New Decoder RC4 firmware, Transponder Trade In and 2018 price adjustments.
In November 2017 Mylaps announced an upgrade to the RC4 Decoder to support a new type of transponder developed for Drone Timing. While not a big market in Europe, Drone racing is big in the USA and Australia. To accommodate the new transponder, support for the RC2 transponder has been removed. RC2 transponders include the first Personal Direct Powered Transponders introduced in 2002 and replaced by the RC4 Hybrid (Harry) in 2009 and the Rechargeable Transponders introduced with the launch of the RC decoder in 2000 and discontinued in 2010. The MRT transponders are copies of the first Personal Direct Powered Transponders. The impact of this change is that any new RC4 Decoders, or RC4 Decoders that are returned for repair or upgrade will no longer work with DP, Rechargeable or MRT transponders. All Harry and Percy transponders will continue to work.

When the Harry Transponder was introduced in 2009 and the Percy Transponder was introduced in 2013 there was a trade in offer for DP, Rechargeable and MRT transponders for upgrade to Harry or Purcy  transponders. With this change to new RC4 Decoders we are offering the following trade in allowances on purchase of new Harry and Purcy Transponders.

If you would like to take advantage of this Trade In please follow the instructions here.

Finally this is the time of year that Mylaps review their pricing. The fall in the value of the pound against the Euro has continued and so transponder and cable prices have risen by about 7%.  11th January 2018

2017 price adjustments.
After the exchange rate dive after the Brexit vote we now have the annual MyLaps 2017 price adjustments, plus a bit more reduction in the value of the pound. We have held the prices for a couple of weeks as we often have a spike in transponder sales in early January. If there is any good news it is that the only rises are personal transponders. We have managed to keep clips, coax, decoder and other items at the previous prices.   18th January 2017

Brexit price adjustments.
Due to the adverse exchange rate since January and the sudden drop on the 24th June UK prices on Mylaps products will have to rise. For the last few years the gradual Mylaps price rises have been compensated by the gradual rise in Sterling against the Euro. I absorbed the drop in value of the Pound earlier in the year in the hope that after the Referendum a remain vote would restore the 2015 exchange rate. I did not want to increase prices then reduce them. Since the leave vote the value of the pound seems to have stabilised at about 16% below its value at the end of 2015. In the hope that the Pound will start to recover a bit in the Autumn I will not be increasing prices by 16%. It will be about 8% but that may mean another price increase later in the year if things don't improve. I'll be increasing the prices on August 1st so if you need anything or know anyone who does make sure they don't leave it too late. 25th July 2016

Office closed January 7th-26th 2016.
But mail order transponder sales via Paypal will be unaffected. Other items will be available from 27th January. 6th January 2016

A gentle reminder regarding software licensing.
Every time you install our software you have to agree to the terms of the license agreement. Just in case you may not have read through the agreement (which is quite short) can I point out one part of it.

SOFTWARE PRODUCT LICENSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold. You may not sell or otherwise make this software available to any other individual or single entity without the express written permission of bbk Software.

The license is part of the software. 27th March 2015

Mylaps price increases January 2015.
As they do every January, Mylaps have revised (aka increased) their prices. This year it is around 3% but the Harry is increased by 10%. The reason for the 10% increase in the Harry is that after 4 years of generous incentives to clubs to upgrade to the RC4 Decoder, the Harry is considered 'old technology'. Because the Euro has weakened we can absorb these price increases with the exception of the Harry which is now £85, an increase of 3.6%. The price difference between the Harry and the Purcy is now £20. We have also slightly reduced the price for Purcy Multi Packs. 1st February 2015

Fantastic Offer on RC4 Decoder, New Systems and Trade Ins.
For a VERY limited time we can offer 5 Free Purcy transponders with trade ins, a reduction in the price of AMB20 for RC4 trade in and a reduction in the price of new RC4 Decoder with 5 Free Purcy transponders.

New RC4 Decoder plus 5 Purcys £1950! £550 off the Decoder plus 5 Purcys.

AMB20, RC2 and first Generation RC3 Decoders upgrade to RC4 plus 5 Purcys £1200! £400 off the AMB20 trade in plus 5 Purcys.

