iPad Mini 2

[EvolutionX]

I ended up buying a iPad mini 2 for HLT. It's was brand new unopened but from a private party and still has IOS 8.xx on it. I am curious if others who use the iPad mini 2 for HLT updated to 9.XX? My concern is it may slow it down and reset to home screen randomly during HLT usage like it did with my iPad mini 1.

Thank you

[Cloud9...68]

Hello,

For what it's worth, I'm running Laptimer on my ipad mini, using iOS 9.2, and I haven't had any problems that I think might be related to the software version. Overall, it works very well.

What set-up do you have, or are planning? I use a Dual XGPS160 external GPS receiver, which gives 10 Hz data collection frequency. The Mini's bluetooth has never failed to recognize it, and it works seamlessly with Laptimer. On one of my track sessions, I forgot to turn the XGPS160 on, so Laptimer ran with the ipad's native 1 Hz GPS, and the resolution was awful. I highly recommend the XGPS160 - it's worth every penny of its ~$150 price!

The other thing I'm working on is using my Gopro Hero4 for the video. So far, I haven't had much luck with this. So, I just got finished setting up a local track in my neighborhood. It was very easy, once Harry clarified a few questions that I had. I just completed my native voyage on it, and it worked flawlessly, so my next step is to use this local "track" to troubleshoot the integration of the Hero4. My ultimate goal (dream?) is to integrate the Gopro video with Laptimer's data, all on my ipad mini, so I can review the overlayed data and video after I complete my session. I'm hoping I don't have to do the overlaying offline using a third party software, because the beauty of the ipad Mini is that it's the perfect size - not too large to comfortably mount in my car (I installed a very nice RAM mount, which leaves the Mini just below eye level, just to the right of my steering wheel), but large enough to very comfortably use to review my laps.

Where do you live? I'm in Austin, Texas. I'm interested to hear what your goals are. If they're similar, maybe we can help each other out.

[EvolutionX]

Thanks. Yea I have the XGPS160 and the BT1 OBD. Although after using the XGPS this weekend I am wondering why I need it. My friend using HLT without it had times just as close to the responder they give us at the track as I did.

I am hoping in the next build we can set it just to record with the Gopro and not the phone/ipad. I know I can disregard the ipad video but with 16g ipad it can fill up fast. The way my windshield slopes the only place I could put the ipad was in the far upper right hand corner so the video was only half the front. I tried it in the center and it just blocked my views of the corners. I want to figure a way to mount it over my nav screen or close to it and use the gopro for the video. I'm guess the suction cup and vibration would probably mess up the nav screen so I don't want to do it that way.

My gopro comes on fine. I make sure to turn the wifi and the power to the gopro on through as sometimes it won't turn it on. But it worked every time at the track when I did it that way.

My only problem is when they call the 5 min warning for our group to go out I have to hustle. I have to make sure the GPS is connected correctly (one time it wasn't and the lap timer just ran the whole session) make sure the camera is on, put on helmet, gloves and I have 6 point harness which can be a pain. And if I forget and put the harness on first I can't reach the timer or anything else so I have to go through the process again. LOL Thinking about putting a little stick in my car so once I am strapped in I can reach my gloves in the passenger seat if I forgot to put them on or adjust the mirror

[Cloud9...68]

Interesting - when I did a session accidentally using the native ipad i Hz GPS, the resolution was terrible. Yes, the overall lap times appeared to be accurate, but the corners were turned into sharp triangular shaped things, the maximum speeds down the straights and the g's through the corners were all messed up - it was just a complete mess. When I use the XGPS160, the difference is night and day.

I'm going to start a separate thread documenting my journey through getting the Gopro to function correctly. I just got done creating a local "track" in my neighborhood which I've started using for troubleshooting purposes. Laptimer does successfully turn my Hero4 on, and it records video, but the quality of the video is absolutely atrocious. Hopefully with Harry's (and anybody else who wants to chime in) help, I can figure out what's wrong.

[EvolutionX]

My iPad is wifi only so I needed the 160. But my friends used an iPhone and droid. I actually haven't looked to close at the lines. My weekend was spent sliding around and under steering on a 50 degree track and used up Yokahima AD08. But the lines are prob better with the 160. I didn't think the 160 would have much to do with G forces. As far as speeds I'm using the BT1 OBD so I think it's getting the speeds off that.

I would think the GoPro quality video would have nothing to do with HLT. My video it good on my phone but if I text it to somebody they say it's bad so I'm figuring that's just IOS compressing it a lot.

Which GoPro 4 do you have? I have the Silver. Like I said, just to be safe I have it powered on before I go on the track and it will start recording once I past the start/finish.

[Cloud9...68]

My ipad is also wifi only, so yes, that probably explains the extreme difference in the quality of the lines with the XGPS160. There's a youtube video comparing recordings on the same track with native iOS, and some sore of 5 Hz remote GPS, and the difference is pretty significant, though not as dramatic as what I'm seeing.

I started a separate thread on my expereince troubleshooting my Gopro on the track I created in my neighborhood. As it says there, when I've run the Gopro manually, outside HLT, the quality of the video is excellent, but when I run it through HLT, it's beyond horrible, so hopefully it's just a matter of having some sort of setting wrong.

I also have the silver Hero4. I'm pretty sure you have to have it powered on (and of course have the wifi turned on) before you start driving. It then starts recording when you cross the start/finish line. HLT is able to turn on the Hero3 remotely, but not the Hero4, for some reason. This isn't a big deal, though.

As far as the routine needed to get things ready to record, one thing I've added is a 12V/5V USB converter, to keep the Gopro charged while I'm driving. You have to cut a hole in the side of the Gopro's case to plug in the USB cable, though. But with this, I can turn the camera on at any time, and not worry about running down the battery. And the XGPS160 seems to have a very long battery life, so you don't have to worry about turning it on right before you run your session. So all you really have to do is open HLT, select Race, then Timer, then Video, and it will start recording automatically. My car is a semi-dedicated track car (a 1992 Porsche 968), so I installed a RAM mount for the mini which is very easily reachable (on the left side of the center console, with the top of the ipad right at the level of he windshield wipers), even when I'm belted into my 5-point harness. Given my car's use, I don't mind drilling holes wherever I need them!

[Harry]

As long as the smartphone is mounted properly, lap times are pretty accurate when using the internal GPS. Accuracy is what matters, not update rates. But it is correct, once you look into the data and line driven, an external GPS is mandatory.

- Harry

[EvolutionX]

You can buy a pretty cheap after market GoPro case on Amazon that has the holes already cut out on the side. The quality is very good. I use an external microphone so that's why I got the new case. I also got like 5 of those off brand GoPro batteries that seem to work nice and much cheaper. They even come with a charger that will charge 3 at a time.

I can't mount my iPad low enough on the windshield. It will hit the dash. Unles I used some sort of extension but then it will prob shake more. Going to find a way to mount it over the nav screen or to the right of it and just not use the video from it.

[EvolutionX]

Harrry, is there a way to show the line driven overlaid on the actually track?

Thanks

[Harry]

Yes, you can export your laps to .kml and watch the line driven in Google Earth. Please do not expect too much in terms of line / track alignment. To see the line driven on track, one needs a pretty precise GPS (one with GBAS support) or some "snap" transformation applied to the original data.

- Harry