Traqmate Traqdash Review

What is it:A new extended display from Traqmate, it integrates a lap timer, tachometer, shift lights and more into one display.

Who is it for:
The track junkie who wants more information at his fingertips, the racer who is looking to substitute his analog dash display at a price well below competitors.

Do you want it:
Yes you do and it gets an A+ Axis recommendation .

Cost:
$799.00

Disclaimer: Traqmate is an advertiser on Axis but if you have been following these pages, you know we were clients of theirs way before they became sponsors of ours.

Traqdash is the long awaited extended display for the Traqmate data logger.  It is an upgrade from the familiar lozenge shaped display which is part of their basic system. It features a 4.3" pressure touch screen topped by a nine segment shift light display. Data is recorded on an SD card and it connects to the main Traqmate sensor unit via locking connectors.

Traqdash allows the user to configure all settings directly, without the need for a computer.
 It can be as simple as a basic lap timer or can be configured to accept up to four analog and two digital inputs from sensors on your ride.
Traqdash allows you to remotely control LANC equipped Sony cameras as well as ChaseCams and, as of early 2012, GoPro cameras. That is exciting news, many of us used the ChaseCam / Traqmate combo in the past, the convenience was undeniable. Unfortunately, those early ChaseCams although wonderfully built, are now very much obsolete in terms video quality. Being able to substitute a GoPro is the perfect solution.

I have used it for a couple of track days now and I'm hooked. I cannot imagine going without it. I mounted mine as a dash replacement, it happens to fit perfectly in the BMW instrument binnacle, so a couple of L shaped brackets and some industrial Velcro and it was a done deal. Here is what it looks like in action.



Traqdash can be attached to a common suction cup mount, in that case you might choose to use it a a simple timer or perhaps as additional gauges.
Visibility is very good, The anti glare screen is quite effective with the backlight strong enough for full daylight but dimmable enough for night work. In fact, there is an effective Auto Dimming feature.

Probably my favorite feature on Traqdash is the predictive lap timer, It will tell you how your current lap is compared to either the best ever recorded by you or your best in that particular session. It does this with a graph which changes from red to green. Red you are slow, green you're good, brilliant!

Touch screen, how does it work with gloves?  It's actually a pressure screen and Traqmate, being run by racers, did their homework well: the amount of pressure needed is perfect as is the size of the hotspots on the display. Operating it with gloves is no problem at all.

Having everything integrated in one display, tach, timer and shift lights is great.  Having access to it at that price point is incredible.
After the jump you can find a slide show with most of thescreens on the display to get an idea of the parameter you have access to. If you have any specific questions about the Traqdash, feel free to ask in the comments.

In the market for a system?  Let me remind you that between November 4th and 7th, Traqmate is running a special, one time sale. You can save up to $250 on a system. A great opportunity as these systems do not get discounted.