Janky low budget track timing using a Gamin Edge 305
 

So I had this thought after I started using my garmin Edge 305 during criteriums on my road bicycle. My garmin has an GPS based lap counter in it so everytime I cross a user set GPS location it counts a lap. I can set the garmin for "smart record" or record every second, which i think the record every second would work nicer in this application. Ive turned my garmin on in the car and it will read freeway speeds.

But it was just a thought, since I have the unit already.

has anybody else done something similar to this, and how did it work out for you?

Aim Solo

Racepak G2X

both of those are neat... Im just making due with what I already have.

Use the Android app that a bunch of the guys on here use.

^^

what app is that?

Trackmaster

I have that same GPS on my bike, I think the update rate would be way too crap.

Have you had issues with yours turning off randomly?

The experience I have is that race tracks (for obviouse reasons) are placed out on the countryside where covarage isn't that great. A lot of people have cool aps and GPS-systems and what now. And they fiddle and fiddle and fiddle with them and they often work fine... but not always. They never(!!) work when you are finally clear of traffic and want to do a hot lap.

I have a simple laptimer place in the car with a IR-sender I place next to the track. The sender is power by a standard 12v battery from a cordless drill. Of course, the unit in the car can search for any sender and lock down on that, so often me and my buddies place one sender and run several cars on it. Not so many cool-points, but it never fails.

Are you seriously claiming that GPS coverage is worse in the country side?



You sir are an idiot.

No, of course not. But, at least here, you need cell phone covarage to run some of the applications (I sure did when I ran it on my Nokia) and THAT coverage is not as good on the country side.

You, Sir, are behaving like someone who has a small dick and needs to play cool on car forums.

Trackmaster doesn't need cellphone coverage, most applications don't, but ok.
A lap beacon is nice, but I find it usefull to be able to judge entry speeds, lateral G's, effect of different lines and compare my typical driving to that of my theoretical best lap after a session. The data allows for a far steeper learning curve. And because I'm not an idiot, it even works on a hot lap (well...lukewarm in my case).

The Garming thing should work nearly as well as a beacon for laptiming, but since it isn't doing any interpolation, the error would be 0.5s on average to 1s max. Usefull if you are a beginner and the average deviation in laptimes is still something huge.

Before I had my Traqmate, I found the Harry's Lap Timer app for the iPhone to work pretty well.

Not sure if this is still relevant but i use my Garmin 305 (or 405) can't remember, for MX training and racing and it works fine.

Especially the auto lap function and then the pc software overlayed on google maps, the resolution is every .5 or 1.0 second and it was great for mx in terms of seeing corner speeds etc...

My intention was to mount it in the car and use it as per the OP's suggestion, the only issue i can see is that to have the display clearly visible points the GPS antenna downwards and towrds the back.

Ideally it would be the reverse but i have yet to try it and see if it still picks up the satelites with thew antenna pointing down.

My interim solution is a DRC MX lap timer that works off a push button i have mounted to the Wiper stalk and the display double side taped on top of the steering wheel cover.

I am about to try the Android App but I only have a tablet so it may be too big for ease of use....

Mark.

So I tried using my 305 at Buttonwillow on monday and I would say it worked about %60 the time every time....

I mounted it to my sun visor, it said it had good signal, but didn't always count the lap.

Oh well, I didn't try the Phone based apps, but thats next time.