Transponder Purchase? (Page 1 of 2)

Are there multiple suppliers, are they all  compatible or is there just one, MyLaps?

Be careful about which one you buy.  AMB/MyLaps makes several different ones including some for runners and MX.  Those wont work.  You want the yellow (kart) or red (car) ones.  I've used the yellow ones with no issues.  For whatever reason, you seem to be able to buy the yellow ones cheaper used on kart forums.  Make sure it blinks in sequences of 4 when fully charged.  Each blink signals the number of days the charge will last.  4 is the max.  You pay a premium for the wired ones which extends your ROI a fair bit.  The only reason you need to pay for a subscription is if you want to track your times online.  If so, beware that MyLaps is one of those orgs that would program their website to reach for your wallet through the monitor if they could.  Maybe they will dispatch drones to do that.  They seem to have gotten a little better but it seemed like every time you turned around they had their hands out. If you find one with a dead battery, a guy in NZ will replace it.  I think MyLaps tells you to buy a new transponder.  I'm thinking one should be able to convert one with a dead battery to 12v wired but never pursued it.

I agree with Judge Phil and Rob.  We have ours hard wired to always be on with the ignition, but we left the excess wire it came with coiled up and tied and we used quick connectors.  So if/when the Fox explodes, or we just temporarily need it for something else, we can remove it with no muss, and put it back right when we need it.  We also have a heat shield next to it just in case the exhaust breaks, we melted a Lemons transponder once.  On rental fees it has paid for itself already.

I bought a hard wired one for my club race car back in the lete 90's. It's an AMB model. It's still working fine and it's worth more now then what I paid for it!

I got the rechargeable three years ago.  Still charges to a full four blinks.  I make sure I put a full charge and discharge on it every three months.

We rented for 7 races...$350.  Then we bought a Amb tranx 260 direct wire...$350 new.  We wired to main power and have never thought about it again. That was 5 years ago.  I see that model is close to $500 now.  I just saw a used one on ebay ... current bid is $197.

AMB/MyLaps is the only game in town. It's a monopoly due to lack of interest by any other company and some sturdy patents.

Get a wired unit and put a weatherproof plug on the lead. The battery in the wireless ones is locked inside an epoxy filled case. It can be changed but it's a nightmare, Also it's still Ni/Cad which means if it's used, and isn't failing now, it will be.

You realize what you've just done by saying that don't you?

If it's a problem, I'll send it to the guy who refurbishes them and it'll pay for itself 10 more times.

there is a nice video on youtube about switching out the battery on that thing.
easier that it looks.
with some know how can make it wired not battery powered.

https://www.mylaps.com/en/products/x2-t … r-car/1622

Appears they have a new subscription based model, that can be hard wired or rechargable