PT's at Nationals
 

ive heard a from some relaible sources that PT's are to be mandatory at Nationals next year.

Whats peoples opinions on this?

i for one think its a joke as those who dont already have PT's will have to shell out around £120 to have one for both cars. :thumbdown:

dont see why they would make the decision not to provide handouts.

Craig

It will only go that way if it's voted at the AGM - at this stage, it will (if true) only be a proposal.

The reason is likely to be cost to the section. The handouts need maintenance (unlike Personals) and I can assure you that replacing batteries and general upkeep is expensive. I guess who ever proposed it didn't think it was worth that cost to the section for what I suspect is a few people that use them.

Personally I switch mine between cars overnight - ther's no law to say you've got to buy 2.

I was very surprised to see people in off-road Nationals still using handouts, I thought everyone had gone to PTs years ago.

PTs put the responsibility onto the driver, making it easier (and cheaper) for the organisers.

(And it doesn't have to be £120, a used one and a couple of clones would be about that?)

One reason people run handout's, is that with a PT, any missed laps are not the race directors problem, they are yours, if they provide a Transponder, and you have missed laps, they have to then sort it.

MRT PT's are cheap aswell.

It aint like £45-60 is alot really compared to what we all spend in the grand scheme of things.

You only need one PT and some velcro, I can't see what the problem is myself. It's a one off purchase.

I had an email from MyLaps (formerly AMB) about a week ago saying that Handout Transponders had been dropped from the product range.

They are taking handout transponders sets in as part-ex for discounts on PT's.

So at some point everybody will have to change over to PT... unless somebody can break the monopoly of course!

Copy 'n' paste of MyLaps email....

"We will no longer produce rechargeable transponders after our existing (very) limited stock is shipped. As honouring ongoing warranty is very important to us, rechargeable transponders submitted for repair under warranty will now be replaced by RC4 transponders.
To assist with this transition process, we are happy to announce the availability of trade in options for customers that wish to upgrade to RC4 transponders. This will be available until the end of November 2010."

I for one have been keen for PT users to be treated the same as ones with handouts. The guidelines have been tweaked over the years at Nationals as the number of PT users has increased. Missed laps are much less frequesnt although drivers still have to remember to install the PT in/plug it in/inform the race director of the right number/make sure it works!

Also, PT users are getting better at eliminating potential missed laps with better positioning and installation. At the local club, we try to keep an eye on signal strength and advise reloation of the PT or a handout if this is the case.

Sad I know but at Southport, only 21 or 22 drivers were using a handout transponder in 4WD. I remember when the first AMB PTs came out, I looked at the cost and throught I would hold off buying one until the prce came down. They were about £30 each through a club!

Got to say that is highly gay!
Think its safe to say the pt hike in price is here to stay if they are removing handouts unless they find an alternative.
I understand the costs as I've seen the bills for simple things for battery replacements, but handouts were always a good item to have at a club for the new starters or people not needing a pt.

If you want to have a go at replacing the battery yourself, replacements can be sourced here:

http://www.espspecialbatteries.co.uk...%20TRANSPONDER

other vendors may be available.

You can use someone to do the replacement for you, and pay that extra, but if you take your time it is achievable by most people, just be carefull.

Remember that if you open it yourself wave goodbye to any warranty.

Regarding PT's, I think if we do go down this root, there has to be some responsibility from race control to advise of poor signals, perhaps during practice. Usual problem I see is pt plugged in reverse into Rx, shows up on bbk software as an usually thin line in the signal strength monitor.

Also as another option to what has been discussed above, you could purchase 1 of the new AMB rc4 pt's, and an extra cradle for less than £2. This then allows you to slide the pt out from one car and into another. Just an idea to consider.

I'm very disappointed to hear this.

Dropping handout transponders is a real disincentive for new club racers to get involved in the sport.

Expecting them to spend £60+ on an official bug just to race is a needless cost. PT's are not built in the same way and they won't last if they are being constantly plugged and unplugged and stuck down in different cars all day long.

I always felt that a rack of handouts was essential - even if there were only three people using them. Without that rack of handouts, those three people may not have been racing at all.

But the proposal isn't for 'newbies' we are talking National drivers, so to be fair, a PT is two sets of tyres (re the other thread about control tyres).

Look at the costs though, that have been saved in the past 2 years, brushless, one motor for a whole season, no brushes, two packs of batteries to do a whole season, not six....

I think PT's only is the way forward. Yes it will cost £££ to get sorted, then it can be a fit and forget item!!!

This will also help at race meetings as you won't have to wait for a handout to be returned before the next heat/race.

People that are against PT's need to think of the people that run and help run these meetings, it's getting harder and harder to get people to help.

I am sure many clubs will buy a few extra PT's to hand out to newbies for a race meeting.

After all this is a expensive hobby compared to football, but the BRCA do alot to keep cost down.

Pt's are the future,Miles easier

As someone who runs a club I can see both sides.

For me PTs all the way, it's easier for both club and racer.

However I do have a number of members at our club on a v tight budget and I believe they'd stop racing or wouldn't race as often if it wasn't for the handout transponders. We had 4 this year until I got one swapped due to a duff battery, so we're back up to 5 handouts. From a cost side of things they are bloody expensive.

A collinson strikes again!! :lol:

It's mandatory at 1/8th scale nationals to have a PT so why shouldnt it be with 1/10 scale?
In real terms you only need one so it's £60 not £120.

BEN

The future? :confused: They've been for a few years now haha

Shut it Ben!! :p

The only thing i cant understand is why a AMB PT is so expensive?

You can buy MRT PT does same job but cheaper.

Alot of the other Nationals like 1/8th & 1/10th IC onroad you have to run them, dont give hand outs either.

Also you guys wont be stood waiting on the rostrum for ages while Danny McGee is fiddling with his Hand Out :p