MyLAPS SURVEY

[jwasilko]

http://www.hardcardsystems.com/solutions/

Getting closer.

A group that I time-trial with (COM Sports Car Club) has started using the HardCard system. It's not ideal, but mostly works for our time trials when there are only 4-5 cars on track at a time. We've had problems on cars with metallic glass. Miatas and Corvettes also are problematic (go figure).

[mazdagt3]

My reply to them....


Why should I have to pay a subscription? You guys have a monopoly allready. Go fuck yourselves! The amateur sanctioning bodies and racers will eventually turn their back on you. $480+ for a direct power unit? You guys are smoking crack. I hope your company implodes in to a complete failure for your greed.

[Flyinglizard]

The transponders are pretty easy to make.
The systems and software are the sticking points. If somebody can do the software..

[tom91ita]

scca should also step in as this is becoming another barrier to entry or is at least a perceived barrier.

In the last couple of seasons, my transponder has seen service in 3 different cars.

The transponder cost is already at a point that folks are lending/borrowing them. The one downside is if you want to be in the same race group as your friends.

[Ron Earp]

Filled that survey out and let them have it. I'm not interested in a subscription based transponder.

What they should have done is kept the old unit and charged racers a modest yearly fee for access to data on the Mylaps.com website. That is, if they can get the website to work. I haven't been on it since it swapped over a couple years back and was essentially non-functional.

[Dano77]

A hard wire unit is 480?????? Holy crap, thats a third of the cost of a car.

Guess I need to do the survey instead of deleting the email.

[StephenB]

Hmmmm this was a great idea 10years go... Back before smart phones and tablets. This idea is terrible, the home PC is a thing of the past along with USB ports... So sad they thought they had a cool new idea.

I recommend they go make a good phone app and sell that, they would make a lot more money... Oh wait that happened a few years ago already... from someone else...

[ITC69]

forwarded the survey to the Atlanta Region Chief of T&S to complete also. After her experiences with a wrong box Shipped by AMB I'm sure her comments were not great.

[tom91ita]

So what are the major motorcycle race orgs using? Amb as well?

Many larger tracks also have cycle events. So perhaps they are set up for more than one?

Otherwise, a passive RFID system like motor-tally should be doable.

[Spa67]

It's the freaking monopoly that I hate so much. Oh, and I had to remount mine because it's only rated to 124deg and was failing.

[tderonne]

Am I just old? I remember when transponders were new. Made timing easier, needed fewer people to run. Is anyone talking about dropping transponders all together? Using the old timing light and some updated software seems possible, no?

Related....I have an extra transponder, but it's in my name. They still charging to put into someone else's name? I'd like to help a new racer, but hate send money to AMB to do it.

[Greg Amy]

Is anyone talking about dropping transponders all together?

no. the issue is that AMB keeps jacking teh price for a required item, with no customer opportunity for alternate solutions.

Related....I have an extra transponder, but it's in my name. They still charging to put into someone else's name? I'd like to help a new racer, but hate send money to AMB to do it.

You won't. You only have to pay AMB if you wish to get the online account changed to someone else. It works perfectly fine otherwise. Were I a racer in need of a transponder, I think I could do without getting my lap times online to save hundreds of dollars.

GA

[georgethefierce]

You won't. You only have to pay AMB if you wish to get the online account changed to someone else. It works perfectly fine otherwise. Were I a racer in need of a transponder, I think I could do without getting my lap times online to save hundreds of dollars.

GA

Indeed, and I would be very interested in buying a cheap/used transponder.

[tderonne]

.... with no customer opportunity for alternate solutions.

GA

There's my point. Maybe I was too subtle. There IS an alternate solution. A timing light and tape, like it used to work.

[Greg Amy]

There's my point. Maybe I was too subtle. There IS an alternate solution. A timing light and tape, like it used to work.

Yes, but it's not a viable solution. We're so short-staffed now at races that there's just no practical way we could consistently get an add'l 6-12 volunteers to run stopwatches. That's how AMB got their nose under our tent... - GA

[Matt93SE]

Were I a racer in need of a transponder, I think I could do without getting my lap times online to save hundreds of dollars.

GA

I'd say probably 25% of my races never get published on mylaps anyway... It seems that any time there's a protest in our region, the timing info is held from upload until all of that is sorted--- then it's forgotten about in the 6 months it takes to get the protest sorted.

[Spa67]

While looking for cheaper alternatives I found the RC guys have the same gripe with Mylaps. Seems like despising their monopoly is universal

http://www.rctech.net/forum/radio-el...p-madness.html

But i do wonder if the whopping $90 transponders they complain about would work for us.

[Greg Amy]

Nope, different frequency.

Yet another reason to despise the company.

[Flyinglizard]

Like i said, I have team members that can build the transmitters to the proper RX. the software and supporting track aggreements are the hard parts.

[jumbojimbo]

Like i said, I have team members that can build the transmitters to the proper RX. the software and supporting track aggreements are the hard parts.

Yup, you can build the transponders, but I'm sure the licensing agreement of the software prohibits using them. And definitely no way you are going to upload data to mylaps with rogue transponder numbers.