Using iPhones for pit-to-car radio

[Output Flange]

Firstly, can you?

Secondly, what's the best way to do it? I assume you'd want some kind of PTT kit for the driver.

Any pointers please?

[tapkaJohnD]

I refer the Honourable Member to the Blue Book, para Q.8.1.10, which bans radios, with the few exceptions listed.

As it was a grey area, I used mobile phones when managing a Birkett Relay team, where an on-circuit break down needs the next car to go out asap, but can mean a long, time wasting wait otherwise. My drivers were told to phone me only if they were stationary, which got around the regs, I thought, and avoided the need for hands-free. We weren't the only team to do this, either.
Then some fool of a 'manager' asked the CoC if this plan was OK. Unsurprisingly, the Clerk said, No!, and when a ruling has been given you have to stick to it. B*GG*R.

John

[Thurbs]

I ran with a phone in my pocket. Sadly had cause to use it twice, first for gearbox oil leak and then a engine detonation.

[Graham]

tapkaJohnD said:

I refer the Honourable Member to the Blue Book, para Q.8.1.10, which bans radios, with the few exceptions listed.

As it was a grey area, I used mobile phones when managing a Birkett Relay team, where an on-circuit break down needs the next car to go out asap, but can mean a long, time wasting wait otherwise. My drivers were told to phone me only if they were stationary, which got around the regs, I thought, and avoided the need for hands-free. We weren't the only team to do this, either.
Then some fool of a 'manager' asked the CoC if this plan was OK. Unsurprisingly, the Clerk said, No!, and when a ruling has been given you have to stick to it. B*GG*R.

John

They allow pit to car radios now at the birkett so whats the problem with mobile when your out of the car?

[drmotorsport]

I tried using a mobile with a hands free kit a few years ago and was spotted by a scruitineer who confiscated it! There's an MSA rule that forbids radio comms except for some specific racing ie BTCC etc

[tapkaJohnD]

Graham said:

They allow pit to car radios now at the birkett so whats the problem with mobile when your out of the car?

It's a while now, so thank you, Graham.

But I think this is a further erosion of the club ethos that 750MC used to epitomise, of low cost racing. The Birkett was originally an end of season jolly, and in my memory included a vast range of vehicles, from full-blown Bentleys, and I mean Mother Gun, and Formula 750, the original Austin 7 racing class, to Caterfields and moderns. My own classic car team folded after too many Birketts in which well-endowed modern racers with a full entitlement-obsession, caused my drivers so much distress and caused so many to retire, damaged, that the team couldn't compete and and ultimately couldn't enter.

Allowing teams to spend on in-car radios just makes the ordinary club racer even less eligible for the Birkett. When mobiles are cheap and universal, their use would be unobjectional. Bring back shoestring racing!

John

[Thurbs]

The Birkett is the definition of budget endurance racing and I saw none of what you describe.

This year it was won by a group of old cars worth the square root of bugger all. Another set of old boxes came 4th.

Our Clio bangers were in for a top 10 before mechanical issues.

Yes there are teams with super dooper kit, coms and cars but that doesn't mean they will do well...