Originally Posted by
simple
I find it slightly ironic that some complain about a single$100 piece of equipment, that is effectively the “ticket” to participate in racing their $300 to $900 rc car.
Technically, it’s the cost of participation in organized racing. And you only need to pay it once per car. Average out per use, and the cost becomes insignificant.
Maybe some are forgetting the overall cost of the complete integrated system of software, loop, decoder, etc. How much is that?
That cost is almost entirely absorbed by the club or track facility. Where are the complaints about that?
I think some are taking for granted a system that works near flawlessly, keeps data accurately, times precisely, and helps organize so many people at so many events.
From that perspective, I’m thankful I only have to pay $100 to have the privilege of this technology and reliability.
I Use to race at a track where an employee had to hit number keys as cars wizzed by. Then a track where you were a numbskull if you forgot to put the transponder, the size of a micro servo, back in it charging dock after your heat. When personal transponders came out, it was glorious. I think complaining about what we have now is ignorant of how far it’s come and how good we have it.
The cost associated with the facility, the timing system its utilities, et cetera are not directly born by the end-user. These fixed up start costs are partially covered by the fee that is charged for participating for that day for the class and additional classes..
I run a retail store, similarly to have such a business. You need a retail point of sale system, security cameras, security guards, cleaning crews. I don’t regularly have discussions with my patrons about what the cost of the systems that help me run this shop this nor, do I expect them to know what it is.
Back to transponders, I have actually paid the price to compete and paid the price of convenience by having 6 transponders in total for myself and my son. That’s a decision I made. I don’t expect it to be convenient for someone else or everybody else be able to afford it.
I still think the individual price for the transponders is too high. Overtime, the cost of many devices come down yet these have remained at the same level simply because there isn’t competition. Lets use servos as an example, metal gear servos were the new thing then came coreless, digital, brushless, high voltage, s-bus overtime. The older models prices dropped. The new versions of mylaps transponders are not offering any new features. They supplanted the older versions and made them obsolete to keep MRT out. It remains a simple, counting system. As a lack of competition, the price remains the same.