This article is a review of the Racelogic OLED Display and my experience with it. Since using one on an instructor training session with Ben Elliott I realised the power of it and then always hankered after the OLED.
I should have bought one at the same time I bought my Video Vbox lite. I'd have saved a good deal of money because if you buy them together you get them as a bundle price. However, by using advanced man maths and degree level blokenomics I succumbed and finally bought one.
48 hours later the parcel arrived and not a moment too soon as it gave me enough time to have a play with it before my next track outing. The good news is that it's dead simple to operate, which is lucky as that matches its owner. I confess I did read the manual but more out of geekiest to understand every detail rather than the need to get going with it. Like the Vbox lite it's pretty much plug and play.
It comes with a suction mounting bracket, just like the ones that hold the Vbox cameras. I added a strip of velcro to the rear which meant I wasnt restricted to the windows. I plugged in the Vbox and the OLED powers on, the auto track map knew where I was along with the start finish line. All I needed to do was drive.
A couple of extra features I liked was the small bar that runs across the base to let you know when it's recording. You can control the vbox from it to do a number of things which include choosing scenes and display settings. In addition you can also start/stop recording from the button on the OLED which is very useful for anyone who is not using auto-record and who stowes the Vbox out of reach for example in the glove box.
The display is the right size for me, it's crystal clear and uncluttered, just what I need as my limited ability means absorbing a lot of information at the same time is a challenge. I guess Red Bull won't be signing me any time soon.
The way it displays a large font that works in bright sunshine shows that it has been well thought out. I like to drive with the roof off and despite strong light the display was easily readable. Which was a relief because when you're barrelling into Eau Rouge at 120mph you don't want to be squinting to try to read the display. You need to be able to see it at a glance, which is why I like the simplicity of what is shown.
I'm sure Racelogic could have crammed in more information into the display but I reckon it was a conscious decision not to. Less really is more in this instance. Don't underestimate the importance of a really clear and simple display in all light conditions and one that you can adjust the brightness to suit.
The compelling feature is the predictive lap mode that shows time slip or gain. I particularly like the way it represents it with a dynamic bar. With my first impressions being very good and the car all set up it I was keen to use it in anger on track.
The questions I often have when driving on track is; how do I make myself faster through that corner, what do I need to do to be quicker whilst being completely in control?
Out on the track I found the OLED automatically takes the best lap and uses it as the reference until you do a better one. Alternatively you can upload a previous reference lap, either your own or someone else who has shared theirs. I found that one of my early laps became the reference benchmark and as I was driving it was interesting to see that despite me feeling like I was driving the socks off the car, I wasn't being any quicker. In fact I was losing time. By then relaxing and not overdriving I was able to see the bar move leftwards, which is a good direction!
The screen gets split into two sections showing the same real time information in different ways; on top is the actual + or - number in seconds and below is a graphic bar. I've used a stock photo to show the display as I didn't fancy taking a picture of it in action whilst driving!
I didn't focus on the number part of the screen, instead I found the moving bar an excellent way of showing the time slip. I would simply just look at the bar with my peripheral vision to see which way it was moving and that was enough to tell me if I was faster or slower. I wasn't bothered by the absolute amount as my driving is not at that stage of fine tuning yet.
I quickly learnt that my consistency needs improving as my variance of time slip was different from lap to lap and bend to bend. I also learnt on a fast, right- left-right sequence that my approach into the first bend was critical for a faster exit of the sequence.
After the day I downloaded my best reference lap from that track to save for later so that when I return I can simply upload it into the OLED and use it to measure my progress against my previous visit. That way it allows me to pick up from where I left off the last time and see how I can improve.
For me the OLED is like having an instructor sat next to you telling you that the line you've just driven is the right one. The instant feedback gives instant learning which means I remembered the feeling of what I was just doing with the pedals and the steering. This makes it easier to do it the next time around. It takes the theory out of it by converting it into practice.
I would say that for anyone considering buying a Video Vbox, stretch to the package that includes the OLED. Do whatever 'man calculations' you need to, its worth the extra invtement as it completes the Vbox. If you don't you will probably end up wishing you had or lusting after it. I didn't realise what was possible with the OLED at the time of buying the solo Vbox, I thought it was just a 'nice to have'. In reality I've now found it delivers a significant extra dimension to video data logging that increases your learning and enjoyment.
Edited by dw1, 11 June 2012 - 06:27 PM.
to JJJ and techieboy, very good point, you don't have to have the video vbox, you get predictive lap timing with the PerformanceBox in their latest firmware, amazing value. The PerformanceBox is one feature laden unit.
