Thanks for the support and referral to the correct forum ... it seems I did need a later build of the Beta that supports the Kyosho timing ribbon.
After setting it all up, I did some testing on both a notebook and a 24" monitor, driving three different d’nanos on our new high-speed banked oval. The results passed my (often overly) critical expectations and I am quite impressed at the utility, customization possibilities and overall polish of the system.
I will say that after 5 years of looking for a professional-grade timing system for micro scale, this is finally, the real deal. Kyosho's ribbon and Flip Side's software work very well together, and other than some delays in initially registering the cars; the system never dropped a lap, even at full throttle. No transponders to worry about, a strong signal on our new foam surface, and non-intrusive race management and setup.
The race customization is strong, as is the reporting and race management. I also like being able to run custom backgrounds, graphics and logos and the ability to print our logo on the race results hard copies.
The only change I would like to see is more choices than the '80s robot voice.
The Kyosho timing software pales in comparison, and the Flip Side is actually faster to setup/enter cars, once you've learned the screens.
On the oval, I ran 10 lap/50 sec., timed solo trials (I had no one to race against) ...ie. you have 50 seconds to complete 10 laps and get a best time. It was very entertaining and added a new dimension to the already challenging banked oval. Choosing the proper racing line and hitting the apex just right shaves a few hundredths, not noticeable by the naked eye, but very real with the software.
To me, this is a big final step in designing a Table Top racing system that is not a toy and challenges both novice and skilled drivers.
While testing this, I envisioned Arch's thread of yesterday regarding his disappointment when seeing an HT in-store track setup, and when he compared it to the 1/10th scale guys in the back and their professional setup:
Quote:
honestly, i'm not very impressed. the layout space seems very limited. the placement in the store is akward to say the least. it looked very much unused, dirty, had an uneven portion.
in appearance, it looks nice. colors are good, assembly looks solid. the carpet texture is very interesting as i've never raced on carpet before. i'm hoping that once properly leveled, the panel gaps disappear but these were noticeable.
i look forward to meeting up with the maryland guys at some point to actually get some racing done and stats on the website but right now, it doesn't seem like that will be happening anytime with any urgency.
oh, i couldn't find any dnano parts? there was only 2 employee's in the front half of the store and both were at the front register. the dnano display case looked as if it doesn't get used much either. they did not have any of the latest body selections in stock, just the old ones. prices were reasonable but more expensive than the va beach store.
now, i ventured to the back of the shop to their main race track. this was HUGE. the pit space was absolutely jammed pack with people and gear. i walked over to the grand stands to watch a couple races as i've never really watched a 1:10 scale race. lets just say they take it MUCH more seriously than mini-z racing.
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If those 1:10th scale guys were exposed to a properly setup (and challenging) track in a true micro-scale environment, they would take another look and take it much more seriously. The Core/Kyosho/Flipside certainly bring us one step closer to that.