Well, I finally go to wear one in battle Saturday, as Kirk and I shared a system in his car for the 13 hour enduro.

Some thoughts...

-As mentioned many times here, the device seems kind of annoying in the pits/paddock/grid when you first hook it up. It clicks and rattles and if you try to move your head quickly it makes its presence known.
BUT... Honestly. As soon as I got up to speed on the track I completely forgot I was wearing the thing. Now I'm considering putting a big Issac decal on the dash to remind me that I have it on in case I have to make a quick exit.

-Its not totally easy to attach, especially in a hurry. We decided to have crew help on each side of the driver to eliminate fumbling. This worked very very well as all the driver had to do was basically sit there while his help hooked him up and strapped him in. Just pull everything tight and GO.
In minimum time stops (which we didn't have in this race, but most SCCA regions DO have for their enduros) the extra time to get things attached won't be an issue.

-Disconnection... Takes maybe one second. Really.

-The only movement restriction I felt was turning my head significantly to the right to look at the outside mirror on that side. You have to do it slowly of the Isaac resists the turn. Turned out to be a non-issue because I just stopped using that mirror and used the interior Allview instead. I have a wink 4 panel in my car, so I expect it to be a non-issue there as well.
You CAN twist your head fully in either direction (something that you really can't do with the HANS), you just have to do it slowly.

So my overall score is a thumbsup for the Issac.
Testing shows that it works, its about as unrestrictive as a H/N system is going to be, the price is competitive, and its damned easy to get free of in a hurry.
If Renee likes it at the ARRC, we'll be buying a system.

 

Scott, you should have asked me about the Issac..............I've had mine since the spring. Exactly like you said......jingles and clunks in the paddock and pits......on the track you don't even know you have it on. Restrictive, in the good sense......so damn easy to remove. Only thing that makes hooking it up easier is a wife, or girlfriend, or crew member etc.

Although, David Bowlin, H2 Type R (Davidnyc) is able to put it on himself by hooking it up prior to putting his helmet on then sliding under his helmet and placing it on his head. Not that easy to do the first time, but I did need to attempt this once when my wife wasn't around........it was tough to scutch down with belts and such all hooked up, but I did it. Get a wife/girlfriend/crew member, makes it a lot easier.

Like I was telling Jason Franza and John Whitaker at Summit this past weekend.........Don't die doing something you love just because it cost $900......we all have blown more then that on unnecessary mods here and there for our cars....

Oh by the way.........Congrats on the VIR win.....you guys did me proud !!!

 

Thanks, Phil. It means a lot to hear that.

I second everything said here about the Isaac. I now officially own the one that we were testing at the enduro. One aspect of the deal that did surprise me was that the two drivers who didn't use the system didn't complain about the units living on the shoulder harnesses during their stints...

K

 

Thanks Phil.

We had alot of fun. Grab any of Eds pics that you want and put them on your website. A whole bunch of them clearly show your decals. Ed just wants credit as the photog.

Maybe you can run the GSR in the 13 hour race next year and give me a ride in my old car (nudge nudge wink wink) .

 

Thanks for the review on the Isaac.

Congrats on the win!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civicrr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for the review on the Isaac.
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Hmmmmm???? now there's a thought.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
You CAN twist your head fully in either direction (something that you really can't do with the HANS)
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Wrong. Have you worn a properly fitted HANS? If not, don't comment.

I'm glad to hear more of my club pals considering the purchase of head/neck restraints.

Wear something!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Track rat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Wrong. Have you worn a properly fitted HANS? If not, don't comment.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Define "Properly Fitted."
If you mean my very own custom fitted piece... No, I haven't.
If you mean someone elses that seemed to fit me fairly well... Yes, I have.

At least one other racer on this board (racerjon???) has also commented that the HANS restricted his ability to rotate his head fully. I've heard the same from other people that use the device as well.
If you know a trick some of us don't know. Please share.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Track rat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm glad to hear more of my club pals considering the purchase of head/neck restraints. Wear something!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Definitely.

