jct@daimlerchrysler.com (John Tak) wrote:
> For what Dennis wanted to measure, which is to
> measure lateral and longitudinal G's,
What Dennis wanted to measure (and I should know, I'm him) was this nebulous
thingy called "performance"
So Dennis went out and bought a book on data aquisition (Data Power, by Buddy
Fey) and read it through a few times, to learn how it was done. Dennis then
priced the systems needed to do what was described in the book, gasped, and went
looking for less expensive alternatives.
The results I've already described - first OBDTool, which convinced me of the
non-suitability of laptop-based systems, and of the necessity of accelerometers
(if for no other reason than track navigation). Then GEEZ!, which was is some
ways light years better than OBDTool, but in other ways just as limited, and
finally the Edelbrock system, which was exactly what I wanted at a price that I
could afford.
> a G-Analyst would have been a less expensive and easier to install
alternative.
"Less expensive" is true, but not by much. "Easier to install" - also true, but
the installation was all in all pretty simple. 2 hours of work, and most of that
spent deciphering the vehicle wiring diagram. It was easier than most of the
stereo installs I've done in past cars.
> GEEZ adds some enhanced features that allow for more intensive data analysis
at a
> reasonable price.
But it doesn't provide RPM, vehicle speed, or any of the other 10 channels I'm
currently logging either.
> If he's trying to improve the
> driver, the critical missing element is a baseline to a quicker driver in the
> same car/conditions/instrumentation.
This is a valid point. There's no question that the improvement process could be
hastened by having additional drivers in the same car in the same event, or
similarily intrumented similar cars (like a 2 car team) in the same event -
that's how the big boys in F1, Nascar, and
whatever-they're-calling-Indycars-this-week do it.
However, that's not always possible. Sometimes, you've got a single-driver,
single-car team, and you make do with what you have. There are still large gains
(at least initially) to be had by careful analysis of the data, even if there is
no second driver baseline.
That's not to say that there will _never_ be a second driver baseline (a good
idea is a good idea) but you don't need one to be able to learn from a logger -
you just don't learn as much.
DG
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