Affordable lap timers

[notme]

Great idea mate but I think you would sell more if it had a display to let you know if your getting better or worse times without pit crew relaying it to you.

Hmm..... this is why i need feedback u see - is it critical to have this? Critical enough to either skimp on something else or raise the cost?

Serious question....

[Motoracer]

I am in. asap, this week, tonight, right this min.

Whever is good for you bro, just as long as it works. I'll pay the $$.

[jonbuoy]

Hmm..... this is why i need feedback u see - is it critical to have this? Critical enough to either skimp on something else or raise the cost?

Serious question....

I guess it depends on what your looking for, as it is its kind of like a lap logger - right? You can't see the times till you get off the bike so it would be OK if you wanted to check an improvement in lap times after a gearing change or engine tweak? If someone wanted to know if a change in corner line or just show any improvements in their times while there out there it wouldn't be so handy. I'm not qualified to answer this one. Even a small display with difference in seconds and a +/- sign would be useful?

[Motoracer]

You wouldn't think it, but a simple label professionally printed would make this thing look better, would make the buttons semi-sealed and thus splashproof and dustproof, would make the case drilling easier (less accuracy needed) and would stand up to wear and tear better than the paper ones.

Anyone got favors to pull at a label printing place?

In all honesty I hate using the net to communicate. PM me your number and we'll talk. About design and printing. I can recommend a good place.

Read through your whole thread. Only thing comes to mind is durability. Racers crash. It's a fact of life. It needs to be attached to the side of the bike but it will have to be well protected. Next thing is, I think it is of the utmost importance to know how well or unwell your riding is going while you are riding.

[notme]

Ok, good feedback guys, keep it up! It will only make for a better product.

OK, for youse fullas that want to use it for a quick indication of "that lap was better than the one before it", how about a super bright LED on the "top" side?
So if the thing is mounted on a bike as in my photos, with the writing on the label the right way up, the top (long) side could have a bright LED on it.

This LED would (chime in if you have other ideas) light up for say 10 seconds after you pass the timing point, IF the lap just done was quicker than the one before it. You would see it out of your peripheral vision, especially if it was bright, red, and flashing. Maybe it should be blue and red flashing?

As for crash damage, yes I have thought of that, and although it sounds crude, my current approach is to keep the things cheap so that they are not expensive to replace.

As with all products I develop, i did a lot of research before starting this thing. The really expensive units will not fare a hell of a lot better in a crash than this one - the best protection one of them had to offer was that they recommended mounting it with velcro or thin cable ties so it would break away in a crash and not get too badly damaged!

i am willing (as with any aspects of the unit) to revisit the crash resistance, depending on what the demand is. Wouldn't you have much bigger things to worry about in a crash though?....I dunno, maybe I'm thinking like a street rider - with good reason! I'm not a racer....educate me.

[bumsex]

shit yeah I will buy one.
Kepp us informed of your progress.

Chris

[notme]

OK,

due in part to all the feedback I've had so far via this thread and many many PM's and phone calls, it seems that this project is worth going ahead with.

Will keep updates coming, but be aware that until i can demonstrate that it is viable, this will only be a personal project. It seems that it is going to become a ProTech (my work) product eventually though, so when it does i will have a lot more resources to throw at it!

Someone here at work just put an idea into my head that if it works will make the whole thing heaps better, without increasing the price!

SO, anyone who's reading this and interested, just please post an expression of interest so I can get a real idea of the interest level - I won;t hold you to anything, but the more interest I can show the others at work, the more of a case I can make to have it become an official PTNZ product. :-)

[boostin]

Def interesting at that price! keep us updated.

[Cajun]

Interested (c: <

Like others have said would be really keen if there was some way to get data out in the future, cause this would really tie in handy with some software i am writing

[Sketchy_Racer]

I guess it depends on what your looking for, as it is its kind of like a lap logger - right? You can't see the times till you get off the bike so it would be OK if you wanted to check an improvement in lap times after a gearing change or engine tweak? If someone wanted to know if a change in corner line or just show any improvements in their times while there out there it wouldn't be so handy. I'm not qualified to answer this one. Even a small display with difference in seconds and a +/- sign would be useful?

Tbh,

In the middle of a race, i dont care what lap times i am doing, as long as they are faster than 2nd place.

