I'm very happy with the Aim system (Evo4S/SmartyCam) I have in my Porsche 968 track car, but would like to augment my setup with some form of in-car realtime feedback. I'm aware of three products that do this: The Garmin Catalyst, Racevoice, and Aprex Pro. Many of the features of the Catalyst would be redundant to the Aim's features, plus it's $1000, so I'm scratching it off my list. Between the other two, the main difference is that the Racevoice provides synthesized voice feedback based on the data collected by the DA system, and the Apex Pro is a standalone unit that uses data from its built-in accelerometers to provide visual feedback via a pair of light bars as to where you can go faster. So one provides auditory feedback, the other visual. Does anyone with experience with either (or preferably both) have any feedback as to which one they recommend, and why? I'm slightly leaning toward the Racevoice, because I'm a little leery of taking my eyes off the track, even for an instant, on the highly technical tracks I mostly drive on, but could be persuaded either way based on others' experience. Thanks.
Cactus
HalfDork
9/21/21 2:25 p.m.
I'd stick with aim and get a GS-Dash with predictive time.
I know it's off your list, but I REALLY love my catalyst. I use a motorcycle intercom to talk to my students anyway, so I have bluetooth speakers in my helmet, and the advanced race coach is spot on.
No experience with the others, sorry.
The thing you're describing that you want is literally a Catalyst. I may file this one under buy once/cry once.
Yes, the Catalyst would definitely meet my needs, but there are a few reasons it isn't optimal for my situation. First, I already have a very nice Aim DA system, including a SmartyCam HD, which gives me phenomenal post-session data review capability. So the Catalyst's data review features would be redundant to what I already have (and have paid for).
The second, bigger problem, is that I have two types of vehicles I drive: a track-prepped 1992 Porsche 968 that I use for sessions at local tracks for practice (that's the car with the Aim system), and I also compete in a rented Radical SR1 in the Primal race series at Atlanta Motorsports Park. Since it isn't my car, I really don't have the option of tapping into the Radical's electrical system to power up the Catalyst, plus it's pretty big, so mounting it would be a real challenge. I just watched the GRM video on the Apex Pro, and it looks like it could be a great option in the Radical, since it's a very small standalone unit with no need to hardwire into the car. But I'd still have to figure out a way to mount it in the cockpit of the Radical, which has no windshield. I'm hoping I can use the suction cup mount to attach it to the dash, and have emails into Primal Racing and Apex Pro to see if that's feasible. There's a local guy with a first gen Apex Pro he's looking to sell, so I'm tempted to jump on it, but I need to make sure I can mount it in an SR1.
For the 968, I'm leaning toward Racevoice, since it integrates into the Aim DA system, but maybe I'll try the Apex Pro first, and if I like it, maybe just go that route for (hopefully) both cars. Life is never simple...
