Re: Reading telemetry - help
Hey! There's no straight and concise answer here, pal.
What's your platform? Codemasters' F1 can broadcast your telemetry for any device in your network. Even if you're on console, you can keep a telemetry app or logger open on your PC or laptop
Are you still able to get a refund? There are many paid apps out there, and I have used some since I got into this franchise. Including SRT, years ago. But unless there's a specific use case you're looking for that a specific app fits better, I don't see how one could justify paying for it. In other words, unless you know that a certain app offers a more streamlined UX for what you like to do with your data, keep with the free stuff.
Now I just use professionals tools MoTec and McLaren Atlas for the nitty-gritty stuff, and free/freemium services like Garage61 and VRS for the routine analysis. That's all for iRacing, but I mention it even still just to show that you should really have a reason to pay for these things.
If you're lost on the SRT app, I really don't see the point in paying for it until you learn the ropes of telemetry analysis.
A few free tools:
- Telemetry Tool from Iko Rein @IkoRein . Oh my audacity of tagging this legend here 🤣. It's a superb app that will cover 99% of use cases out there. The only thing that may go against it is the interface and user friendliness.
- PXG F1 Telemetry from an old user and friend of ours. He's off to greener pastures now and the app is no longer being supported, but you can still use it by setting F1 23 to broadcast your telemetry in the legacy UDP format.
- Track Titan. The free tier will give you plenty and help you familiarize yourself with telemetry analysis.
- EA's own Racenet. Never used it though 🤷
Resources. There are many to get you started, from the fundamentals to manage your tyres to actual manuals for telemetry apps – like this one for RST Software. Many guides on youtube as well, but let's say that tyre management usually is a culmination point and not a conversation starter.
How's your driving? Can you post your speed, throttle and brake traces for us to take a peek? F1 is a simcade and even though you can certainly make it harder and unpleasant to drive with a bad setup, you really need to go out of your way to mess up your performance with setup alone. Almost always, a tyre issue is a driving issue.
Overlapping inputs. Not modulating inputs. Being too aggressive on throttle application. Not being consistent. It's a long list and you'll be hard pressed to find a magic setup that fixes your tyre issues all the while enabling you to keep on applying bad technique.
There's no setup silver bullet, unfortunately.
Also consider that F1 caters for a broad audience, from pad users to simracers on expensive rigs. If you're playing with all simulation options cranked up, but your technique is subpar, there's no way to supplement that deficit. Even if you grab a tasty, pristine, irreproachable setup from a pro player, it won't stop your bad driving from hurting your tyres – quite the contrary, actually, since those setups tend to live on a knife's edge.
Same goes for telemetry. There's no single data field or trace to look at and know instantly what's hurting your tyres. For the most part, it's a methodical approach to improve your driving, eliminate and control tons of variables and factors, troubleshoot setups and fine tune your ride.
You also need to consider that racing slicks have a cliff. Their performance isn't a linear scale from tyre blankets to pit stop; they degrade and degrade until you reach a point that they're literally cooked, and your performance takes a dive as if it had fallen from a cliff – hence the name.
Tyre management is king in this sport. You can't keep demanding 100% qualifying laps from your tyres – and here's where the consistency steps in. You need to be able to be fast when needed, then dial down 1-3% on your pace (0.8 to 2 seconds per lap) on command to make your strategy work.
TL;DR: Post your charts, pal. Speed, throttle and brake traces. We should start from there.
