PerformanceBox GPS laptimer 'all in one' unit

[jasonbw]

This thing is tops... heres a simple small box, you sit under your ducktail/screen/whereever, and it uses GPS to give you not only laptimes, but splits, speed at ANY point on the track (mid corner etc), acceleration and braking info..and you can overlay lap to lap so you can see where you went best so you can make your riding more repeatable. It even shows you a picture of the track layout, and what line you took for each lap !!!!

http://www.performancebox.co.uk/Images/pb1.jpg

Awesome unit, very very accurate... heres what PerformanceBikes Magazine had to say (they used this for all their tests now!)

http://www.driftbox.com/download/PB-Quote.pdf

Or, chuck it in the car and you can see on Google earth where you've been !!! :) It'll also warn you about fixed speed cameras (via POI file).. top unit ! My workmate (BigB) drove us back from Hungry Jacks yesterday at lunch, we saw once we got back the line he took around the roundabouts, even which parking spot he pulled out from!! he did 0-60kph in 5.4 sec and it took 49 meters :) BTW, thats slooow.

P.s. Alex has one (749dark) he couldnt get it to lock to Sat's when down at PI... but methinks I mounted it too far into the nose fairing... tests later show this unit is getting great sig strength when under the screen... will try it this weekend at OP if its not pissing down :)

Edit:
Tried it this weekend, even though it WAS pissing down :) Heres the info:


OK, got some data done on the PerformanceBox unit.. this thing is freaky, has SO much data that theres a very real danger of WAY over analysing yourself.

I'm using it for laptimes right now, but the potential is there for the smarter rider who can see small bits like what was pointed out to me on the run below.. my better laptime (red) was when I entered Turn 2 at OP a little slower and later than normal, which let me exit (under the bridge) faster. See the crosshairs denoting the location on the track being entry into T2, and my mouse pointer has clicked where my Red lap T2 entry speed was slower than the other two laps.
but see how much faster I could exit T2 using that line!! massive difference!

Sorry, this picture file is around 400k in size and it is wide!!!
http://members.iinet.net.au/~jasonbw/photos/bikes/PerformanceBox/main_screen_op.JPG


In this pic below you can see the detail of the exact lines I took through turn 4... PerformanceBox state its accurate to around 40cm, usually better, so you can see your lines.. check out all the different lines I took into T4 after the removed bus stop... I was getting a good feel for which direction the circuit went... these three laps were the 4th, 5th and 6th laps of the first session when it was raining and VERY slippery.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~jasonbw/photos/bikes/PerformanceBox/turn4_op.JPG

Cool box hey...group buy is possible through the Aussie importers for just over $700, or if you want, buy it from the USA for US$499 + Postage. I'm happy to arrange the group buy if anyone is keen.

JasonBW

[Sprinter]

So how much from where?:confused1:

[Captain]

From memory it was placed so far under the screen for a very good reason ..... is this not an issue at Oran Park?

[jasonbw]

Not really, I'll say its just a datalogger :) Not a laptimer... plus I have a sweet, innocent looking face! + they seem to be turning a blind eye nowadays.. even to blatently obvious units !

Actually I've found out you can mount them under your ducktail, the fairing plastic doesn't interfere with the GPS signals. It needs to be mounted flat though... or you can mount just an external GPS antenna and have the PB located anywhere!

Sprinter, theres a importer in Aus who'll do them if more than 4 are bought at the same time for around $730 or so and you get an Aussie warranty plan (so you dont ship overseas for warranty), but buying form the USA you can get them for US$499 + delivery (delivery is very expensive, like around US$100 but it only takes a couple of days). If you can pick up in the USA and ship an alternate method you can get it really cheap.

P.s. If you have to ship from the US to Aus paying the big $$$, then just buy ONE, dont halve shipping with your mate, cause it breaks the $1000 import threshold and you get slugged with a bill for around the amount that you saved!!! They don't write GIFT on the box!

