That Dave Burns showed during qualifying? It was a combo
video/telemetry/scanner device that they said runs on a wireless network at
the track and would only be available for rental initially. I'd like to
find out more, but see nothing on NASCAR or Nextel web sites.

"Madarilla" <madarilla (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

I can't recall the name of it, and didn't recall hearing about the telemetry
part of it. I know he said that it showed the same video as the jumbotron,
was a scanner, and had a real-time running order (presumably with last lap
position, and speed as well as current running order, just like the scoring
monitors/feeds in the suites and in the pits).

It will probably be a while before you see a lot of info on it, Burns made
it sound very prototypical, and not even available to rent as of yet. I
wouldn't necessarily be in the market for one unless the pair of headsets
had an intercom function built into them. The two he had wired up with them
yesterday just seemed to be listening-only (IE: no mics for speaking between
the 2 connected people). Having an intercom between the two listeners of a
single scanner is the only way to fly. Otherwise, you better know how to
sign or read lips if you want to communicate during green flag runs, at
tracks shorter than 2 miles.

Found this, so if anyone else cares, here is more info.

http://www.nextel.com/en/promotions/racing/fanview.shtml
"Madarilla" <madarilla (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

Madarilla wrote:
Fine print: $500 refundable deposit due at time of rental. The
$50/day or $70/weekend isn't so bad - but the deposit will kill ya.

N.

Nancy1 wrote:
$50 a day isn't bad? No thanks!

NASACR gets enough of my money as it is. I would rather wait a couple
of yrs when the price goes down and buy one, especially once it's not a
prototype anymore.

"Nancy1" <nancy-dooley (AT) uiowa (DOT) edu> wrote

If that's like "regular" scanners Nancy, you won't have to actually "pay"
$500. They simply hit your CC to make sure there is $500 of room on it, and
"authorize" or set aside that amount of credit, but don't actually charge
your card. That's how RE used to word their stuff too, but I never actually
got a "deposit" charge on any of my CC statements, just the rental charge.
Of course, I returned the scanner...so they shouldn't have charged us. But
that's been a while, we've had our own scanners for some years now. It could
be different, but I doubt it. No one would bite if they actually charged you
$500 up front. Not many people would anyway. They'd have no room left on
their card (in lots of cases I'm sure) to buy food and souvies with at the
race if they did.