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Can you please clarify? Does the VBox work with PTPA, Harry's, or with its own app? I have not looked into VBox...
Just checked and my DUAL 160 has a 10 Hz data rate that should be acceptable - just need to figure out how to make that stick in the phone...might need latest firmware on my puck.
Yes, VBox Sport works with PTPA, Harry's, and has a SIM card that logs laps itself that can be brought into RaceLogic's software Circuit Tools. However, I really just use it for the 20Hz GPS and PTPA. Though, sometimes check lap from its SIM to verify PTPA.
If you are using Dual, it would be a similar case that I once considered.
PTPA recognizes the VBox Sport and will default to using that device's GPS if available. I usually verify manually within the app before going out but this tends to be overkill I rarely encounter a time where where it is not... in those cases a power cycle quickly resolved.
Overall, I would prefer a Motec or VBox HD2, but aside from very early versions and one version around June of last year the PTPA has become a powerful tool and contains some log data that the others do not. I am always hesitant to upgrade a version that is working since newer has not always been better.
Yes, VBox Sport works with PTPA, Harry's, and has a SIM card that logs laps itself that can be brought into RaceLogic's software Circuit Tools. However, I really just use it for the 20Hz GPS and PTPA. Though, sometimes check lap from its SIM to verify PTPA.
If you are using Dual, it would be a similar case that I once considered.
PTPA recognizes the VBox Sport and will default to using that device's GPS if available. I usually verify manually within the app before going out but this tends to be overkill I rarely encounter a time where where it is not... in those cases a power cycle quickly resolved.
Overall, I would prefer a Motec or VBox HD2, but aside from very early versions and one version around June of last year the PTPA has become a powerful tool and contains some log data that the others do not. I am always hesitant to upgrade a version that is working since newer has not always been better.
Thanks. Do you use the VBox external antenna?
I will have to put some effort getting this working before heading to the track. Takes too much time to work all this stuff. When I first started using PTPA I never got the custom track function to work, but I understand it works as of a few versions ago. I will try to set one up in the neighborhood and run it there so I can troubleshoot.
Got my Dual 160 out and updated the firmware. Had to get the most recent app as well. I recall when I first got this device they were transitioning between apps. This time when I went to get the app there was only one.
Restarted the app after firmware up date which was straight-forward, and right there in Settings there is a choice to set Logging Interval. Low and behold it was set at 1.0 sec. So, I changed it to 0.1 sec! So, I suspect that will fix my problem. Here are the screen shots in case someone else needs to do this:
Had a great first day out at Buttonwillow on Friday. I took it very easy and got a respectable time, but there are 5+ seconds left to be had. Have to re-learn the track with this car. My C7 Z06 had a lot more power and I could’t Get on throttle as early as this car lets me, which will take retraining muscle memory.
Anyways, the app worked pretty well:
What worked:
Every session recorded
Used the DUAL GPS connected via Bluetooth and seemed to get very accurate lap times.
Apple Watch heart rate worked, on the rare occasion I remembered to run the app on the watch. Annoying to have to remember to do that every time
Shared the car with a friend, and switching between profiles worked well
AirDrop transfer to iPad
RAM mount held the phone well, once i really cranked it super tight
What didn’t work:
When audible lap announcement was enabled, audio would cut off at the beginning of the 2nd lap on every session. You cant use this feature if you care about audio.
Some sessions had nothing but video and track position, without any telemetry from car (showing in neutral the whole session, no speed, etc). Rebooting the app each time seemed to make this more reliable, by the end of the day it wasn’t a problem
About 2/3 of the sessions recorded in KPH instead of MPH
App crashes a lot when trying to compare two sessions, that too seemed to work better later in the day. Maybe the sessions missing most the data were causing the crash. Not sure.
Overall, awesome tool. My buddy sharing the car was able to install the app and I could quickly and easily airdrop him his sessions.
