The death of Radio Le Mans..?

[oldtimer]

Saw this on the ACO site...  Looks very interesting and, if the technology can be made to work, very useful...

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/actu/2007-06-01_GD_1515_gb.html

[ewan]

Who wants to bet that the ACO, being the ACO, will only broadcast a French commentary...?

[Dirk3D_NL]

it will not be the end of radio LeMans I think, I will not hire a small tv to stare at during a race when I can put radio LeMans on the speakers on the compound, see actual cars pass by and hear updates in the background

it is part of the charm for me

[oldtimer]

Hear updates in the background..?  You must listen to a different version of RLM to me!  I wouldn't hire the TV to watch instead of watching the real things going by, but I might be tempted to hire one to supplement the 'live' action and get real-time race data.

Anyway, now I think about it, this development wouldn't be the end of RLM anyway, but it would allow them to concentrate on what has become their core audience - the web audience.

[Steve Pyro]

For up to date race info / placings, they should adopt the icard / Gameboy system used at ALMS races and others in the US.

http://icardus.com/index.htm and http://icardus.com/icard%20a.html

[Andy Zarse]

And how long before the mini TVs get lost, stolen, smashed or clogged up with vomit/sand/champagne (delete as applicable)?

I wouldn't trust myself with one of those over three days, it's bad enough having the car key fob attatched to my waistband. I even take a crappy old mobile phone, I've lost more than one nice one at the Poo Bar. No, it's not for me, I'd never see my deposit again.

[championaudi]

on a bit of a tangent but ,can u get DAB coverage at the track?,i guess RLM will be still  FM but can you get a signal of anything else???

[Pieter]

I welcome every initiative to improve the experience, but I'd be more interested in the race stats than the telly bit. And that's what makes it expensive to rent ($ 95 for the weekend in F1). I'd prefer the iCard myself, but it's an interesting device anyway.

I can't see it compete with RLM though, it's a completely different thing.

[chop456]

For up to date race info / placings, they should adopt the icard / Gameboy system used at ALMS races and others in the US.

Given the sheer size of the circuit, I'm guessing it would be a considerable expense to outfit La Sarthe with all the necessary transmitters/repeaters, etc.  Consider that most North American road courses are under 3 miles in length and/or fold in on themselves, I think they're all covered by one transmitter.  Of course, I also wish they'd adopt it since I finally bought an iCard this year.  Maybe by 2010...

Champ Car has live timing available by mobile WAP.  Even that would be a nice supplement to RLM, especially if you're somewhere that hearing isn't an option.  It seems that would be relatively easy considering that the Euro mobile systems are light years ahead of the U.S.