rfrank128

So I am a rc nerd who has been in the hobby for a long time 15 years or more. I fly helis, planes, and do a bit of sct, and touring car driving also. However I have not had a local track until recently so I have not raced. I do however work for a company that deals with electromechanical CAD software and although I do IT work know a lot of engineering people. My question is this: I read the comments about using RFID as a different solution and the reasoning behind why it would not work well. Why not use a RF bluetooth system? Even if the system loses connection with a Bluetooth receiver, it can be stored locally until next lap, and the Bluetooth receivers can be both fairly inexpensive and very lightweight. I just looked and saw that immersion is making a timing system using bluetooth so if someone could tell me why that is not preferred I would appreciate it.

howardcano

iTrader: (37)

These lap counting systems use frequencies many orders of magnitude lower than Bluetooth. That's because the reception of the transponder signal is intentionally done in the near field, via induction. The signals are strong only very close to the receiving loop, and die out quickly as distance is increased. That makes it relatively simple to determine when the transponder is passing under or over the receiving loop.

At higher frequencies, reflections can cause signal strength to peak even when the distance between transmitter and receiver is not at a minimum. That would cause false lap timing.

andrius

We use Vostok timing system, which works with all transponders except "pure" rc4. On our country peoples do not hurry change their transponders to newest rc4.
So you can use cheaper MRT transponders or used AMB/Mylaps rc3 transponders from Ebay........

bwana914

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the Mylaps Decoder 4.4 Firmware upgrade? Only 4.5 is available for me to download at the moment. I'd rather update to 4.4 and support more transponders as I don't need drone support.

Thanks for any leads.

-Steve

choisan

iTrader: (6)

sorry for not reading all 12 pages, i just realized i still have 3 2-wire dp trasnponder, it amb still having any program for it?
please kindly advise

Roelof

If they are the RC4 Hybrid ones then there is no problem. If they are the larger RC2 transponders then you will have problems with only the latest firmware upgrade

choisan

iTrader: (6)

thanksi asked my local track, my old big dp2 is still usable. but to play safe, i sent an email to amb already to ask for an upgrade but no answer from it yet.

choisan

iTrader: (6)

i found out the the trade in price is already more expensive than buying a new one. amazing trade in program.
btw, anyone know what is the major difference of the rc4 pro except for the smaller size?

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

Shorter wire, and it's black.

choisan

iTrader: (6)

oh, that's it.
this pro version is just awesome. thanks!

Xpress

iTrader: (3)

The wire is shorter.....but is it still #14 solid?

Dr. Evil

iTrader: (12)

Good day folks. I am really late to the party. I finally was able to restore my bookmarks from 2011. I know crazy. Then of course all my RC Stuff popped up and I started to look.
First of all, Mylaps. I know if I were Mylaps/AMB, I would be pissed at MRT for copying their system. Mylaps should have taken them to court. But, I will say this. In order to keep customers happy
and in order to continue with the progression of the Mylaps/AMB system, there should have been a trade in program. This would have been to keep customers happy. If you have however many transponders
that are older, you should get a 30 to 50% discount on the purchase of you replacements. Same issue with the House transponders. Mylaps should have allowed tracks to send in their house transposnders for a substantial discount. I have an Mylaps/AMB Decoder box which isn't being used. I bought it to start a track in my back yard and it didn't happen.

Now. Re RFID. Back in around 2011, My wife and I embarked on creating a system to compete with Mylaps/AMB. It was a lot of work being done on a shoe string budget. I have several RFID readers and Antennas which we setup in order to create the software for the lap counting. What I found out was the RFID readers we were using could read the cars pretty accurately. Creating the software to pull the data was another issue. We could accomodate every aspect listed the current AMB system provides. Lap times, speed, racers cheating by cutting the track, type of rounds of racing. etc. We simply ran out of money and time. The RFID transponders didn't cost anywhere near Mylaps/AMBs prices.

That being said. The problem with RFID is the transponders can easily be replicated to some degree. The more sophisticated the transponder, the higher the cost of the transponder. This is because the more
memory the transponder has to have in order to achieve what users/track owners want. This being said. Uniformity across systems can be an issue. Mylaps is having this problem now. Their solution is to force
people to upgrade when the upgrade isn't really needed in most cases. if Drone racing is what you are into, get another decoder and keep the existing one for rc racing.

Mylaps/AMBrc provides a product we like to use. I went through the last Transponder update. Cost me a pretty penny. (I have 15 Cars and I don't want to keep swapping transponders at a race)
Unless tracks owners are updated their Decoder boxes, then there isn't an issue with the current product. No changes will need to happen. Handout transponders will stay the same. Personal transponders as well.

Unless something breaks and you are forced to purchase a new one.

I wonder if you send in your Decoder box for service, if they will automatically put 4.5.on your system.

ICEMAN96

iTrader: (48)

is the ALT ID on the new mPTX's all the same. If I by another new one can I use the ALT ID to have 2 matching id transponders

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

I know you can make a special order and buy directly from MRT, you can specify what ID you want to have so long as it's an ID they have already cloned.

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