Signal strength, noise, and hits are the three categories of data used to evaluate how well your timing system is operating. Orbits timing software will tell you all three numbers for each passing in the system.

You can think of the transponder as a little radio station sending out burst of data constantly as long as it is charged. The scoring loop is like the radio antenna on your car and the decoder is like your AM radio.

Signal strength is a numerical value assigned to how strong the signal is from the transponder. Just like when you are listening to your AM radio some stations come in strong and loud while others are weaker.

Noise is a numerical value assigned to how much interference or static is being read by the system. Again, sometimes when you are listening to your AM radio there is a lot of static and it makes it hard to hear the station.

Hits are the number of bursts of data read by the decoder as the transponder passes over the loop. The more bursts the decoder receives the more data it has to calculate the exact moment the transponder is over the center of the scoring loop.

So common sense tells us that we want maximum signal strength, maximum hits, and minimum noise to have the system working at its optimum.

The AMB spec is to have signal strength greater than 100, noise level less than 40, and at least around 25 hits per passing. There is a direct correlation between signal strength and noise. AMB wants at least a 60 difference between the two. So if you happen to have high noise, like 50, then you want signal strength of 110 to overcome it. We we time events we try to have the noise less than 20 and we will usually keep trying things to reduce noise until we get to that number. The noise reduction process takes a lot of explaining so if you have questions about it just give us a call.

There are a number of things that cause noise to go up including electromagnetic interference. Just like with your AM radio you want to keep the static down so the decoder can hear the transponders properly. If a noise problem gets really bad it can drown out the transponder completely and then you will have a missed passing. Not good. A missed passing is when the system can’t tell that a transponder just went by.

TranX160 transponders are built to be use on a kart which is lower to the ground and usually slower than a car. TranX260 transponders are built to be mounted higher so they have a stronger transmitter than the 160. That results in higher signal strength at the loop. If you mount a 160 and a 260 at the same height the 260 will have higher signal strength. However, the 160 signal strength is plenty for a kart so there is no reason to pay the extra money for a 260 if you are just racing karts.

It’s important to note that signal strength and hits have nothing to do with how the system actually times. They are only involved with getting a strong enough signal to the decoder. In karting and quarter midgets both 160s and 260s can be used on the track at the same time and it will have no effect on the timing and scoring of the race. The advantage to the higher signal strength of the 260 is that it helps the system defeat any noise issues but if the 260 is mounted at 2 feet off the ground and the 160 is at 1 foot then the signal strength will be similar.

The TranX line of transponders is AMB’s motorsports line. Their specs are listed below:

TranX Pro Rechargeable Transponder:
Max. speed: 500 km/h (310 mph)
Transponder position: max. height (autos) 60 cm (2 ft), motorcycles 120 cm (4 ft)
Operating time: min. 5 days +1 after full charge
Charge time: min. 16 hrs for full charge

TranX260 Rechargeable Transponder:
Numbers available: unlimited
Max. speed: 260 km/h (160 mph) Position: max. height 60 cm (2 ft) for cars, 120 cm (4 ft) for motorcycles
Operating time: min. 4 days +1 after full charge
Charge time: min. 16 hrs for full charge

TranX160 Transponder:
Numbers available: unlimited
Max. speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
Transponder position: max. height 30 cm / 1 ft
Operating time: min. 4 days +1 after full charge
Charge time: 16 hrs for full charge

As you can see, the primary difference is the speed that the transponder is designed to time and the height that it is mounted off the ground. You can think of the transponders as little radio stations that are constantly broadcasting bursts of data as long as they are charged. The power behind those bursts and the number of bursts per second changes as you use the different models of transponder. Since as a vehicle goes faster it spends less time over the loop the transponder has to put out more bursts per second in order for the system to be able to process the time reliably and accurately.

As they pass over the timing loop the system receives that data and sends it to the decoder for processing. All three of the transponders above can be read by the TranX2 or 3 decoder.

Let’s start with the TranX160.

The TranX160 is designed for karts, quarter midgets, and pocket bikes. Because all of those vehicles are close to the ground and are slower they can use a weaker transmitter then, let’s say, a late model car, and the system will still work with the incredible reliability for which AMB is known.

To work properly the TranX160 must be mounted less than 1 foot off the ground and the vehicle must be going less than 100mph when it crosses the loop. If those criteria are met then the 160 puts out enough bursts and a strong enough signal for the system to work properly. The TranX260 is designed for cars. Since the transponder has to be mounted higher on a car than on a kart the 260 has a stronger transmitter than the 160. In addition, it puts out more bursts per second and therefore can handle a faster vehicle.

The TranX Pro is even a higher level and are designed work on cars travelling well over 200 mph.