I'll also agree that wearing a Hans does not restrict turning the head in either direction. We've had a wink mirror in the crx and integra, so I position the outside passenger mirror to point so that I can see even past what I do in the wink mirror. At this point you can see a part of the same object in your peripheral vision, but I like being able to see all of it in the mirror as well - gives me a better visual picture of what is around me, and it's a personal preference. With the Hans it's no problem at all to check the outside mirror. I also like the Hans because I can quite easily exit the car through the window without taking it off, so zero time is lost doing that. However, reading about the Isaac system it looks like it has its benefits as well. to getting one of these head and neck restraint system.

 

Perhaps some folks shorten their HANs tethers; contrary the manufacturer's recommendations?

My tethers are at OEM length and when I'm strapped in to my 98 Integra with my HANS, I can easily see both side mirrors and, of course, my wink. If it weren't for my huge seat mounted lateral head supports, I could even see both "B" pillars. I have approx 160 degrees of left-to-right head movement and no waiting for dashpots to relax.

I'm not trying to sell anyone a HANS over ISSAC, but interested buyers deserve accurate information in order to make their decision.

Wear something!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Track rat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'm not trying to sell anyone a HANS over ISSAC, but interested buyers deserve accurate information in order to make their decision.

Wear something!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for clearing that up because when I saw that it was a major concern. I will probably be looking into these within the next year sometime.

 

Oh, I think I see the communication disconnect.

When I say "fully," I really mean fully.
I realize that enough movement is there to see all mirrors with both devices. But I was referring to a nearly complete turn of the head.

A good example would be entering the hairpin turn 11 at CMP. With the Isaac, as long as you turn your head relatively slowly (nothing jerky) you could easily rotate your noggin 90 degrees to look *around* the corner. From my HANS fitting, I don't think I could do that. I didn't measure, but my guess would be that movement is limited to about 55 degrees of rotation in either direction. You certainly can't put your chin over your shoulder (and you pretty much can with the Isaac).

How often would you need to do this???
I dunno. But IMHO having that extra movement, while still having basically the same amount of protection thats afforded by the HANS, is a good thing.

On the HANS front. I will note that I took a look at the newer quick release helmet tabs a couple of weeks ago. This looks like a good solution to the concerns many drivers have had about quickly exiting tin tops because you can't tuck your head and wiggle through tight spots effectively. The owner of the system with the releases stated that it greatly improved movement exiting the car, but the collar still restricted movement to some degree.

Both appear to be excellent choices that accomplish the same end goal (keeping your *** upright and breathing). They just do it in different ways.
My current choice is the Isaac for several reasons. But that doesn't mean there's anything *wrong* with the HANS.

As noted, either is better than nothing. HPDErs with harnesses should be looking at this stuff as well. You don't have to be W2W racing to punch an armco at 60mph.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Track rat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Perhaps some folks shorten their HANs tethers; contrary the manufacturer's recommendations?

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Maybe. I certainly wouldn't have been able to see B pillars in the system I was wearing. Perhaps (just guessing here) people that sit more upright feel comfortable with shortening the tethers a bit???

And as I noted in an earlier post (and meant to note in the first post here), another advantage to the Isaac is the flexibility to use it with different drivers. Kirk and I are very different in build, but were able to share the same Isaac with no issues for an entire weekend.
No possible way could Kirk and I share a HANS. A collar that fit me would be way too loose on him and his would conversely be too tight on me (If I could get it over my shoulders at all). Given that my full time co-driver has a vastly smaller upper body than I do, and my car has shaped up to be an enduro ***** for multitudes of my friends, the Isaac makes way more financial sense for us. One system works for whoever, whenever.

I'm not trying to sell anything either. Isaac has done nothing more than let me try a system out before buying it (which is very cool BTW), but if I want to keep it, I have to buy it. I'm no compensated spokesperson.
Just throwing out the info as I see it. Make your own final judgements.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">HPDErs with harnesses should be looking at this stuff as well. You don't have to be W2W racing to punch an armco at 60mph.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This is something I have been thinking about all season.
Most of my time at the track is spent instructing, and I have the tendency to get paired up with AWD turbocars (and drivers whose egos often match the boost level) so saftey has been on my mind bigtime.
Jumping from car to car (most without harnesses) doesnt really allow me to consider the Isaac, so I have been looking at the Hans.
A question for the Hans users, how easy is it to take your helmet on and off? Jumping in and out of cars all day means a lot of taking off and putting the helmet back on. Is it a big ordeal with the Hans? The way I understand it is you hold the hans in one hand, and your helmet in the other.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Jumping from car to car (most without harnesses) doesnt really allow me to consider the Isaac, so I have been looking at the Hans.
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Both systems must have shoulder harnesses in order to work.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">exiting tin tops because you can't tuck your head and wiggle through tight spots effectively. </TD></TR></TABLE>

To further clarify; exiting a Spec Miata sized window opening will be a problem for just about anyone wearing a HANs.

