Transponder

[cherokee]

Looking for a place to mount the transponder. These little thingy's look fragle, and are kinda expensive. I don't want it to get knocked off. And what do you like better hard wired or rechargeable. I was thinking about a hard wired one, one less thing to worry about.

thanks

[Joe Harlan]

I use the hardwired units on all my cars and customer cars. I find that inside any of the front frame rails has worked just find.

[Racerlinn]

If you are interested, I have found a source within the SCCA of good, used battery powered units for half the cost of new.
Email me directly at racerlinn <AT> sbcglobal <DOT> net

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Steve Linn
'92 ITA Sentra SE-R
www.indyscca.org

[joeg]

They are definitely NOT fragile!!

They have proven their crash resistance many times.

[Knestis]

I mounted mine on the frame rail about a foot behind the bumper, where it has a view of the road below. I used the hardwired one but put the fuse up by the battery where I can take it out to serve as a switch. It was easier than finding a way through the firewall when the thing was an SSC car.

K

[jc836]

Mounted our hardwired unit in the hole where the airbox-resonator used to live. I set it on the splash shield and cut a small hole in the plastic then pushedit thru about 1" The location is behind and below all of the rails, but readily accessible from above. We made a bracket for it from a piece of flat stock. Ran the power to a switch (could be your Master cutoff).

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Grandpa's toys-modded suspensions and a few other tweaks
'89 CRX Si-SCCA ITA #99
'99 Prelude=a sweet song-FOR SALE
'03 Dodge Dakota Club Cab V8-Patriot Blue gonna tow

[Daryl DeArman]

I have a hardwired unit and that is on a car without a charging system. Current draw is really low and I don't have to concern myself with a dead transponder battery mid weekend or worse yet, mid race.

I mounted mine as far forward as possible. They are not supposed to be used for scoring purposes on the last lap, but I lost a race by .004 seconds. So, obviously when they don't know, they refer back to the transponder. .004 seconds isn't much when your are only going 120mph. (Less than a foot). I knew I was behind so no whining from me. Would have sucked if I was in front, but the other guys' transponder was further ahead.

If you have an accident large enough to damage the unit, the extra $300 will be the least of your worries (unless you tape it to your front bumper . I would be more concerned with it becoming damaged by heat or falling off. Put it low and as far forward as you can mount it behind something solid.


[This message has been edited by Daryl DeArman (edited February 11, 2005).]

[lateapex911]

Ditto the above on mounting...but the hardwired is, to me, a no brainer. having it switched on the master is the ONLY way to go for me. Can you imagine forgetting to turn it on?????????

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[cherokee]

It just looks like they are plastic, I got hit by a chunk of rubber (i think) and it cracked the glass. I was just thinking it looked small hanging low and would be easly damaged, knocked off. I am glad to hear they are tough.

[Joe Harlan]

Draw is about 0 the one in the T2 car is on 24/7 to lazy to find an easy switched source. Have never had a low battery issue ever.

[Daryl DeArman]

Originally posted by cherokee:
I was just thinking it looked small hanging low and would be easly damaged, knocked off. I am glad to hear they are tough.

They might be pretty tough...but don't "hang" it low where it is likely to get hit by track debris or curbing in an off. It can be upto 2' from the ground as long as it has a clear line of sight to the ground.

I believe the current draw is somewhere around 5mA, which is essentially nothing. You could have it on for 200hours before it used an amp of current. About what a 12Watt bulb in your interior dome light or glove box would use if left on for an hour.

I wired mine to the master off/on switch. I chose not to use the ignition switch just in case it caused any kind of weird noise issues, or if I was ever chasing any kind of ignition problem it was one less variable in the circuit. Keep it simple. Go to the track to race, not wrench.

[RSTPerformance]

Originally posted by Knestis:
I mounted mine on the frame rail about a foot behind the bumper, where it has a view of the road below. I used the hardwired one but put the fuse up by the battery where I can take it out to serve as a switch. It was easier than finding a way through the firewall when the thing was an SSC car.

K

If you hard wire it make sure you do fuse it like kirk did. We did not on our Audi and after about 3 years of use we had a spot wear it wore through the coating and fused itself to the frame rail. Ended up burning up the entire wiring harness for the car! They are fused now! Also as far as durability.... the shorting out had no effect on it...... had a huge front end impact at the glen and the frame rail literlay wrapped itself around the transponder.... still works like new! I think you would need a direct hit/puncture to damage it.

Stephen

[Racerlinn]

So, what you are all saying is don't mount it like this:

Look closely at the right side of the intercooler on the Evo. Goodness.

[jlucas]

That's a funny story. We are all siting on the grid and about 5 minutes before the start of the race when they realize they haven't put the transponder on.
I guess the night before when it was qualifying they were too busy still welding the cage to install the transponder.

[Racerlinn]

Any body else catch the part in the April Fastrack about a recommendation to only allow transponders powered directly by the car and a related note asking for penalties for drivers with non-working transponders? Well that would really just be great to have to chuck my investment in my rechargable unit just because others can't remember to charge them. Penalize me if it doesn't work at the track, but don't make me throw away what I have already purchased.