Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => Do before leaving for a race => Topic started by: Papi on September 15, 2009, 10:02:42 PM
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I arrived as a Rookie to El Mirage at the Sept 2009 Meet.
Thought I had all my bases covered. Nope.
Before you look like a big dummy (which I am frequent at), go to Wally Mart and get yourself a CB Radio, External Speaker and Roof Mounted Magnetic Antenna. $75 Bucks later, you will save yourself from a lot of ribbing. I think this is an SCTA-BNI deal, not sure about ECTA.
I'll be packing CB next time, two of them :-D
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It's an SCTA/USFRA requirement -- you won't pass tech without one. I'm pretty sure the SCTA rulebook (which USFRA follows) now requires a dash-mounted CB, too -- not a handheld.
At World of Speed today we've had to turn away a few racers that didn't have a CB in their support vehicles. Good thing that the Pilot truckstop here has a Midland CB, full power and dash mount and all -- for $40. I don't know the price of an antenna, but it probably gets the total to $75 or so.Get a real antenna -- not a little rubber ducky-type. The longer the better is absolutely true in CB --= a magnet-mount with a 3 1/2-foot whip, on the roof, will make a big difference vs. that little 10-inch rubber one.
The requirement is there for good reason -- so the tower can tell the support vehicle of important thinmgs like "Your driver has turned off at the 2 1/2 mile mark -- go fetch him" or "Hey, grey pickup going past the pits -- it's a 25-mph zone. Slow down!"
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I sure wish BUB had CB communication. When I broke my bike and needed to be picked up, there was no communication between the BUB people and my chase crew. There was a long delay while my crew had to figure out where I was on their own and then figure out a way to get to me without crossing the courses. Whenever they tried to get to me by going on the access roads, they were met with the linesmen waving red flags. They had no idea where I was either or what my crew should do.
It cost a lot of delay to the other racers while my crew was trying to get to me. All it would have taken was a simple call from the tower to our CB (which we did have), and things would have been resolved quickly.
I just don't know why BUB prefers to run with no communications ability. Anybody else know?
Don
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You've hit reason 14-B why we choose not to race at Bub's.
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It's an SCTA/USFRA requirement -- you won't pass tech without one. I'm pretty sure the SCTA rulebook (which USFRA follows) now requires a dash-mounted CB, too -- not a handheld.
Including a 130 club car with no support vehicle?
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It's an SCTA/USFRA requirement -- you won't pass tech without one. I'm pretty sure the SCTA rulebook (which USFRA follows) now requires a dash-mounted CB, too -- not a handheld.
Including a 130 club car with no support vehicle?
I'm guessing that that rule only applies to the real race cars and crews :-D. Not us amateur 130 mph racers. I have a cb in my 130 car anyways. Then you dont miss all the cool announcements for how fast the long course guys are going :-o .
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Not trying to be goofy, as my SCTA rulebook is yet to arrive. What about bikes?
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A CB is required in the support vehicle for ALL race entries -- bike or car or truck. There is no requirement for a radio IN the race vehicle. Dash mounted -- because handhelds have proven themselves to not do the job consistently. Anyway -- handhelds now and then get dead batteries -- we all hope the support vehicle won't have that problem.
If you can -- mount the antenna permanently on the roof of the support vehicle, too -- it'll work better that way. A good magnet-mounted antenna will work okay, though,
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My Wilson "little Will" magnet mount works great.