Transponders: how to stop losing them
Rental transponders are expensive, and every season some of them leave the track in a rider's van. A few simple habits get almost all of them back.
Corsalo team · · 4 min read
A rental transponder costs several hundred euros. Lose two or three a season and the timing system stops paying for itself. Almost all of them are lost the same way: a tired rider packs up at the end of the day and forgets it's still on the bike.
Know who has which transponder
The first step is simple, and often skipped: record the transponder number against the rider when you hand it out. A list on paper works for small events. For anything bigger, scan or type the number when you issue it, so it's linked to the rider and searchable.
Make the return part of the day
Riders return transponders when it's on their checklist, not when it's an afterthought.
- Tell riders at the briefing where and when to return them.
- Put the return desk on the way out of the paddock, not in the timing room.
- Set a clear return deadline, for example 30 minutes after the last session.
Remind, then remind again
After the deadline, a reminder to every rider who still has a transponder gets most of them back within minutes. Repeat it every 15 to 20 minutes until the transponders are in, or until you've packed up.
A reminder with the rider's own transponder number ("Please return transponder #123456 at the timing desk") works better than a general announcement, because nobody thinks it's meant for someone else.
- IssuedNumber scanned against the rider
- Last sessionBriefing told everyone where to return
- DeadlineReturn desk on the way out
- Reminder“Please return transponder #123456”
- ReminderRepeated until it's back
Deposits help, but don't solve it
A deposit makes riders care, but it also makes the desk slower at the end of the day and creates paperwork when something goes wrong. Tracking and reminders usually do more than a bigger deposit.
Close the day with a list
Before you leave, check the list of transponders that are still out. Calling three riders on the evening of the event is much easier than chasing them a week later.
