Get your official laptimes in real time

[kl3640]

Westhold Corp., the company that makes the timing system that CCS uses, has a new product called the LapCeiver.  You can get more info here (under the "Handhelds" category in the upper right):

http://www.westhold.com/products_main.html

Here's an image of the device:



The device is about the size of a pager.

It will display your official laptimes, from the same source that CCS officials use for scoring, in real-time.  It has the advantage of actually giving you your official times, the same as CCS records.  It does this by getting its info directly from the CCS scoring computer via a wireless signal that has a 1.5 mile range, so it will work throughout the paddock, etc.  All info for all transponders issued that weekend is transmitted.  You simply take the # from the transponder that is issued to you on a weekend, enter it into the LapCeiver, and then whenever your transponder crosses the timing loop (at the S/F line), the timing info is sent to the CCS scoring computer, which broadcasts it wirelessly.  The LapCeiver then picks up that signal, but only for the programmed transponder ID.  It stores the laptimes from up to 2,500 laps (500 laps in each of 5 memory banks), and users can then download those laptimes to their PC's later on if they wish.  I have tested it so far at BHF and Homestead and it works great.  The range is pretty good too - I've found that it works over a pretty good distance from the scoring tower (I rode around pretty much everywhere over the track property at BHF and Homestead, and it picked up the signal just fine).

The LapCeiver costs $179.95 direct from Westhold.  Contact info@westhold.com if you are interested in buying one.

NB: Not all regions are setup with the transmitter at this time.  I know that events where the main CCS staff are present have the transmitter, and so does CCS Florida.  Other regions will be online soon.

[Russell2566]

Vas Rajan have me the heads up on the LapCeiver early last month and provided me with some example exports of the application. Because of this, you will soon also be able to upload your times from your LapCeiver to MyRacingBio.com and view them along side your official results. This will come in handy for practice days that are not uploaded by CCS or for those weekends where there are unfortunate glitches with the scoring.

[gixxer188]

How is this different/better than the current method of simply using a laptop and tuning it to the wireless at the track and opening the scoring program?  Why should a person spend $179.00 when currently it is possible to receive the same information for free?

[Russell2566]

How is this different/better than the current method of simply using a laptop and tuning it to the wireless at the track and opening the scoring program?

From personal experience, because the wireless rarely works at the track. I'm guessing this will be a lot more fool proof. Plus not everyone likes to bring a laptop to the track. Just a hunch...

[kl3640]

How is this different/better than the current method of simply using a laptop and tuning it to the wireless at the track and opening the scoring program?  Why should a person spend $179.00 when currently it is possible to receive the same information for free?

+1 what Russell wrote.

Gixxer188, I'm guessing that you don't actually use the application to which you are referring (which, BTW, is called "RM Viewer") regularly, or at least not at many different tracks.  To receive the same information as the LapCeiver for free is NOT consistently possible at the current time, for several reasons.

To use it depends primarily on 3 things:

1) The Race Manager application needs to be setup to broadcast the timing information out on the network.  It's IP address also needs to be made available.  The CCS staff is good about this, but this is not the problem.

2) The tracks at which it does broadcast that info need to provide network access to the same network on which the Race Manager is located.  Most tracks at which I've tried to connect to the network don't have sufficient wireless signal strength to allow something like a laptop (compounded by the relatively weak strength of the wireless adapter on a laptop or handheld - it is IP based and is therefore 2-way, rather than just broadcast) to connect to the network at most locations in the paddock area, let alone other areas on the track property.  Unless one plans to pit next to the scoring tower or wherever is the source of the wireless signal, it's virtually useless.  Even using a wide-area access technology, such as an air card, won't work because the RM PC is never on a publicly accessible node (besides which, many tracks, e.g. Jennings, do not have good cell coverage).

3) It depends on having a laptop available (not everyone has one that they can bring to the track), turned on, and having the software running properly.  Without even getting in to issues such as damage to an expensive piece of equipment such as a laptop, or the sad-but-true reality of theft in the pits, just keeping a laptop on and charged or plugged in, available in the pit area, and connected to the same LAN as the RM PC is an extra headache.  It's portability is limited to the battery life, wireless access, and weather.

The LapCeiver can be simply put in your pocket, will run for an entire weekend or more on a single AA battery, will receive the signal virtually anywhere on the track property, and is a heck of a lot cheaper than a laptop.  It can get a little bit wet in the rain (not soaked though) without being ruined (unlike a laptop), is not as sensitive to shock as a laptop (as it is completely solid-state), is easy to use and will never give you the "Blue Screen of Death," and so on.

It is a simple appliance that is far more convenient to use than a laptop for this purpose, and that actually works consistently, unlike the RM Viewer setup.  It requires no special knowledge to use.

Personally, I find just the fact that it actually works (where as RM Viewer does NOT consistently work) to be worth the $179.95; however, when combined with the added convenience that it affords the user over a laptop, then the price is definitely worth it.

[SVbadguy]

As long as CCS sticks with Westhold timing gear then it's all good.  I have two bikes but only one lap timer and I don't bother with swapping it between bikes.  This would be handy as well as much easier to swap between bikes since there are no wires to route.  I'm sure it would work better than my current one.

[kl3640]

As long as CCS sticks with Westhold timing gear then it's all good.  I have two bikes but only one lap timer and I don't bother with swapping it between bikes.  This would be handy as well as much easier to swap between bikes since there are no wires to route.  I'm sure it would work better than my current one.

UPDATE: Westhold has updated the transmitter so that it now works with AMB systems (that's the other major timing system out there; it's used by WERA, AMA, IIRC FIM too, and others).  So the LapCeiver will work at tracks/events that are using the AMB system, so long as they hook up the transmitter.