[pan]

plus I have a sweet, innocent looking face!

Yup. Okay.
:thinking:
Are you the same Jase I've met?


:lmao:


I'd love to hear about it at OP. I think OP don't mind lap timing, mounting cameras on your tank, etc... it's just an EC thing!

You could always ask Vinnie. He'll know the "rules" :ayyy:

[Falco]

Jason, can it be removed from the bike easily? eg. if its pissing down while the bike is on the trailer.
My AIM lap timer has frosted around the edges of the screen and now the backing light no longer works cause its a hassel to remove, so it gets wet.

[jasonbw]

Thanks Pan :) yeah the Mo I'm growning for Movember probably will scare them into not asking me to remove it actually!

Falco... theres a good point you raise, yes, its VERY easy to remove.. but there in lies a problem in that its very easy to steal :) I believe considering the bracket it slides and clicks into you could put a lock on it so it wont slide out. Or fab up a bracket like I did on Alexs CBR600RR that has it looking OEM.. that way its not obvious and not too easy to remove without knowing how.

P.s. one of the forum admins for the performancebox/driftbox forum in the UK is a track rider, he uses his in all weather as its inside a ziplock bag.

P.p.s. The 'frosting' is only powder inside the AIM unit. I know it REALLY looks like frosting but its easy to remove, and your unit will look like new.
If you are capable of handling electronics then it should be safe, be warned though if they see the unit was tampered with (fingerprints on the inside, screws stuffed etc) then you may be out of warranty ok. Be static cautious too as its ESD sensitive equipment. but... open up the AIM unit, make note of the cables and where the rubber exits... remove the screws to lift the display off, simply blow or wipe down the display... the powder will just wipe away. Put it all back together.

P.p.p.s. While you have the unit off the bike, very gently ive the unit a twisting force... picture a notebook, twisting that isnt a good idea but the manufacturers design a little flexability into the moterboards for such a motion... anyway, twist the unit and keep the power into it going.. does your AIM display backlighting come on/off at that point? My unit was very new, had that exact problem, the local guy said its usually the display unit has failed and he replaced it, but still the backlighting wouldnt work (keep in mind mine NEVER saw rain/water), he then changed out ALL the insides of it to fix the problem.. under warranty ! Dont be too quick to think its water damage... if its under warranty then you may well need to send it back to where you got it, but at least know that THEY know its a common fault and dont mention rain !!!

[Falco]

A gentle tap gives me some lighting for a split second, then nothing.
Mine is exactly the same as yours, where did you have it repaired?

[Sprinter]

Lap timing is OK at OP. Its only EC that get worked up

Thanks for the info Jason. Probably on the "one day" list for now but you never know:)

[jasonbw]

A gentle tap gives me some lighting for a split second, then nothing.
Mine is exactly the same as yours, where did you have it repaired?

Same thing here, gentle tap would do the same, twist would have it work for between 1 second and 1 hour!

I contacted the aussie importer, because it was bought overseas he didnt want to do the work as warranty (understandable) so I paid him to fix it ($60? I cant remember) and he originally thought just changing the display unit over would fix it, but it didnt, I went back and he swapped the whole thing and didn't charge.... he had no obligation to fix it under warranty so I was very thankful, and I think the fact that I bought the bike with it on it and wasnt the one who bought it from overseas knowingly not giving him the aussie income, helped. :)

http://www.aimsportsystems.com.au/

He lives only a few suburbs from me, if you bring the unit to OP then I can take it to him for you.

[jasonbw]

Lap timing is OK at OP. Its only EC that get worked up

Thanks for the info Jason. Probably on the "one day" list for now but you never know:)

No worries, heres their website where I bought mine from:

http://www.vboxusa.com/performancedrift/performancebox.php

[Turtle]

Do they mind you putting out your own Beacon at Circuit Breakers days ??

[Sprinter]

No. Its OK cause they do OP and Wakefield. Neither track has a problem with it

[Falco]

if you bring the unit to OP then I can take it to him for you.

