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Scales or Data Acquisition First?

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#1
Greg Kimble

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I wanted to get opinons, which would you purchase first and why, (1)set of electronic scales or (2) data acquisition system (Traqmate system).

Thanks

Greg
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#2
George Munson

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I wanted to get opinons, which would you purchase first and why, (1)set of electronic scales or (2) data acquisition system (Traqmate system).

Thanks

Greg



I would get the Traqmate first. Reasoning is without data you have no idea if the changes to the car work. With a good base line setup and proper notes you can make a lot of changes back and forth while never getting too far from your base setup.

#3
Glenn

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I would get the Traqmate first. Reasoning is without data you have no idea if the changes to the car work. With a good base line setup and proper notes you can make a lot of changes back and forth while never getting too far from your base setup.

+1 No data, what changes do you make? Someone always has scales you can use.

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#4
dstevens

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If you are just going to do times you can get that after the race from either MyLaps or if scoring will print you a break out from Orbitz. If you are going to take data other than times, rpm, A/F, throttle/brake postiions, etc you'll get better use of the data. You can borrow scales, I have. If you were going to get timing only, I'd get scales first. Ultimately you want both and both will have learning curves with the learning curve on the data in my experience being steeper.

#5
Keith Novak

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I'd go with data 1st too. You can very quickly learn lots from the data, especially when people show you how to use it. Getting a good setup and sticking with it will go a long way. Tweaking things every session can be very counterproductive. Comparing data with someone fast, you may find that the car actually handles pretty well and it doesn't really need tweaking.

If you plan on making lots of changes to the car, replacing suspension bits, adding stuff that changes the weight significantly, crash frequently, etc. buying scales can pay off quickly. Figure out how much it costs to get a good corner balance, and see how many times it takes for that to have paid for a set. If you figure it will take you a year or more to pay off, you'll get a lot more out of having data during that time.
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#6
Tom Hampton

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In my area, a first time alignment runs about 250. Subsequent ones are less. I don't plan on tweaking the setup until I know I'm a good enough driver to notice the difference from a good baseline. Need data to get to that point, though.

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#7
Glenn

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In my area, a first time alignment runs about 250. Subsequent ones are less. I don't plan on tweaking the setup until I know I'm a good enough driver to notice the difference from a good baseline. Need data to get to that point, though.

Correct response! Assuming you have a good neutral set-up, when you as the driver become consistant then comes the time to start making changes. The BIG advantage to DATA is that you can hopefully stop making the same mistakes. The DATA if used properly and compared to a known fast driver can take years off of the learning curve. The "old school" guys still use "assmate" to go faster, but their time in the seat is generally light years ahead of the rest of us.

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#8
Greg Kimble

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Thanks for the input, I have enough $ on hand to purchase one or the other now, the other item will have to wait a while. The car has a good set-up on it now, but per the latest fast track we can take out 35lbs. I think we will be ordering the Traqmate next week.

Greg
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#9
George Munson

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Thanks for the input, I have enough $ on hand to purchase one or the other now, the other item will have to wait a while. The car has a good set-up on it now, but per the latest fast track we can take out 35lbs. I think we will be ordering the Traqmate next week.

Greg


Greg,
I see you are in the Central Florida Region. If you need to do some minor tweeking with cross weighting just PM me I live near Orlando.




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