In order to maximize the battery life of your transponders there are some key factors which affect the battery drain, understanding these will help to ensure you achieve the maximum life of your transponders.

Transponder Activation

The largest source of battery drain on a transponder is when the transponder is being activated by a 125kHz electromagnetic field, when it is activated it is constantly checking for a valid loop pattern.

The primary source of this comes from a RACE RESULT Active loop, therefore if a transponder is held over a loop for a prolonged period of time, then battery drain is significantly increased. A V2 transponder held over a loop for 10s is approximately equivalent to 20 passings (<0.5s). The V3 transponder contains a smart logic recognizing the loop and only sending a continuous passing every 5s, as well as an Exit Passing when leaving the detection field, hence battery drain when held over the loop has been drastically improved.

Allowing V2 transponders to be held over a loop, such as at a start line, for long periods should be avoided.

Other sources of 125kHz noise that can result in increased battery drain include:

Mains power cables (AC power)
Cars with keyless start
Motors / Machinery

V3 transponders include Noise Suppression Mode which helps to eliminate excessive battery drain due to external sources of noise.

Temperature

Cold temperatures will reduce battery performance of any electronic device, at lower temperatures there is greater internal resistance which thus lowers the transponder's ability to provide the power. Capacity is unaffected by cold temperatures and so remains the same, when returned to normal temperatures the transponder can still provide regular power.

Prolonged exposure to higher temperatures will result in reduced battery life as at high temperature the battery will deliver more power.

V3 transponders provide the greatest performance across a greater range of temperatures thanks to the reduced power consumption of the on-board microcontroller. With this they may be used at temperatures from -25°C (-13°F) to +70°C (158°F) across the entire life of the battery.

The on-board battery calculations have also been improved to give a better indication of remaining battery voltage.

V2 transponders do not compensate for cold temperatures and so the battery life is only guaranteed at temperatures above -10°C (14°F).

They may still be used at a temperature range of -25°C (-13°F) to +70°C (158°F) however a battery voltage of 2.6V when at 25°C (77°F) may still reset when at -10°C (14°F).

Tracking

Using tracking mode on transponders uses additional battery resources, the rate of this depends on the model as outlined below. The best option is to activate transponders at the start of an event and deactivate them using a management box as soon as possible at the end of the race.

When reviewing the values below, remember that battery usage is cumulative. For ActivePro Transponders with a 5‑year guarantee, the maximum tracking time is reduced by 20% after the first year.

ActivePro V3 Performance / MotorKart V3

Tracking Mode Speed	Maximum Tracking Time	20 hours as % of Max.
Slow	300 days (7,200 hours)	0.28%
Fast	150 days (3,600 hours)	0.56%

ActivePro V3

Tracking Mode Speed	Maximum Tracking Time	20 hours as % of Max.
Slow	1000 days (24,000 hours)	0.08%
Fast	400 days (9,600 hours)	0.21%

ActiveProV2

Tracking Mode Speed	Maximum Tracking Time	20 hours as % of Max.
Fixed	2,000 hours	1%

Deep Sleep Mode

Deep sleep mode can extend the standby life of a Transponder by up to 40%.

When entering deep sleep mode you should consider that power is drawn when activating the transponder to enter deep sleep mode and again when coming out of deep sleep, particularly common when scanning trays of transponders as each may be activated multiple times.

Therefore as a general rule we recommend only entering deep sleep if transponders will not be used for 2 weeks or more.

Storage of Transponders

Taking note of the factors which affect batteries, how and where transponders are stored will affect their battery life. These tips will ensure maximum life of your Active transponders

Store in a cool, dry environment, <20°C, when not in use.
Keep away from power cables or any source of AC power, remember that cables may be embedded in walls.
Don't store next to machinery which may draw large amounts of power or contain motors such as commercial printers.
Avoid leaving in vehicles when not necessary, especially those with keyless start / entry.
De-activate tracking mode as early as possible.
Use a Management Box to put transponders to deep sleep when not used for prolonged periods of time.
Scan your storage space with our 125kHz Detektor to ensure the absence of any electromagnetic interference
Ideally, store the transponders in an Aluminium box separated from any noise emitting devices to protect the transponders further from any interference.