Hi Racers
Because I repair and sell racing transponders I hear many questions about these evil, but necessary beasts. So here is bit of info. If you have questions please ask, happy to help.
Where to buy
The AKA used to have transponders at a special members price but from what I hear the price is about the same as normal retail now.
DO NOT buy on eBay as the price has been inflated by around $50 - $60 to cover the greedy fees charged to sellers by eBay and PayPal. Some of these are old stock and this can mean the battery has been sitting for a very long time without use and this is bad for the battery.
You can buy directly from Mylaps Australia or from Transponders Services (me) based in Brisbane Qld at better than eBay prices. I ship out orders very promptly and all transponders are pre-tested and battery cycled at least once.
AMB TranX2 160 (Classic)
These have been around a very long time and are 100% AKA approved.
Can be found on the 2nd hand market at about 1/2 to 2/3 the price of a new one. Battery condition is the main thing to check. See below about run time.
They have a rechargeable battery and I recommend it be fully charged at least one per month and allowed to run until it stops. If you race more than once per month then there is no need to do the once per month charge.
Full charge should take around 16-20 hours.
Solid green light when on charge indicates fully charged and should be removed from charging.
Flashing green indicates transponder is running and the number of flashes indicates how many days it will run. Typically 3-4 days
If a transponder fails to charge or run then in most cases the battery has failed and needs to be replaced. Contact www.transponderservices.com for battery replacement.
AMB - Mylaps TranX3 160 (aka Mylaps rechargeable kart)
There are two types and these are the current model 100% AKA approved.
The FLEX which has a white base and white label and the Classic which has black base and black label. The FLEX also has a step shaped base to prevent it being charged in a Classic charging cradle.
The FLEX is subscription based and is not actually owned by the user, more like a lease.
1,2,5 year subscription can be purchased and you require an internet connection and the downloading of software to manage your subscription.
The Classic is owned outright and works straight out of the box without the need to mess around with software and computers. It also has good resale value.
Personally I think the Classic type is better value in the long run and easier to use, however the FLEX does have a cheaper initial cost. I currently have fresh stock of the Classic kart transponder available.
CAUTION: if buying a FLEX transponder privately you should check the status of the subscription by getting the transponder number and contact Mylaps Australia to find out if it has a current subscription or not. I've already had a client send me one of these that he purchased 2nd hand to get repaired and I found it was out of subscription and so did not need repair. The seller had ripped him off because without a valid subscription the FLEX transponder is worthless. So beware.
Full charge should take around 16-20 hours.
Solid green light when on charge indicates fully charged and should be removed from charging.
Flashing green indicates transponder is running and the number of flashes indicates how many days it will run. Typically 3-4 days
If a transponder fails to charge or run then in most cases the battery has failed and needs to be replaced. Contact www.transponderservices.com for battery replacement.
Mounting transponder on kart
Important that the transponder is mounted vertically because the signal is directional and fires out of the bottom so this needs to face the track. Ideally no metal should be between the transponder and the track. The transponder detection loop is in the track at the start/finish line.
Ideally mount the transponder using the special mounting bracket and for extra security add an electrical tie or Velcro strap. If it comes off in a race it can be dangerous to others and get badly damaged.
Cheers and good luck racing!
Comments12
Good info!
I want to ask a possibly strange question, has anyone tried the AMB transponders for RC cars? I ask because they are significantly cheaper and seem to run on the same hardware. Just wouldn't be sure if they are powerful enough for kart tracks
Are the 160 DP still available new any where and will the 260 dp work on the karting system?
It seems now that almost all karts have a battery on board, the DP transponder would be the way to go in AU now.
Hey jeff, how long will the battery's last on the transx3 160? My transponder was purchased as soon as the aka made them compulsory about 4-5 yrs ago. It still seams too charge fine and hold its charge. Also what's the price too replace the battery assuming that's all that's wrong with it?
Cheers
Good question.
Major problem with this is that the AMB & Mylaps RC transponders will not register (be detected) by the Kart decoder which is the TranX2/3 type.
