mx5cartalk.com

Is anyone on here using one of these gadgets?

They look ok by the specs, just wondering how they were in real life.

Yes - very happy with mine.

If you have a look at their website you can find the circuit overlays and the software and manuals to download - http://www.performancebox.co.uk

The firmware is upgradable and so far all updates have been free.

Have you used it at a trackday/supersprint/etc? Just wondering how the suction cups would go with scrutineering.

Did you buy it locally or online from the UK mob?

Have used it with both track days and sprints - no problems so far.

I arranged a group buy for the clubman guys from the US but I'd be buying from the US through http://www.priceusa.com.au should set you back around the $600 mark.

Mactype wrote:... from the US but I'd be buying from the US through http://www.priceusa.com.au should set you back around the $600 mark.

It's closer to $700 now - unless I get really lucky on shipping, discounts, exchange rate, duty/GST, etc.

The local supplier has offered a fairly good discount if we order a few though, so I'm trying to get a group buy going.

Mr_Q wrote:Have you used it at a trackday/supersprint/etc? Just wondering how the suction cups would go with scrutineering.

Did you buy it locally or online from the UK mob?

An update on an old thread ...

I used my PerformanceBox at the NSW Supersprints last month at Oran Park GP. I had it mounted on the windscreen with the suction cups at first but the scrutineer told me I had to remove it. So I simply stuck it in the glovebox (locked the glovebox too), plugged in the remote antenna and mounted the sensor on the front-left quarter panel next to the A pillar. No problem.

After this run-around though, I saw several cars with PerformanceBoxes fitted to the windscreen. I guess I got "lucky" with an anal-retentive scrutineer!

I'm using Racechrono on a Nokia mobile phone with a $100 Qstarz B BT808Extreme blue tooth GPS receiver. It's giving me lap times within 1/10th of a second of timed runs, plus good reports and graphs on laps and splits around several tracks. Apart from the G sensor it seems to do more than the Performancebox.

A correction. PerformanceBox does not have a G sensor. The DriftBox which costs ~$250 more does have a yaw sensor that gives you a measure of drift angle. The PerformanceBox does not do drift angle but gives you lateral and longitudinal G via calculation from the positional data.

As for Racechrono, I agree that this is an excellent option for those who have a compatible mobile phone and are a bit tech-savvy. However, it does not "do more than the PerformanceBox" in terms of laptiming, datalogging, graphing, etc. Except perhaps that with Racechrono you can view circuit maps and speed info etc live on your phone, whereas you need a laptop to do that with the PerformanceBox. I reckon the PerformanceBox is an easier "plug&play" tool though.

I also understand that Racechrono uses a GPS signal at 4Hz and then extrapolates laptimes to 0.1s. PerformanceBox records at 10Hz so you get higher precision data, but it only reports to 0.1s. It would be possible to extrapolate the PerformanceBox data too and get an estimate to the nearest 0.05s but I've not seen it done.

Either one is an excellent tool for those who are into track days. They really help to accelerate development of your driving skills.

Manga_blue said his Racechrono was also 10hz, as we were talking about the differences between that and the performance box last meet.

Either way, as Guran said they are a fantastic tool for not only track days, (by allowing you analyse corner speeds, sector times, driving lines,etc) but also as a psuedo dyno to determine effect of power mods.

rascal wrote:Manga_blue said his Racechrono was also 10hz, as we were talking about the differences between that and the performance box last meet.

Either way, as Guran said they are a fantastic tool for not only track days, (by allowing you analyse corner speeds, sector times, driving lines,etc) but also as a psuedo dyno to determine effect of power mods.

Correction rascal, I checked back after that discussion. The Qstarz is 5hz, not 10 as I said.

It's still bloody good to check your phone after at the end of a session, see all your times and the plot of speeds around the circuit for every lap. The graphing is accurate enough to pick every gear change and the accel curves between changes to the point where you can say I should've held a gear here and short shifted there.

Ahah, I wasn't aware of any 10 Hz models being available. But 5 Hz should be plenty to get accurate 0.1 s resolution and that's certainly enough to help you improve your laptimes.