According to what Mylaps Australia told me, the RC4 Hybrid transponder will continue to work on all AMB/Mylaps RC decoders, be it RC2, RC3, RC4.
However the new RC4 transponder (not hybrid) currently being offered at a cheap price will ONLY work on an RC4 decoder.

I believe it is Mylaps intention to discontinue the Hybrid. I was placing an order to restock on RC4 transponders and found that Mylaps Australia only had limited stock of the Hybrids left so I purchased all their remaining stock.
I can only assume they will only have the non hybrids in stock now.

I am also believe that the hybrid version does not support the new multi ID function were as the new non hybrid will.

Personally I think all 3 of the new features of the non hybrid transponder are pointless for 99.99% of racers and cannot understand why Mylaps bothered with these features.

I recall when the RC4 hybrid transponder was first announced we were told of these new features and that they would be enabled by a decoder Firmware update.
But it seems Mylaps lied to us on this one unless I have miss-understood something.

The RC4 hybrid transponder that has been sold since about May 2010 until now will work with ALL AMB/Mylaps RC system. RC2, RC3, RC4

However, there is a newer version of the RC4 transponder which is NOT a hybrid (aka Pure or Purcy) and it is that version that will only work with an RC4 decoder.

I have not held a pure RC4 transponder in my hand so do not know if they look the same as the RC4 hybrid or not.

I would think it better to buy a RC4 hybrid transponder while you can still get them as they will work at more tracks. I have stock of them.

All good jeff, I have ordered ones from mylaps, but will now be cancelling my order as they are not compatible with rc3. I will just stick with the 6 working pts I have already

No worries, if I can be of further assistance to you or anyone else here about transponders I am happy to help. Racers, race directors, club officials etc are welcome to contact me by phone directly. Details on my web site.

I'm an ex RC racer, race director and club president so I am across the issues.

That is a disturbing twist in events, maybe not all that surprising given what else is happening, but not the sort of thing clubs want to hear.

I honestly think clubs don't have a choice. Every club I know has those club pt's that don't work with a rc4 decoder. I can't really see them purchasing $100 * 12 transponders plus a decoder for ppl that don't have their own. Not too many clubs have a lazy $1200 laying around.

Plus the backwards compatibility issues make it a no brainer. Amb are digging themselves a hole as the only option will be to buy a mrt if they go to rc4 only.

Bishop,

I see youve sold one of your 'RC4 Hybrid' Transponders.

Have you bought one of the new RC4 (RC4 dedicated Decoder) Transponders.

Is that to experiment with, as the way I understand whats going on here, it wont work with the EPR decoder will it?. Isnt EPR the RC3 Decoder.

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So my understanding is the new 'dedicated RC4 transponders' will only work with the 'latest new RC4 Decoder', so wont all clubs continue to run the older system for as many years as they can.

Many club members may already have a few older transponders setup in different cars, so replacing them at $135 a piece would be avoided by trying to ensure their club does not update to the latest 'RC4 Dedicated Decoder'.

It's a little confusing, EPR has a RC3 decoder, MRT/AMB/MyLaps Hybrid will work on it, if we upgrade to a RC4 decoder, AMB/MyLaps Hybrid and new RC4 will work.

If we do not upgrade, from what we know right now, new RC4 won't work, actually new RC4's may not work unless the timing software is also upgraded, because their is a sub number involved with the new RC4 transponders, if the timing system does not know that, it may cause issues with the timing software.

And yes, I have ordered a 'new' RC4, and specifically a sub numbered version based off a number on one of my hybrids, cause you can now order up to 6 extra transponders with the same primary number as your original, I figure it's likely to be the most complex to possibly test, maybe.
Don't know how lone it will take to get though, they are saying 5 working days plus to ship, if they are shipping them out, don't know if the stock is even there, have heard of no one with a 'new' RC4 yet.

Certainly is confusing. Too many 'maybes', that 'Mylaps' havnt adequately addressed.

1. If EPR doesnt upgrade to the RC4 Decoder, then the new RC4 Transponders will not work.

2. If EPR does upgrade to the RC4 Decoder, then AMB/MyLaps Hybrid and new RC4 will work....Possibly... but only if we upgrade the timing software.

3. But... If EPR upgrades to the RC4 Decoder and the new timing software, wouldnt there then be a risk that some or all of the MRT/AMB/MyLaps Hybrid will not work... as thats what im reading into the many posts on this thread and from the Mylaps website.

Guess it would be good to try at other tracks in the area. I assume the other tracks in the Brisbane region arnt using to new RC4 system yet though.

Ive just bought a couple of RC4 Hybrids, just glad I didnt order the new RC4 as I wasnt aware of this 'New RC4' transponder that wouldnt have worked yet.

Also hoping the two RC4 Hybrids Ive just bought wont be obsolete and worthless soon.

Just trying to get a handle on this. It all 'stinks' a bit of the microsoft of old.

I was going to suggest to our club that we take advantage of the offer to upgrade our RC2 to the new RC4 Decoder . Glad I didn't as we have a lot of MRT Transponders in use that it seems don't work with the new decoder.

Sounds like there will be some clubs out there who took advantage of the offer and will have some unhappy members when they realise their MRT transponders will be useless. Can't even resort back to their old decoder if you took advantage of the deal as you had to send them your old decoder as a trade in.

Glad we didn't jump the gun!

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.

Just like to add something positive to this whole discussion. Just spoke with the mylaps guys re cancelling an order and was dealt with very professionally and courteously.

We discussed the new system and I brought up some of the issues. Most professional place I have dealt with in rc for quite some time

Earlier this month Mylaps informed me the the RC4 hybrid will work and continue to work on ALL AMB RC systems.
Namely AMB RC2, AMB RC3, Mylaps RC3 and Mylaps RC4.
The rechargeable AMBrc (handout, club) transponder will also continue to work on all those systems.

So it is only the Pure RC4 transponder that has limitations, so to me the hybrid seems to be more desirable than the Pure.

I have been told the handouts will not work with the new rc4 decoders?

I was told in my discussions with Mylaps that the only transponders that wouldn't work with the RC4 decoder were the very early black ones,
I haven't ever seen these though
Hope I wasn't taken for a ride