Thanks mate, cheers. :ayyy:

[Marcus]

So the drift box can upload a track map with entry, apex and exit speed?

Alan used to have a GPS which he could then plug into his PC and download where he has been, how fast etc. Its smaller then a ciggy packet and easily mounts on your triples. It sounds very similar.

[jasonbw]

Not quite that small, its a very expensive GPS engine so its larger, in this case, bigger is better, you plug it in (USB) or use the in build SD card and it'll show you a distance over time and speed over time graphs, so yes, you can see exactly where you are and what speed you are doing... where your braking, accelerating etc etc. have a look at www.performancebox.co.uk

[DanOz]

:( :(

My home made GPS system didn't work properly at Phillip Island.
- The 5Hz Bluetooth GPS receiver works fine
- Connection between receiver and mobile phone is there (green light and plenty of satellites)
- what happens is that unfortunately keeping the phone in the inner leathers pocket was a bad idea as the body movements keeps pressing/touching the screen therefore starting/stopping the laptiming continuosly--> a mess

Sent an email to the guy who apparently developed the software who promptly replied to me: in his reply he says he's aware of the problem and is looking at an option of locking the phone touchscreen to avoid the accidental start/stop of the timing.
In the meanwhile he suggests to keep the phone somewhere else. At Oran Park next Saturday I'll try to keep it under the saddle.

After the PI experience I trialled the system again with the motorcycle this time (the other succesful test I did was on the car) and worked fine. But tests always work fine.
Will try again at Oran Paark.
Ciao

[jasonbw]

Could I suggest a bum bag... thats how some of the Performance Bikes Magazine guys use the PB... pick up sats and all !!!

[lilninja]

just get a block or styrefoam, cut it to the size of your underseat storage, then cut a place in it for your phone to push into snuggly, that wau it doesnt slide around and get scratched under the seat and no buttons get pushed!

[DanOz]

just get a block or styrefoam, cut it to the size of your underseat storage, then cut a place in it for your phone to push into snuggly, that wau it doesnt slide around and get scratched under the seat and no buttons get pushed!

Yep, did something similar to what you suggested, put the mobile phone under the saddle and it worked!
The CHEAP GPS Laptimer solution worked very well.

Not only I was able to measure my lap times around Oran Park, but also I had the chance to work through the GPS information on the various lap and get interesting information such as:

1) Lap Times (of course)
2) Speed on the Start/Finish Line
3) Lap Max Speed (or you can set a speed trap if you want)
4) Corner speed on different corners per each lap
5) Max speed reached between corners (between T2 and T3 or between T3and T4 for instance)
6) Set intermediates and measure sector times
7) Calculate Ideal Lap Time
8) Load info on Google Map

http://home.exetel.com.au/daniloinaustralia/OP%20Google%20Earth.jpg

Now, the more comprehensive (and expensive) softwares, do all above automatically, while most of the info above need to be extrapolated manually (it took me 15 minutes this morning to put together the excel spreadsheet)

http://home.exetel.com.au/daniloinaustralia/OP1.bmp

http://home.exetel.com.au/daniloinaustralia/OPxx1.htm

Accuracy of laptimes measured with this system is stated to be within the 5 to 7 hundredth of a second (but we will try to run a beacon laptimer and the this GPS one in parallel sometime in the future).

Ok, I understand, what is the need for such a thing if you lap at snail pace as I do....... but the technology has it's part of fun!
If you need more info let me know.
Ciao

[Tarrasque]

Holy Jebus that is some funky software....

Hopefully the windows mobile one will be that good (still not sure what the hz on my gps either)

Tarrasque

[Captain]

Fantastic Dan, very very cool. :cool:
I'm a bit worried though - look at the Google map - how did you manage to pull 203 Km/h through the pits? :lmao:

[DanOz]

Holy Jebus that is some funky software....

