Club Arnage

First, I have to say that I think Radio Le Mans is the 'chiens ballons' and remember what it was like in the mid 80's before it came on the scene. And so it is very much with that in mind that I offer this hopefully 'constructive suggestion' designed to (if it were possible) further improve the service provided. So if anyone from Radio Le Mans is out there, could I humbly suggest that during the race, on the hour, or better still every half hour there is a short, uninterrupted update on the race positions. I.e. 'In the lead, car number 4, in second place car number 6 on the same lap in third car 58 one lap behind........................

It would really help us pick up the action quickly after returning to the circuit following, whatever it is we do when we leave the circuit.

Just a thought.

See you there. Monkey.

Monkey,

Dunno when the last time you listened to RLM but certainly in the recent years I have been going they have always done an update of the type you describe hourly, on the half hour. The update giving the positions of all the cars as at the last full hours' timing (I hope this makes sense!) along with any news of crashes, retirements, pit visits etc..

And IIRC it was relatively uninterrupted - only the usual references to their sponsors during the introduction. I don't begrudge them that though as it pays the bills and, as you say the race would otherwise be incomprehensible after the first round of pit stops without them.

Remember, the Astons have the lights on the side. 3 lights; 1 lit - first place, 2 lit - 2nd place. That's all we'll need to know.
The third bulb must be a spare!

i (bearing in mind my LM virginity) thought that the light system was only for the ALMS, rather than actually at LM? I do think it's a decent way of doing things though.

Ordered tiny FM radios today for radio LM, which completes my pre travel preparation (other than foreign beer vouchers).

Graham,
I've been going for years and still know virtually nothing.
You're more than likely absolutely right.
I do know where the Poo bar is though!

...I'm expecting to actually lose knowledge while I'm there...

the radio can be a little confusing at times, esp when you wake up (if you decide to get some sleep) but you can of course find one of the big screens by the ford or dunlop chicanes, or the exit of the pit lane, as these usually list the entire classification quite frequently

Pretzel, thanks for your comment, I last missed a race in 1991. You are right there are updates and I agree 'get those sponsors names in' as much as possible as you say it helps pay the bills. I suppose I am asking for something over and above that, a simple quick fire number position, distance between, approach that would simply bring the listener completely up to speed in a matter of seconds. The hourly updates in there present (long standing) format usually begin on the hour and finish at about twenty past the hour making the information at the end of the report pretty out of date. It’s just a thought.:D

Have you guys seen this offer of free text messages telling you the race positions?

http://www.vingtquatre.net/unosite/pages/lemans.htm

Cheers for that Neilsie, will give a try

This seems almost to good to be true, has anyone out there used this service, is it really free??

Ill be signing up for that one! :D

Cheers!

Chris

We've had trouble over recent years in Tribune Jaguar, with the French Radio LM station breaking through, usually when you turn your head.

Any ideas anyone, and no I don't have ears like Jodrell Bank

This was mentioned on the lemans.org site some time ago. I've been searching for this all day to post the link but couldn't find it. Apparently, it's free of charge (Let's see the mobile bill after the race, sceptic me). Still, I won't use it and instead will rely on the good old radio and the odd surprise after the race. Nothing against new technology and all that but I'm aware that sending text messages via the mobile eats the batteries.  ;)

also, if its a french service it may only be free for french registered mobiles. if you're using an english mobile you might get charged international rates, so it could work out at abuot £1 a message. just a thought...

When do you get charged for receiving a text???

When you sign up for silly services, like Vodafone Live stuff. Receiving a standard text is free in most countries, although some Eastern European countries (Azerbaijan etc) used to charge!

The risk with that site is receiving 'targetted' advertising, either via text or voice to your mobile.

Just a thought but, why don't you just watch the race?

Read the link Tink!!!   ::)

doh! thought that might be my downfall  :-[

what race?  ::) ::)

will be in t34 this year - asleep probarbly!

Hello all, haven't been here for a while and forgotten my username so have just set up this new one to get me on. The text service you say is part of my doings, I own and run Vingt Quatre, an English company based in Wokingham, just a French name. Named after Le Mans in fact. The Text service is one of our offerings and yes it really is free, the advertising pays for it. It was set up Le Mans as it is a love of mine and I always want a quick and easy race update on the hour, and this i thought fits the bill, and being free, all the better.

