The RACE RESULT active transponders report their battery level in the timing module with every passing.

It is not possible to determine the exact voltage brand new transponders should display, since the voltage depends on a number of factors, including temperature, but it should be above 2.7 V.

After a couple of years of usage, you should start monitoring the battery level of your transponders.

We do not recommend using transponders with a voltage of 2.3 V and below. The battery cannot be replaced, as the transponders are sealed and they would not be waterproof anymore after being opened. Once the battery is empty, you will need to buy a new transponder.

The discharge curve of the battery gets very steep at the end of life, at 2.2 V it is almost empty. Theoretically, transponders can work down to 1.8 V, but we cannot guarantee reliable operation, especially when used cold.

If you have transponder which you suspect are on low battery then read our guide on Active Transponder Battery Testing.

Deep Sleep

If you are a participant purchasing a personal transponder, please be sure to have the transponder scanned by the timing service provider before your first event.

Deep sleep is a mode which can be activated on Active transponders, using the Management Box, designed to preserve battery life of transponders.

When Deep Sleep is activated the transponder operates in a low-power mode, and the sensitivity is reduced. The reduction in power is equivalent to approximately 40% saving.

When purchasing new or renting Active transponders from RACE RESULT, transponders will be shipped in Deep Sleep mode - this is particularly important to note with V3 transponders.

All V3 Active transponders feature Deep Sleep mode which lowers the sensitivity of transponders as much as possible.

The sensitivity of Active V3 transponders is reduced so greatly that they are unusable for timing whilst in Deep Sleep mode.

When using transponders after Deep Sleep it is critical to activate transponders using a loop or brass antenna at close proximity beforehand, it is also advised to read this data to check all transponders have been activated.

Thanks to the greatly reduced power of V3 transponders Deep Sleep could be enabled after each use without negative impact. V3 Transponders in Deep Sleep will still count up the Management Box counter when scanning them again. In this case, the transponders remain in Deep Sleep. This means, for example after an event, you can set all of your transponders (where some could still be in Deep Sleep as they were not used at the event) to Deep Sleep again and the counter will show you the total number of transponders.

ActivePro / MotorKart V2

Deep Sleep is only available on the ActivePro / MotorKart models of V2 transponders.

Whilst the sensitivity is reduced the transponder may still be activated by strong external interference or passing over a loop at relatively low height (<1m).

It is still advisable to activate transponders prior to use using a loop or brass antenna.

Deep Sleep should only be enabled on V2 transponders where they will not be used for a minimum of 4 weeks - as the additional power to enable / disable Deep Sleep mode will negate any benefits. A V2 transponder set to Deep Sleep will not count up the Management Box counter when scanning it again for Deep Sleep Mode.

Noise Suppression Mode

Noise suppression mode is only applicable to ActivePro V3 / ActiveBasic V3, it is not enabled for ActivePro V3 Performance or MotorKart due to the higher demands of these transponders.

The loop of RACE RESULT Active systems emits a 125kHz signal, which contains a series of information to identify it as a RACE RESULT loop and the Channel / Loop IDs of the system. This signal is what activates the internal processing of the Active transponders which must first process the data to check whether this is a valid RACE RESULT loop or not, before generating a passing.

All electronic devices emit electromagnetic noise on a range of different frequencies, some of these devices can emit noise on the same 125kHz frequency as used by the RACE RESULT loop. If such noise is detected by a RACE RESULT Active transponder then the internal processor will always try to decode this signal to check whether it should generate a passing.

If a transponder is activated by a 125kHz signal which is NOT recognised as a RACE RESULT loop then this will be logged internally, if this occurs more than once between sequential valid RACE RESULT loops then the transponder will enter Noise Suppression Mode. Whilst this mode is activated the transponder will temporarily reduce the sensitivity of the 125kHz receiver, and thus will require a stronger signal to activate it again.

Noise Suppression Mode is then monitored in 10 second intervals, if the source of the noise is no longer present at the next check then the transponder will return to regular sensitivity.

When Noise Suppression Mode is triggered then the transponder will also log a Warning Flag for high noise which will be transmitted with the next passing.

If a transponder is still activated by external noise whilst in Noise Suppression mode then this will trigger very high noise warning flag.

Factors impacting Battery Life

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 transponders ability to provide the power. Capactiy 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 considering the below values it is important to remember that all battery usage in cumulative, so for ActivePro Transponders with a guarantee of 5 years, then after 1 year the maximum tracking time is also reduced by 20%.

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 contains 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 a Aluminium box separated from any noise emitting devices to protect the transponders further from any interference.

Active Transponder Battery Testing

Active V3 Transponder

When the transponder reports a battery status of 2.4V at room temperature (20°C), it is good enough to be used in the cold as well. With the V3 Transponder there is no need to test the battery in the cold (like it was before with V2 transponders). If the transponder reports 2.3V or less, it should not be used in the cold, and you will need to replace the transponder soon.

Active V2 Transponder

Almost empty batteries will start to create problems in the cold. When a battery is too low it may result in a reset, this leads to lost stored passings and deactivated tracking. A reset can best be detected by looking at the wakeup count - if it reports a lower value than before, the transponder has reset (a continue counting from 2000 shows that the restart is caused by a low battery).

This would be a typical empty battery transponder. It was able to generate a first passing with a regular Wake Up Count (WUC). Then it reset after sending the prewarn (which generated a rescue passing) during a passing. On the next WUC it restarts with 2001.

How to test if the battery is almost empty:

Put your transponders in a normal fridge cooling them down to about 5°C (40°F). You will need to leave them there for several hours for the transponders to actually cool down. Scan your transponders - if you see battery values 2.3V and below at around 5°C (40° F) - they will need to be replaced.
Only if you are timing winter sports: put your transponders in a freezer overnight to make them cool down, then check if they still detect. Be aware: they are expected to stop detecting below -10°C (14°F) when they have under 50% battery. They will still be perfectly fine for normal temperatures, but if expect temperatures below -10°C on your event, you need to use newer transponders.

Active Transponder Warranty

We guarantee a certain battery life for our Active Transponders. This warranty is limited to transponders not using Tracking Mode, and we also need to take into account further considerations.

As the transponders are sealed and the battery is inside the transponders, there is no way of disconnecting the battery to reduce its consumption. The transponder has a constant drain on the battery to stay "alive". When being activated, the battery consumption is highest, therefore, if there is any electromagnetic interference, the standby consumption will increase.

The Deep Sleep Mode is the only option to reduce battery consumption as much as possible when not being used and extend the shelf-life as much as possible. Learn more about the transponder battery and its consumption in this video.

Furthermore, to grant the above warranty the following preconditions must be met:
a) Transponders are stored in proper conditions. This means there is no electromagnetic interference which may drain the battery. Please note that any electrical device has the potential to activate the transponder and draw the transponder's battery unnecessarily. If you want to check your storage conditions, we recommend checking the area with our 125kHz Detector, which is available in our Online Shop.
b) Transponders are not constantly held within the activation field of a loop, neither for testing nor after collecting them at the end of an event. It is of course not a problem to detect transponders for testing, but letting them sit in the detection area for several minutes, or even hours, will drastically reduce the battery life.

What happens if your transponder's batteries are empty before the end of the warranty? If the above preconditions are met, we will offer you two options:
a) we will provide rental transponders until the end of the warranty period.
b) we will offer you a "trade-in" discount accounting for the loss of warranty time, based on periods of six months. For every six months the battery life falls short of the warranty, we will give you a proportional discount based on your initial purchase price to replace your "empty transponders" with new ones.