Hopefully the windows mobile one will be that good (still not sure what the hz on my gps either)

Tarrasque

Apparently it runs on windows mobile as well using StyleTap (I'm not sure what Styletap is though)

The www.gps-laptimer.de website states

Other platforms:
Windows Mobile Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone, Windows Mobile 6.0 using StyleTap ®.



Fantastic Dan, very very cool. :cool:
I'm a bit worried though - look at the Google map - how did you manage to pull 203 Km/h through the pits? :lmao:

Yep, you're right, this software does many things but can't be used to analyse the trajectories as the more expensive softwares do. In fact the expensive softwares ideally require you to draw the track boundaries first running one lap on the inner side of the track and then one lap on the outer side of the track. So that you can store the precise track and look at the trajectories.
Google map is not accurate enough for this purpose.
This software doesn't have this functionality (and I intentionally didn't include the trajectories analysis it in the list of the things it does in my initial post), but in all honestly I'm not interested in having the trajectories displayed at this stage.
Ciao

[jasonbw]

OK, got some data done on the PerformanceBox unit.. this thing is freaky, has SO much data that theres a very real danger of WAY over analysing yourself.

I'm using it for laptimes right now, but the potential is there for the smarter rider who can see small bits like what was pointed out to me on the run below.. my better laptime (red) was when I entered Turn 2 at OP a little slower and later than normal, which let me exit (under the bridge) faster. See the crosshairs denoting the location on the track being entry into T2, and my mouse pointer has clicked where my Red lap T2 entry speed was slower than the other two laps.
but see how much faster I could exit T2 using that line!! massive difference!

Sorry, this picture file is around 400k in size and it is wide!!!
http://members.iinet.net.au/~jasonbw/photos/bikes/PerformanceBox/main_screen_op.JPG


In this pic below you can see the detail of the exact lines I took through turn 4... PerformanceBox state its accurate to around 40cm, usually better, so you can see your lines.. check out all the different lines I took into T4 after the removed bus stop... I was getting a good feel for which direction the circuit went... these three laps were the 4th, 5th and 6th laps of the first session when it was raining and VERY slippery.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~jasonbw/photos/bikes/PerformanceBox/turn4_op.JPG

Cool box hey...group buy is possible through the Aussie importers for just over $700, or if you want, buy it from the USA for US$499 + Postage. I'm happy to arrange the group buy if anyone is keen.

JasonBW

[DanOz]

OK, got some data done on the PerformanceBox unit.. this thing is freaky, has SO much data that theres a very real danger of WAY over analysing yourself.


Jeeeeeeeeh, this thing is way ahead! You can really spend some serious time in looking into those things!!!! IMPRESSED!!
It allows much more things than my little software, such as side by side comparison of different laps, trajectories analysis (and their effectiveness).
:ayyy:

By the way, some considerations on the laps shown, your top speed on the straight is in the 220 Km/h while mine is slightly over the 200 Km/h. Bloody track bikes :lmao:
While we both get to 140 between T2 and T3 and to 110 between T3 and T4.... and so forth
Fantastic tool.... LADIES & GENTLMEN WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF LAPTIMING
:ayyy:

[jasonbw]

By the way, some considerations on the laps shown, your top speed on the straight is in the 220 Km/h while mine is slightly over the 200 Km/h. Bloody track bikes :lmao:

Your wheelies will do that eh !!! :)

Yeah, this is impressive, but I feel it can be way over analysed, good useful info like you picked out is tops, that'll give goals for the next track day, but since this was wet I'll kinda disregard most of this (bar later entries giving a better line) and see how it looks next time around but in the dry.

[Sprinter]

Thats some great stuff Jason. Id love to have one of these but....Christmas and stuff means I couldnt do it if it was 700 pesos:( Perhaps if someone starts a GB in the new year I might be better placed.

Even so really interesting to see the results.Thanks for sharing:ayyy:

[Marcus]

Dam that is pretty impressive software.

Im going to look into the one Halesy had which is a smaller unit.