The season is nearly here – in fact for some people it has already started. So that means that you should have already set the data logger up so that it gives you no trouble when you actually hit the circuits. It won’t take very long to do and will pay for itself many times over when the time comes.

The AIM system is very robust and reliable and gives fewer problems than many other much more expensive systems. In fact, it’s the reason that I’m writing this blog. The only other systems that I have seen that are as dependable as the AIM literally cost several thousand pounds more. It is a real bummer when you get to the end of a run and find that you cannot download the data. That has happened to me too often with other systems so now I use AIM. With one of these, I have never had a problem and that means a great deal if you want to run competitively. But you do need to ensure that the system is properly installed and looked after.

The mechanical bits need to be safely attached with decent, properly engineered mountings and the electrical bits need to be kept cool and dry and mounted on rubber to minimise the effect of vibration.

Speed sensors have a hard life unless they are mounted rigidly so that they cannot vibrate and the cable is very vulnerable to accidental damage either in the case of an accident or from a bit of ham-fistedness when changing wheels or doing other essential repairs and maintenance.

One good tip relates to mounting pressure sensors on the engine. The high frequency vibration can destroy a sensor in a very short time. I know one team where the mechanic refused to listen to the advice and they have now installed their third sensor after just one season of racing. The mechanic (whose day job is as a road car mechanic) would not believe that there could be a problem. Because race engines are often mounted rigidly on the chassis, the vibration level is much higher than when the engine has rubber mounts and it literally shakes even the best quality sensors to pieces.

The AIM uses good quality plugs and sockets for all the connectors but make sure that they are firmly located and that the joints are not under any strain. Cable ties are your friend here. It is also worthwhile looking at all the wiring to see that it has not been abraded or overheated.

Keeping the electrics dry can be a problem and it is worth thinking about whether you can mount the system into a sandwich box. The sort with a clip on lid is ideal. There are a few problems to be overcome, like sealing the leads where they go into the box (silicon sealer will do the job) but if you do it properly your expensive logger stays dry forever. Get it wrong and you will end up in a plastic container full of water so do be careful.

When you are happy with the hardware side of your set-up, think about the software. Use Race Studio to get things how you want them. It’s simple enough and I will cover it in my next blog entry