Thinking, since I did not get one for Xmas, that I might pick up one of the onboard performance measuring tools currently available.

Right now, I'm looking at the Escort/Passport G-Timer GT2 or the G-Tech Pro Competition Meter. Both retail for about $250.

Questions...
Any reason to like one over the other? They both appear to do pretty much the same thing. G-Tech provides more measures, but I think the G-Timer has more stored memory (previous runs, etc). I'm currently leaning toward the G-Tech because it has a nicer display.

Second... are these reasonably accurate? From what I've read, the 0-60 and 1/4-mile times look dead-on, but I'm wondering how close it hits the HP readings.

How hard are they to program? One of the reasons I think it would be cool to have one is that it gives me and my buddies a quick way to compare our cars, provided we are doing runs at the same time and place. I'm sure some set-up has to be done before hooking the meter up, though. How difficult and time consuming is this process?

Guess that's about it really. If anyone has a product review for either of these, I'd be interested in hearing that also. In the meantime, I'll be out finding some flat 1/4 mile stretches for when I acquire my new toy!

 

G-Tech. It as a tach and can show you what RPM you are at in a given area on the 1/4 mile. Also, it is auto leveling so no aligning or adjusting is needed. Thats the one I am getting.

 

Me too...

1/ You can mount the G-tech anywhere....
2/ G-tech has its own home page... check this out --->> http://www.gtechproforums.com/forums...p?s=&forumid=5

3/ and based on direct feedback from the G-tech people...

it can measure net torque due to our RPM pickup capability. The RPMs have been reported to work well on the 350Z so that should not be a problem.

Here are some other differentiating features:

tachometer
RPM-dependent shiftlights
3 separate orthogonal 10g accelerometers
graph of RPMs vs time so you can see how/when you shifted in a race
HP & TQ vs RPMs graph
store up to 30 runs inside the Gtech's memory
reaction time measurement
battery-backed realtime clock
unit mounts in any orientation
30-50, 50-70, etc... acceleration/passing test measurements
built-in support for up to 4 separate vehicles
graphs viewable on-screen (see manual for more info on graphs)
very powerful PASS PC software (you can download it from our website & try it now)
very complete & thorough manual... you can download a PDF of it here: http://www.gtechpro.com/downloads/Comp310.pdf
we will be releasing a firmware package in the future (no date announced) that we are calling the Road Racer package that is more suited to track racers (as opposed to drag racers)... it will be available free to all of our customers
also because we have 3 accelerometers as opposed to the 2 in the Escort, there are some tricks and some calculations that we can do that they can't.

Convinced ... ?? I am...

 

I currently posted a used one for sale in the private classified section for $195 + shipping, it's hasn't been used much and works great. if interested or for more info let me know
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54914

 

Where does it get engine RPM from?

 

the g-timer has the same rpm comparisons when you use the downloading software. also, if you think about it i would never use the g-timer/g-tech to calculate hp or tq, because its obviously not accurate. when estimating the weight of your vehicle if your off by 10-20 lbs. then your hp/tq could be off by a considerable amount. and when addition of subtraction of as a little as 5hp makes a difference (at least to me), you can see the problem. both of the devices use the cigarette lighter to measure rpms.

 

hea fairlady, do u have any pics that show how the g-tech mounts on the windshield? i'm really interested in how low-profile it is when mounted.

 

But it does work great as benchmark tool (as long as you dont change the weight from your baseline run).

As ajk4 mentione, it monitors voltage off the cigerette lighter. It asks you to take the RPM to 2000 and then hit a button then again at 4000 RPM. With these two points of data it can calculate the RPM real time. You then tell it where the car redlines it knows when to enable shift lights. The tach is quite accurate and the shift lights are much brighter than the stock one.

The G-Tech also monitors lateral G's (not sure if the G-Timer does this as well)

 

here is something that i don't know about it. does it have to be mounted on the windshield with a clear view of the horizon/outside or can it be fixed inside the nav location?

 

Either- It comes with both a suction mount for the window and a hard mount braket with screw holes. Can't remember who but someone on the board made their own mount for the nav compartment.

 

FLY BY Z...

I contacted the G-tech people directly since I had the same question as you. I also want to place the unit in the navigation cavity... not on the windshield.

Answer: No problem. The G-tech can be placed anywhere because it has 3 accelerometers as opposed to 2 in other maker models (2 accelerometer models require placement in the middle of the windshield).


ajk4.... I have not bought this unit yet... but planning to buy it soon.

 

I also prefer the G-tech, but they have not yet implemented the features I really want.

Both units do basically the same thing, but I think the G-tech is a little nicer since it has the third accelerometer which means it can be mounted in any location and any orientation. The G-timer can be mounted in any location, but the face must be perpendicular to the direction of travel. This means that if you were to mount it in the nav compartment, it would need to be facing straight back, instead of angled toward the driver.

Both units mesure the same things, but the G-tech can store more data than the G-timer (which is the primary reason I want to get the G-tech). One thing missing from the G-tech is good road racing data storage (you can't store lateral acceleration runs) while the G-timer allows you to store a few minutes worth of lateral acceleration data. I e-mailed the G-tech people, and they said they were working on new firmware that would allow you to store at least an hour of lateral acceleration data, but they didn't know when that new firmware would be ready for download (it wouldn't require any new hardware though).

So, I will be guying a G-tech as soon as that new firmware is released. Still no idea when that will be though.

-D'oh!