Boy, How Things Change

Well, it's been a while and a lot has happened (which partially explains the long gap between posts). Dbcom still has no web presence that I'm aware of other than selling transmitters on eBay. AMB (Mylaps) continues to dominate technologically yet insists on obfuscating and making their web site as useless as possible to those looking for hard information. I know, it's a peeve of mine that I had to vent on.

Goodbye TrackIntel

Three years down the road and I've had enough of TrackIntel. The basic premise of cloud-based timing and scoring has it's merits but the implementation has to be compelling. Frankly, what I saw and experienced wasn't. Compelling, that is. My first exposure to TrackIntel was from a distant organization and it revolved around using cheap as dirt RFID tags and a track-side antenna instead of the pricier transponder/transmitter/timing loop paradigm.

The motorcycle racing club I volunteer with made a decision to move from dBcom to TrackIntel based on the glowing comments of a member well versed in matters of Information Technology but evidently not well versed in the Timing and Scoring world. I'll leave it at that and offer up the explanation that the fit and finish of the TrackIntel product just wasn't there. On the positive side the technical support received from TrackIntel was nothing short of excellent. I just wish we never had a need for technical support. End of story.

Hello AMB (MyLaps Orbits) and MotorsportReg.com

Yep, I suppose you could accuse me of blatant commercialism, but I don't know of any other way of telling you where I am going next.

The Setup

Last season I was reaching the end of my patience with TrackIntel and my time with the local sports car club and their systems had me convinced it was time for me to show the powers-that-be the difference between TrackIntel and the MyLaps Orbits/MSR (MotorsportReg.com) solution. I set up another laptop with Orbits on it and ran it in parallel with the TrackIntel rig. I showed both systems in action side by side and let them reach their own conclusion.