R.A. update

[eviled98]

  I was at an S.C.C.A. training thing today and Carson from Road America was there. The biggest news were the awsome new radios for the corner-workers. They have caller-id, no more head-sets (ear-pieces), they are water resistant and have the best batteries money can buy. Carson confided that the change in equipment was due to a change in the F.C.C. regulations that will be effective 1/1/13.
   Perhaps this means that, at long last, Black-Hawk Farms will finnally have new radios sometime this year. (just guessing) or we may be forced to learn smoke signals.

[SVbadguy]

It has to do with using a narrowband (12.5khz) signal now. 
http://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding.html

I'm the radio committee chairman for MARRC.  Last year I arranged the purchase of 15 new mobiles and one base station that we use at Summit Point.  Even more justification for the purchase, not that it was needed.  The timing worked out pretty well.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Unfortunately Ed, I think they may wait until after this season to get new radios. Ear pieces sound nice, but are they going to clean them after every use? I like the ear cuffs better anyways since they do cut down on the race engine sounds.

[eviled98]

  The ear pieces that we were shown were simple foam rubber ear-plugs like we'ev been using forever with one having a sound tube and the other one solid. The one with the sound tube just attaches to the end of the "sound cord" (?) and is disposable or re-usable if you keep it. Carson said he will be handing them out free of charge as they only cost 48 cents a set and he has ordered 500 sets.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Was thinking of the ones that are $100/set. So do you have a button on the cord or do you have to use teh radio button?

[eviled98]

  This is as close as I could find on the web, image-wise. We'll use the button on the speaker/mike (like the cops do).
  There won't be a button as pictured here on the ear-piece cord, also not pictured are the yellow foam rubber ear plugs. The white part will plug directly into the mike.
  Another feature is the ability for race control to "stun" a radio remotely if the transmit button sticks on. The radio will only recieve until control enables it again. They will know which radio to stun via the caller I.D.. Road America has always had corner specific radios and the new ones are being programed as such. Every time someone keys a mike, their corner number will pop up in everybody's screen, before you can talk there will be a short beep, forcing the user to wait for the repeater.