ProCoach

Received the latest VBOX HD Lite today and wanted to compare to the good tool I have now for coaching.

Here they are together. The two best options for getting car information with video, packaging and ease of use. Man, this tech is getting good!

The VBOX would be about $960 with a CAN cable and the AiM Track Kit is $1866. Plenty of dealers can help and I recommend some over others.

For those that like features of both (or already have an AIM Solo 2 DL, dash or logger, like me), I'll use a cable from the AiM logger to the VBOX HD Lite and I'll be set!

The VBOX HD Lite uses external power and antenna (included) with suction cup or roll bar mount. Limited to eight CAN channels (you can pick out of all the ones your car may get), metal case and high quality lens, remove the card, click on it in Circuit Tools 2 to open the file and it's all there. No fuss, no muss.

It's tiny. Just got it this morning and am trying it out this afternoon. It's a great package for coaching or moving car to car.

There's an optional OLED display, but most folks get that information post session, are using a Garmin or you can use a phone app, too. And, of course, Circuit Tools 2 is the easy button for driver performance improvement, in my experience with both software suites.

The AiM Sports Track Day kit is a great package for coaching or moving from car to car. Lots of support within the DE community, hundreds of good videos on how to use it and get better at using it. A little bigger and a lot heavier, but robust and well built. Good small monochrome display.

I'll add more info as I gain some experience using each next to each other.




Photos make the VBOX look bigger than it is and the Track Day kit smaller, but they're both compact.

Matt Romanowski

It's good to see the HD Lite released after a few years.

O think the display on the S2DL adds a lot to the package. With a good setup, having the full data file and all the channels added to the video and being able to get a full data file off the mSD adds so much power. If you want a proper Track Day Cable let me know - they are in stock.

ProCoach

Yep, doesn't matter what the company, there's always a wait between announcements and production. The SC3 full line has been nearly as long a wait.

A majority of folks use the AiM Solo 2 DL display for lap timing and gain/loss, as well as the LED's for RPM or time gain or loss.

The VBOX Lite Mini OLED display can not only do that, but also illuminate colored LED's to show whether your SPEED is a gain or a loss, compared to reference, in any part of any of the corners. Delta-v, that's what people need, more often than not.

That's what the pros use it for. Great way for DE drivers to edge their speed up, instead of throwing it against the wall and seeing if it sticks. With the display, it's still less than a Track Day Kit.

The nicest thing about VBOX, they pioneered the "all on one chip, click the file and voila" ease of use. Twelve years ago...

I make custom Track Day Cables up for each coaching engagement. That way it's much neater.

I don't really care what people get, as long as it fits their needs and, more importantly, their timeline in the paddock.

ShakeNBake

Wish the HD Lite had onscreen data......or does it?

ProCoach

Nope. Not really needed for an inexpensive tool when you have Circuit Tools 2 and all it's capabilities. I've used VBOX HD (2014) for my coaching work for nearly a decade and it is exactly the same look in CT2.

The VBOX HD (2014) had a nice post-session one-click processing software to embed the data on the raw video, but my understanding is that instead of Racelogic trying to emulate that, the Rev2 of this device will render on the video the information, like the HD2, but more money than the Rev1.

The packaging and value is incredible. For $900, it's replacing my HD2 for coaching engagements. The wireless stream for aiming and the completely customizable configuration of the exposure, sharpness, white balance, field of view and everything else through the app is going to make for some very pretty videos.

Matt Romanowski

Post up some video comparisons when you're back at the track. It'll be interesting to see. As to who developed something long ago versus what is available today, Did you know ABS started for rail cars in 1908? We all get the benefit today.

ProCoach

Looking forward to it.

As you know, tech always moves forward. Sometimes it even gets less expensive, rather than more...

Matt Romanowski

Absolutely. It's crazy the HD2 is nearly $4k now...

ProCoach

The HD2 track kit with HDMI streaming (no adapter required for the encoder) including $140 worth of camera mounts is $3895.

To duplicate the standalone setup of the HD2, the SmartyCam 3 Dual is $3560 with the antenna, two roll bar/clamp mounts for the bullet cams and a Blackmagic SDI to HDMI converter, with no capability for an optional display.

Das macht doch nichts, it doesn't matter.

Matt Romanowski

No adapter needed for the Dual and I'm not sure what antenna you're talking about.

It's great there are so many choices and devices to help people with data. It's tons of fun selling, supporting, and using this stuff every day.

tgsmith4845

Thanks, @ProCoach . The Vbox HD Lite looks really nice. We’ve been looking for a nice low cost, easy operating system that we can use in our Golden Gate Region for coaching high level DEers. We have a number of drivers who’ve advanced very well, but could benefit from some data / video analysis to get that little bit of time that’s waiting out there. We could get a few of these and offer data / video services to our advanced drivers. Pretty cool.

ShakeNBake

Agreed, this would be a great tool for HPDE, we've been waiting for something like this with video and the ease of use / video comparison with data of vbox.

ProCoach

The package is tiny! Ideal for coaching, IMO.

Needs power from cig lighter port (cable comes with it) and the external antenna (mag mount, comes with it, small and while not recommended, could be put on the dash instead of optimally slapping it on the roof or the top of the front quarter panel).

OBDII is available for those cars that supply CAN through that port (GM, Ford to 2019, Ferrari, Alfa and others) or you could do what I do and carry a CAN cable with an Add a Fuse and Posi-taps for Porsches, BMW’s and Audis that need a direct connection.

I’ve built a couple PDF’s that show instructors/coaches how best to use these devices standalone without car info for both the AiM and VBOX products.

I anticipate using this HD Lite for per-session or morning or afternoon coaching without car info to hasten install and removal. You know this, but through construction of and comparison with the Ideal Lap, with video and data GPS position justified, you can study the geometry of turn-in (point and amplitude/speed), approach to apex (heading, apex area) and exit (use of the track and at what point).

For the price point, it’s simply amazing. With the complete adjustability of the exposure, saturation and other qualities for balanced video deep inside the car, that means it can easily be used to watch the drivers head and hands as well as their car position in relation to the edges of the road.

KNSBrakes

Wow, that is awesome Peter.

I must have messaged Racelogic 3 times since they posted a picture of this on their Instagram about 3 years ago.

Is this a prototype still or are they "in stock."

--Aaron

ProCoach

I’m no longer a dealer, having sold my AIM Sports/Apex Pro/Garmin/MoTeC/VBOX authorized equipment reselling business to Ray Phillips at Precision Driving Analytics a year and a half ago, but I received my order from Racelogic on Saturday.

So, it’s here! They had thermal issues with the prototype, resolved those using an aluminum case and then had to redesign around another processor after supply chain issues dried up the original.

Like AiM and the rest, it’s been challenging, but they’re in stock. I would recommend calling Ray.

Mine is one of the first, so let me put it though it’s paces end of next week at TrackAdvantage and then you can order with confidence.