Prices include VAT and UK Shipping. Offer ends 17th November 2014. That's just 2 weeks so don't delay!. 3rd November 2014

Last chance to trade in an old PT for a Harry.
At the end of this year the trade in for a Harry will come to an end. We have been running this trade in since 2010 so there are probably not a lot left that want to upgrade. If you still have an old style AMB PT or an MRT then this is your last chance to upgrade. Stocks are limited and when they are gone they are gone. We will continue to offer a trade in for a new Purcy in 2014. 11th November 2013

How to replace the wires on the AMB rc DP Transponders (old style)
We are always happy to trade in transponders with broken wires but with a little care you can replace the wires yourself. One of our customers sent this picture guide to doing a repair. 29th August 2013

Plenty of Harrys and Purcys in stock for new sale and Upgrade.
We are back from the NEO and we have good stocks of Harrys and Purcys for new sale and upgrade. 27th August 2013

Hello China!
Since 26th June we have been experiencing a very large bandwidth load from China, downloading the RC Boat software. This month alone it has been downloaded 8000 times! The download has now been disabled. If you want to download this software please email us for the link 18th July 2013

Sorry about the site outage last week
We had a long outage due to our service provider experiencing "problems". Sorry about that. We use Demon Internet and would strongly advise anyone looking for web hosting to steer well clear of them. Despite the site being out for a week they neglected to advise us we were down. Over the years their service has gradually got worse and they were recently taken over by Vodafone. We are planning to move this site to our other service provider. They email us with minutes of a site going down and generally have it restored within an hour or so. 18th July 2013

Special UK pricing of the Harry trade in is coming to an end.
In December last year the Harry new and trade in price increased but we negotiated a "rebate" for the UK until Easter 2013. That rebate has now come to an end so the UK price for new and trade in Harry is set to increase as soon as current stocks come to an end. Right now I have 90 available at the "old" price. Once these have been sold the prices will be:
 

Multi pack prices for Harry will also increase. Purcy prices remain the same. Prices for other items are also changing in line with Mylaps 2013 pricing and reflect the current exchange rates. New decoders are up by £100. If you are thinking of trading in for a Harry or buying a new one don't delay. Postal prices have also changed in line with Royal Mail postal rate changes from 2nd April 2013. 2nd April 2013

Purcys in stock and lots of trade ins!
We now have a very limited stock of Purcy transponders, pictured on the left. Note the additional servo extension lead so you can wire the transponder into the main battery feed on an electric car to monitor voltage. It can also be connected to the receiver as previous transponders. Lots of people are trading in older AMB transponders and MRT transponders for Harrys and Purcys to future proof themselves in anticipation of RC4 Decoders becoming the norm. Middle picture is Trade Ins from EOS race in Germany last weekend, right is Trade ins from Finland received today.

The Harry transponder works with ALL Decoders, the Purcy just works with the RC4 Decoder. The MRT transponder does not work with the RC4 Decoder. 9th January  2013

RC4 Frequently Asked Questions
Here. 22nd December 2012

 RC4 Transponder available from the Mylaps RC Webshop
The Pure RC4 Transponder (Purcy) is now available from the Mylaps RC Webshop. You can also order Purcy with CarID based on your existing Harry transponder number. In addition you can also order Purcy with a 7 digit number of your choice, provided that number has not previously been used for an RC transponder. Click here for the Mylaps RC Webshop. Early in January you will be able to order Purcy transponders direct from us, but initially we will not be able to offer the CarID transponders or Custom Number Purcys. 22nd December 2012

RC4 Decoder testing at Rug Racers 2nd December 2012 Part 2
We did some testing at the Rug Racers event to check if the AMB and Mylaps Transponders were behaving at a race as they do in our bench tests. We compared the performance of the transponders detected by the RC4 Decoder and the RC2 Decoder used to time the event. Of particular interest were the number of "hits" detected. In simple terms the more "hits" the less likely a "missed count". The following table shows the average ratio of "hits" detected by the RC4 Decoder compared to the RC2 Decoder for the same transponder. the number in () is the total number of transponders of each type.

The absolute number of "hits" for a particular transponder type varies from car to car, depending on the position of the transponder and the components around it. To work reliably the signal has to be detected as the car approaches, crosses and leaves the loop and the time and strength of each "hit" is used to calculate when the car crosses the loop. The more "hits" the better the accuracy. For each passing the number of hits will vary slightly. I have seen instances of the decoder getting less that 10 hits from some transponders and by moving the transponder to a better position the number of "hits" increases. If there are a low number of "hits" then sooner or later a lap will be missed.

To get an accurate time of crossing the loop the car needs to be moving quickly. That way the transponder is in one place (centre of the loop) for less time. Putting the loop in a slow part of the track was important when cars were manually counted but we haven't done that for over 20 years. The best place is on a fast part of the track where the cars can safely go flat out. Racing to the loop in a slow part of the track on the last lap of qualifying is dangerous for marshals.

As cars get faster and carbon fibre and to a lesser extend alloy is used in chassis material we need a "better" transponder signal. Both carbon fibre and alloy block the signal. More detail on this can be found here Why do Transponders miss laps?  Increasing the signal strength doesn't help as it results in transponder pickup over a wider area for cars with good mounting positions. This just creates more problems with cars being detected on other parts of the track. More "hits" generated and detected per unit time improves accuracy and reliability.

