I’m looking to purchase a mychron 4, and was curious what other things I would need to accommodate a KA100 engine package. I figure that the mychron 4 is plenty, and don’t need to spend on a mychron 5. Any input is greatly appreciated!
For a KA, you’ll need the RPM sensor and all that is a wire from the gauge that wraps the plug wire. Also a sensor to detect the start/ finish. This will be either an optical or magnetic sensor. Contact the track you will be using and ask about which system they use.
The magnetic type uses a wire imbedded in the track while the optical requires an infrared beacon.
With the M4, you’ll be able to connect one more sensor, with an Mychron4-2T, two. An EGT is nice to have for carb tuning purposes. Without it, you’ll need to check the plug color and exhaust color.
You could also eliminate the start/finish sensor with a GPS-05 sensor, which would add several channels of addition data. A GPS module well for us at most tracks but we did run into one track that the GPS missed s/f a lot of the time. There is a GPS-08 module that can access two satellite systems, but do not know if it is compatible with an M4. The setup of GPS on an M4 was awkward and requires a separate program from RaceStudio2. To off load data from the M4 and transfer it to a pc you’ll need a Data Key.
The M4 is a good unit but it’s out of production. If you’re planning to use GPS, consider a Mychron 5. It comes with GPS and almost every track in the world is stored in it. One program, RaceStudio3, handles the gauge and GPS configuration. Downloading data is quicker with the M5 because there is nothing to connect, it uses WIFI.
It’s probably going to depend on the mychron 4 deal you can get really. As tony said, if you want to go GPS then chances are a 5 will offer better value.
Essential: RPM, infrared lap time
Non essential starting out: exhaust temp.
Optional: data key to download data and review in race studio.
A data key may also push the price of the 4 closer to the 5
Although the 4 is older, AIM’s support in general is very good. I’d go as far to say a 3 would even do the job to get you going.
Realized that the M4 is not going to give you speed. To do this, you would need a speed collar that fits on the rear axle that has a magnet plus the sensor. Off the top of my head, you might also need a hub to connect the sensor to and then connect the hub to the M4. If you want to dive into creating your own Math channel in RaceStudeo2Analyis, knowing the rpm, gear ratio and tire circumference, you could calculate speed.
All that is not necessary if you add a GPS sensor to the M4 or purchase the M5.
The M5 has a ton of useful features. I’ve been running one for the last 3 years and I’m spoiled.
That should be testimony enough.
The 5 is significantly more convenient. It’s wireless for data retrieval. It has gps and finds the track, etc. if you can afford, go for the 5.
When I was first starting, I sourced a used Mychron 4 ($250) and purchased a water temp sensor ($35) from an online retailer (Useful for a TaG Engine). Later as I actually raced, I was looking at Data and I had not collected enough to make any real comparisons from it (Time vs. Distance/Position). I knew I was quicker on one lap over another, but nothing measured to explain why or where the change had occurred. Then I got a GPS-08 Module ($150) to gather Coordinate Data along with Lat/Long Acceleration info. With that, you need a way to get the Data off your Mychron 4 to analyse it. Now comes in the Data Key ($100), To make a long story short, my initial purchase of a M4 instead of a M5, ended up costing about the same if not a little more (+$35) to achieve what the 5 provides out of the box. Both have the capacity for expansion with kits to gather further Data, but bang for the buck, the M5 became a better Value compared to the M4 for the same functionality. (Little did I know at the time.) Additionally, like Tony_Z mentioned, the Mychron 4 is out of production! Lastly, I must concede I did not buy all of the peripheral components at once, so the cost was spread out over about a year. As James stated, it really depends on what kind of Deal you are getting to whether it is worth it or not.
I would definitely get an M5. Once you download your data to RS3 the possibilities become endless. Plus you don’t need to purchase any extra add on modules for GPS etc… as this can become rather pricey real quick.