DISCOVERY
About 2 months ago, I got my monthly spamming from the folks at Streetfire.net. As I typically do, I quickly scanned the email, finger perched over the ‘DEL’ key, scrolling past all the drifting videos, police chases, and other stuff I won’t watch, but one video caught my eye. It was a video created by Garage419 comparing a few data acquisition devices.
Since we’re all car guys (and gals), that means that, demographically speaking, a good portion of us are also going to be gadget junkies. Especially if those gadgets are somehow linked back our obsessive love of cars.
But what made this video cool is that one of the devices compared was nothing more than an iPhone loaded with an application called ‘Dynolicious’. As a product designer by education and trade, that definitely got my attention. You mean I can have one device that does all these other things, and ALSO tells me how fast my car is? I was skeptical. So I did a little research.
There are now hundreds of different methods and devices for data acquisition, ranging from $150 dedicated devices like the gTech, to much more expensive software packages running on GPS that install on equally expensive PDAs, like Traqmate or MaxQData. To give some sense of scale and ability, the Dynolicious application is definitely more a direct competitor to gTech than it is to a proper GPS-driven system.
Right out of the gate I was wondering, just like the host of the video, whether this would be yet another ploy to force me into an iPhone, along with the accompanying AT&T service contract. Fortunately for me and you, that needn’t be the case. Dynolicious can run on any of the Apple devices that have an accelerometer within it. In essence, that means almost any of their devices that have the very large display. So, what that means in simple terms is that Dynolicious can be installed and functions perfectly well on an iPod Touch. The cheapest iPod Touch – the 8GB model — retails for somewhere around half the price of an iPhone at $229. And at that price, it has practically every function the iPhone has, except for the phone. Except it’s even skinnier. Oh, and that means there’s no service contract to pay.
GETTING STARTED
So, selflessly, for the good of you, the readers of Rogues-Racing.com, I made the sacrifice of buying the iPod Touch and installing the Dynolicious application. The things we go through for you guys.
Once my iPod arrived, I simply hopped onto the application tab in the store section of iTunes and purchased the Dynolicious application. It was about $13.
Once installed, it left a small little icon on your screen. One touch of that icon, and I was ready to start.
The user interface and screens are very clean and easy to understand. The application is incredibly robust. By simply plugging in your car’s total weight (and driveline loss if you want), then calibrating the device, it has the ability to give all of the following:
• 0-60 MPH
• Other Speed Tests (0-10 MPH through 0-100 MPH in 10MPH increments)
• Quarter Mile Elapsed Time
• Quarter Mile Trap Speed
• Elapsed Time and Trap Speed for standard intervals (60′, 330′, 1/8 Mi, 1000′)
• Lateral G’s (current and peak)
• Braking G’s (current and peak)
• Wheel Horsepower
• Estimated Engine Horsepower
Once you have your vehicle programmed in, all that Dynolicious requires is that it be positioned securely in the car; flat laterally, and in any angle from flat to straight upright vertically. I chose to use one of those non-slip matts on my center console at it seems to work just fine. I’d guess a windshield suction mount might be more secure alternative.
The application even allows multiple vehicles to be entered into a library, so it can work in all your cars without re-programming it every time you change cars. Simply click a button. And yes, I have the Miata programmed into mine, as well as the GMC 454 Dually. And it works in both. Pretty well, too.
THE PAYOFF
Well, the bottom line is that it is absolutely worth $13. That is assuming that in your mind you’ve rationalized the cost of your iDevice through using it for it’s otherwise-intended purpose. Like playing music with it, in my case.
I have had a lot of fun playing with it. So much so that I have actually had to be careful not to spend too much time looking at my center console, watching the peak g-meter while driving! It’s definitely fun trying to get the lateral figure to read over 1.0.
How is the accuracy of the acceleration measurements? Well, unlike the guys at Garage419, I haven’t taken my car to the strip with the iPod and Dynolicious hooked up for a direct comparison. That will be coming soon, though.
Initial results compared to older dyno numbers I have for the Miata say it is pretty accurate, assuming you have correctly calibrated it on a flat surface, and have it mounted in the car correctly. At minimum, I am quite sure it could be used as an effective tool to compare the relative effectiveness of changes or modifications. I tried different states of fuel enrichment with my new header, and it was giving me real comparative data. It even allows you the ability to list and save the runs for each of the different states of tune within the same car. I also used it to get a sense of threshold braking by reading and comparing the max braking g readings. Pretty cool.
So is Dynolicious the last non-GPS data acquisition tool you’ll ever buy? Not if you’re looking for serious, meticulously accurate analytical data. But at a mere 13 bucks, it seems worth it if for no other reason than the sheer entertainment value. I am in agreement with the Garage419 guys, in that I can’t imagine anyone dropping almost $200 for a gTech when Dynolicious running on an iPod is available as an alternative for just a little more money.
And unlike the gTech, mine will also play music while I’m driving.
For more information, visit www.dynolicious.com
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