSpiceII GPS receiver in clear view of the sky. Best results when placed in the upper front windshield (unobstructed), or affixed to the outside on the top of the vehicle using the included enclosed outdoor case or gaffer's tape (or similar) as shown:

Click to enlarge
It is highly recommended to set the GPS receiver to 10Hz within the Driving Analysis Software to ensure accurate data recording within 100 ms. Also recommended to set recording trigger speed to the minimum to record all movements


2) When first extracting your GPS raw data from the DigSpice II unit, manually set your regions in which you wish to record your acceleration or braking times. Since we have recorded data in a straight line, we have set up Start/Finish sections as shown below (similarly, this can also be done using standard circuit control line data using just sectors instead with a start/finish line).

Click to enlarge
For raw data sets containing multiple overlapping or indistinguishable lines, it will help to check the box labeled "Show stop position" to help identify where runs start and stop.


2) In the next screen you will see your data presented in both mapped location and as a graph/chart above. Since we are looking to examine acceleration times, we want to jump to the first section of the data right on the graph where we can see the vehicle accelerating from a stop. Since we are determining 0-60MPH times, we want to set the first sector right where the GPS logger registers movement at the beginning of the run. Set the second sector where you wish to record the elapsed time (in this case, at 60MPH). Once a set of sectors has been placed, times will automatically be displayed on the same color line at the bottom of the screen (as outlined).

Click to enlarge
Again, besides target speed, sectors can also be set based on your own preference, such as how long it took reach 1/4 mile, how far a vehicle traveled in a set time limit, or what was the maximum speed in the given time/distance.


3) For multiple sets of data, you can set up additional sector points to compare consecutive runs, or a different test entirely (in this case the data shows 3 back to back 0-60 sprints on the same straight).

Click to enlarge

And that's it! We hope you find this how-to useful. DigSpice Driving Analysis software allows a quick and easy way to compare set of data and to save those sections for easy access for later use.


Be sure to follow us on our facebook/twitter/blog to see our next tip!

web: www.DigSpice.com
facebook: facebook.com/DigSpice
twitter: twitter.com/digspice

Dealer Inquiries are Welcome!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Circuit Map: Streets of Willow (CA)

We are proud to announce a new addition to the DigSpice circuit map library, Streets of Willow (Rosamond, CA, USA). Streets of Willow will be the among the first of many circuit maps we will add to the growing collection of circuit maps collected worldwide!

View a sampling below of Mr. B.Lee's fastest laps in his Honda S2000 shown on the DigSpice Driving Analysis Software (click to view enlarged screenshot)

4 lap sampling of the quickest laps (click to enlarge)
In the screenshot, at a glance you can see in realtime:
  • Elapsed distance and lap times (tab can be flipped to show elapsed times instead)
  • course location, driving lines, and direction indicated by arrows
  • speed in relation to time and location on map (can be shown in KPH or MPH)
  • lateral and acceleration/braking G-forces
  • corner radius (shown as a sliding arrow on the y-axis of the G-meter)
  • altitude (also plotted as a grey line on the same chart as the elapsed time/distance and speed)
  • acceleration and braking points denoted by solid and dashed lines
  • review data in slowmotion (1/2 speed or manually), and up to 8x

In addition, you can click anywhere and change the sizes of the individual panels to focus only on areas you want to see. You may also sync video footage taken at the same time to have a visual reference to the data on the screen. Most video formats and raw formats are supported (how to on video syncing to be featured shortly)

All data can be saved locally onto your PC's hard drive (or any flash drive) for keeping a personal log, or to share with anybody else who uses DigSpice! You can also save sets of data or export in excel/csv for use elsewhere. 

For data that do not have circuit maps (or small events, hillclimb events, rallies, etc), you can upload your data right onto Google Earth and view the same data right on a satellite image of the course you ran! Please note, prior installation of Google Earth required for uploading feature to work, and can be downloaded for free from earth.google.com.

View your data on Google Earth in a single click, regardless of where you recorded your data!
GPS data recorded on this sample was at 5Hz in the normal setting (5 times per second or 0.200sec intervals). Even at 5Hz, the data is VERY accurate  as can be seen in the data uploaded to Google Earth. This is due to DigSpice's complex calculations based solely on GPS location and heading.

Furthermore, DigSpice II can even be set to 10Hz (true 100 millisec GPS logging) for high-resolution data logging for high-speed vehicles and very technical courses. DigSpiceII GPS Datalogger can be utilized by both beginners and professionals alike!

Be sure to follow us on our facebook/twitter/blog to see what track we add next!

Dealer Inquiries are Welcome!


web: www.DigSpice.com
facebook: facebook.com/DigSpice
twitter: twitter.com/digspice

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Sneak Peek: Window Suction Mount for DigSpice

DigSpice Windshield Suction Mount Kit features an adjustable mounting plate for limitless mounting positions

DigSpice II shown mounted with the suction cup mount (DigSpice II GPS shown not included with mount)

Each DigSpice II GPS logger comes with double-sided Velcro tabs and a mounting case, however some of you may not want to place Velcro or other adhesives on your dashboard. Although the dashboard is the most common and convenient place to mount aftermarket devices, it is also one of the hottest areas inside the vehicle cabin on a hot sunny day. Keep your DigSpice out of harms way and out of your line of sight with the compact window suction mount kit.

Unlike large bulky universal mounts, this suction mount is made specifically for the ultra-compact DigSpice II unit. While minimizing weight and clutter, it also allows free range of mounting options into any vehicle with a glass surface. Place the Velcro tab included with your DigSpice II onto the mounting pad, and enjoy limitless mounting locations and positions for optimum GPS signal and out of harms way.

Change vehicles or want to take the GPS logger with you? Simply undo the suction lock and uninstall in seconds. Since DigSpice II is non-directional, the mount can be adjusted to allow quick access to the USB port for downloading data between sessions, or to keep the DigSpice II charged during long recording events!

Includes:
1x Suction mount base and GPS mounting plate
2x Velcro tabs w/ adhesive backing

Specs:
Suction cup dia. - 3" (locking type)
Overall height - 2"
Overall length - 4.5" (cup edge to mounting plate edge)

Pricing: $18.50
Available: ETA Jan 14, 2013

Suction mount kit will be available on our store at www.DigSpice.com in the coming week! Stay tuned!


Dealer Inquiries are Welcome!



web: www.DigSpice.com
facebook: facebook.com/DigSpice
twitter: twitter.com/digspice