Data Acquisition?

What are you guys using? Honestly how useful is video if you have the data? In a track day situation it might be useful to know when you were held up by traffic but besides that

I've thought about using Harry's or something similar but if I have to drop a couple hundred on a GPS is it worth it vs saving for the real deal.

For review purposes for non-pros I think video is more useful than data. Smartphone apps that use the phone's accelerometers and GPS can be a good bang-for-buck deal, especially since some are free.

Video is good for telling you what the driver is doing.
Data is good for telling you what the car is doing.
Of course, it's not that simple, but it's basically what I've found. Basically, reviewing video I can get a fee for what I was doing wrong as far as taking lines and such. When reviewing data, I can get a feel for whether I'm using the brakes and accelerator how I thought I was. I can see where I had wheel spin, sometimes that I could feel, sometimes that I couldn't. I can see where I was engaging the ABS. I can even see where I was lifting a rear tire. What I really really wish I had was steering angle, but I still find it's useful.
The problem (for me) is being able to ignore it completely at the event. I have a hard time doing that and end up being a guy who's operating a data acquisition system more than a guy who's out driving. For the last 3 events I've left the camera and the data acquisition at home and have just gone driving and it's been more fun. I'm thinking about changes to the car and I do need a couple more events of data to get a better baseline before the change.

Yeah it's more work in the lineup, I ran dual cameras a couple of times (in a Best Motoring kind of setup) and that was really overwhelming when I had to come in and get ready to start.

I find video more entertaining but data is where I find speed. I use a Traqmate.

I have an Aim solo. $399, GPS predictive lap timer with three axis accelerometer in a compact unit that fits in your pocket and moves car to car with nothing to install or wire up. Configurable displays and professional software(if a bit non intuitive at first).

Video is fun to watch. Speed comes from data. The predictive lap timer is awesome for qualifying.

I have a gopro, which seems to be on the fritz, and I have a mount for my iphone but as not impressed with the GPS by default. I was looking at the Aim solo

I had AIM Mychron Gold in my old Focus but that was 9yrs ago

Not to sidetrack, but what sensors are you using with the data aq?

What kind of inputs will it accept? 0-10v, 4-20mA, or is is limited to brand specific sensors?

Do they (or the classes you run) allow "shift without lift"?

In a previous job I did custom sensor installations for suspension, steering, and shift w/o lift for various racing leagues ( along with all different types of custom sensors and load cells for other industries).

If you need advice on designing and specing sensor installations I can help out. If you need someone to do the installation we discuss if its something I can help with, or refer you to someone that can give you a quality installation.

To combine video with data, I use a product called Race Render

There is another one called Track Vision also

I find it useful for events where the course is the same year after year. For autocross, you really need to analyze it too quickly to learn from it. I find my time is better spent watching other drivers. I use trackmaster which is an android app, I use an external gps($70) and I use race render to sync video to data.