Telemetry

Telemetry system can be as simple as an App on a phone recording using the phone sensors and cameras, up to very fancy systems collecting car data, GPS information, cameras and analysis software. We have been experimenting with various options and here are some options.

GPS

Most modern phones and tablets have a 10Hz GPS that supports GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC giving them ample accuracy for most of your needs. External GPSs are no more needed.

OBD2

To collect data from your car (like RPM, speed, temp...), you need to connect to the OBD2 plug (diagnostic plug) that is pretty much standard on all cars since 1996. We recommend the ELM 327 Bluetooth OBD2 mini-connector that just costs about $10. Note that this works for most cars and generic engine data, but it won't read car specific error codes like ABS or other internal systems that are not standard (but it's all good for telemetry).

Note to iPhone users, you are out of luck since Apple doesn't have a standard Bluetooth stack and this won't work with iPhone, You will need a Wifi ODB2 or an expensive iPhone compatible ODB2 (sorry for you but you should have bought an Android phone! :D). For more info on iPhone, check this NER iPhone thread.

Telemetry with Android

We have had great success with a very simple Android tablet and some apps for both car telemetry and rally computer.

• • 7" Android tablet with GPS or just use your cell phone

  • RAM mounts to secure tablet to rollcage: 

    • rollcage mount: https://amzn.to/4vOj7iK 

    • tablet holder https://amzn.to/4a4parg 

    • ball mount for tablet holder: https://amzn.to/4vMBNPX 

    • long arm: https://amzn.to/4vMBNPX 

  • Bluetooth OBD2 for telemetry ($5): https://amzn.to/4uAlp3Y 

Apps

• Racing / Lap timer:

We recommend RaceChrono (http://racechrono.com/) that you can find directly from Google Play. It can work on a standalone phone/tablet but can also connect to a bluetooth external GPS and external bluetooth OBD2 really easily. The Pro version can also integrate CAMERA footage with telemetry overlay (we never used that feature and use RaceRenderer for telemetry overlay in our videos). See our Onboard Videos page for more info.

Here is an example of what you can do with RaceChrono:

Another option is Trackmaster but it lacks the analysis features of RaceChrono and the bluetooth driver that you have to pay for is pretty unreliable to say the least.

• Stage rally copilot app:

Rally tripmeter for stage rally navigator to keep track of time and distances: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ee.siimplangi.rallytripmeter

All you need from Recce to the stages with easy synchronization to the rally clock.

• Car monitoring / diagnostic:

Torque Pro is a great app for OBD2 diagnostic, allows you to pull out the codes if you have a CEL (Check Engine Light) and need to reset them. It can also display gauges with data obtained from your Bluetooth OBD2.