In addition to improvements in transponder performance for new and old AMB/Mylaps transponders RC4 includes the Pure RC4 transponder (Purcy). Purcy allows several transponders with the same 7 digit number but an extra unique ID number. In some types of RC racing it is permitted to use more than one chassis during an event, in others it is not. The extra ID number is there so the Timing System can detect if more than one transponder is used with the same 7 digit number. Without this it would be possible to fake results by using more than one transponder, one in the car and one placed near the loop. As the RC2 and RC3 firmware cannot report the Car ID (it was developed later), Car ID transponders only work with RC4 firmware. The RC4 decoder can be used with software that is not RC4 "aware". In this circumstance the decoder will ignore a second Purcy transponder with the same 7 number for a timeout period. This timeout period can be controlled in the RC4 Decoder by the timekeeper. 

RC4 Decoder testing at Rug Racers 2nd December 2012
We did some testing at the Rug Racers event to check if the MRT transponders were behaving at a race as they do in our bench tests. We connected an RC3 and RC4 Decoder to the loop that was being used to time the event. The event was timed using the older RC2 Decoder. The following table shows the % of passes recorded.

This demonstrates that all AMB/Mylaps transponders work reliably with the RC4 Decoders but MRT transponders do not, in fact only 1 in 5 PTX transponders recorded any laps at all. We have offered a trade in for MRT transponders in exchange for Harry transponders since April 2010 and continue to do so.2nd December 2012

RC4 Decoder update - important information
I'm expecting the Firmware Upgrade and Decoder Upgrades to be available before the end of November 2012. In anticipation here is some important information.
Firmware Upgrade (RC3 v4 and RC3 v5 Decoders)
You should be aware that the firmware upgrade is non revisable. Once the Decoder firmware is upgraded to RC4 you can't go back to the RC3 Firmware. All Mylaps and AMB RC transponders work equally well with the RC4 firmware and the Harry transponders will work significantly better with a doubling of the detected hits. This will be significant for cars with Carbon Fibre or Alloy Chassis. Purcy transponders will have the same performance advantage as Harrys but will ONLY work with RC4 Firmware. MRT Transponders are not compatible with RC4 firmware and missed laps will be experienced.
Decoder Upgrade (RC2 and RC3 v3 Decoders)
The New Decoder can not be connected to the PC with a simple USB lead. It has Serial and Network connectivity only. If you want to use the serial connection most laptops will need a USB to Serial Adapter. We can supply these for £25. The new decoder is significantly more sensitive that the RC2 Decoder. All AMB RC transponders will work significantly better with the new Decoder than the RC2 Decoder. Harry transponders will work better again with a further doubling of the detected hits. This will be significant for cars with Carbon Fibre or Alloy Chassis. Purcy transponders will have the same performance advantage as Harrys but will ONLY work with the RC4 Decoder. MRT Transponders are not compatible with the RC4 Decoder and missed laps will be experienced.

If you would like to reserve a Decoder Upgrade please contact us with the Serial Number of your RC2 or early RC3 Decoder and specify the number of bundled Purcys (up to 5) that you require at the special price of £45 each. We'll send you an order email to be returned with payment for the RC4 Decoder Upgrade (£415) plus Purcys (cheque or transfer). As soon as we get your decoder we'll send it to you. Once you have the decoder please send your old Decoder. You won't be without a decoder while the upgrade takes place. Please note that the special decoder upgrade price is advertised by Mylaps as being valid until the end of December 2012. If you plan to upgrade your decoder but are not ready to swop just yet you can send payment before Christmas and we'll get the decoder in stock ready for you to upgrade. 19th November 2012

Transponder Upgrade offers
Since May 2010 we have been offering trad ins of the older AMB Personal Transponders and MRT Transponders for the Mylaps Harry Transponder. Details here. We can also offer trade ins of the RC Rechargeable Transponder for the Harry, contact us for details. 19th November 2012

Pure RC4 (Purcy) UK Pricing
Prices from January 1st 2013 are as follows:

• Purcy without clip £65
• Purcy x 3 with clips £194
• Purcy x 6 with clips £378
• Purcy x 10 with clips £612

We expect to have the Purcy on sale by the end of November from stock. Until the end of December prices will be approximately 5% less than the above list. While Purcys without CarID will be available from stock, if you require additional Purcys with the same 7 digit number these will be available to order. Purcy with Car ID 1-7 will be the same price as Purcy without Car ID. Please note that Purcy will ONLY work with RC4 firmware Decoders. When we feature Purcy on the sales page there will be a link to a list of Clubs who have RC4 firmware Decoders. Right now that list is empty.   12th November 2012

RC4 Decoder
The RC4 Decoder uses the same physical decoder as the latest RC3 Decoders with updated firmware. The Firmware update, expected to be available by the end of November, is a free download. To get the download you will have to register the Mac address and you will receive a program to run on your PC with the Decoder connected. This program updates the decoder. Full details of this process will be available soon.

