A few months ago we reviewed the Sim Instruments Dash, and we talked about how we would be reviewing a product from Renovatio, and here it is. This is our review of the Renovatio SRD-9C Digital Data Display.
Box Cover Info
“The SRD-9C is a USB digital data display for the visualization of vehicle, engine and telemetry data compatible with the best racing titles on the PC. Select the game of your choice and connect with your SRD-9C, take to the track and enjoy the realism like you’ve never experienced before.
With the the SRD-9C, you will find it easy to improve your performance on the track because now, everything is under your control.
Technical Specs
- Gear indicator: 1 x Red LED Digit
- Timing Lights: 2 x 4 Red LED Digits
- RPM Shift Indicator: 12 x LEDS (4 Green/4 Red/4 Blue)
- Warning Lights: 4 x LEDS (Red/Yellow/Blue/Green)
- Telemetry: SRD Manager 2
Review
The version of the SRD-9C we recieved is the full display, which features an enclosure, but there is a module unit that can be used for DIY projects. One of the toughest problems I had to figure out is how to mount the device, since I couldn’t find a standard way to mount the device. I ended up using a budget version of Sugru to mount the dash to my T500RS racing wheel, and it worked just fine. You could likely find a way to mount the dash effectively, but the Sim Instruments dash offers more ways to mount the device to you rig.
Also looking at the device, you can tell it doesn’t nearly have as much in the way of features as the Sim Instruments dash, with it noticeably missing the LCD screen.
However, the big draw of the Renovatio is compatibility. While the Sim Instruments Dash is compatible with about 5 or 6 titles, the Renovatio SRD-9C boasts compatibility with over THIRTY titles, including iRacing, rFactor 2, F1 2013, Project CARS, even Live For Speed! The sim’s software sets profiles for each title, so you can tweak your settings to whichever sim you are running. There are some various compatibility issues that I have encountered though. For example, the dash likes to think the Lotus 49 in Assetto Corsa has a top speed of 450 MPH, and half the time the dash is sluggish on iRacing. I have also had multiple crashes with the SRD Manager, which is required to be open for the dash to function. Renovatio definitely has some issues to iron out in regards to the software.
One thing worth mentioning is that the LEDS are very bright. It may be distracting for some, but I was able to get used to it after a little while.
Now I want to elaborate a bit on the Telemetry. It works well, but is fairly limited at the moment. I found that I had some issues when it came to the telemetry aspect of the software, where I couldn’t customize the parts of the software that were advertised. I’m hoping it will be fixed in a future patch, because with how it is set right you, you can not effectively analyze the data.
One of the biggest off-putting factors of this device though, is the price. The Sim Instruments Dash retails for around $150, while the Renovatio retails for $120 without an enclosure, and a whopping $200 with an enclosure! The question boils down to “Is the Renovatio really worth the extra $50?” Realistically it will come down to what you are looking to get out of your sim experience. If you are looking for the most information possible, and use the limited amount of sims that are supported, then I would likely recommend the Sim Instruments Dash over the Renovatio, due to it being simpler to mount, and easier to use. However, the SRD-9C is a great product, that could be made even better with some simple software updates, to make it a much easier product to recommend.
Pros/Cons and Revs Scale
Pros
Huge compatibility list
Lightweight
Module option available for DIY projects
Includes telemetry software
Cons
Expensive compared to competition
Difficult to mount
Doesn’t show as much information as other displays
Performance can vary depending on title
Telemetry has some hiccups
Darins additional Con – Had to unplug and reconnect the dash every time I rebooted my machine. It was recognized by Windows, but not by Renovatios software until I unplugged and re-plugged it in
REVS Scale
7/10
Final Thoughts
The Renovatio SRD-9C attempts to bring a full fledged data analysis system in the form of a dash that includes a full Telemetry system. For the most part it succeeds, but the the minor flaws add up to make things a lot more complicated than they need to be, and for a $200 price tag, is difficult to recommend when there are less expensive products that provide more for the user.
The Renovatio SRD-9C is available at www.renovatio-dev.com.