Sort of, the new RC4 decoders/firmware seems more about locking out cloned transponders mainly made by MRT in England.

Way back when, AMB created one of I think three timing systems for RC cars, it was always a very expensive system, transponders were not cheap either (ever), known issues with the personals when they came out, was fragile wires, and they were not real tolerant to low voltage or poor placement.

MRT in England bypassed some licensing issues (you own 'that' number when you buy one) by basically buying old AMB transponders and keeping them to retain the license rights, their transponder came out with being able to select one of 10 or 11 numbers, or they could clone your existing AMB so you can have a whole bundle of transponders with the same number off your original AMB (Which was popular with a lot of professional racers, many of whom still own original version MRTs).

Advantages of the MRT was it was then made smaller (with user replaceable wires), and to cope with lower voltage, while putting out a stronger signal, and like I said you could have a bunch of cars/transponders, while only ever needing to remember one number.


MyLaps merged or bought out AMB at some later point here, and began getting aggressive again, AMB became MyLaps, and they started working on the "RC4 Hybrid", although in the early stages it was just being called the RC4, and there was a crap load of talk about RC4 firmware and the wonders it would bring, with many new features.

In fact early promises were clones of one number simular to MRT, also the temp and voltage, and I know very early in the sales pitch they were also talking of replaceable wires, then somewhere in all this, it just fell flat, then the announcement came out you could pre-order their new RC4 Hybrid (which I did at the time, so I had one of the first in Brisbane), and they really pushed the sales promising all sorts of stuff once again.

The new RC4 Hybrid did deliver on some things, smaller, tougher, certainly a stronger signal, and works to a lower and higher voltage range (the cynic in me wants to say basically what the MRT already delivered), but after that it just died big time, none of the RC4 promises went anywhere, it's like they pulled the plug on something, cause it all went quiet, no extra numbered version, temp and voltage sensors doing nothing etc.

And now, two years later, what we have is some of what was promised two years ago, except with some really odd twists.


I can't help but feel somewhere along the way, MyLaps decided they 'really' wanted to seal up their market again by sabotaging the clones, also with perhaps deciding they wanted to sell more transponders again, hence a new version locked into their new firmware, all guaranteed to sell more decoders and more transponders.

The cynic in my once again feels part of their strategy, was an almost bait and switch sales strategy, offer deals that looks overly appealing, and blanket claim a certain level of dumbness to do with clones, also leaving out some of the finer details of RC4 firmware and what it will mean for clubs.

But after that super long winded minor history rant, be assured for now, it's likely AMB personals and MyLaps Hybrids will continue to work regardless of decoder system, or at least till maybe they decide they need a RC4.1 firmware upgrade (to improve reliability of course), that may knock off original AMB transponders or some such silliness.

Though did RC need any of this?, AMB RC3 decoders never put a foot wrong really, and there is nothing wrong with the existing function of the MRT, AMB, or Hybrid, they all count laps, anything more actually now seems a bad trade off when you look at what is happening.