If you have an older RC3 Decoder (purchased in 2006 or early 2007) or the previous RC Decoder you will have to upgrade the decoder. This will cost £415 including VAT and shipping in the UK. The updated Decoders are expected to be available in early December. If you upgrade your Decoder you will be able to purchase up to 5 Pure RC4 Transponders (Purcy) at £45 each.

If you have an RC3 Decoder purchased in 2006-2007 please email the Mac address to us and we'll advise if you need to update the Decoder. The Mac address is printed on the bottom or the decoder and starts EA: 00-04-B7-xx-xx-xx. If you can't read it you can display the Mac address of a powered RC3 Decoder on the LCD screen by pressing the left hand button twice. 1st November 2012

RC4 Firmware
The RC4 Hybrid Transponder (Harry) was release in December 2009. It has taken rather longer than was anticipated for the corresponding RC4 Firmware to become available for the Decoders but this is imminent.

The Harry transponder sends a mixture of RC2 and RC4 data packets. The RC2 data packets are used in the AMB PT and Rechargeable transponder. The RC4 packets, more numerous than the RC2 packets, include the voltage and temperature data. The Harry transponder sends a mixture of RC2 and RC4 data packets. The RC Decoder and RC3 Firmware only detect RC2 data packets. The RC4 Firmware can detect both RC2 and RC4 data packets, increasing the accuracy and reliability of the detection of the transponder. More data packets means less chance of a missed transponder and improved accuracy of the reported passing time.

The day before the BRCA 2012 AGM we demonstrated a comparison between the RC4 firmware and the previous RC3 firmware and older RC Decoders using a variety of transponders. The demonstration showed that the RC3 Decoder is significantly more sensitive that the older RC decoder for both AMB PT, AMB Rechargeable and Harry transponders. Comparing the RC3 and RC4 firmware the performance of the AMB PT and Rechargeable transponder remained the same but the Harry transponder performed significantly better with the RC4 firmware than the RC3 firmware because the RC4 firmware detects more data during the passing.

As more electronics is incorporated in race cars, both RC and full size, the electrical noise in the area around the cars is increasing. This presents a challenge for Mylaps to maintain and improve the reliability of timing data. The decoders used in RC are exactly the same as used in full size motorsport, only the firmware (software) is different. Developments in noise filtering and reduction has improved the reliability and accuracy of timing in full size motorsport and these developments have been incorporated in the RC4 firmware. Whilst this filtering has no adverse effects on AMB/Mylaps transponders the reliable use of non AMB/Mylaps timing components can not be guaranteed.

To summarise:

• RC3/4 Decoders are significantly more sensitive that the earlier RC Decoder

• AMB PT and Rechargeable transponders work equally well with RC3 and RC4 firmware

• Harry transponders perform significantly better with RC4 firmware compared with RC3 firmware

As soon as RC4 firmware is available full instructions for the updating of Decoders will be available on this site. 29th October 2012

A new RC Transponder from Mylaps
Also demonstrated the day before the BRCA 2012 AGM was the Mylaps Pure RC4 transponder, nickname Purcy. This transponder builds on the functionality of the Harry transponder in two ways. Firstly it replaces the RC2 data packets with RC4 data packets, further improving reliability and accuracy. It also incorporates a CarID signal. This allows a driver to have a number of transponders with the same 7 digit number but an additional number 0-7. Timing software will be able to treat the transponders as being associated with the same car but crucially will be able to confirm that only a single transponder was used in a session to be absolutely certain that no false times could have been recorded by using an additional transponder outside the car.

It is important to be aware that the Purcy transponder can ONLY be detected by the RC4 Firmware and so it will not replace the Harry. If you have a Purcy it will NOT be detected by the RC Decoder and RC3 Decoder Firmware.  Exact price and availability of the Purcy is to be confirmed but price is anticipated to be approximately 10% cheaper than Harry. 29th October 2012

Missed Laps?
Some guidance on Installing Transponders and Loop.
Why do Transponders miss laps?
Testing your loop for sensitivity
Loop Installation
Note we recommend 30-45cm separation for off road tracks. 2nd August 2012

Olympic MyLaps and bbkRC Timing Systems Sale
The 2012 London Olympics are here and the Paralympics are following soon. Sport is all about how high, how long and how fast and Electronic Timing is at the very heart many of the events we'll be following for the next few weeks. To celebrate we're having a sale on Transponders, Clips and Decoders from now until the end of the Paralympics on 9th September. Check out Olympic Component Sale Prices and Olympic System Sale Prices. We haven't forgotten of timing software prices. For the same period we will halve the prices on new unlimited period software licenses. That means you can buy bbkRC Drivers Plus for the price of bbkRC Pro. These discounts also apply to customers who have annual licenses upgrading to unlimited period. Check out Olympic Software Sale Prices. 31st July 2012

Free Astroturf!
McArdle Sport-Tec are looking for recipients of free Astroturf. Here is the text of an email I received today. 
My name is Allen and I am contacting you on behalf of McArdle Sport-Tec specialist sports surface contractors. (Contact Details via McArdle Sport-Tec web site, link above.)

