logging question

[LTUDSM]

Hey DSM'ers,ummm, i m thinking to get a data logger,cause i have a MAFT Gen2 and i need to do some logging,im really new into that,so i need suggestion on which logger to get and what else do i need for start logging THanks alot....

 

[LTUDSM]

anyone???

 

[thrdtryGSX]

It all depends on how far you want to go. I have a palm m125 and it works great. You can use color palms like the m505 and 515. It depends on how much you want to spend. Check this one out...http://cgi.ebay.com/PALM-m125-PDA-C...2QQihZ009QQcategoryZ38331QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[LTUDSM]

ok if il get this one, what else do i need to get??? and how do i conntrol this logger??? how does it work??

 

[JayRolla]

http://obdloggers.com/

 

[LTUDSM]

i saw full kit for 105$ is it worth or i could get somewhere else cheaper

 

[JayRolla]

$105 is not bad. If you look on ebay there is a guy that sells just the cable and software for like $25. Then all you need is a palm with os 3.5 or higher which can be found for under $20. Color palm like I have cost me like $40 and its nicier than the one with the kits usually.

 

[LTUDSM]

well i think i will get the whole kit,caus buying by the parts it will be PITA thanks for the info guys

 

[LTUDSM]

ok i found the Palm Z22 is it good enough to do logging with this unit??? does anyone knows something about it??

 

[kenamond]

ok i found the Palm Z22 is it good enough to do logging with this unit??? does anyone knows something about it??

I don't know about that model, but one thing to keep in mind is that whatever you get, it must have a serial port. USB won't work. If it's an older model, it won't have USB, but make sure before you buy.

Also, others have found certain options very valuable with their PDAs. Color is nice if the application you're using uses color. Backlit screens are useful for night. PDAs which get power from the docking station let you wire the unit to your car, so you don't have to worry about replacing batteries all of the time.

You can make your own cable, too, if you're strapped for cash or like that sort of project. Basically, the software is free (there are a few options for 1g that are very good and free) and the cable is dirt cheap if you make it yourself. The only thing you need to pay for is the PDA and parts for the cable.

Hope that helps.

 

[LTUDSM]

ohhh,so you mean that if ill get any kind of PDA with USB port,it won't work???? and is there any kind of stores that sells Palm's???

 

[kenamond]

ohhh,so you mean that if ill get any kind of PDA with USB port,it won't work???? and is there any kind of stores that sells Palm's???

Get a refurbished Palm off of eBay™. I have a Palm IIIc. If you do an eBay™ search, you'll find out all you need to know about it. You can get one used and/or refurbished for about $50 with the cradle, charging cable, software, etc. It has a rechargeable battery, color screen, and backlighting (can see the screen at night).

You might want to do a search on this forum to find out what 1g folks are using. Some of the 1g logging software might not need the color screen. The black/white models are even cheaper.

Most of the newer PDAs have USB connectors instead of the older, serial ports, but all of the logging software I know of requires serial.

Other things to consider are the logging software package options. I'll list as many as I can think of:
o PC software. This is so that you can download logs and make sense of them in front of a computer using a keyboard. Also lets you upload log data to the forums if you want help.
o Ability to view the log on the PDA. After you do a pull, you can pull over and inspect the data you collected to see if you have knock, are running lean, etc. That's handy when you're dialing in an MBC or tweaking things on the roadside.
o Ability to view both the numbers and the graphs on the PDA. You can see trends on a graph, but you'd like to see the exact O2 sensor voltage at a certain RPM.
o Ability to view the log as raw numbers on your PC. This is good for seeing the raw numbers and for uploading them to the forums (cut and paste). I use pocketlogger (2g only), and the PC viewer tool lets you select individual columns of data to cut/paste, so if you collected 8 parameters during a log, but only want to post 3 of them, you can do it quickly and easily.
o Ability to log all of the essential ECU data. This includes knock counts, timing advance, O2 voltages (front and rear), RPM, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, etc.
o Ability to translate error codes into words. This converts the error codes from a number into English.
o Ability to clear codes. If you have an annoying code that the ECU throws due to some mod you make, you can clear it and turn off the idiot light.

Hope that helps!

 

[LTUDSM]

Thanks a lot for the info it helped me alot BTW i saw most of the people use the Palm IIIc ,so i think that one is more popular then other em i right??

 

[kenamond]

Thanks a lot for the info it helped me alot BTW i saw most of the people use the Palm IIIc ,so i think that one is more popular then other em i right??

I like mine. I can't speak for other peoples' PDA models. If $50 isn't too much, it should work just fine.