Data loggers-where to start

[jimmy six]

I don't know your budget but you may want to look at Digatron. A few LSR competitors use their product and motorcycle #731 has a featured photo on their home website. Their product is very reasonable and can record a 20 laps on a 1/2 mile with some yellow flags thrown in........Good Luck

[maj]

I have used the cheap and simple innovate dl32 , 5 basic channels but expandable with extra specific boxes , like 4 channel egt , up to i think 32 channel
we have used it for fairly basic tps, map, O2, egt, rpm

Lately trying the AEM- AQ1, logging a lot more channels, including gps speed and a whole host of other gps related stuff i'm not using to full potential
looking more at intercooler function with pre and post map and temp sensors ,
oil pressure (this gets scary )

i like the format the innovate can present in better , but the AQ1 has so much more ability for a similar price

both log to cards or read live if connected to a laptop, (handy on the dyno)
had some issues with the card on the aq1 , think its related to the vibration on the bikes, and looking to mount the unit better

[Stainless1]

Greg, I don't think it is vibration... took me a few incidents to figure out that you always need to do the disconnect hardware thing or it can lock up in the next session or not recognize the card.  Trying to view live on Max's scooter the computer kept locking up.  I had the same issue at the dyno with that computer... I now have one with a solid state drive for dyno work.  Acoustic vibration was stopping the spinning hard drive. 
Of course your mileage may vary...

[maj]

Could be the eject thing Stainless
i'm sure i eject it properly most times but not all,
i do hope its just my procedure causing the problem as its a great logger when working right 

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I use the Innovate stuff too. EGT (X4), AFR, Boost PSI, RPM, Duty Cycle, and speed.

Inexpensive in the grand scheme, very frustrating setting up.

Now that I have gone around the learning curve a few times its a great setup; easy to use and provides real data. It found a bunch of problems for us.....

-again it was not exactly 'plug and play' and requires a fair amount of trial and error but if you are willing to take the time.....

~JH

[azgearhed]

I'm sending the headers off for coating (burned off the last coating) and would like to weld the bungs in beforehand. Are the placement and size the same for all the various data loggers? Where can I get general info on egt and O2 placement?

[FoundSoul]

What engine management system are you running (or are you running carbs?).  Most of the major EMS vendors have datalogging capabilities built into the ECU, sometimes requiring a laptop to be attached (yes I have sent laptops down the salt at roughly 250mph wrapped in foam and thoroughly duct taped to the passenger seat), or in some newer systems recording onto built in memory. 

If you're not running EFI, no problem-- you wouldn't be the first guy to use an ECU for datalogging exclusively.  The smart move you made though (if you ever see EFI in your future) is your datalogger will also run your complete fuel and ignition system as well, and once it's wired up to datalog engine data, the wiring for the EFI/ignition install is 70% complete, you just wire up the outputs to control fuel/spark when/if you're ready.

If by chance you've already got an EMS system that will do the job, great!  AEM makes good stuff as DW mentioned and has a presence on the salt.

If you've not picked up anything yet and you like the idea of a 'datalogger with future growth/engine management potential', we'd be glad to help you get setup if you'd like.  The MS3-Pro system is very affordable, weather-resistant/sealed, has 8GB of internal memory, and a LOT of I/O (inputs and outputs for datalogging and control).  We've got extensions for EGT inputs as well.  You can email us at websales@diyautotune.com, or call at 678-261-8789.  Reference this thread if you'd like and it will let my team know where to start the discussion.

And again it's not just a datalogger, it's a heck of an EMS if/when you decide to take full control of the fuel/ignition with such a system.  And as a bonus-- myself and 2-3 of my tech support team are always on the salt at SpeedWeek, and very often lend a hand when needed whether it's our system or another.

[NathanStewart]

I'm sending the headers off for coating (burned off the last coating) and would like to weld the bungs in beforehand. Are the placement and size the same for all the various data loggers? Where can I get general info on egt and O2 placement?

Tim, I replied to your email.  Lots of options to consider.  I wouldn't get ahead of yourself with O2/egt bungs until you decide what exactly you want to do.  See my email and you'll know what I mean. 

[azgearhed]

Thanks Nathan. I feel like the smartest student in the dumbest row, but I'm getting some education. I'm just going to run without any header coating til after May and June Elmo and by then I will have a lot better idea what approach to take on all this.

[Stainless1]

Tim, if the coating is burning off the header is it really doing you any good anyway?  Or are you going to a different type of coating.

[Buickguy3]

  The real expense here is adding the 5th grader to the crew to do the maintainence and data entry. Do you know how much one of those things eats?

     Doug 

[Jon]

Not much useful to add other than a lot of ECUs factory and aftermarket can output data.
If yours can and you get a data logger that can accept that data you can save doubling up on sensors.

jon

[SPARKY]

Jon,  this is what I am finding out the earlier versions of stuff like I have doesn't like to talk to each other--I may well have to almost run 3 stand alone systems to utilize what I have.  I have not made any final judgments yet but it is beginning to look like the latest versions of a couple of the above mentioned systems are beginning to try to be very flexiable in trying to tie it all together---

tune in next week  for the next episode of the saga "same time, same station":
  If you get my drift you are truly as old as dirt  and may be returning to visit your dust cousins soon---lol

[azgearhed]

Tim, if the coating is burning off the header is it really doing you any good anyway?  Or are you going to a different type of coating.

Jet Hot told me the last stuff I had was 1300'. They have a 2000' they are going to coat with this time. They even waranteed the coating I burned off so it'll be fairly cheap to get them coated (but all LSR stuff is inexpensive, right?)

[azgearhed]

I found a used race-pak v300 here in town that a friend of a friend had on his comp car. Its got all the stuff I need at about 1/3 the cost of new. Now I just have to learn how to use it. Thanks to all for the input.