Dsmlink vs. Apexi Power FC

[thisdsm]

I did a search, but it seems the Power FC hasnt been discussed much as it is fairly new to DSMs. Anyways, what advantages does the Power FC have over Dsmlink, other than it being a full standalone system? From reading the specs on the FC, it seems like Dsmlink can do just as much, if not more than the Power FC. Anyways, if any of you guys have worked/experienced both units, I'd like your input because Im in the market to buy one of these bad boys. Im 99% sold on Dsmlink, but I just like to hear what some of you guys have to say about the Apexi Power FC. Thanks!

 

[Echo5Zulu]

Dsmlink is tried and true on dsms. Many a dsmer has made massive amounts of power with dsmlink. Id purchase dsmlink because of these reasons as well as the fact that youll have more knowledge in the community to draw upon if you have problems or need help with it.

 

[Ginglingston11]

i have to agree, im a big apexi fan but for the price and the options, dsmlink is your best bet. DSMlink has a few more options than the power fc, but the power fc better detailed with all the sensors. exactly what Echo5Zulu said, many people here can help you with dsmlink if you ever need help, but nobody here is familiar yet with the power fc.

 

[GVR4592]

I have a lot of experience with both products. They both do the job very well, but Dsmlink has more features, it's a lot cheaper, and you don't have to take it to an authorized dealer to make major changes.

 

[2gAWDTalon]

Yha, DSMLink you make all the changes yourself... and if you need help you have a huge support on there forums. Oh yha, plug & play... the reasons to go DSMLink are endless.

 

[tonygst]

now how is DSMlink plug and play? If im totally mistaken please correct me if im wrong, dont you have to send your ECU to them so they can socket your ECU? Or are their alternatives?

 

[GVR4592]

You don't have to send it to them, anybody with decent soldering skills can socket the ecu, and you can install the Dsmlink chip yourself.

 

[2gAWDTalon]

That is not what I ment... I dont know for sure how the Apexi Power FC works but with DSMLink you can input the deadtime and Globle for you injectors then starta and drive you car right there. Not much setup requiered. Plug and Play. Of corse you will want to tune the car from there but the car will run pretty damn good out of the box. If you are worried about getting a ECU socketed and droping in a chip then any other stand alone is going to be alot tougher.

Luke, what is involved with setting up a Power FC? Is it as detailed as seting up a AEM?

 

[GVR4592]

I tuned an RX7 with the PowerFc, the basemap was very very close. There was very minimal setup required. Much simpler than AEM and probably comparable with Dsmlink.

The user software just isn't flexible enough in my opinion, you have to either get the FC-Datalogit http://www.fc-datalogit.co.nz/ , or have it tuned by an Apexi Power Excel authorized dealer. Without buying the FC-Datalogit package, you can only modify the fuel map by a certain percentage, you can't get wideband datalogging support, and you don't have access to a lot of the tables and settings.

 

[nanokpsi]

FWIW Apexi now sells the Pro software, which is basically the same thing as the FC datalogit it. Its just an APEXi product now. That means you can do everything yourslef too.
I still throw my vote for DSMLink. Way more than what most peaople need and a gamn good buy.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

When I was stationed in Japan, most everyone I knew driving 300zx tt, supras, skylines, silvias, etc., used the Power FC. It's a true standalone ecu replacement which allows you to have control over a ton more variables than dsmlink, but usually you buy it with timing maps made specifically for your car. They have a 2G eclipse/talon option, however last I knew (couple years ago) these didn't come with english instructions. Back in 2005 there was only one dealer in the US authorized by Apexi to install/tune these, not sure if that's changed since then either. I do know from my friends' experiences on jdm cars that with the FC Commander handheld display/input it was a pretty potent unit that lets you tune on the go. But like all Apexi products, it is not the most user friendly product.

Power FC looks cool in the car and is potentially better than dsmlink if you know how to tune with it well (hope your japanese is solid), but for a dsm I think I'd rather go AEM if I were to go true standalone. At least way more people are familiar with tuning it than the Power FC. And dsmlink was developed from the ground up specifically for our cars by dsmers and is used by a large community of dedicated dsm tuners. I think that alone makes it a no brainer.

 

[thisdsm]

thanks for the info guys!