Martin S.

Also consider APEX Pro as a starter, then graduate to the Catalyst, that was my approach. APEX Pro is an incredible little device. I have written several articles on this product...they have been reviewed and fact checked by APEX Pro. It gives you visual coaching in "real time' via a sequential LED array display, and at the end of the session, it will give you data from the simple, to the complex, if you drill down. It will also shoot video with your iPhone. PM me with text or email me , and I'll send the article I wrote on APEX Pro Rev. 1. They have Rev. 2 out now. As a result, there are some APEX Pro Rev 1s available on Rennlist classifieds as well as eBay. Peter Krause sometimes has used APEX Pro Rev 1s for sale. Also note, instructors seldom have a problem with APEX Pro 3 1/2" wide by 1 1/2" bt 1 1/2" size. It can be adhered to the dash and can't fly off and out the window.

I am also a huge Catalyst fan, an early adopter of that device, 2 weeks after it was released about a year ago. . ProCoach is the vendor for this product as well. peter@peterkrause.net. He is also huge with customer support and the 1st APEX Pro dealer, and the largest Garmin Catalyst dealer in the US. I also have a solid article I wrote on Catalyst, fact checked by a friend at Garmin, on the Catalyst project.

I started with the APEX Pro, then graduated to the Garmin Catalyst. Eventually, using both devices now, the APEX Pro for visual coaching via LED array, the Catalyst for audio coaching in "real time". Post session, I use the Catalyst, although APEX Pro provides unique and invaluable information.

sdm100

Can one save the data on a computer and go back and watch the video etc?

ProCoach

The data is saved on the flash memory of the tablet device, completely self contained and not available for export to a computer. The video is stored for playing on the Catalyst on removeable media to play on a laptop computer, if you wish.

The most valuable feature added since the release of the product is the ability with one tap to have the device render a video with the data it collects on it, for playback on the Catalyst and on a laptop, if you wish.

It is not possible to export just the data, like a conventional logger (AiM, MoTeC, VBOX, Cosworth, Apex Pro, AutoSport Labs, Race-Keeper, Race Technology, etc) to a laptop for comparison of squiggly lines, sector reports, scatter plots or color maps.

It IS possible to compare two drivers recorded on the same Catalyst side by side with video and the data it collects and can display. On the Catalyst, only.

cag4

Has anyone figured out how to transfer video from the Garmin to a Mac? Would love to be able to review on a larger screen and share with mates... other than that, the thing seems really helpful and easy to use.

BTW, I can confirm that it doesn't go flying off the mount if you spin in the chicane (T1,2) at PIR, bouncing over the curbs... SMH.

ProCoach

Long answer in the Data Sub Forum to your post there. Has links to detailed support notes there, plus the Android File Transfer app that allows the Mac to "see" the folders as a separate drive.

Short answer is pull the mSD card and use the Finder to look in the folders Driver/Car/Track for the individual session folders.

If you want data on top of the video, have the device render it, then look in the folder displayed on the screen. Works great.

sonorous

I am doing some experiments to try and reduce wind noise on the video recordings. There are two holes on the left side of the front of the device. The manual only notes the top one as a microphone but the bottom hole looks very similar. Does anyone know if there is really just one microphone hole or are both holes active?

wmond

So I had a situation come up the past weekend where I ended up coming into the pits before finishing that lap. When I went to check the video, the Catalyst had all my lap videos but not the partial unfinished last lap where I pitted before crossing the start/finish line. The Catalyst does not display that last partial I completed lap, I assume it does this for every session but I never noticed before.

is there any way to find and view that raw video from the unfinished lap in the device, so I can see what happened? Or can I pop out the SD card and view the video file? Any advice? Peter (it was good to see you Saturday night, and as entertaining as ever)?

ProCoach

Thanks, that was fun at the Gallery that night!

Yep, pull the card and play the raw video from the driver/car/track/date folder to see the raw video without the device cutting it up into laps. Two files in the folder, one raw full session and one optimal lap for each session.

nle

Has anyone tried mounting the video camera behind the driver on the roll bar? I'm mainly looking for a camera angle that shows the driver, steering / shifting inputs, etc to see if this is even possible with this platform. I've only seen the catalyst camera mounted on the windshield next to the rearview.

ProCoach

Not possible on this device.

The camera serves many extremely important functions, not the least of which is internal accelerometers (so you can mount the tablet in multiple axis), but most importantly, you must aim it in the calibration done on the tablet before use so that there is NO portion of the car itself outside of a limited area on the bottom of the field of view.

It also is creating a neural network that is populated with both static (curbs, track edges) and dynamic (other cars that you're running up on) 35-75 feet in front of the car and up to 50 feet wide. It's crucial for the proper function of the device to be able to set it up that way. Also, the exposure control will not allow a reasonable balance between the dark inside of the car and the bright outside in areas other than the top central section of the windshield facing out. Let me know if I can answer any more questions.

Wild Weasel

As mentioned... no. But I wouldn't consider this an issue. Simply mount another camera behind you. That's what I do.

max pl

Any big software updates or accessories for this coming in 2022?

ProCoach

Yes.

Mike Roblin

TXE36

Cover both holes with a bit of foam, the thicker the better. Don't compress the foam. If what the device is picking up is actually wind noise, the foam will reduce the amount of noise picked up. If the foam does nothing, then what the device is picking up is not wind noise, but actual sound waves and the foam will do nothing. The source of those sound waves is the wind scattering off the structure of the car - once that wind is converted to sound, there is no good way to get rid of it.

Keep in mind:

• Sound is energy travelling through the air in a wave. The air molecules vibrate back and forth with the sound but their average velocity is zero. The wave moves at the speed of sound, about 770 MPH.
• Wind is energy of moving air. The air molecules are bouncing around and moving at an average velocity of the speed the wind is traveling.
  • Wind can bounce off stuff and make parts vibrate, that vibration can then be transferred to the air as sound, and now that energy moves as a sound wave.

Foam ***** work as windscreens because they prevent the moving wind from hitting the microphone but don't stop sound waves - so once that wind gets converted to sound, foam won't help.

A better solution is to put the microphone in a location protected from the wind, which usually means an external mic. I haven't found a good spot inside the car, but I've found a screw on the rear license plate mount works very well (note almost zero wind noise):