Update on RDSS/TrackMaster and payment for data!

[Ted Craven]

Hello everyone! Here’s an update on the work I’m doing to integrate RDSS with the NEW TrackMaster Store to get RDSS data files.

Also – this is a request to make a temporary ONE-TIME Payment in August and September for the TrackMaster data you have been getting for free since June!

Please use this PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LXY4G8VNGFGAQ (More info further below).

The RDSS integration with the NEW TrackMaster Store.

TrackMaster/Equibase had to rewrite their OLD Store from the mid-1990s (!) to 2025. In the process, RDSS was rather an afterthought, but they and I have been working steadily - though with delays due to their not understanding of how RDSS always worked with the OLD Store. They have been providing FREE data to all RDSS users whose data plans would have renewed (but couldn’t) starting late May (and paying me my share of an estimate of what they might have collected). Also – some of you are receiving FREE data via the COMP data account I provided (new, returning or upgrading RDSS users).

I expect to have completed the programming and testing for the RDSS connection to the NEW Store by the end of August or early September. I had planned a vacation in August, also the specs do evolve during testing as I rewrite aspects of RDSS I first created almost 20 years ago! So - this was not going to happen before the end of August!


Please make a payment for your RDSS TrackMaster data subscription starting in August.

Starting with August however, they want to start collecting revenues for RDSS data again (and paying me my share), though RDSS doesn’t work yet with the NEW Store and the OLD Store is defunct (though still providing FREE data). As a compromise – they have allowed me to collect TrackMaster RDSS Data payments directly from RDSS users on a one-time basis during August (maybe early September).

You still get the data you have used before August for FREE, compliments of TrackMaster! But going forward until the RDSS connection to the NEW Store is finally working, please make a payment directly to me – Ted - using the PayPal link below, per the price list for TrackMaster RDSS data plans shown below. I will forward ALL monies collected to TrackMaster and they will pay me my share.

When the NEW TrackMaster Store is accessible to RDSS users, your account will reflect the data subscription period and data plan type you paid for. If your data plan did not expire during May – August (e.g. you had an annual or semi-annual plan) – no need to do anything. You can see when your data plan renews (or expired) on the Registration Screen, TrackMaster Data section. If it has expired – you’re getting free data and kindly make a payment for your typical data plan.

For example, this shows a 6-month Unlimited PP Only data plan which expired July 17.



Here is the PayPal link to make a payment: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LXY4G8VNGFGAQ

Please enter the amount of your typical data subscription in the PayPal payment page from the following Price List:

PP Only


Bundle - PPs & Results


If you have been using Pay-as-you-go data ($2.00 per card or$2.75 for the Bundle) – please simply add up the cards your purchase in August and make a payment.

For examples – if your 6-month Unlimited Bundle expired in July, your payment of $839.95 will be reflected in your account at the NEW TrackMaster Store from August 1 for 6 months. If your 3-month PP Only subscription expires in August, your payment for another 3-months of $82.50 renews that data plan for 3-months from that expiry date. If your plan expires in August, please send me an email telling me your expiry date so I can have TrackMaster assign the correct renewal date to your account in the NEW Store. Otherwise, account renewals will be based on August 1.

This is all on the honours system and I have no doubts that the RDSS community is the most honourable one in horse-racing – evoking the spirit of Doc Sartin’s original mission and the motto of our founder Bill Varone –“Friends helping Friends”. This has been a bit of a slog for me over the summer, but I have formed solid connections with both management and technical personnel at Equibase/TrackMaster for long into the future – ensuring stability and maintainability for RDSS.

If there are any questions about any of this – please do not hesitate to send me an email! (Although – I’m on vacation until the end of next week – August 17 – though checking emails from time to time).

Thank you all for your support. I am continuously grateful for what we have created!

Ted

[Ted Craven]

A Summary


1. if you're not using RDSS during August, no worries - you don't have to do anything.

2. If your existing TrackMaster RDSS data plan has not expired - per the Registration Screen - you don't have to do anything.

2a. If you are using the Pay-as-you-go plans - just pay for the number of cards used in August according to data plan type

3. Otherwise, if your OWN TrackMaster account shows expired and you are getting free data anyway by regular downloads - please make a payment for your typical data plan (pricing shown above).

4. If you're using the COMP Unlimited Bundle data account I provided you, because you wanted to upgrade to the Bundle Plan, or because you are a new or returning RDSS user - please make a payment for the usage you have been making of that COMP account: Unlimited if that's what you're doing (and intend going forward) or whatever lesser volume of data and for whatever data plan you intend going forward - PP Only or Bundle including Results.

