GPS phone = data logger/lap timer.

[onearmedbandit]

Found this interesting piece of software on the net today, turns your gps phone into a seemingly highly detailed data logger. I can't comment on how accurate it is but I tried it on the way home today from work and it appears pretty damn close.

So far the features I've discovered include 12 preset time/speed trials such as 0-100, 0-200, 1/4 mile, 120 - 160, etc etc. If you don't like those you can make your own. If your phone is equipped with an accelerometer it will also record acceleration and braking forces. As for the lap timer, once again it works off your gps. Once you pass the same coordinates a lap is completed, and mapped out on your screen. You can then enter any number of traps for different split sections. After recording you can convert the results instantly to a graph, plotting your speed at any given point simultaneously against your position on the lap via the map. In other words you can now 'watch' replays of your performance. You can overlay the graph with a number of different channels such as bearing, altitude, satelitte accuracy, lateral and longitudinal g forces.

There is no doubt more to this than I have found. It's a small application, my anti-virus hasn't picked up anything, and there are no ads. It's almost too good to be true. Sure it may not be entirely accurate but it's worth it alone for entertainment value.

Download it from www.racechrono.com. It doesn't work on every phone but there are list of supported models on their site. Works on my nokia n95 as with most other symbian phones and those with windows mobile 5. Excuse the format of this post if it looks all messed up as I'm logging in on my phone.

[Insanity_rules]

Works a treat on my nokia E66. Bugger me with a feather duster, what a great find OAB. Get that man a DB or some such.

[cheesemethod]

I've had great fun with this on an N82 just driving and riding around town. Haven't tried it on a track yet, is the internal GPS in a phone accurate enough for something like this?

[Insanity_rules]

I've had great fun with this on an N82 just driving and riding around town. Haven't tried it on a track yet, is the internal GPS in a phone accurate enough for something like this?

I use navteq internal, its patched and updated to the latest version and I believe its quite accurate but will be testing it further.

[cheesemethod]

The sweet thing is that you can export all the data from this program straight to an Excel spreadsheet, so you can graph any bit of data it collects, and even plot the route you take or overlay laps around a race track. Really cool toy, could waste a lot of time playing with that.

[onearmedbandit]

Yeah I saw the export function there, was hoping it would link up with excel or similar. Now I finally have a decent use for office.