I’m going to try the Porsche Track App again in my new 2018 GT3 for a Sebring track day in a few weeks. My iPhone X will not record stable video in the car. Can I go get a gopro 7 black series and use that as the camera? They sell for about $350
or is there a better solution for $350-$400 to record track laps andnget so data like speed and lap times?
Had a great first day out at Buttonwillow on Friday. I took it very easy and got a respectable time, but there are 5+ seconds left to be had. Have to re-learn the track with this car. My C7 Z06 had a lot more power and I could’t Get on throttle as early as this car lets me, which will take retraining muscle memory.
Anyways, the app worked pretty well: ...
Cool! Glad it worked. I've never had it crash when comparing laps. I wonder if that is a new bug. A couple years ago I had to reboot the phone before each use to try and make the app happy. You were turning the phone off (airplane mode except wi-fi and BT on), right? It would make sense if the phone were trying to communicate in the background over the cell network there is more chance of something bad happening. I'm going in a couple weeks and will use my iPhone 8 for the first time. Did you look at the plots of your line? Did it look accurate?
@mdrums I believe I have come across some posts about using GoPro with PTPA. Search this on Google and you will see some hits: gopro track precision app site:rennlist.com
Yep had my phone in airplane mode all day. Bonus advantage, nobody from the office could bother me!
The GoPro makes awesome footage and the 7 black has an amazing camera. But having to merge the data and video later after the track day makes it a deal breaker for me. I want to review while at the track with friends so I can get pointers.
How do you view your line on track, other than using circuit tools?
Had a great first day out at Buttonwillow on Friday. I took it very easy and got a respectable time, but there are 5+ seconds left to be had. Have to re-learn the track with this car. My C7 Z06 had a lot more power and I could’t Get on throttle as early as this car lets me, which will take retraining muscle memory.
Anyways, the app worked pretty well:
What worked:
Every session recorded
Used the DUAL GPS connected via Bluetooth and seemed to get very accurate lap times.
Apple Watch heart rate worked, on the rare occasion I remembered to run the app on the watch. Annoying to have to remember to do that every time
Shared the car with a friend, and switching between profiles worked well
AirDrop transfer to iPad
RAM mount held the phone well, once i really cranked it super tight
What didn’t work:
When audible lap announcement was enabled, audio would cut off at the beginning of the 2nd lap on every session. You cant use this feature if you care about audio.
Some sessions had nothing but video and track position, without any telemetry from car (showing in neutral the whole session, no speed, etc). Rebooting the app each time seemed to make this more reliable, by the end of the day it wasn’t a problem
About 2/3 of the sessions recorded in KPH instead of MPH
App crashes a lot when trying to compare two sessions, that too seemed to work better later in the day. Maybe the sessions missing most the data were causing the crash. Not sure.
Overall, awesome tool. My buddy sharing the car was able to install the app and I could quickly and easily airdrop him his sessions.
How do you get an iphone to record video so good? I have a great strong Mount but video is very shaky really unwatchable. I was going to get a Go Pro but it seems that syncs to the Porsche App or Harry’s app doesn’t work well...it’s very confusing to me...I am not a computer wiz so a lot,of,this makes zero sense
You call that stable?!? I was pretty frustrated early in the day. Cranking down on the RAM mount made a big difference but I’d still like it to be more stable.
The iPhone XS has pretty good image stabilization but nowhere near as good as the GoPro 7. And ya, importing the video after the fact defeats 90% of the point of the app for me.
You call that stable?!? I was pretty frustrated early in the day. Cranking down on the RAM mount made a big difference but I’d still like it to be more stable.
The iPhone XS has pretty good image stabilization but nowhere near as good as the GoPro 7. And ya, importing the video after the fact defeats 90% of the point of the app for me.
LOL well it’s more stable than the video i took with my iPhone X.
...posting this here, because the 991 GT3 forum has become the "New Marketplace".
Looking for feedback here on the Porsche TrackApp or PTPA as it is giving me some issues.