My 6'2" **** exiting my Integra...with a huge lateral head support mounted to my seat is no problem with HANS, even without the quick release tethers.

I can't think of any corner, even a 180 degree hair pin, that would require me to see beyond the "B" pillars?

However, it will be more difficult to get post-spin eye contact with a corner worker or find your way back on track after a spin with a head/neck device on.

Taking helmet on and off is not a problem with either system.

Yes, as Catch 22 said both HANS and ISSAC require a proper 5 or 6 point harness. I believe even the Hutchens type systems come under the butt and hook into the lap belt, correct?

Catch 22, you mention ISSAC's advantage of extra movement, but earlier you said that you gave up on using your right side mirror during the enduro? Quick head checks are something I wouldn't do without.

Wear Something!

 

I ordered my HANS and will be getting them this Friday!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Both systems must have shoulder harnesses in order to work.</TD></TR></TABLE>
interesting, i didnt know that. where does the HANS hook to the harness? I had thought it was all attached to the driver


Edit: nevermind, I read up on it more on the hans website

 

As an FYI, in case others haven't followed the previous H&N Restraint threads, I am a user & fan of the HANS. I started using mine in '02.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I didn't measure, but my guess would be that movement is limited to about 55 degrees of rotation in either direction. You certainly can't put your chin over your shoulder </TD></TR></TABLE>

While it is true that while on track, you can move & see what you need to I would agree with Scott's statement above.

elgory,
Getting in & out of the HANS isn't bad at all. I find the pictured way on the website cumbersome. It works ok to take off as one connected unit but don't like putting it on like that. My preference is to don & doff the HANS & helmet seperately. I rest the HANS on my shoulders. I then get into my helmet. Connect the HANS to helmet. Strap helmet chin strap. I then get into the car & buckle up. My teammate does the same routine but HANS & helmet in the car.

HANS doesn't hook to the harness. It fits between the driver & the shoulder belts.

In any event, get an H&N restraint. I would consider the HANS or the Isaacs (alphabetical order ) the top two choices.

 

'bout time Andre!!

 

I know.. I know...
I've been considering one since I saw HANS video. I was considering Isaac and HANS, finally settling with HANS. I'm in no way an expert in this case so, don't bombard me questions on why I chosen HANS. I simply chosen it because F1 uses them, and about every one else. Isaac just didn't convince me enough. IMHO, better go with a proven one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Track rat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


Catch 22, you mention ISSAC's advantage of extra movement, but earlier you said that you gave up on using your right side mirror during the enduro? Quick head checks are something I wouldn't do without.

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I wasn't clear.
I didn't bother using the right outside mirror because it wasn't showing me anything the inside mirror (Allview) wasn't showing me. And yes, the Isaac does require the head turn to be a slow one, but the ability to completely turn your head is there (and when I say "slow" I'm not talking about slow motion type stuff. Just something neat and steady).

 

"Its not totally easy to attach, especially in a hurry. We decided to have crew help on each side of the driver to eliminate fumbling. "

It is easiest, of course, if someone else gets you hooked up, but it is worth practicing alone. With some experience you can hook up both sides in 15-30 seconds. My personal best is 17 seconds.

Nice win guys!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gsbaker &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
It is easiest, of course, if someone else gets you hooked up, but it is worth practicing alone. With some experience you can hook up both sides in 15-30 seconds. My personal best is 17 seconds.

Nice win guys!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I haven't timed myself, but I'd bet I can attach my Isaac in 30 seconds easily. I used to use the inside mirror to do it, but now I just feel to get the two pieces mated up the way they need to be, and slip the pin through.

It's gotten to the point that my crew (wife) doesn't even bother hooking the Isaac up for me - by the time she starts the camcorder and cranks up the radio, I've got it attched.

I'll have it at the ARRC - anyone wants to take a peek at it, look for blue/white Spec Miata #59. I might even lend it to you for some on-track use as long as I'm not out there....

Jarrod