Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
The only thing about the AMB system is that surely, in this circumstance, it's better for all if there is a monopoly in place? You know that pretty much any club you turn up to will run AMB, and your PT will work.
Even the new RC4 transponders aren't that expensive.
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Monopolies are rarely a good thing. It's cool that I can take my PT anywhere and it will work and all, but the flipside is that AMB can charge practically whatever they want and people have to pay it. If there were two serious contenders producing lap counting technology, there's no way the kit would cost so much - it's that simple. They might not be that expensive to you, but to club racers who are on more of a budget, it's perhaps a different matter. MRT have shown that there's nothing about the transponders that means they have to cost *that* much - and I'd be willing to bet they could come down further if AMB cut their prices in response.
Really, though, it's not the cost of the transponders that gets me so much: people who don't want to pay the PT tax can always use club handouts. It's the cost of the detection gear, and the fact that it's such a massive hit for the clubs. If the evidence on oople is anything go buy, racers are really intolerant of clubs using non-AMB systems, which hardly helps. While it might be a bit more hassle for you, you should be happy that they're encouraging competition amongst lap counters, so that more clubs will be able to afford such systems in the future.