Apex Pro Digital Track Coach Review
08-07-2017, 11:22 AM
#1
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Apex Pro Digital Track Coach Review
ApexPro Digital Track Coach Review
I've always been a sucker for electronic gadgets and toys. There is a new product out there for track day people designed to help us learn how to become better drivers called to ApexPro Digital Track Coach. I had never heard of the product until Clark from Apex Performance told me about it recently and suggested that I test out the product. The checked out the website, and it seemed interesting, but the website didn't really give a ton of information and left me with a lot of questions.
https://www.apextrackcoach.com/
The premise of the device is very simple. It's an LED bar that shows how much more you have to go in terms of the limit of the car when it comes to traction/grip. If the bar is totally green, you are at the limit. If there is red, you are not there. From what I gather, the device is an accelerometer that calculates Gsum and can figure out what the max Gsum is for your car at any point on the track. Gsum is the combination of Gs from multiple different axes. Your tires can only handle so many Gs before they break loose and this device can tell you how far you are away. It's not a simple constant number, either. That 'max' will change based on weather, track conditions, tires, and each corner of a track. You can see what the limit is while you are driving with the LED lights and you can review afterwards on an app which displays the track and how you did on each corner. It also gives you a total 'score'. The unit also acts as a lap timer, which I've found to be accurate. I've only seen a few hundreths of a second time disparity between the apex unit and my AiM solo DL. A neat feature is that your lap times will live stream to a server so anyone who is interested can download the app and watch your times roll off live as you drive.
Getting the device setup is super simple. You just mount the device however you want. They supply a magnetic mount that attaches with adhesive. I've found attaching it to a solid suction cup mount allows better visualization while driving. If you mount it on the steering column like I did on the GT3, you can't see while the steering wheel is turned. After you mount the unit, just turn it on, and then use your app to connect to the unit so it can stream/collect the data/times. It needs to be calibrated when you first mount it using the app. One thing that wasn't addressed is a battery indicator. You have no idea how much battery life is left in the device and how long it needs to be charged. That being said, I left it on an entire day and the battery didn't go dead.
Here is a video of the device running in my GT3:
You can see that the steering wheel blocks the view
This is the data summary of my laps that the app displays:
Here is a video of the device running in my GT4. Way off pace of my best time for various reasons, but gives you a good idea of what the device does.
The suction cup mount is much easier to see
This is the data summary of one of my laps:
Based on what I see here, it appears that most of my time improvement potential seems to be in braking.
If you look at the video, I've calculated Gsum from my SoloDL data using racestudio2 math channel, I and displayed it on a bar gauge for you to compare to the ApexPro unit. I use Gsum to determine how well I am executing a corner. This is a VERY useful tool to see how you are doing at the corners and braking. For those of you who have interest in learning how to calculate and read Gsum, the apex pro will basically do it for you. The interesting thing is how the Apex track coach can determine what the Gsum limit is for each corner since it will be different based on the camber/elevation/tires/conditions/etc.
So the real question that every wants to know is, 'Will this device make me faster??'
The answer is, yes, but you have to use it properly. I think the best way to take advantage of this device is reviewing video of you driving which includes the device in the camera view so you can see points where you can go faster. It is difficult to pay attention to the device while you are driving.
I think that if data logging and interpretation is a foreign concept to you, then this is a great device for you.
If you are a data geek, then that data you are sifting through Aim Solo and Vbox data has just as much to offer and more.
If you are novice, intermediate, or slower advance driver, I think the device can be very helpful. This is a much better tool to spend money on rather than a harry’s laptimer that most people start off with.
If you are a seasoned, fast driver, I think you'll find that most of the cornering is green and your butt will tell you if you can go faster just as well as the lights can. There's also the issue that if you are driving near 10/10ths, you aren't going to be look at lights.
This unit has the most value if you are running video that shows your driving as well as the lights. Most people aren’t going to be able pay attention to the lights in the middle of a corner they are trying their best to manage. Reviewing afterwards on video is akin to reviewing the Gsum meter I calculate and display in my videos. Again, if you're not a video/data nerd, then this device will bypass the hurdle of learning how to do what I do with my videos.
Lots of cool stuff coming out for track days these days. The ApexPro unit is something that can be useful for a lot of people. If you're interested, contact/PM Clark-ApexPerformance. Here a link to their website:
http://www.apexperformance.net/APEX-Pro_c_241.html
Hope that helps!
I've always been a sucker for electronic gadgets and toys. There is a new product out there for track day people designed to help us learn how to become better drivers called to ApexPro Digital Track Coach. I had never heard of the product until Clark from Apex Performance told me about it recently and suggested that I test out the product. The checked out the website, and it seemed interesting, but the website didn't really give a ton of information and left me with a lot of questions.
https://www.apextrackcoach.com/
The premise of the device is very simple. It's an LED bar that shows how much more you have to go in terms of the limit of the car when it comes to traction/grip. If the bar is totally green, you are at the limit. If there is red, you are not there. From what I gather, the device is an accelerometer that calculates Gsum and can figure out what the max Gsum is for your car at any point on the track. Gsum is the combination of Gs from multiple different axes. Your tires can only handle so many Gs before they break loose and this device can tell you how far you are away. It's not a simple constant number, either. That 'max' will change based on weather, track conditions, tires, and each corner of a track. You can see what the limit is while you are driving with the LED lights and you can review afterwards on an app which displays the track and how you did on each corner. It also gives you a total 'score'. The unit also acts as a lap timer, which I've found to be accurate. I've only seen a few hundreths of a second time disparity between the apex unit and my AiM solo DL. A neat feature is that your lap times will live stream to a server so anyone who is interested can download the app and watch your times roll off live as you drive.
