GT3_Driver

I need the Pros and Cons of the Apex Pro and differences between solo1 and 2.

I'm signed up for a demo day for the Apex Pro next weekend.

I have a SoloDL w/ OBDii and smarty cam now.

It's about the same money either way

I love data!!!!

How much "Data" does the Apex give you?
I see it's helpful on track, but are the lights after the fact(Behind you?)

Is the SoloDL2 worth a upgrade?

ProCoach

I’m sure others will pipe in, but they’re different beasts.

The Solo and Solo 2 are similar in price and function (data collection without a connection to the car) to the Apex Pro. Both record data for later review and are equal in reliability and accuracy (both good).

The Apex Pro is biased towards real-time feedback utility in helping gauge your use of the tire grip and calibrating your butt gyro. It’s much more sophisticated and shows a more powerful calculated value that takes into account camber, elevation, track position and other factors. I charge a lot of money to work with drivers one on one using this measure and algorithm, because in my opinion, it’s the fundamental difference between good and great drivers.


The Apex Pro can be used on a phone or iPad, too. No laptop needed.

The Solo and Solo 2 have more sophisticated and varied ways of displaying the data for review, and does provide a plus/minus or predictive time display to help determine if you’re doing better or not as well as before in certain areas of the track. They require a PC (Windows) and the learning curve is steep for most casual users. The Solo and Solo 2 generate the same info as the Solo DL/Solo 2 DL except no car data and no possibility of a camera connection.

The Solo DL/Solo 2 DL is really a different beast because it’s much more money (with the SmartyCam, which is best use for the device).

It really depends on whether or not you feel like you can assimilate real time feedback (trust the lights) on the Apex Pro and easily navigate the app for data review, or whether you’re getting good information now from your Solo DL/SmartyCam combo.

Most consider the Solo and Solo 2 a downgrade from the Solo DL/Solo 2 DL.

I sell both and have folks that use both.

IMO, there’s not a compelling reason to upgrade to the Solo 2 DL from the Solo DL, analysis power is the same.

Your post makes me think you aren’t getting what you need from your current setup, and if so, it may be time
to investigate some other system. The Apex Pro is unique and far easier to use, IMO.

Matt Romanowski

I agree with Peter that you probably don't need to upgrade from a SDL to a S2DL unless you have a specific need (custom CAN protocol, predictive lights, etc). When RS3A is ready, you will need the S2DL to do link video/data in analysis, so at that point, the S2DL will be more handy in analysis. For me and many folks, the analysis after is where the magic can happen. AiM has a great analysis tool and has a very large user base, support materials, dealers, and US support in Roanoke, VA and Lake Elsinore, CA.

There is a group of drivers that really like the Apex Pro. I think their are many ways to improve and you have to figure out which is good for you. It's great that you're signed up to try one and you'll be able to see if you like it. I think predictive lap times (or +/-) is a better measure to evaluate yourself (the Apex Pro and predictive ultimately are ending up at similar places).

Let us know what you think after you try one out!

GT3_Driver

ProCoach;

The Apex Pro is biased towards real-time feedback utility in helping gauge your use of the tire grip and calibrating your butt gyro. I need this

The Apex Pro can be used on a phone or iPad, too. No laptop needed. Will a older Big Screen IPad work well enough?

The Solo and Solo 2 have more sophisticated and varied ways of displaying the data for review, and does provide a plus/minus or predictive time (I use this now, learned this from IRacing)

It really depends on whether or not you feel like you can assimilate real time feedback (trust the lights) on the Apex Pro ...I hope the Demo get me comfortable with it..

Most consider the Solo and Solo 2 a downgrade from the Solo DL/Solo 2 DL. I agree with this.

IMO, there’s not a compelling reason to upgrade to the Solo 2 DL from the Solo DL, analysis power is the same. This is want I wanted to know. It would be nice to know when video integration will happen with the SoloDL2.
-
Your post makes me think you aren’t getting what you need from your current setup.... I think I am, just not Real time.....that is why I thinking about the Apex.