Over the coming months we have multiple projects whereby we are looking to dispose of many 1000s of square metres of used Astroturf artificial grass. The offer goes that we give you the turf free of charge as long as you load and collect from site. Recommend you employ strong workforce or a forklift teamed with a 40tf flatbed truck to transport. Up to 900m square could be transported on one truck in this manner.

Highest priority site as we are commencing lifting the turf today;

Is a full size 3G rubber and sand filled football pitch ~45mm long pile carpet around Stirling, Scotland, available in 4 x 10m sections weighing roughly 1.5 metric tonnes.

Other sites include a sand filled ~20mm pile, full size hockey pitch, around Birmingham, UK. Available from 23rd July, Sections still to be cut. 

And full size water based hockey pitch, (no sand or rubber infill) short curly pile ~24mm around Portsmouth. Available from mid July sections still to be cut.

More sites to be announced over the coming months but please act quickly as demand regularly outstrips supply.

Contact me for more details, any questions or to reserve a portion of the turf. 13th June 2012

Its NEO Time!
All this week and over the weekend we are at Harper Adams for the NEO12 Race.  bbkRClive will have live results on the iPhone App and at http://mob.bbkrclive.com for mobile devices and desktop Apple and PCs as well. We will also be offering Transponder trade ins. Get a brand new harry with a unique number for £42 when you trade in the older AMB PT or Clone transponder, any condition! We exhausted our 2011 allocation at last years NEO and there were a few disappointed drivers. If you want to trade in best catch me ASAP! 3rd April 2012. UPDATE Back from the NEO and thanks to the nice man from UPS we have Harrys in stock!  10th April 2012

Any old Iron?

A couple of weeks ago we were surprised when this was traded in. Its an example of the very first AMB Decoder with the System 20 upgrade. It even includes the legendary 40 transponder charge rack! Its been a good few years since we last saw one of those. If you are still using and AMB20 System or AMB8800 or even AMB8300 and want to upgrade give us a call.

Warranty and Upgrades? We've got them covered.
If you have a problem with your AMB/MyLaps transponder or want to upgrade from AMBrc Decoder or the older AMB20 System or swap RC Rechargeable Transponders for Harrys we have got offers that will work for you.
Warranty: If you have the older RC Transponder (replaced by the Harry in late 2009) you can Trade it in for a Harry for £42 plus postage. Any condition! If you have a Harry transponder that has the wires broken we can trade it in for a new Harry, also £42 plus postage. All Harrys are still under warranty so for any other problems please get in touch.
Upgrades: We can upgrade AMB20 Systems, including offering Harry Transponders as upgrades from the AMB20 Rechargeable transponders. We can also offer Harrys as upgrades from the AMBrc Rechargeable Transponders. Prices for these upgrades are £45 per transponder. Charge racks get you 50 free Clips. If interested get in touch for full details.
Example: If you have an AMB20 System with 20 Transponders you can upgrade to an AMBrc System with 20 Harrys for £2855. The price of this without upgrade is £4120. That's a saving of £1265.  2nd February 2012.

2012 Price changes - bbkRC Pro Prices held for the 9th year running, MyLaps rises expected to be less than 6%.
Despite Inflation running at a about 6% we are maintaining prices on bbkRC Pro Software for the 9th Year running. MyLaps equipment prices are expected to rise in January and we estimate the RC4 Transponder single unit price to increase from £72 to £76. Prices for Coax and Decoders will rise by a similar percentage. If you are planning to buy in the near future, this month will be better than next!. 5th December 2011.

MyLaps X2 Track Monitoring and Control

Not RC related but we thought you might like to see some of the MyLaps developments taking place at full size circuits. Now that IS race control!  2nd December 2011.

Lots of Harrys in stock, small number of trade ins available
We have large stocks of Harrys and a few available for trade in of your old RC2 (Pete) or Clone transponders. The limited edition White Harry has done what it said on the tin and is now finished. Click here for the trade in. 14th November 2011.

Busy week timing Greenpower races!
Since April this year we have been timing races for Greenpower at tracks including Goodwood, Silverstone, Darley Moor, Bedford Autodrome and Dunsfold Park (Top Gear test track). Greenpower promotes construction and endurance racing of electric powered cars build by teams of 8-25 year olds. This week the races are at Croft, Rockingham and Ford Dunton plus a return to Dunsfold Park next week ahead of the summer break. Racing resumes in September with visits to Bedford, Aintree, Castle Combe and the Finals at Goodwood in October. The races last up to 4 hours with as many as 75 competitors and the lead cars have covered well in excess of 100 miles. Click on the Greenpower Logo to visit their site and find out more. 4th July 2011.

