Garmin Catalyst, Driving Performance Optimizer with Real-time Coaching and Immediate Track Session Analysis, for Motorsports and High Performance Driving (010-02345-00) , Black , 6.95 inch

I’ve been doing track days and racing and have realized just how useful data acquisition is for improving your driving (very, it’s very useful). If you don’t have a DA system, get one. ANY system is better than none, trust me here.As an AIM SOLO user, this is -very- different. The underlying data stored is pretty much the same and while the Garmin Catalyst interface does allow you to quickly get to it, once you start playing around and digging deeper you realize that there’s quite a bit of information in this tool.I find that between sessions, the Garmin is wonderful. It’s easy to setup and intuitive to use. Finding opportunities between sessions is simple and allows you to make effective use of your track time. You can find 3 “opportunities” and get a good idea of what to do in order to improve. Since the Garmin is using your own variance in the laps, it’s never telling you to do something that you are incapable of doing. In addition, as it keeps logging more information and you improve, it will keep picking your best performance from that segment and identify that as the best approach. This is something you would manually do with an AIM Solo but comparing video or downloading the trace, here that analysis is done for you and you’re simply presented with the best line / approach.Does this replace all other DA systems? No, it does not. In fact, I actually still run my AIM SOLO in conjunction. I find that the AIM SOLO LED green / red display is much easier to grasp without thinking while actually driving. In theory the Garmin display also uses a predictive lap timer and give your the same green / red information with a time delta, but WHILE you’re actually driving… it’s just not as easy to grasp. With the AIM SOLO, more green LEDs are better, that’s all you have to know. If you took a different line through a corner and got a green LED for your troubles, great… do more of that. With the Garmin, if it’s green you don’t get MORE green, you would have to see if the number went up or down.In addition, I wish the Garmin was more flexible with camera placement. Right now the camera is on the windshield. Good for identifying the line but not necessarily for seeing what YOU as the driver were doing, where you were looking, etc. etc. In between sessions I find the Garmin system phenomenal for identifying the biggest opportunities (you can chase time in every corner but some corners will net aa bigger return on investment than others, with the Garmin it does the analysis for you). At the end of the day, I still use the AIM SOLO combined with video from BEHIND the seat to show me not just the line, but also the AIM SOLO (with the LEDs) and what the driver is doing (I shifted later / earlier, I actually started turning later / earlier). Then come up with an overall plan for the entire lap based on identifying the best segments and car position (and orientation).Is this worth the money? Yeah, it really is.If you have an AIM SOLO should you still get this? I’m not returning mine, I plan on continuing to use both.If you don’t have a Data Acquisition system would you buy this one first? If you’re not a data person and have no other DA system, then yeah this is probably a great first data system (and works well as an ONLY data system).

I’ve used the Catalyst for about 5 sessions now and it’s taken me that long to get really comfortable with it. I’ve graduated from Harry’s and different combinations of cameras, that sometimes would or wouldn’t all work together, and sometimes they even synched. It certainly was a lot to worry about even when it did behave.The Catalyst, like most Garmin products I use, works without much fuss and does the job nicely. The camera captures great video and the unit has plenty of mounting and power flexibility. While I would like the addition of OBD2 parameters for the improved “hero” videos, the existing functionality is perfectly good for the core function of driver coaching.I love wearing my Bluetooth ear buds to get real-time coaching feedback, as well as lap by lap times. In regular driving the screen just displays elapsed lap time as well as a red or green Delta times. I’m not looking at it, anyway.The audio coaching focuses on positive re-enforcement with hints on apex, braking and such with a “good job” when something goes well. I would recommend adding a negative reinforcement feature. All true learning involves pain so “that sucked” would be perfectly appropriate and welcome, as well as “what were you thinking” and “Duh!”.The post-session analysis in areas to improve is where this shines. It took me a while to come to grips with the idea that LONGER braking may be better, or that an apex I hadn’t considered faster was better, but by doing some experimenting with lines and then following the advice of the Catalyst my lap times have consistently improved.Video review and download is simple and quick, battery life seems good. The size is right. I’m looking-forward to continued firmware updates with more features!

I’ve stopped using my aim solo dl 2 altogether since purchasing the catalyst. However, there’s a lot of future potential in the catalyst with future updates. Two issues/improvements that could be made:1) when I crashed, the catalyst did not record my final lap. It seems the catalyst does not store recordings for any final incomplete lap. Further, if you wanted to use this for auto cross, etc. you will not currently be able to as the recording will not start until a lap has been completed. I hope in the future garmin will release an update that allows for continuous recording once a driving sessions has started.2) you cannot currently compare data across multiple sessions. I would love the ability to compare data from my top 1-2 laps from one session against a different session, or across cars or drivers. I think there’s a lot of potential in the catalyst if they add peer to peer sharing in the future.I’m a visual leaner and have found lots of opportunity for improvement just by comparing video footage, entry, and min speeds for myself to others with similar cars. The catalyst has been the best learning tool for me to date.

Bottom line: Worked better than my annoying track coach:)) Seriously this is an amazing piece of tech for the track. I am a novice and it improved my times as the track day moved on. I noticed experienced drivers using it at the DE. My coach said he was afraid I was going to divorce him :O

While I’ve only been able to run 2 days on track with the Catalyst I’m impressed with the product and believe it will be beneficial to improving my driving. I especially like the immediate feedback. No need to transfer video off my GoPro and analyze with my lap timer. After each session all that information is easily available and can be reviewed on the device itself.I think it’s important to know that the analysis is on “Your” lap performance, not an optimized lap programmed into the device. I shows you where you gained / lost time lap vs lap and makes suggestions. I noticed my consistency continually getting better by using the suggestions and visual reviews. I’m thinking it’ll be very helpful to have a coach for a day or several sessions then have that data stored on the Catalyst to reference for future improvements.Overall a great device, can’t wait for spring to get back out and use it more.