crew chief pro or ifamily

[S/P G673]

just wondering what one is better.and pro's and cons for them. I dont have one yet,but am looking into it and dont want to buy the wrong one.

[Lou SG2340]

Don't know ifamily. Crew Chief is the best I ever used. Don is a racer & updates the system on a regular basics. His isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for. You have to have good weather gagues for it to work right

[Chris Williams]

With all due respect to Don (who has done a lot of fine work on his program), I prefer iFamily. It too is built by a racer (Bob Kodadek). It uses a state of the art, commercially available weather station (from Davis instruments) not the other "designed in the 60's" weather stations that seem to be common in drag racing. And it can use as little as one run to get a solid prediction. In addition, in my opinion based on 25 years in the software business, the user interface is clearer and easier to use. I've used both, and prefer iFamily.

[Bill Baer]

I haven't used ifamly software but I have and do use Crewchief pro and it works well and Don does provide excellent support after the sale which I really appreciate.

[GRIGGS]

My father and I use Crew Chief Pro. Haven't used the other brand. Don gives great tech support and is easy to deal with. Also being able to page two different cars at the same time is an added bonus with the team portion of the Crew Chief 7.
Mike and Ernie Griggs

[Chris Williams]

Gee, a tad touchy aren't we? It seems that only you are entitled to your opinion. I have "done my homework" on weather stations, and I know that none of the systems we're using are up to NOAA standards, that would require a Campbell or other similar system costing 10x what these do. But that's a whole different story.

I put "designed in the 60's" in quotes because I meant it as an exaggeration. The user interfaces on everything in drag racing is terrible. The UI on all the weather stations require 20 clicks where two would do, most of the software is cumbersome and obtuse, and 90% of the tools for everything from EFIs to Data Loggers and so on are far too difficult to use. All designed by people who may have a grasp on the nuts and bolts but surely don't know how to design for the end user.

I spend 1/2 my time at the races on any given weekend helping people get software (yours, Bob's, Racepak, whoever) to talk to the weather station or the pager or... or how to set the transbrake on their delay box or... even to work at all. What with all the serial to USB connectors and the terrible interfaces, and Windows being a PITA, the state of the art in drag racing software and hardware has barely made it out of the late 80s...

[Chris Williams]

Congratulations on meeting Bill. Having worked for Microsoft for the better part of a decade and including working directly for Bill, I know him personally. Also, having endured many project reviews with him, I can tell you that anything more than a cursory review of your software would be a painful experience you would not soon forget. I and my team wrote the database system that underlies your software, so I know of what I speak.

But Don, this thread indicates clearly to me why I no longer use your software. I started by making a relatively mild supportive remark for your competitor and you dissed the competition as "farmers". You slammed me telling me I don't know anything about weather systems. When I mention that I am constantly called upon at the track to explain why the system doesn't work, you tell me I'm wrong, it just works. And finally you try to pull the "Bill Gates" card on someone who actually knows and worked with him personally.

Congrats on your national win, must have been fun. If I was to slam you back, I'd say "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then". But I won't. Best of luck with your software and your company.

[S/P G673]

Chris,were you at mission this last weekend? i recognize that car.i also was there but only running s/pro.will you be at pacific this weekend?

[Bob Kodadek]

Originally Posted by Don Higgins

Wow, you mean the really old Farmers type weather station made out of plastic? The one where the baro jumps up and down 20 points where the "others designed in the 60s" is rock solid?

These weather stations were NOT designed in the 60s. If you had done any homework at all, which you haven't, then you would see the patent for racing weather stations was started in the late 80s by Altronics. The Altalab was originally designed in the 90s, and the current Performaire, Altalab, and Computech systems are on par with anything available anywhere. Keep in mind, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just not their own facts.

There is a reason I don't sell the farmers weather station. They do have a nice rain gauge which is super spiffy information.

Just the uniformed opinion of the Chicago National Event Super Comp winner....

Geez Don,

Why do you insist on continuing to embarrass yourself? Are you that insecure? You should be. The more you lie, the more ignorant you sound.

Here's my opinion, you're nothing more than a "Johnny Come Lately", a copycat, hell bent on bashing all the companies and the real programmers that came long before you. Good people who won't speak up for themselves. You should be ashamed of yourself, but you're not intelligent enough to realize it.

Bob Kodadek

[DOS VETTES]

This is get'in good! I'm goin for some popcorn and wait for Don!