Lets get Japan back in the Race! Here comes White Harry!
To contribute to the reconstruction of Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, MYLAPS decided to start a fund-raising by offering limited edition White Harry transponders that include a donation for Japan. The additional amount that will be charged by purchasing this transponder will be tripled by MYLAPS and is donated to the MYLAPS Japan fund. This fund will be used to help race tracks and event organizations in Japan that have suffered from the earthquake and tsunami and to get them back in the race! For each "White Harry" Transponder purchased MyLaps will contribute €15 to this fund. Please note if you order clips with a White Harrys one clip will be red for each White Harry you order. 3rd May 2011. 

Harry Trade in exhausted at the NEO!
If you haven't taken advantage of RC2 Transponder Trade In for a Harry then I am afraid you have missed the boat. I took my complete stock of Harrys to the NEO and what came back has just satisfied the online orders. The offer has been running for just over a year and we don't have any plans to extend it. 26th April 2011.  

bbkRC 2011-1 is now available.
Ready to download! If you want to download here are links for bbkRC2011-1 and bbkRCNetScreen2011-1. More details will follow on www.bbkRC.com  when the pre outdoor season rush settles down. 31st March 2011.

The USB socket on the front of the RC3/4 Decoder
The USB Socket on the front of the Decoder can be used to dump passing data and support files to a USB Memory stick. For information on how to do this click here. 17th February 2011.
 

bbkRClive mobile website.
If you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can view the bbkRClive results on a website optimised for mobile devices. http://mob.bbkrclive.com . It works on Android and Blackberry and should be OK on most other mobile phones with an internet browser. If you have an iPad it will give you the wide screen with the index. If you have any problems with your mobile device let us know and we will try to fix it. 11th January 2011.

bbkRClive on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
Now you can keep up to date with race results live on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running IOS 4.0 or later. Download bbkRClive from the App Store here or by using the QR code to the left. This is a free App supported by iAds. Please check out the iAds so we can keep if free. We are working on an Android version and there may also be a Blackberry version in the future. 10th January 2011.

32 bits good, 64 bits not so good.
This Winter's marketing push for PCs looks like being 64 bit Windows 7. If you are using the AMBrc2 Decoder on USB you should be aware that the USB driver is 32 bit only. There is no 64 bit driver available. You can install and run bbkRC on Windows 7 both 32 and 64 bit but there are a few things you need to be aware of. Click here to download Installing bbkRC on Windows 7. For information about the USB driver and Windows 7 click here. Windows XP remains our firm favourite for running race control. If you have to run with 64 bit and the AMBrc2 Decoder then a USB to Serial adapter will help you out. You can still power the Decoder from the USB port. 7thNovemer 2010.

Time to change the clocks this weekend so it must be the BRCA AGM.
Upgrades are the message we will be taking to the AGM, plus the RC4 Decoder and Harry Transponder, plus some details of new software. Coming early next year will be bbkRC Shotgun, a simple backup timing utility that can run in a separate computer and log all transponder activity. Also in the pipeline is an iPhone App, bbkRClive. We will have early prototypes of these in action. We will also be talking about the MyLaps finish line camera and what it can do to make the results of close finishes beyond doubt. If you want to do an upgrade at the AGM, just bring along what you have and cash or a cheque book. I have one RC3/4 Decoder available for upgrade and lots of Harrys and Clips. A summary of the available upgrades is here.28thOctober 2010.

Harry goes boating! We are at Billing Aquadrome this weekend for the half hour British Championship.
Trade in your PT for a brand new Harry at Billing Aquadrome (near Northampton) this Sunday (26th September 2010). We will be testing the RC4 Decoder at the 1/2hr British Championship. We hope there won't be any incidents like this but a camera at the ready is always a good idea when there is any racing.23rdSeptember 2010.

Upgrade your PT to a Harry! Example of a trade in
We get trade in PTs in a variety of conditions. Here is one of the more extreme examples. "Thanks for the quick response, the Harry arrived just in time. My old pt got dislodged from its mounting point 1 lap from the end of the A final, I was running in 3rd so I went for the finish. I knew something was up as the car was handling funny. The pt turned out to be wrapped round the drive shaft and was rubbing on the wheel. Sorry it was in such bad shape. I used to use Velcro to mount old pt as I run 2 cars and needed to change it over often. The new clip system is much better". The clip system is the ideal way to move Harrys between cars. the clip can be screwed to the chassis and the Harrys will be safe. You can find a fact sheet about the RC4 and Harry Transponder here. To upgrade your AMB or Clone transponders to Harrys you should click here. 13th September 2010.

