2-way radios?

[Phokaioglaukos]

I'm thinking about getting two-way radios for the race car and crew. The ones in general use seem to be Motorola UHF radios in the 450-470 Mhz range. What does RTR use for track control? Anyone using in-car radios for RTR DEs?

Just thought I'd ask before buying.

[Sechsgang]

i do and i use the motorola unit...works fine!

[Phokaioglaukos]

What's the frequencey, Mr. Deerhunter?

[michael lang]

Chris, one of the techs that work for me is the crew chief for an endurance team that runs at Nelson Ledges, Homestead, Mid-Ohio, Summit Point, VIR, & Road Atlanta. They use a Motorola MT16 (I think that's the number my tech told me was on the radio). He said it works unbelievably well especially when the pit crew and the car are on completely different sides of the track. They get their equipment from a company called Speedcom. http://www.speedcomracing.com The owner is Toto, although I have never met him I have heard from a few friends who drive in SCCA at SP he's pretty descent guy. If you speak to him and he is having trouble finding the radios, ask him about the set-up that RC Impoprts uses. He should then know exactly what to show you. Best of luck.

 

[Phokaioglaukos]

Thanks all. I went with Motorola portable units in the UHF 450-470 Mhz range. That seems to be the most popular. There is a BMW club racer in California who refurbishes these radios and sells them with two batteries for a good price and there is a local SCCA racer who sells all the other bits and pieces and installs them. Let me know if you want to give this a try.

I have also learned a lot about how teams use radios, which was not hard as I knew nothing before!

I posted to our DE forum as I do not plan to race with PCA this year, but it would be fun to have car-to-car communication during a DE.

[Brian Minkin]

I personally would not want the distraction of car to car communication when I am focused on speed, precision, car (traffic) awareness and keeping the shiny side up in a DE environment.

[Sechsgang]

Ill have to get back to you with the frequency...but I use it every time I'm in the car...its good practice for the racing where one really needs it to compete. I think its a good test of where one is at driving wise as well as if you can hold a full conversation WHILE driving and keeping your cool/doing everything right, you know your doing well!

[Phokaioglaukos]

Sechsgang wrote:

Ill have to get back to you with the frequency...but I use it every time I'm in the car...its good practice for the racing where one really needs it to compete. I think its a good test of where one is at driving wise as well as if you can hold a full conversation WHILE driving and keeping your cool/doing everything right, you know your doing well!

Thanks.

One of the techniques PCA uses to judge whether promotion to a higher run group is appropriate is to have the instructor converse with the driver during a run. If the driver falls off line while talking about kids or work, he's not ready for the next group.

At Trackmasters there are several guys who bought race trucks (tube frame race cars with pickup bodies). They blast around the course talking with each other. Quite amusing.