It theory your idea would work provided the karts are not travelling any faster than an RC car when passing over the start finish line and the decoder in use was the AMB RC3/4 or Mylaps RC type.
The decoders look the same but have a label on the base to indicate which type it is.
There is also another type call MX which uses orange coloured transponders for Motocross and they will not work on the kart system and vise versa.
The red transponders that look the same as the yellow kart transponders will work on the kart system. They cost more because they are designed to work at much faster speeds. Better to get a red transponder if you race in high speed sports as well as karts.
I did know of a race track for Mini-moto bikes and the owner adapted the RC system to his needs. Shaun Field said:
Good info!
I want to ask a possibly strange question, has anyone tried the AMB transponders for RC cars? I ask because they are significantly cheaper and seem to run on the same hardware. Just wouldn't be sure if they are powerful enough for kart tracks
The AMB/Mylaps 260 DP will work on the karting system.
The AMB/Mylaps 160 DP has just been replaced by the X2 Direct Powered Kart transponder but is only available on a subscription.
See here http://www.mylaps.com/en/products/x2-transponders-kart-direct-power...
Racers often ask me if rechargeable or DP is better and really it comes down to personal preference.
The DP does not require charging but if for some reason the external power to it fails your laps will not be counted.
It is also not convenient to move between karts if required.
The rechargeable has internal power so no chance of it stopping due to external power failure and is very easy to move between karts. David Arnold said:
Are the 160 DP still available new any where and will the 260 dp work on the karting system?
It seems now that almost all karts have a battery on board, the DP transponder would be the way to go in AU now.
The battery of a TranX 160 should last at least 5 years and it depends on how well you treat it.
The type of battery in them last longer if used regularly and will die prematurely if left for long periods without being charged. Do not over charge so when it goes to solid green remove from charging within a few hours of solid green.
The price of battery replacement is $75AUD and has a one year warranty. I use quality Japanese batteries unlike the original which is a cheap Chinese made battery.
All transponders serviced by me must pass testing after the new battery is fitted. If the transponder does not work for some other reason that cannot be repaired then you are not charged for the attempted repair. chris thomas said:
Hey jeff, how long will the battery's last on the transx3 160? My transponder was purchased as soon as the aka made them compulsory about 4-5 yrs ago. It still seams too charge fine and hold its charge. Also what's the price too replace the battery assuming that's all that's wrong with it? Cheers
How do AMB turn on and off the FLEX transponders to stop them transmitting once the subscription runs out?
Hi Adam
I have not had personal experience with this process.
However I do know that the charging cradle needs to be plugged into your computer via USB and some software is required to be downloaded and installed on your computer to manage the subscription.
I guess that the transponder may have a clock in it and when you enable the subscription the software sets the clock ticking to count down the period of the subscription and so when that time is reached the transponder switches its self to un-subscription mode.
The FLEX transponder will flash red 5 times per second when it does not have a valid subscription. Adam Smith said:
How do AMB turn on and off the FLEX transponders to stop them transmitting once the subscription runs out?
Hi Jeff, is it possible to buy the charging cradle seperately for the TranX3 160?
At the moment I have to charge mine using alligator clips.
Could you please supply me a price? or give me a call. Much appreciated
Cheers
Marcus 0427957715
Hello Marcus
As discussed on the phone I have emailed to you an invoice for the charging cradle.
Cheers
Jeff
Transponder Services
Do you have any classic transponders available and how much ?? thanks
Hello Branko
The timing of your enquiry is spooky.
I have not had any classic kart transponders for nearly a year.
But yesterday I received a load of transponders for repair from a regular USA client. He also included 4 kart transponders that he no longer requires.
They are the TranX2 160 which is the older model but are still OK for AKA use.I need to test them and arrange some chargers for them, then they will be for sale next week.Price depends on condition etc but most likely in the $200 - $300 range.
If you are interested I suggest you contact me directly via my web site Transponder Services
regards
Jeff
Transponder Services