I already have one of each: Traqmate, SoloDL and SmartyCam, VBox Sport, the different iOS: HLT, RaceChrono, the Vbox apps, and the Porsche Track App. The PTPA is my favorite when paired to the VBox Sport, I get understeer and oversteer bars that allow me to work on car setup and test again. Exporting vBox data into Circuit Tool after the test days is super helpful.
I had this application working as a charm on my iPhone6 and iPhoneX in the 2016 GT3 RS with the VBox Sport. I dedicated my old iphone6 as the in-car camera, as its battery lasts longer than any gopro, garmin or any action camera. I switched the GT3 to a 2019 version about 6 months ago, and this is where problems with the PTPA started.
Problem #1: iPhone6 runs mega slow (30 secs or more to react to inputs on the track app). I cannot longer use the iPhone6.
Problem #2: started using the iPhoneX, but shaky videos made them impossible to watch. Found through Google that the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) in the iPhone makes moving videos a waste. Somebody found a solution by gluing or taping a magnet behind the rear camera, and now videos are solid.
Problem #3: Since 2 weeks ago, no changes to to the firmware, software, anything, the GT3RS is no longer sending speed/rpm/g-forces, anything at all, PTPA just produces a nice video with no data overlay. I have yet to check the SD memory in the VBox, but all RPM and steering/brakes/gas data won't be there.
...so I decided to buy an Android tablet and try another platform. Bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab A, added 64Gb on an SD car, set up the thing done. Then when I try to download the PTPA from Google Play, it doesn't even show up. If I go to the Web, I find a link to v2.4.3, and it says "not compatible with my device". The version on my 2 iphones is 2.4.3. Somewhere I found the installation file for Android for version 2.4.1, got it installed and it runs. However, having the VBox Sport paired to the Tablet, when I go to GPS in the PTPA, the VBox is not available. I downloaded RaceChrono, and it recognizes the VBox Sport, but not the PTPA.
So, questions:
1) What's the official latest version for the Porsche TrackApp in Android?
2) What Android devices can download it from the Google Play site? My Galaxy Tab A returns "Device not compatible"
3) Has anyone connected the 20hz VBox Sport on Android to PTPA?
This app is awesome when paired to a VBox sport, the Vbox battery runs for many hours, same for tablets and smartphones, so the camera batteries run for hours too. I can setup any racetrack anywhere P2P, or loops, if not listed in the database. The most value is actual speed with steering, brakes, throttle values in real-time, and place your tablet/smartphone inside where you can watch the driver, great for data analysis and improvements on the driving line and car control.
1) What's the official latest version for the Porsche TrackApp in Android?
2) What Android devices can download it from the Google Play site? My Galaxy Tab A returns "Device not compatible"
3) Has anyone connected the 20hz VBox Sport on Android to PTPA?
This app is awesome when paired to a VBox sport, the Vbox battery runs for many hours, same for tablets and smartphones, so the camera batteries run for hours too. I can setup any racetrack anywhere P2P, or loops, if not listed in the database. The most value is actual speed with steering, brakes, throttle values in real-time, and place your tablet/smartphone inside where you can watch the driver, great for data analysis and improvements on the driving line and car control.
Thanks,
I have read in the past, PTPA Android version is behind and not as stable as the iOS version. That was at least a year ago...I do not believe there are a lot of Android users. Have not come across many posters saying they use Android.
I'd take the '19 car to the dealer and get them to troubleshoot PTPA. Use the iPhone X and create a track, say, near the dealer. Show them the phone connects to the car and the app starts, but you don't get data. Circumstantial evidence says they need a software update on that car.
Also, I use a RAM x-mount to hold the iphone and get some vibration, but it is not too bad. A way to fix that is to secure some extra weight to the end of the mount, near the phone. When you add mass the frequency of vibration goes down - like one of those steady-cam devices for video cameras. Or, take a string (maybe fishing line?) and wrap it around the mount's arm and put tension on it and secure it to the dash somewhere. That will have a similar effect of damping the vibrations.
02-07-2019, 11:44 AM
