WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

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Bob Stack
Posts: 53
Joined: October 20th, 2009, 10:10 am

WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by Bob Stack »

I just acquired a used PI System 2 dash and related, but it appears I still need to get a transmitting beacon. Looks like a new one is pretty pricy (at the cost of a new one it makes more sense to switch over to thier GPS system instead of the beacons)

If anyone has a transmitting beacon that they care to part with reasonably I'd be interested.

Now the dumb question - I'm new to this data logging stuff -I assume I'll need some sort of cable to transfer data from the dash/logger to the laptop?

Thanks
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Matt King
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Joined: December 23rd, 2008, 1:44 pm

Re: WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by Matt King »

Bob,

I don't know how common the System 2 is in our region, but with most other systems, there is a pretty good chance on any given weekend that someone else has a beacon out on track, and there only needs to be one beacon of each brand for everyone's system to work. I know with my AIM I rarely need to put mine out, but of course, there is always the chance that if you don't have your own beacon, no one else will have one out. You will probably still want to find one to cover yourself.
Bob Stack
Posts: 53
Joined: October 20th, 2009, 10:10 am

Re: WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by Bob Stack »

? huh? Wouldn't the data get all scrambled up? I thought that was the reason for different channels?

It turns out Roemer had a PI 2 on his old car and the guy who bought that car changed to AIM, so it looks like I may have found the transmitter beacon I need.

I wasn't going to bother getting into data logging, but I got such a smok'in deal on this stuff (assuming it works! :P ) that I couldn't pass it up.
Fenders? We Don't NEED no stinking FENDERS!
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Matt King
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Joined: December 23rd, 2008, 1:44 pm

Re: WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by Matt King »

The beacon is just an optical trigger to signal the start/stop of a lap. It has no other effect on the data. Every car on track could use the same beacon if all were running the same data system, just like the transponder loop.
FV80
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Re: WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by FV80 »

Matt King wrote:The beacon is just an optical trigger to signal the start/stop of a lap. It has no other effect on the data. Every car on track could use the same beacon if all were running the same data system, just like the transponder loop.
that is true - however, most of the 'higher end' data systems are tag keyed to a specific (or just a few) unit. AIM is one of the few that doesn't. I can't imagine why the other companies feel it necessary to 'code' the beacon, but they do...
Steve
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Matt King
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Joined: December 23rd, 2008, 1:44 pm

Re: WTB - PI S/2 Transmitting Beacon

Post by Matt King »

Probably so they can sell you another expensive beacon when you leave yours at the track! I didn't know that about some of the other systems; I've been using various AIM systems for a few years and I rarely ever have to put out a beacon, but that would also complicate buying a used beacon for one of those systems since you would probably need to have it recoded to your data logger.
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