5. Once you make a payment - you don't have to do anything! Continue using the account you were using (your OWN or the COMP account).

6. If you make the one-time payment for data and you need to make another (because you used more data than you paid for) - just make another payment.

7. Once RDSS works with the NEW TrackMaster Store - your account will be updated to reflect the expiry date and data plan type you paid for.

8. Use this PayPal link to pay for your data usage: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LXY4G8VNGFGAQ

9. RDSS should be updated to work with the NEW TrackMaster Store by late August or early September. I will advise everyone about an update to RDSS for this.

10. If your current Data plan expires in August (per your Registration Screen, TrackMaster Data Subscription section), please send me an email telling me your August expiry date so I can have TrackMaster assign the correct renewal date to your account in the NEW Store. Otherwise, account renewals for Data plans which expired before August will be based on August 1.

Many thanks!

Ted

[Ted Craven]

This is for everyone who is a current RDSS Subscriber.

Thank you all so much to all of you who have made payments for TrackMaster data you have used during August! While I am completing the next RDSS update which connects again to the new TrackMaster Store, this is how they get paid by RDSS users (and keep them happy to continue working with me on this transition) – and also how I get paid (for my share of data sales)!

This temporary plan where I collect data payments from RDSS uses on behalf of TrackMaster will be continuing into September. Please read further below.


If you have used RDSS during August and have not yet made a payment for data, may I urge you to do so as soon as possible using this PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LXY4G8VNGFGAQ

For example --

1. If you have been typically buying data one card at a time (i.e. Pay-as-you-go) and you downloaded 15 cards during August, simply make a payment for 15 x $2 = $30 –for the Standard PP Only plan, or 15 x $2.75 = $41.25 for the Bundle plan (PPs & Results).

2. If your Unlimited Monthly, Quarterly or Semi-annual plan (PP Only or Bundle) expired before August – please pay for August according to the pricing below (and for September – please read further). If it expired DURING August, please let me know the August Expiry Date and I will make sure TrackMaster knows when the data plan subscription is good until.

3. Any other types of recurring data plans (e.g. 1-month, 3-month plans for 20/cards per month plus overages) – kindly make a payment according to the price list or contact me to help figure out the correct payment.

PP Only



Bundle - PPS & Results





The RDSS Update to connect to new TrackMaster Store – continues into September.

Due to evolving specs, some misunderstandings, my August vacation and the nuances of updating how RDSS has gotten data from TrackMaster for nearly 20 years (!) – this rather tricky job is not yet finished, much to my and TrackMaster’s disappointment. I will be circulating a testing version to a group of beta testers within a couple weeks.

MEANWHILE – I need to continue collecting data payments on into September, just like August. If you have already made a payment which covered just your normal subscription for the month of August (i.e. August 1 – 31) – please make another payment for September. All payments will have the correct end-date recorded on your account at TrackMaster when it is available again. If you typically do Pay-as-you-go, you may wait until the coming update where RDSS again draws data from TrackMaster and charges you directly – then make a catch-up payment through me for the September data you used.

If you have been using RDSS during August – and especially if you have been using the COMP 'free data' account I provided many of you – and have not yet made a payment for your recurring data plan subscription (i.e NOT Pay-go purchases), please make that August and also a September payment at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this. Again – in addition to your RDSS software subscriptions, it is how I get paid right now for my share of data sales (and for all this development and support of RDSS)!

If there are any questions about these payments – feel free to send me an email (support@sartinmethodology.com) or post a question in this Discussion.

Again, here is the PayPal link to make this self-reported payment for your use of RDSS during August and September: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LXY4G8VNGFGAQ


The RDSS "Slow-Down" Problem!

Related to coming RDSS software updates – and the visual "slow-down" problem observed by some of you in Windows 11 (when moving between screens in RDSS) – AFTER delivering the above noted update to connect to the new TrackMaster Store later in September – I will immediately begin a migration of the entire RDSS software code to the latest version of my software tools (PowerBuilder) - which I believe stands an excellent chance of addressing any compatibility issues with Windows 11 and its graphics display and interaction with various computers’ graphics hardware.

This following RDSS update should come in late September or the first half of October. So – 2 RDSS updates in the next 4 – 6 weeks are planned.

Thank you all for your patience with this ongoing issue. There is some advice about dealing with this issue (affecting current and previous versions of RDSS) in this Support Forum Thread: http://paceandcap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17278

Ted