Any truth in this rumour?

[Smartalec]

Quote on their club section from Scott Westbury, Chairman of Bedfordshire RC Model Car Club

"Interesting to hear through the grapevine that the BRCA are looking at dropping the AMBrc system as their system of choice - so even the big boys realise they have been paying through the nose for what really is just a little circuit board and some clever chips all wrapped up with wires. "

Anyone else heard this one?

[mark christopher]

it is true the brca were tasked to look at alternative lap counting systems yes

[Smartalec]

What alternatives did they look at?

[DaSloth]

It will be very hard with to move across unless something can be found which works with what drivers and clubs already have. no one likes to have to spend alot money on this sort of thing, but the only thing that's worse is being told its now no longer to be used.

[Battle_axe]

i guess i laps and the system being developed im my shed its only £1000 not £4000 like amb :P

[Dazzler]

This would be all well and good if it were a practical way forwards, but the reality is that there are a considerable number of clubs who currently own AMBrc systems, who having payed out would continue to use the system, and there must be thousands or racers who have invested in compatable transponders. So for this to be really viable, any new system would need to be compatable with current PT's, (AMB or clone) as a minimum, if it were the case that the BRCA had a new 'system of choice', and it was not compatible then there would be a lot of racers with expensive, redundant PT's.. I think they would be equally as unhappy with the sittuation then as clubs are now with the expense.

But then, new pt's might be a fiver and decoders at only a tenner - to hell with the expense!

[Smartalec]

Originally Posted by Dazzler

This would be all well and good if it were a practical way forwards, but the reality is that there are a considerable number of clubs who currently own AMBrc systems, who having payed out would continue to use the system, and there must be thousands or racers who have invested in compatable transponders. So for this to be really viable, any new system would need to be compatable with current PT's, (AMB or clone) as a minimum, if it were the case that the BRCA had a new 'system of choice', and it was not compatible then there would be a lot of racers with expensive, redundant PT's.. I think they would be equally as unhappy with the sittuation then as clubs are now with the expense.

But then, new pt's might be a fiver and decoders at only a tenner - to hell with the expense!

The Bedford club who made the quote are using something called I-lap (I think), it's an overhead sensor based system that uses a sensor inside the clear window of the car and is picked up when the car goes underneath a "bridge". I think the driver has to cough up £35 for one of the units or rent one off the club for a couple of quid a night. Personally, I can't see many people spending their hard earned £35 to race there once a week especially as it would be useless anywhere else. You might as well buy yourself a PT and be able to race at 90 per cent of the tracks in the country.