There is a big difference in price between the three types of transponders. In fact, you almost double the price of the transponder as you move up the ladder. There is no need to buy more transponder than you need for your application so if you are racing karts you won’t need more than a 160. However, you can always use a 260 or a Pro on a kart because it will still be read by the decoder and will have plenty of signal strength and hits. What you don’t want to do is use a 160 on a car as the signal strength may not be enough and it may result in a missed passing.

It’s import to note that signal strength and hits have nothing to do with how the system actually times. They are only involved with getting a strong enough signal to the decoder. In karting and quarter midgets both 160s and 260s can be on the track at the same time and it will have no effect on the timing and scoring of the race.

TranX3 decoders and transponders are updated versions of TranX2. In the conversion from TranX2 to TranX3 the external design of both the transponders and decoders was changed. The transponders went from rectangular with tabs on both ends to more square with no tabs. The decoders went from having a single LED light on the front to an information screen built into the front.

TranX2 and TranX3 equipment are completely compatible. TranX2 transponders will be picked up by TranX3 decoders and vice versa. Orbits software will work with both. The loops are the same for both. You can have a mixture of TranX2 and 3 transponders on the track at the same time and the system will work fine.

Both TranX2 and 3 decoders have a headset jack. When wearing the headset the timer can hear a beep every time a transponder crosses the loop. The nature of this beep is the basis of much confusion so here is the explanation.

The beep is there so the timer knows that the decoder has seen a transponder for the first time that lap. In this manner, the timer can direct their attention somewhere else and still keep track of the timing without always looking at the computer screen. So if the timer sees 5 cars cross the loop they should hear 5 beeps in their headset. The timer now knows that the system has seen all 5 transponders.

The beep comes on the first hit that the decoder sees a transponder for the first time that lap. It does not happen when the vehicle crosses the loop although it may appear that way when everything is moving at speed. Do not use when the beep occurs as an indication that the vehicle has passed over the center of the loop. Frequently it will happen before the vehicle passes over the loop and different models of transponders can cause beeps at different positions prior to the loop.

For example, I frequently talk to karting groups who ask if it is OK to use both TranX160 transponders and TranX260 transponders in the same race. The answer is yes. The model of the transponder has no effect on the quality of the timing as long as the decoder gets the signal strength and hits that it needs to do its job (that’s why you don’t use 160s on cars since we cannot guarantee that the decoder will if the transponder is mounted outside their design specification).

One thing they bring up is that the 260s set off the beep earlier than the 160s. This is true because the 260 has a stronger transmitter and the loop can get their first hit sooner. However, to compute the time that the transponder passes over the exact center of the loop they decoder uses dozens of hits per passing.

The job of the decoder is to decide when the transponder passes over the exact center of the loop and assign a time to it. It uses all of the hits per passing and some complex math to calculate the exact center of the loop. Both the 160 and the 260 will give the decoder dozens of hits per passing. The strength of the signal has no effect on this calculation. As long as the decoder is getting a signal from the transponders it will mark the passing.

When I ship a timing system, I ship the simplest system possible since most of the people who rent entire timing systems from me do not have much experience with them. The simplest AMB timing system consists of the laptop, a decoder, and a crossover cable that connects the decoder directly to the laptop via the network port. There is also a USB outlet available on the laptop to hook a printer directly to the laptop.

There are a lot of timers who hook everything up to a network hub to do the same thing. However, hooking the decoder and printer directly to the computer eliminates a number of variables that can cause the system not to work. By sending the simple system, I am confident that I can solve most problems on my cell phone while driving 80 miles and hour and eating a burrito.

So the bottom line is I do not ship networking equipment since network problems can be tricky, a network isn't necessary for timing a race, I am not there to fix things, and I don't want to be responsible if the network doesn't net-work (timing pun :)).

However, If you want to use MyLaps Monitor you have to use a network. That means you have to bring a network hub and enough straight network cables to hook everything up. In addition, you should have someone there who knows how to hook up a network as far as setting IP addresses etc or you will be pulling your hair out relatively quickly. I believe I can send you a copy of MM via email for free if you don't have it but I have to check with AMB first.

Once you have the network built you have a couple of choices. You can run MM on the same laptop as Orbits but most people choose not to do it that way. That is because, if there is a problem with MM during the race, you have to minimize the timing screen to make changes to the MM settings and there are not a lot of timers who like to "go blind" in the middle of a race even if it is for just 15 seconds. So most people run MM on a separate laptop networked into the system so as not to bug the timer or have any MM problems effect Orbits. So if you want to do it that way you will need a second laptop.

Once everything is set-up you can network other computers into the system, such as in the pit lane, network in TV monitors, or have the teams log into the network wirelessly to get the info. For the teams to log in wirelessly they each have to have a copy of MM running on their laptops. Most tracks just network in some remote monitors and place them at strategic places. Again, if you want to see MM the computer you want to see it on has to have MM loaded on it.