At a track where testing new lines etc, sure it could be helpfull. But in reality, i dont think the advantages of it would out weight the disadvantages.

And how many places are you normally going to be doing more than 15 laps at a time, so just check em when you come in, and think about what you did differntly if there was a odd slow lap or a fast lap.

Use the brain, not technology

[Racey Rider]

)K, for youse fullas that want to use it for a quick indication of "that lap was better than the one before it", how about a super bright LED on the "top" side?
So if the thing is mounted on a bike as in my photos, with the writing on the label the right way up, the top (long) side could have a bright LED on it.
This LED would (chime in if you have other ideas) light up for say 10 seconds after you pass the timing point, IF the lap just done was quicker than the one before it. You would see it out of your peripheral vision, especially if it was bright, red, and flashing. Maybe it should be blue and red flashing?

I would think that would be of little value, as who knows if the lap before was a good one or not (ie. your standard lap time: did I really go faster? or do I still need to 'pull finger' to beat my Best Time?)

As for crash damage, yes I have thought of that, and although it sounds crude, my current approach is to keep the things cheap so that they are not expensive to replace.
.... Wouldn't you have much bigger things to worry about in a crash though?....I dunno, maybe I'm thinking like a street rider - with good reason! I'm not a racer....educate me.

Crash damage to an item like that depends alot on where it's placed on the bike. On the outside of the flarings or on the lower forks puts it in a good place to be damaged. Upper forks - behind flarings gives good protection, but the receiver can't 'see' the transmitter. We would be trying to fit it to the bike frame somewhere I guess, that isn't such an impact point in a crash.


Have I got the picture properly that, at the moment, we could read the lap times of any recorded session directly off the receiver unit, after we get off the bike? But we can't read whats happening as we ride because?? 1. the position of the receiver on the bike. 2. The receiver wording is too small?
Or am I missing something?

[notme]

I would think that would be of little value, as who knows if the lap before was a good one or not (ie. your standard lap time: did I really go faster? or do I still need to 'pull finger' to beat my Best Time?)

yeah, upon thinking about it, what you really want is the indicator to go off after a lap if that lap was better than the fastest one so far. Whatever the logic is, it's just a matter of deciding on it, and since it is in software we can try things then change them later :-)

Crash damage to an item like that depends alot on where it's placed on the bike. On the outside of the flarings or on the lower forks puts it in a good place to be damaged. Upper forks - behind flarings gives good protection, but the receiver can't 'see' the transmitter. We would be trying to fit it to the bike frame somewhere I guess, that isn't such an impact point in a crash.

On my bike perfect positiong would be beside a crash bung. I can see the transmitter just fine, and is protected by the bung in a crash...there's so many variables with the mounting that i think we'll have to jsut get out there and see what works!

Have I got the picture properly that, at the moment, we could read the lap times of any recorded session directly off the receiver unit, after we get off the bike? But we can't read whats happening as we ride because?? 1. the position of the receiver on the bike. 2. The receiver wording is too small?
Or am I missing something?

nope, you got it it one.

[geoffm]

I had a Hotlap on board laptimer (before vibration killed it). It had a display to read while riding, which was a good feature - very useful for trying lines, etc as it gives instant feedback of what worked or not. IMO a must have feature.
Geoff

[kickingzebra]

good idea... how about, with regards to displaying the time, a row of 10 odd leds, with a mid point at your average lap, and each led represents a half second or so. I need to know while on the track what to try to pick up time, so a display of some sort is perhaps more crucial than historical data. would be keen if something like that can be achieved.
cheers

[Skunk]

OK, due in part to all the feedback I've had so far via this thread and many many PM's and phone calls, it seems that this project is worth going ahead with.

SO, anyone who's reading this and interested, just please post an expression of interest so I can get a real idea of the interest level - I won;t hold you to anything, but the more interest I can show the others at work, the more of a case I can make to have it become an official PTNZ product. :-)

Add a two option poll to the thread and make the names visible. Whoever is interested can tick it.
One option they'll take it as is (or better).
Other option they'll take only if options are added.

Be easier than reading all this to figure out where you're going.

As for crash damage - I know some of the race guys push to the point of nearly crashing to find the limits. That means they could crash often...