It does not cost to receive, this only happens on premium services, this i can re-iterate is not premium rate and is FREE for you guys, the users. The more users we gat this year the bigger we can make the offering so please do spread the word and there is no catch, ask me anything you need to know.

Top man, but then you would be, being based out of Wokingham!
Will it get through to us in France and still be free?

indeed it will, straight through no problems and free.
All UK fones on UK networks will receive these texts for free.

Unfortunately i will have to be out there at Le Mans during the race to make sure they work, tough job but somebodies gotta do it!! 8)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... top bloke!  8)

Where will you be staying, as you will see, alot of us will be on MB, drop in for a Beer or 2 if you get close.

Beausejour, near the speedchills bar, top place if you've not been. Just up the road, well worth dropping in to say hi!

I know this has probably been covered, but dont you need a pass to get into SpeedChills?

Yeah you have to be a member, something like 10 or 20 quid, don't quite remember but well worth it for the cold pints and fresh as daisies full english every morning. Have a look on their site speedchills.com or co.uk, .com i think. I should know as they are partnering with my text service thingy.

If you are in doubt let me know and i will drop them an email 2moro as i know the chap behind it all.

vqdave, you seem to be a good man !!! Sorry for my doubts but that's just natural I think. Good to see you here.

One question though, what about german providers ? My mobile goes via Deutsche Telekom.  Is it still free of charge or do you link only UK numbers ?

Your service sounds brilliant if it's also available for mobiles from abroad.

P.S. Please no Michelin adds. I don't like "whatever the weather" at LM... let there be sun.  :D

Hey man its good to be suspicious, you don't get anything for nothing in this world, but in this case you do, its the companies who pay, but no Michelin, I am with you there, sunshine all the way, i like to come back with my Le Mans Burn, no matter how much cream i put on or how much shade i sit in a always get the burn.

Sorry i digress, currently we only link through the UK networks, so all UK mobiles are free, as for how much it would cost to receive on a German network, at this time, not work time, in the evening i could not give you an honest answer, i will look into it for you and let you know. I should imagine you would get charged you normal SMS text rate no more, as this is just a standard text message, not premium rate. So whatever that is from free to 5p(or euro equivilant) tp 10p. Worst case is 24 times 10p. But let me check that for you as i don't want to be responsible for a huge phone bill next month  :o

If you do want to sign up though anbd are non UK, rememebr to put your country code on the sign up, ie +44 for us in blighty!

vgdave

We are on BSJ as well and have tickets for Speedchills will keep an eye out for you

always good to meet like minded souls, to help you find us all at BSJ & SC you will find profiles of us here:

http://www.teamsquack.com/team.htm

look forward to being there, car striping bbq for all of us at Team Squack this Sunday. LM starts there.

oh well here goes, just signed up for the text updates, and will report after the race................and after I get my first bill. It is such a great idea, I really hope it works. Does anyone know how much it costs to advertise?????????

I can send you an advertisers info pack if you are interested, we want as many advertisiers as possible to be sure this works and we can expand the service in the future.
Advertsing budgets are up to you, they sell as text bulk buys so to speak. So your budget may allow you 100 texts or 1,000 or 10,000. As this is Year 1 at LM advertising pricing is all v low to get the thing going to prove the thing works as a business model.
If you are a UK network mobile it is FREE to use.

Dave great pic I can taste those Grand Marnier crepes already

lol, i have made it a bit smaller, i am the one on the right btw ;D
grande marnier crepe washed down by a bottle or 3 of shampoo 2 boxes of marlboro from the delectable fag hags (who were missing last year!!) and finally a warm bottle of lager from my back pack.

Good website Dave, what are your travel arrangments, Brad and I are heading out on the Wed 9.25 pm Speedferry.

we are meeting at Clackett Lane at  :o 4:30 AM on thursday, so the boat, is, he stalls..........i can't find it right now but will be about half 6 i think.

That should mean we get to BSJ in time for a pint or 7.

