Garmin Catalyst, worth it?

Folks,

So I see Bimmerworld has the Catalyst on sale for $799.

For the folks that have used them, do you feel they are a worthwhile tool?

Thanks!

I don't go to the track without mine--totally worth it.

The value of the Catalyst is in the turn-key nature.  Takes very little effort to get good data and video.  And you can view it on the device itself.

And if you are relatively new to track work, the instructional stuff also adds value.

Personally, I chose a different turn-key approach...RoadKeeper.  Single power cord (GPS is internal).  2 HD cameras.  Turns on/off automatically and never fails (unlike GoPro).  Includes data and a very intuitive program for doing overlays and data analysis.  I still use my AIM SoloII DL for data drill-downs because the resolustion is better, but the RoadKeeper does a great job of integrated media.  All that for $399 or less (SCCA discount).

In reply to Andy Hollis :

I hadn't heard of this system. Here's the link to the website. It looks interesting. 

What's the purpose of the dual cameras? They appear to be both forward facing.

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

This pic on the site (thanks for the link) makes it look like you would set it up with one facing forward and one backward.

I currently have RaceChrono Pro but trying to read the data isn't the easiest for me.

Which is why I'm interested in the Catalyst.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Andy Hollis :

I hadn't heard of this system. Here's the link to the website. It looks interesting. 

What's the purpose of the dual cameras? They appear to be both forward facing.

 

 

Cameras can be rotated 180 degrees and side-to-side by about 30 degrees.  Typically, you'd face one forward and one at the driver.  Many road racers do forward/backward, as required by sanctioning body rules to help in cases of contact.

Oh yeah, it doubles as an on-the-road dash cam (which is likely what the hardware was originally designed for).

I'm really happy with my Catalyst.  It works well, is easy to use, no issues.  At the sale price it's a good deal

Is catalyst gps better than Aim Solo2DL gps?

I like mine so much I may buy another one.

i got one last year and like it.   I haven't found any time with it as of yet but that is likely because all of the track days after my session I find myself bench racing joking chatting with other drivers instead of analyzing the tool.  

a few things

1. while I have the in-car instructor turned on, i didn't connect it via bluetooth so i can't hear it over wind noise, engine noise, etc. 

2. i haven't found any time with it at the moment, but that is a result of my attention being more interested in socializing between sessions instead of data analysis.  So just like diet apps and a host of other tools, they work when used as intended.  The advice it has given me never made me felt uncomfortable

3. its easy to use, posting videos from it up to the internet, saving them, etc. is very easy and the setup for it is also very simple.  

I've just got mine wired into my helmet, don't need to deal with bluetooth etc that way.  Can hear it very clearly too.  However the Catalyst doesn't take into account things like heat soak and tires going away during the latter part of a session, so it gets kinda annoying to hear it yapping on about "keep pushing" etc when you can't go any faster....

Thank you everyone, I'll be ordering one up soon.

I'm a big fan.  The only important things are to make sure you have a way of hearing it (I use a motorcycle intercom setup to instruct, so I can switch that to Bluetooth to hear Bitchin' Betty tell me I suck), and to make sure you turn your profile into the "advanced race instruction" or whatever they call it (it's under your sounds settings). 

That'll give you multiple, useful, inputs per lap.  Otherwise it occasionally suggests something, but it's (in my opinion) too rare and not consistent enough.

As DocWyte says, be prepared to hear a lot of disappointed " keep pushing" as your tires fall off at the end of a session, but overall, it's a great product.

Also, make sure you read the "5 minute recap"guide video they have on how to get the most critical information right after your session.

It's great for people like me who would otherwise never look at the data again; at the track I'm generally too busy instructing, at home I have 5 kids and I'm running my own business....

100% worth it. While I changed a few things on my car throughout the last ~1.5 years, I was consistently finding more and more time at VIR. One time I found more out of Hog Pen on the sheer coincidence I was taking a point by entering the front straight by cutting a bit of distance vs tracking all the way out. 

There is a Garmin Catalyst group on Facebook where units come up for sale lightly used semi-often. I'd give that a look.

I think the next system I get would be a Road Keeper like Andy said, perhaps along with RaceCapture or similar to go further into the data.

I broke down some different systems I've used here. I sold my AIM Solo because the software absolutely sucks to use, and it is highly unintuitive so I found myself never looking at data throughout the day, and the only bit of progress I'd make was between day 1 and 2, if that. The Catalyst is better for making targeted incremental improvements with minimal effort/time involved. Data is only useful if you use it.

https://www.datadrivenmqb.com/driver/laptimers

So this arrived the other day. 2 packs of stickers and gummies! BONUS!

Tom, didn't I see you mention something about a 3D printed bracket for it?

There's a Catalyst under our Christmas tree. I bought the clip from Thing 3 Racing.

https://www.thing3racing.com/product-page/t3r-garmin-catalyst-clip

Thanks!

In reply to CAinCA :

Thanks for the shoutout! We also sell the Catalyst and match all Garmin sales as an authorized dealer... plus the clip comes FREE when you buy direct from us!