Meradin

iTrader: (19)

So, I am in the market for one of these but I see so many choices. I am particulary interested in the AMB style.

What are these? Is every AMB PT compatible with every system out there? I ask cause I don't want to buy something only to find that it will not work, or work reliably.

I have also seen the clone ones mentioned but I have no idea what there are either.

Bishop

iTrader: (5)

AMB moved on and became MyLaps, or was bought out or something maybe.

Anyway, the original AMB PT was around for some time, but it had tabs that broke off, wires that rotted away, and a fairly weak signal.

So, under the new MyLaps branding, they released the new RC4 'Hybrid' personal transponder, it's a full on replacement for the AMB PT, featuring replaceable cage, highly robust design, fuel proof wires, and the added bonus of a lot more signal strength.

What does all that mean?, well not as much as you may think, both will run off any AMB or MyLaps decoder device that supports personal transponders, and any track worth anything will have an AMB/MyLaps of some description.
This means with either transponder you should be good to race at any major track just about anywhere in the world, and basically any major or minor event.


So where do clones fit in?, well they exploit a license loop hole, when you buy a transponder, you then 'own' the number within it, so you can legally get clones made, you can think your way into how they can sell clones otherwise.
But clones generally work as well as original AMB-PTs, maybe a little better from what I have heard, they can be very good if you really do need to save some money.


To this point you don't 'need' to know more, but I'll add in some more stuff cause I'm bored...
New RC4 transponders are actually a little more advanced in a few ways, cause there is supposed to be some more stuff built into the new design, like voltage and temp sensing I think, of which in theory it's supposed to be able to relay back to the decoder when it passes the timing loop in the track.

Of course the 'hybrid' part I mentioned before covers some of this, as in new features though only supported by the latest decoder, or decoder with an update to the latest firmware if it's able to get it (called RC4 firmware).

Now to complicate some of this, so far in the years it's now been out, not a single feature of the new transponder seems to have come into use yet, at least not that I'm aware of anyway.
This actually included a sub feature where MyLaps were promising the ability to sell you multiple transponders with the same number, have a built in sub number, handy (read back to the clones), but it's looking like will never happen.

Then you have the dirty little rumor, that also said MyLaps wanted to kill off clones, something about the new firmware not recognizing clone transponders, but again it's not happened, so who knows, but it's been said you can not clone the new RC4 transponders.


Back onto valid topic, if it were me, and it was not so long ago, I'd buy as many RC4 transponders as you need, they are nice, fit anywhere, lots of signal so no worries about where you put them, and not 'that' expensive compared to some RC gear, a fussy search will find some from around $95 each.

Ed Anderson

iTrader: (26)

Since you're asking... you should probably find out what type of timing system your track has... there are a handful of systems out now... and none are compatible.

Out of the AMB's... if the track has
AMB20 or older - will NOT accept personals
AMBrc - will accept personals
AMBrc3 - will accept personals
MyLaps rc3 - will accept personals

Personals that will work with the above systems
AMB DP (Direct Power)
MyLaps rc2
MyLaps rc4
MRT iPT
MRT PTX

3dddman

I know this is an older thread, but can you tell me if you can run the hybrid transponders with a 'Y' splitter along with a ESC cooling fan?

liljohn1064

iTrader: (17)

Yes you can, just be careful of the fan current draw doesn't overwhelm the transponder.