This year is the year of the knacker convoy, i am shogun in a F plate merc 280 SE, one of those old S Class things which my mate bought for £50 as it was cheaper than a train fair home when he changed jobs and had to give up his company car!! It will have orange squack stripes as will the other 2 car, a pug 205 gti and a e30 beemer 325.

Hopefully all 3 should make it in one piece!! We shall be announcing our arrival with either a plume of black smoke from one of teh cars or the flashing lights on the roof of a low lowder bringing us in!

'If you do want to sign up though anbd are non UK, rememebr to put your country code on the sign up, ie +44 for us in blighty'



Sorry to be thick here, but does this mean, as I will be at the race that I should have entered +44 then my number to recieve while I'm at Le Mans??? :-\

sorry i was not being clear, if you have a uk mobile it is fine, you do not need a national code as it is run from a UK network. It is the same as if you called a mate of yours on his mobile and he was abroad, you still get through, but if you are calling a mate who lives abroad then you put the code on.

Get it?  ??? ???

Not sure if i'm making sense myself now, LOL

If you have a UK phone, no need for the country code
If you have a non UK fone we need the country code as part of teh number.

Just to get back on the subject, the following link will get you to Globe radio for autosport, ideal if you work from home and have broadband seems to be a good mix of music and motoring / sport and then changes into radio LM on Wednesday midday 8) 8)

http://www.autosport-atlas.com/autosportradio/autosportradio.asp

thanks for that it is clear even to me, so I am sure that means clear to everyone.

I hope it goes well  for you, I think it is a great idea.

Just emailed Globe radio and Autospot editorial to tell them about our little gathering at the Poo bar - you never know they may turn up.

sounds like a lot of us are in BJ/Speedchills this year!

see ya there Dave..

Neil.

Oops... I keeped on looking on the left side of the picture for some reason.

Sorry, but to receive a text message abroad, on a UK mobile, DOES cost money.  You have to pay the carriage of the message from the UK to your phone, just like receiving a call when abroad.  So the service is free, but you will get a bill from your network provider for receiving the messages (Its about the same price to receive when abroad as it is to send one in the UK, so about 10p).

Of course, I could be wrong, but thats what its always been for the last few years I have been abroad...

Will this guy be backthis year? He wasn't impressed with our knowledge of the race last year ;D

(http://www.drinkingforholland.nl/fotoos/Le%20Mans%202004%20gallery/images/img_0046.jpg)

Never ever had charges for receiving texts abroad. Cost of sending texts goes up a bit (poss 19p with O2, varies according to whether the overseas telco has an arrangement with your home telco). Da Man says we will receive no charges - trust him! :)

Also found it was cheaper with O2 to receive calls in the US earlier this year (did I say...?) than to make them. Worth investigating whether you can buy reduced overseas call rate (about £2 pm) for a month if you intend calling home a lot.

Of course, you don't receive any of your free minutes or texts when abroad...

I have just had it confirmed and i wasn't mistaken, it is all free, guarenteed, will not cost you a bean to pick these texts up, whether at home or abroad.

Also it is free if you have a non UK mobile as well, I must admit non UK people are hardly the target market but it is free for all.

We are also setting up a text in number to subscribe to by text rather than the web while you are in France, so hopefully you should hear about us over there or see a flyer or something, ooooooo, one week to go!!

Looking forward to recieving the hourly update Dave, and weather or not the wife will still be home if we win the lottery - ah well, if she's buggered off just have to bum around France for a while, could be worse.

vqdave, I have signed up too, thanks


now this is very important...

WHY DO I keep looking at the left of your picture?
I cant quite put me finger on it.

Might that be a good thing?

 ;)

Roll on the 15th ...

it is a mid trick, I am like Uri Gellar and Derren Brown in that I can make you do things...............................look left look left look left

great idea, signed up also.

good luck with the venture.

Just wanted to add the service is going live at Le Mans 8), so apologies to anyone (IRW + any others) expecting their lottery numbers by text on Saturday :-[

Roll up roll up sign on please.....

vqdave, thanks for the service, it worked a treat. Was especially useful as I left the circuit at midday Sunday...

Glad you found it useful Smokie. Any other feedback would be welcome, re the service, the content, message formatting etc.

Many thanks for all your support on this so far.

What a good weekend this year, and wasn't it hot!! 8)