sbelles

I'm planning for a new car and need to decide what to sell with the current one. The seller is hanging on to his video / data / radio so I need to refit. The Mxm isn't fully utilized in the SPB so I was thinking of hanging on to it and selling the SPB with a Solo 2 DL and one of my smartycams. The question is: will I be happy with the Mxm and a Smartycam in the Cup or is there something much better?

ProCoach

Yes. The fact that you are up to speed now on the MXm is worth a lot. You will get throttle, gear, water temp, intake air temp and some other measures from the ECU. You can wire the brake pressure sensors (which you NEED in a 997 Cup) to the MXm and show actual brake bias, too. All of this can be fed to the SmartyCam, of course. AiM has expanded the ability of the MXm to add more than four analog channels using a Channel Expansion module, so that limitation is gone.

You have choices on the other channels, but the steering angle sensor was an option for the 997.1 GT3 Cups, as well. If there are additional sensors in place for the old data system, like oil pressure, oil temp and crankcase pressure (useful for tracking compression degradation and internal wear, before bad things happen), those should be hooked up, too.

What was the old system in the car?

sbelles

Thanks Peter. Sounds like it will work just fine. I can't remember what his current system is, I didn't pay that much attention at the time and since it wasn't coming with the car I didn't ask but it was pretty cool as it was tablet based and easy to pull out and review. I also have an original Podium Connect that I bought a few years ago and never used so I may add that to the car too. I still need to refresh the engine on the new car and I still have commitments to my AER team (not to mention cars to repair) but I'm psyched for a return to PCA racing at some point.

ProCoach

Ah, Race Navigator is the old system, likely. Good system, easy to use. The US now has a full service RN dealer and distributor now with Ray Phillips, at Precision Driving Analytics. Ray bought my hardware business end of last year.

The RN One is the sweet spot, IMO. More info here: https://www.race-navigator.com/en/

Ray's site and contact info here: https://precisiondrivinganalytics.com/home

Matt Romanowski

With the Cup, I would ask what you want out of the dash. The color screens on the larger dashes add a lot of value to the display when used and configured properly. The increase in the number of LEDs at the top also adds to the value of using them as shift lights or predictive timing lights.

How do you like to use your data?

sbelles

That's a good question Matt. In my SPB I mainly used data to try to find 10ths here and there, especially at tracks where I have less time. We also have Solo II DLs in our AER cars and I sometimes use AIM data to coach people renting seats from us so sticking with one data platform has some advantages. With the Cup, I hope to use it to figure the car out and try to push my limit closer to the car's. I know it's going to be a steep learning curve but in general, if the data convinces me that I can turn in faster, brake later, get on the gas sooner, etc, I usually can. I'm hoping to get data from others in my car or similar cars to compare with as I progress and I usually start simple with vmins and brake points and work from there. Yes, until shift points become more or less automatic, more lights would be nice but I've found the Mxm pretty adequate. I'm used to cars without ABS but not a 7 cup so braking could be another place to spend some time but It's probably going to take me a season with the car before I want to get more in the weeds with a lot of the data. I think the Mxm should do fine until then but I won't really know until I actually go drive the thing. If I find the Mxm wanting in any significant way then I'll be in touch.

Matt Romanowski

It sounds like the MXm will do everything you want. It's certainly worth a try!

sbelles

What's standard for mounting a dash like the Mxm in a cup? I'm going to go see the car this week but if there's a bracket i need to buy...

ProCoach

I'd build your own coming up from the steering column.

sbelles

I can probably reuse the one from the Boxster but I thought there might be some exorbitantly priced option out there for cups.

ProCoach

Hahaha!

Most important thing you need to measure for driver development in a 997.1 GT3 Cup (and other Cups) are front and rear brake pressures. Most important thing to display is brake bias above a threshold of, say, 400 psi.

sbelles

Yes, I've been told that convincing your legs that they really do need to push that hard is a tough sell at first. I think harder still will be adjusting to the huge delta between cold and hot performance. I always try to drive the car as hard as it will allow from the time I leave the pits. In a SPB and most other cars for that matter, that delta isn't all that large. Slicks are another matter altogether.

sbelles

Just came across this thread on brake bias while searching the Cup forum. Good stuff here. I'm thinking I need to get my sim back in working order. My wife and daughter stole two of my monitors when the pandemic hit and my DD1 wheel base seems to be bricked again.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=22232

sbelles

Looks like I should be able to display that in the Motec dash? The more I read about Motec the more confused I get.

ProCoach

Yes, if the car is equipped with the MoTeC dash and has the sensors (not all did), you should be able to read it on the MoTeC. I though you said it didn't have a data system in it because the previous owner was taking it?

You can also adapt the MoTeC brake pressure sensors to feed the AiM, if there is not a dash in it.

I have tons of information on the MoTeC, as it was fitted first to the US 997 Cups, then more worldwide.