MyLaps Finish Line Camera earns its keep

At the Offroad Euros in Austria the MyLaps Finish line camera proved itself invaluable in confirming the result of the 2wd F Final. It also proved invaluable in confirming results where a transponder stopped working during a race. The Finish line camera can operate independently of the transponder, being triggered by the car crossing the line. It takes a bit of time to view the pictures, but it gives you an image and a timeline that is 100% accurate. A fact sheet is available here. 9th September 2010.

Upgrade your PT to a Harry! Trade in stocks are getting low!
We have just received our last allocation of Harrys for the trade in offer. If you are thinking about doing a trade in don't delay. Last month we traded over 100 Harrys at the Offroad Euros and we currently have only 150 Trade in units in stock. You can find a fact sheet about the RC4 and Harry Transponder here. To upgrade your AMB or Clone transponders to Harrys you should click here. Please do not send us transponders until you have completed the Upgrade form, paid and been asked to send us your transponders. Stocks of Harrys for new sales are high so no worries there.  9th September 2010.

Goodbye rechargeable transponder
The popularity of the RC4 Harry Transponder, combined with the mounting clip, has prompted the retirement of the handout rechargeable transponder. There is an exchange offer to replace rechargeable transponders and charge racks with Harrys and Clips. Contact us for details. 9th September 2010.  

Looking for a used Decoder?
If you are looking for a used AMB RC2 Decoder, we may be able to help. Give us a call and we can put you in touch with some clubs who have used decoders for sale. 13th July 2010.

Harry day out will be back in July
We will be visiting races in July and August offering the trade in of AMB DP (£27.50) and Clone Transponders (£32.50) for Harry Transponders. We will also be selling Harrys at the special price of £65. The next event will be EFRA Offroad Euros in Wien, Austria August 23-28. You can find a fact sheet about the RC4 and Harry Transponder here. 1st June 2010.

MyLaps Finish Line Camera

At the Euros Warm-up in Austria MyLaps demonstrated their Finish line camera, useful for very close finishes and investigation of other timing irregularities. It is primarily aimed at full size motor sports, but can be used with RC. A fact sheet is available here. 21st May 2010.

We are off to the Euros 2010 Offroad Warm-up
On Thursday 13 May, back Tuesday 18 May. We have good stocks of Harrys and any order placed while we are away will be send on our return. You can follow the race here. 12th May 2010.

New Harrys available Worldwide from bbk
We now have large stocks of Harrys and we are able to offer them to EEC and International customers again. All International orders will be sent fully insured via Royal Mail International Signed For with a claimed delivery time from  5 working days. 4th May 2010.

New Harrys and PT and Clone Upgrades are now available
We now have large stocks of New Harrys and we are able to offer the Harry Transponder via the upgrade program. This is only available to UK addresses. You can pay using PayPal or send a cheque. To upgrade your AMB or Clone transponders to Harrys you should click here. Please do not send us transponders until you have completed the Upgrade form, paid and been asked to send us your transponders. 15th April 2010.

Decoder Upgrades
Although the generous Decoder upgrades are no longer available, we still have a small number of units available at the pre 1st April price. Please call for details. Upgrades are still be available but not at such generous prices, AMBrc2->AMBrc3 is £1150, AMB20 ->AMBrc3 is £1875. 7th April 2010.

Easter Weekend is Neo weekend.
Over 1800 viewers joined us online for the NEO2010. You can see all results and the Video of all Finals on replay here. Don't forget there are many pictures and Driver Interviews available at www.neobuggy.net 7th April 2010.

Harry sees Red
The LED in the Harry transponder has been changed. It is now always RED. One flash per second means it is OK, 5 flashes per second means it's temperature is less than 5c or the voltage is less than 3.5v or more than 12v. The reason for the change was that some people thought the green LED was yellow or orange. Be assured that as long as it is flashing, it is working! 1st March 2010.

Cash in the attic? - Offer ended 31 March 2010
If you have an old AMB20 system you can trade it in for a brand new AMBrc 3 Decoder. Click on the Decoder picture for more information.
25th January 2010.

AMBrc2 Decoder Upgrade - Offer ends 31 March 2010
If you have an AMBrc2 Decoder you can trade it in and get a MYLAPS RC3 Decoder for just £500. You can download the free RC4 firmware when it is available and you will have the latest Decoder technology with 3 years warranty for a fraction of the price of a new Decoder. Click on the Decoder picture for more information.
25th January 2010.

