Product Review

Product: Athon GPS 3 Lap Timer - Speedometer - Tachometer - Shift Light
Manufacturer: Starlane Performance Electronics
Distributor: Yoyodyne

Jason Temme comments:

I didn’t get to spend a lot of time testing this unit or learning about all the features and capabilities it has, but from the time I did get with it I can tell you that it is one of the best units I’ve used.

First, one of the simplest and user friendly features is that there is no beacon needed. You will never forget to put out or take down your beacon again. You don’t have to worry about batteries for that beacon either! I never realized how much a pain in the “you know what” a beacon was until I didn’t have to worry about it. Because this unit does not require a beacon your lap times are more accurate and are correct 100% of the time because there is no worry as to which of the ten beacons that have been put on hot pit wall are triggering your timer.

Another nice thing about the “beaconless environment” is you don’t need 3 or 4 beacons to get split times. You simply set the GPS where you would like the split times to be, by taking the unit to that point on the track and pressing a button. Once you set the start/finish and split time coordinates for a certain track they can be saved and used the next time you return. Talk about being able to have accurate comparisons of your improvements each time you return to the same venue!

For teams or even friends attending track days - having the ability to set one or more units with the same coordinates for lap and split times is really cool. Comparisons of these times between riders can really help them understand which part of the track is their strong point and where they need improvement.

The split time info is also neat because after a multi-lap session (like a race or practice) you can take your best split times from each section and put them together to figure your ultimate lap time, just like they do for the Moto GP broadcasts!

Another cool piece of data was the average mile per hour for each lap. The only place I have ever received this much info about my lap, split times and speed is from the AMA scoring system (when it works). Now for a lot less than the AMA paid, you can have the same info/data in a very small and reliable package.

Ok, enough about lap, split times and speed (albeit the main reason for purchasing the unit), I could go on and on about the many reasons I like having the data. Other features include Speedometer and RPM display along with a programmable shift light. That’s right, I said shift light, yes - I know it is suppose to be a lap timer but it’s really more than just a lap timer. The RPM and shift light feature is super easy to hook up, no spicing or hard wiring involved. All that you need to do is wrap the supplied inductive wire around the correct ignition pick up wire a couple of times and presto. Quick and easy install and removal with no messy wiring issues.

The unit size and weight is comparable with the head piece of other units on the market and mounted in the same spot I already had for my current unit. It’s also nice not to worry about extra wire and where to mount the pick-up unit, since there is no beacon there is no pick-up unit. The LCD display is large and easy to read while at speed.

I wish I had more time with the Starlane Athon GPS 3 Lap Timer to explore it‘s full functionality. The ease of operation I experienced so far tells me this is unit is very user friendly. I’m also impressed with how accurate the system is. I guess I’ll have to add it to my Christmas list this year.

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