Getting the device setup is super simple. You just mount the device however you want. They supply a magnetic mount that attaches with adhesive. I've found attaching it to a solid suction cup mount allows better visualization while driving. If you mount it on the steering column like I did on the GT3, you can't see while the steering wheel is turned. After you mount the unit, just turn it on, and then use your app to connect to the unit so it can stream/collect the data/times. It needs to be calibrated when you first mount it using the app. One thing that wasn't addressed is a battery indicator. You have no idea how much battery life is left in the device and how long it needs to be charged. That being said, I left it on an entire day and the battery didn't go dead.
Here is a video of the device running in my GT3:
You can see that the steering wheel blocks the view
This is the data summary of my laps that the app displays:
Here is a video of the device running in my GT4. Way off pace of my best time for various reasons, but gives you a good idea of what the device does.
The suction cup mount is much easier to see
This is the data summary of one of my laps:
Based on what I see here, it appears that most of my time improvement potential seems to be in braking.
If you look at the video, I've calculated Gsum from my SoloDL data using racestudio2 math channel, I and displayed it on a bar gauge for you to compare to the ApexPro unit. I use Gsum to determine how well I am executing a corner. This is a VERY useful tool to see how you are doing at the corners and braking. For those of you who have interest in learning how to calculate and read Gsum, the apex pro will basically do it for you. The interesting thing is how the Apex track coach can determine what the Gsum limit is for each corner since it will be different based on the camber/elevation/tires/conditions/etc.
So the real question that every wants to know is, 'Will this device make me faster??'
The answer is, yes, but you have to use it properly. I think the best way to take advantage of this device is reviewing video of you driving which includes the device in the camera view so you can see points where you can go faster. It is difficult to pay attention to the device while you are driving.
I think that if data logging and interpretation is a foreign concept to you, then this is a great device for you.
If you are a data geek, then that data you are sifting through Aim Solo and Vbox data has just as much to offer and more.
If you are novice, intermediate, or slower advance driver, I think the device can be very helpful. This is a much better tool to spend money on rather than a harry’s laptimer that most people start off with.
If you are a seasoned, fast driver, I think you'll find that most of the cornering is green and your butt will tell you if you can go faster just as well as the lights can. There's also the issue that if you are driving near 10/10ths, you aren't going to be look at lights.
This unit has the most value if you are running video that shows your driving as well as the lights. Most people aren’t going to be able pay attention to the lights in the middle of a corner they are trying their best to manage. Reviewing afterwards on video is akin to reviewing the Gsum meter I calculate and display in my videos. Again, if you're not a video/data nerd, then this device will bypass the hurdle of learning how to do what I do with my videos.
Lots of cool stuff coming out for track days these days. The ApexPro unit is something that can be useful for a lot of people. If you're interested, contact/PM Clark-ApexPerformance. Here a link to their website:
http://www.apexperformance.net/APEX-Pro_c_241.html
Hope that helps!
Last edited by orthojoe; 08-07-2017 at 11:43 AM.
08-07-2017, 04:03 PM
#2
I run G-Sum myself and find it useful. I find it really shows up a "coast" after the brake zone and before turn in. How does the device know your max G-Sum? This will certainly change based on tire choice and suspension setup.
08-07-2017, 05:07 PM
#3
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Bill Lehman
I run G-Sum myself and find it useful. I find it really shows up a "coast" after the brake zone and before turn in. How does the device know your max G-Sum? This will certainly change based on tire choice and suspension setup.
08-07-2017, 08:24 PM
#4
Three Wheelin'
Thanks for the detailed write up! I've been thinking about some logging for the car and something like this with real-time feedback (lights) could be a really good first step...
08-08-2017, 08:16 PM
#5
I wouldn't recommend this as a first step. If you're trying to maximize G-Sum it occurs in the transition between braking and turn in, done correctly this overlaps. You want your eyes focused on the corner and track out, not on this instrument. Try Harry's Laptimer as a first step followed up by a real data system like the AiM Solo or Solo DL. There's some discussion about this over on the Data Acquisition section of Rennlist. It appears the max G-Sum is based on your best numbers, not on the best the car/tire system can do.
08-09-2017, 12:55 AM
#6
AutoX
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The device uses a 9 axis IMU, which means the level of sophistication of measurements is pretty high. So G-sum is a good comparison, but APEX technology takes it a lot further than displaying your previous max G-sum. APEX builds the outer limit of the traditional G-meter, and the underlying physics assumptions are such that it can determine the ultimate limit of the car/tire system. The more data you provide, the more accurate it becomes.
Also, in my opinion the APEX app and post-session data is the most straight-forward and useful post session information I've used. The app creates a solid first step, with the LED display being something that takes some adaptation by the drivers' eyes to fully utilize (like shift lights, or a live predictive etc.).
Thought I would chime in. Happy to answer any questions to help further the understanding of the tech!
AiM makes great products, and I recommend them to someone looking for a data logger/lap timer. In my experience APEX can open doors for all levels of drivers, especially when paired with a traditional logger. I am slightly biased.
Feel free to shoot me private messages with any questions as well,
Andrew
Also, in my opinion the APEX app and post-session data is the most straight-forward and useful post session information I've used. The app creates a solid first step, with the LED display being something that takes some adaptation by the drivers' eyes to fully utilize (like shift lights, or a live predictive etc.).
Thought I would chime in. Happy to answer any questions to help further the understanding of the tech!
AiM makes great products, and I recommend them to someone looking for a data logger/lap timer. In my experience APEX can open doors for all levels of drivers, especially when paired with a traditional logger. I am slightly biased.
Feel free to shoot me private messages with any questions as well,
Andrew