A Double and Three Halves - Meet Harry!
This is Harry, full name MYLAPS RC4 Hybrid Direct Power Transponder. Double the output signal, about half the size and weight as the older RC2 transponder, operates on a wider voltage range (2.8-16v), has PTFE power cable, reports extra information back to race control and much cheaper than its predecessor. Lots of good stuff here. I can confirm Harrys work with the older RC Decoders and the previous Transponders and copies work with the RC4 Decoder. This is evolution, not revolution. Harrys will be available soon with a very special UK launch price. Click on the image for details. Over the next few weeks we will be taking Harry to some race meetings for you to try and buy at an even better price. Don't delay, the special price is only for a short time. We have 200 on order and it will be first come first served. Oh, just in case you wondered, there is a trade in offer on the "old" style transponder, and the clones as well. I would tell you the price, but you wouldn't believe me.
4th December 2009.

bbk  and SLIPS
We've been having a lot of fun timing the races for SLIPS, the new MTV street racing show where winner takes all and the looser walks home. It is currently showing in the UK on Viva and will be screened in Europe soon.
10th November 2009.

AMB now have a new name - Mylaps Sports Timing
AMB products, prices and contact details remain the same. The new name recognises the merger in November 2008 of AMB-it and Champion Chip. Both are  Dutch companies. Champion Chip originally developed passive RFID technology for timing running events. 12th October 2009.

 Look back to the summer
Here is a clip from the BRCA TC R4 race at Snetterton. More on Youtube and  bbkRClive. 12th October 2009. 

Beware the rise in UK VAT at the end of this year!
The current rate of VAT (15%) is also due to rise at the end of December, probably to 17.5% but who knows?. If you are planning to buy any AMB equipment then I would suggest you think about doing it sooner rather than later. 12th October 2009.

Blog
I've given in and joined the ranks of Bloggers. Click here to find out what's on my mind.

Muchmore UK GP.
Lots of Interviews and A Finals. Check out bbkRClive Live channel On Demand.

Check out the Interview with Chris Grainger from our coverage of the Muchmore UK GP.

Buy AMB equipment and save 4% on VAT!
UK VAT is 15%, less than most European countries. If you are in the EEC and are planning to buy an AMB system and are not VAT registered, you can save 4% if you buy from us. The system will ship direct from AMB but instead of paying 19% VAT you will only pay 15%. Contact us by phone,  email or skype for more information.

bbkRClive
We have now covered the Players '09 and the Neo09 with live video, data and results. During the Neo09 main final we peaked with 997 viewers or two channels. We will be covering more races in the next few weeks. Check here for more details.

And Tweet! We are now Tweeting. If you don't know what Twitter and Tweet is click on the Logo above to visit our adventures. You can join twitter and follow us, or just look from time to time. All the events we time will be Tweeted by us and others, you can see the results by clicking on the Twitter Logos in the Race Events 2009. You are welcome to Tweet with us by including the hashtag in your Tweets. Come on, you know you want to!

New pricing on AMB products
If you are in the EEC and outside the UK you can take advantage of the UK VAT rate of 15%. Goods will be shipped direct from AMB. Please contact us for a quote.

Race Events  2009
Our calendar is filling up fast. We offer Online Race Entry, Meeting Management and Timing Services Worldwide as well as in the UK and Europe. We aim to live webcast if at all possible. If you would like us to help our with your meeting please contact us for details. Below are the meetings we are confirmed to time. There are lots more still to be announced............... 

• March 7-8 2009 European Touring Series 2008/9 Warsaw, Poland Details and Entry here. hashtag #etsrace
• April 10-13 Neo09 Details and entry here.
• May 29-31 2009 European Touring Series 2008/9 Apeldoorn, Netherlands Details and Entry here.
• June 12-14 Much More UK GP Details and entry here.hashtag #mmukgp
• July 17-19 2009 European Touring Series 2008/9 Andernach, Germany Details and Entry here.

Online Race Entry and Race Advertising with bbk - update
Since launching rcRaceControl.com in September 2007 over 2000 RC racers have registered and nearly 2500 entries have been made. When the DHI Cup was opened for entry 66 drivers entered the meeting in the first minute and the modified class was full within the hour. If you want your meeting to be visible to the widest number of RC Racers use rcRaceControl.com. If you want to advertise your race but not use online booking we can provide that service as well. The system is available for any Race Organisers to use, regardless of whether you use our software or not. It will be used for all race meetings we Time from now on. If you want to use the system, please contact us. 

Setting up the AMBrc Loop and Mounting Transponders. A PDF file that tells you everything you need to know is now available as a download here.

Review of 2008
We timed races in Denmark, Netherlands, Scotland, England, Germany and the Hungary during 2008. Click here for the full story
Review of 2007
We timed races in Germany and the UK during 2007 and launched our online race entry system www.rcRaceControl.com. Click here for the full story
Review of 2006
We timed 16 meetings in 2006 in the UK and Europe, including 2 World Championships and a European Championship. Click here for the full story
Review of 2005
During 2005 we travelled around Europe timing electric and nitro, car and boat races, visiting 6 countries. Click here for the full story. If you have a big meeting in 2006 and want it "timed to perfection", give us a call.