Cheap Lateral G & Acceleration measuring meter?

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JCE

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The RX-8 vs my SVT debate has fueled the need for me to look into getting one of these. Anyone have some advice, experience and or information? I don't want something costing a butt-ton of money. Just care about lateral G's, 0-62 mph / 0-100 kmh and 1/4 mile.

Thoughts?
 
I believe there's a pretty decent app for the iphone and ipod touch you can get that'll measure those.
 
The iPhone isn't sensitive enough to do it accurately. You'll get an idea of performance, but it's not going to be accurate, repeatable or verifiable. Some Garmin nav units have speed readouts, but they're also kind of laggy.

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For performance specific products, there are cheap units that use internal yaw sensors like the iPhone does, but if you're really interested in accuracy and repeatability, you'll use a Racelogic V-Box. Pretty pricey (basic is around $400), but damn worth it. Extreme accuracy and repeatability, datalogging of acceleration by 10 km/h or 10 mph increments, custom speed range tests (I have mine set to do both 0-100 km/h and 0-96 km/h (0-60 mph)), lap timing and datalogging (via SD card) and lateral G, acceleration G and deceleration G readouts. I use one for magazine testing.

If you want to splurge... get the Driftbox. It also does drift angle. And if you live in a built-up area, you'll want the magnetic/adhesive external antenna. Bridges, buildings and weather can interfere with GPS signals.
 
The G-TECH/Pro is decent, but it's still nowhere near as accurate as the elaborate GPS systems magazines use, like VBOX and whatnot.
 
Keef
The G-TECH/Pro is decent, but it's still nowhere near as accurate as the elaborate GPS systems magazines use, like VBOX and whatnot.
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Prices, what are the prices? I need to know a general price range I'm talking about here. Maybe getting one of these isn't in my budget? I'd rather spend $400 on a tune.
 
Click the button to their store and you'll find that units start at $200 and go up from there.
 
You get what you pay for... the V-Box is more consistent and accurate than accelerometer based meters... there's a nifty comparison here that shows the difference:
http://www.performancebox.co.uk/download/GTECHvPB_Test.pdf

A $400 V-Box gives you nearly the same accuracy as the equipment the big boys use, and many media outlets (like ours) that don't have Car and Driver's incredible budget use it.

That said... a G-Tech Pro should be good enough for casual use (as long as you use the 1-foot rollout to eliminate issues with inconsistent data-logging upon launch)... but an error of a tenth of a second is nothing to sneeze at in drag-racing. In this case, nothing beats GPS.

I've logged probably over a hundred tests in dozens of cars, and the consistency is amazing. All the small V-Box lacks is an on-screen display that shows numbers down to a hundredth of a second, because that's how accurate it is.
 
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The iPhone/Touch app is decently accurate but depends highly upon how well the phone is secured in the car. Just propping it in the cupholder is not going to cut it.
 
Obviously, you slow down and stop between runs to take a look at your run data. The readout (except in speed display mode) is too small to properly view while you're going down the road at full blat.
 
I've been pleased enough with the PocketDyno app on iPhone. Though, I would never trust it for it's main marketing purpose; measuring horsepower. It seems to measure time and speed accurately, as compared to timeslips and reviews I've read.

I recorded 5.6s to 60 in my 350z and 5.9s to 60 in the R (with power only at the front wheels.) (I should get out and do another run now that the Haldex is functioning so I can prove that the R is faster than the Z.)

It's obviously not going to give you data you could use for anything other than bragging rights, but if it's attached the same way in each car it's at least going to tell you which was faster.

And yes I realize you don't have an iPhone, but I'm fairly certain if a 15 dollar app for a cell phone can do it, a dedicated, yet cheap knockoff of an actual device should be better.
 
Bones are you telling me to get one of those Chinese imitation iPhones (or iPod Touch)? :D

Brad, that make it yourself one was neat but I'm no where near inclined enough to use all those chips, wires and whatnot. :lol:
 
Bones Brigade
I've been pleased enough with the PocketDyno app on iPhone. Though, I would never trust it for it's main marketing purpose; measuring horsepower. It seems to measure time and speed accurately, as compared to timeslips and reviews I've read.

I recorded 5.6s to 60 in my 350z and 5.9s to 60 in the R (with power only at the front wheels.) (I should get out and do another run now that the Haldex is functioning so I can prove that the R is faster than the Z.)

It's obviously not going to give you data you could use for anything other than bragging rights, but if it's attached the same way in each car it's at least going to tell you which was faster.

And yes I realize you don't have an iPhone, but I'm fairly certain if a 15 dollar app for a cell phone can do it, a dedicated, yet cheap knockoff of an actual device should be better.
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If it's in the same car with the same suspension set-up and tire pressure with a 1-foot rollout, it should be consistent enough (if not entirely accurate)... but not in car-to-car testing.

You have to consider suspension squat, body pitch, improper in-car mounting, etcetera. G-Tech Pro compensates for dive and squat.
 
Hellooo...

Chinagrabber_aPadM002_00.jpg


Less than $100. Accelerometers+GPS built-in... various GPS and Accelerometer-based performance measuring apps available online for free... :D

My vote still goes to a G-Tech Pro or a V-Box...
 
niky
Hellooo...

Chinagrabber_aPadM002_00.jpg


Less than $100. Accelerometers+GPS built-in... various GPS and Accelerometer-based performance measuring apps available online for free... :D

My vote still goes to a G-Tech Pro or a V-Box...
Click to expand...

I wonder if you can get this at Big Lots.
 

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