Thanks for your comments...you 2 give us weekend race car drivers great help.

I'll let you know what I think of the Apex when I get back

ProCoach

Sounds good. Your old iPad will work fine.

Having someone explain it to you is big and will help you get the best benefit out of it. The learning resources are very good, Andrew and his crew do a great job.

I think there's a lot of value in post session analysis, but the most valuable time to get feedback is while you're IN the car!

The Apex Pro will not tell you ahead or behind of your previous lap, but it will tell you that you're slacking after you've done better on a previous lap in the same corner or corner entry. It helps calibrate your butt.

Martin S.

As Peter wrote, or was it Matt, "....plus/minus or predictive time display to help determine if you’re doing better or not."
The first full lap is your reference lap, if on the next lap you are faster, vertical Green LEDs illuminate, go slower than you fastest lap in the session and the Red LEDs illuminate. On a busy thank this is a very useful feature for me. When you come in, my SOLO 2 DL displays my quickest 3 laps in that session.

"They require a PC (Windows) and the learning curve is steep for most casual users." Or, you can partition your Mac hard drive and run "Boot Camp", you can now run MSDOS/PC programs such as AiM Race Studio 3 on your Mac. I do this,

AiM data...all the good stuff, but the AiM Race Studio 3 is not an intuitive program, NONE of them are as I understand. I have been able to wirelessly download my data, but manipulating it has not been easy for me. I have access to two (2) coaches, so I wind up at their respective places digging into the data...I need to get back into watching the AiM software You Tube series, with 2 computers, 1 running the You Tube videos and the other computer displaying my data.

I'll be hard wiring my SOLO 2 DL to pull data (and power) from my Porsche 996 CAN bus circuitry. With this set up I can get maximum amounts of data.

Peter and Matt support their customers...and their pricing is competitive.

My $0.02 worth.

Nugs.

A big ipad isn't ideal as it needs to be in the car connected to the Apex. The Apex doesn't save any data on the unit itself.

ProCoach

On the Solo 2/Solo 2 DL, the lights are vertical, from the bottom to the top and on the sides of the display screen, only showing TIME differentials to the reference lap.

On the Apex Pro, the lights are in a horizontal array, the green (emerging from left) is a relative percentage of the total forces acting on the car (longitudinal, lateral and vertical), the red (generally on the right) is underutilized grip showing what has been done and is therefore capable, in steady state and transitional states of the car.

Absolutely true. I was thinking of air dropping to the big iPad for review.

You can use the Apex Pro two ways, real time feedback, but if you carry a phone (or iPad) in the car, it will record information for later review. Also, if the device you're tethered to has cell service, it will stream live information to anyone you allow access online...

Matt Romanowski

I know the after session review is popular with lots of people using the Apex Pro. The Apex Pro app has more and more features in it and lots of people are using TrackAttack.io with it. Seems having an iOS device(Android support is not good) in the car would be very important.

arains44

I'm a little biased towards APEX Pro, but go figure.

I love a good predictive timer so if you already have one and are looking for a different real-time metric then APEX is probably the way to go. Very helpful to capture in your video. I'll link in a video of APEX Pro in frame of a Smarty Cam below.

App gets updated frequently, more stuff is in the pipeline currently as well.

Smarty cam video:
APEX App data review tutorial video:

clib

Just contacted Apexpro yesterday and ordered one to try. Unusually great access and customer service for sure. From that perspective highly recd them. Have a DE session coming up in earlyjune so will know more later.

ProCoach

I was their first dealer and am glad to supply to anyone interested in purchasing one.

They do different things than predictive lap timing devices.

GT3_Driver

Well, work has gotten in the way.
Had to cancel this weekend.


Maybe next time.

FFaust

So, if I understand correctly, the objective, with the Apex Pro, is to have it all green all the time?

ProCoach

Not possible all the time, but from brake application through past the apex, yes.