crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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. :)

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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...

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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?

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

Yep we were at mission, and won Super Comp on Sunday (with iFamily :) ). We are a Pacific, just got back from tech, will have time runs tomorrow, eliminations start Saturday.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

We use Don's Crew Chief Pro and it works pretty good. We like it because we have 3 cars and can use it for all 3.

We've never tried iFamily, in fact I've never heard about it before until now.

Also, I know quite a bit about weather stations and software - but I've never met or worked for the real Microsoft Bill Gates. I did work for a guy that had the same name though. Does that count?

Anyway, I Hope you two can get along and good luck to both of you wherever you may be racing.

Thanks,
Brad Rose
Rose Racing

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

well then,i will look for you and introduce myself.I will be there saturday.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

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

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

I know a very well known and winning, DIV 4 super class racer that told me he uses the Crew Chief Pro software so that he can tell what the other racers are think about to adjust their cars. He feels this gives him an advantage because he knows his info is better, especially in large weather swings.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

so are you saying he uses ccp to find out what they" would "be changing and then uses family for his own setup?

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

What I meant to say was that he uses the CCP to get an idea on what you think is happening so when he races you he can adjust how you are going to race. How much you (using CCP) will be allowing for weather changes etc. He did tell me that parts of CCP are pretty good but, other parts aren't. I use and old B&G computer, similar to the ifamily unit (I think). I use in conjunction with a spreadsheet to help me predict ET changes for the change in weather. Once I know the weather change, then I will make adjustments for track, wind etc.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

There is a lot of good systems out there, myself i love the computech program. I have tried others and ever have the deer in the headlights look, well we did and sold them, to much info.
BTW Computech system won us the US Nationals the first year we used the system. but we didn't win Chicago, lol

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

Don is the Guy that is at almost all national events for support to me that goes a long way I am sure this other company is good I have not heard of it are you at races and do you have updates and a web site I would like to check it out thanks PS lets all get along

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

We use Crew Chief and Don has been a great help on the phone and at the track. Never heard of the other system.

my .02

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

I can't comment on the Ifamily but I have phoned Don a couple of times and he has been great with technical support. Most of us are computor illiterate but his instructional videos make it easy. I would recommend his program to anyone. Look at his customers and their accomplishments.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

I too can not comment on the other program. I have known Don for 5 Years and use Crew Chief Pro. There was a comment made earlier in this thread "a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while". No one is better at customer service than Don.. I remember 3 years ago in Norwalk Don in the lanes taking calls from customers and people walking up to him with print outs and time slips while he is in his car. I know i like to be focused before i run, Don just smiles and answers the questions.

When Don gets back from a run... there are people waiting for him. With questions and "look at this" I know cause i was one of them...not to bitch, but to show him 3 10.90's in a row and if i could drive a little i would have killed that weekend.

Don thanks for all the help and you have a customer and friend for life.
i have some oreo's too...

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

As many have already said on here, I have not used the other program. All I know for sure is that Crew Chief Pro has completely changed my racing program. I have never been more consistant with any other program, and I have tried many. Don has continued to upgrade this program to where it is today. I'm not saying there aren't other programs out there that will work. I'm just giving my opinion on what has worked and continues to work for me.

Don's customer service is second to none. I have called Don late in the evening out here on the west coast, and I always get help even though it is quite late where he is. The tutorial he has included in his program is awesome. Anyone that cannot work that system after watching those videos really shouldn't be behind the wheel of a race car.

As one of the very respected racers out here told me once: "There are 2 kinds of people racing, those that use Crew Chief Pro and those that should be"

Nuff said

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

this is the kind of info that i like to see,thanks to everyone for thier coments,it seems that everyone is impressed with dons customer service,but i have heard from a few people that he sometimes makes you feel stupid when you ask a "stupid" question.I myself am not all that computer literate. My son just showed me how to cut and paste after all this time of writing out things on different sites. I did talk to a few people this past weekend at the northwest nationals who use the family software program,thay also had some good points to make. I am totaly confused now.I guess if you look around the track,you DO see more CCP users.now i dont know if thats just because someone markets thier product more or if it is a better product.keep the coments comming.

Thanks,Jason.

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

All I can say is I raced a bracket race the other weekend and ran 6 or 7 10.90s in a row. Last year at the vegas division the car was on WON the race and the division Championship for the third time. Thanks to CrewChiefPro and Don Higgins!

Re: crew chief pro or ifamily
 

I had been using the Crew Chief Pro 6 for several years but when the new Pro 7.1 became available I upgraded to the newer version. Our first event using the 7.1 was at the SoCal Super Comp event at Fontana on June 26. Up until that event we had never raced the new car in Super Comp so I expected that we would have a rough weekend. The first "time" run was a wasted run, for reasons only the driver knows for certain the engine shut off as he was leaving the starting line. One down and only one more time run to qualify. The second run was based off our Super Gas numbers, that run produced a 8.959. From there I was able to get a grip on the timer tune-up and ran a 8.918 (I was trying to run a "Safe" mid 8.91. Our subsequent runs were:

8.910
8.906
8.908
8.924 (We lost that round by .005 trying to tighten up the race at the stripe, ie. a slight Pilot Failure)

The following weekend we went back to Fontana to run the SoCal ProGas race. Based off the Super Comp set up we qualified with a 9.901 using the Pro 7.1.

Bottom line is that the Crew Chief Pro7.1 is the best piece of equipment in our racing program. I'm not familiar with iFAMILY Software, I have never heard of them. That's not to say anything bad about them, I just never encountered anyone who has used their program. Nearly everyone that races out here, (Southern California), uses the Crew Chief Programs. Don's program and service, coupled with our AltaLab Trailer Station, is all I need. The results from the past two events is enough proof for me.

Again, my comments are not intended to make disparaging remarks about other software programs or Weather / Trailer Stations, just to say that what we have REALLY works.

Bob Mendenhall