Was hoping to hear feedback from someone with this. How are you getting video into it, are you using gopro or cell phone camera? And how do you have it mounted? Was worried that I wouldn't be able to get a mount that would mount it securely enough.

Final question, what phone do you use with it? Not sure how big is ideal.

 

First, full disclosure. I did drive the Petrel Data sponsored CM car last year. With that out of the way.....

Jon, keep your DL1, because Solostorm will integrate seamlessly with it. All you need is a Bluetooth serial adapter for it. I believe Solostorm even controls the Start/Stop on the DL1.

I've used Solostorm on my Samsung Galaxy S (the original) and while it ran, it was pretty slow at processing video and could only handle 1 incoming bluetooth connection (GPS). I now have a Galaxy S3, which is much better suited to it (although I've yet to be out to an autocross yet this year to test it for myself). Apparently the software runs pretty well on either a Galaxy S2 or S3, and using an external class 10 SD card makes a huge difference in terms of video processing speeds. There are also a couple of local guys running the software on a Galaxy Note, and they are quite happy with the size of the screen. You can also run it off a tablet, throwing the tablet in the glove box or a seat pocket and just using the GoPro for video, if you desire a larger screen for analysis. In terms of mounts, I've heard good things about RAM mounts, but I just use a relatively inexpensive suction cup mount.

Below is a video that Mike (the creator of SoloStorm) took last weekend, using a GoPro for the main video, and the phone's internal camera for the cockpit shot.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKnVo7hWMpQ[/media]

If you have any questions about the software or recommended hardware, I encourage you to get in touch with Mike directly (support@petreldata.com), he'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I believe he also offers a 14 day money back guarantee if you don't like the software.

SoloStorm is hands down the best autocross data logging solution I've ever seen. And when compared to what some road race loggers that are useless for on site analysis cost, a total bargain.

 

Richard,

Whats the absolute best device to use for the solostorm? I wish it would work with the ipad! I'm going to look into it. I like the harrys on my phone and used it for a bit but it makes me mad I cant see actually G-force numbers, just a graph!

Whats it used to capture the G-Forces the phone/tablet internal sensor? How accurate is that?

 

Thanks for the more detail. I have a Note 2 so that would be pretty sweet. So the gopro and data are basically synced right, you just have to overlay them without having to sync them? Or do you still have to actually sync them up?

Also how does it know where the beginning of the run is? Does it start right when you start accelerating? Or do you mark with GPS where the start lights are.

Didn't know about the 14 day thing, maybe I will go ahead and try that. Seems like a waste to use the DL1 with it though, and having a bluetooth receiver as opposed to the DL1's wired one would be great. Any issue with the bluetooth gps receiver? I guess you probably have to charge it right...hopefully no battery life issues?

 

Josh:

I don't know that there is a "best" phone per se, but any of the newer dual or quad core phones are likely to run it well. There's also a specific type of processing chip that I believe is more optimal for processing video, but I'm not totally sure of the details. There's more info on the website (www.petreldata.com) about selecting a device. Again, if you already have a newer WiFi GoPro and only want 1 video recorded, a tablet like the Samsung tab 2 left in the seat pocket might be a good solution.

Accelerometer data is from the phone or tablet internal accelerometer, which you have to calibrate. It seems to be fairly accurate, and if you have a DL1 it will use the DL1 accelerometer and GPS.

Also, the latest version is set up to dump the data file from the phone to a format that can be read by race technology's software, so you can analyze data on your PC afterwards if you so desire (although the analysis software built into SoloStorm is way better for autocross)

 

Jon:

Yes, the GoPro and data are synched. When you finish a run it will pull the file off the camera and dump it on the phone, and start processing it right away from what I understand. Or, at the very least you can watch the GoPro video right away when you get back to the pits (on the tablet or phone). Sorry, I'm not totally up on the GoPro integration since I only have one of the original HD hero cameras which isn't supported, unfortunately (it's a GoPro issue, not a SoloStorm issue).

You can set up markers when you do your course walk for "start", "60ft" (for Pro Solos), and "Finish". It will automatically start recording at the start/staging line. Or, you can use a speed based trigger like the old MaxQ system. I believe it also "learns" so if you forget to set your staging marker it will use the speed based trigger to start recording your first run (unfortunately you'll lose the first few seconds of video on your first run), but on subsequent runs it will start recording the video when you pull up to the staging line.

Bluetooth GPS receivers tend to have a pretty long battery life. As long as you charge it the night before the event you should be fine. I usually turn mine off between sessions to make sure I don't kill the battery, but I've accidentally left it on all day and not had any issues. But again, if you're using the DL1, it will use the DL1's GPS data, so you don't need to buy a separate bluetooth GPS device

 

Seems to me using a DL1 with 20hz GPS synced with solostorm on a tablet would be ideal...

You'd get the great accracy of the 20hz gps and tons of data from the DL1 accelometer. Then quick referencing on the tablet! I'll look on the site for info of syncing with the DL1.

 

In my experience the more things you have working together the more chance something will go wrong. Which is why I'm more interested in doing it the normal way with the bluetooth one they recommend and not syncing the DL1 to it. Plus I could probably sell the DL1 and get the gps and still be $500 ahead.

 

This is true, plus you could pick up an OBD reader and still get throttle position off the ECU.

 

Hi everyone, this is Mike from Petrel Data.

Let me see if I can answer a few questions:

The phone that I really like is still the S3 - and it is slowly dropping in price. The S2s are plenty fast, but the cameras were a bit sensitive. The Note had a couple of small video camera issues as well from what I can remember, but it will do quite nicely as well. Just so you know, I still own an Atrix myself. The only thing that is slow is video overlay generation due to the ancient processor.

If you are running a S2k, and aren't into damper pots, etc, then sell the DL1. A Bluetooth GPS and a bluetooth OBD2 reader are all that you need.

A word of caution about the < $20 OBD2 readers that you find online: you get what you pay for. Their throughput is limited to about 5Hz from what I can tell, and they start to act up after a while. I only carry the PLX Devices unit, but at $100, it's a significant jump in price.

As Richard said, I do offer a 14 day refund policy on software, since I don't want anyone to be stuck with something that doesn't work for them.

Runs are usually triggered by speed - the default settings work well, I don't recommend touching them in most cases.

GoPro integration works fairly well, but I have found the web servers onboard the cameras to be a bit flaky sometimes, so the odd video won't record, or you will have to reboot the camera. I have found this with their own remote control app as well. The white edition is really the best value.

If you have any other questions, just email me at support@petreldata.com and I will see if I can help you out.

Thanks,
Mike Marich
Petrel Data Systems