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Has anyone enjoyed 100% EZ-Pass transponder success when you mounted it within the trunk or saddle bags?

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4.2K views 25 replies 11 participants last post by  OracleDba  
#1 ·
Who as mounted their ezpass transponder out of sight such as within trunk or saddlebags and enjoyed 100% success in their transponder being read by the turnpike system?
If this is you, please describe where you mounted your transponder a picture would be nice if its possible.


Background. my 2016 Chieftain has had its EZ-pass transponder mounted within the fairing last 4 years. It was between right turn-signal and windshield motor, "pointing" as best straight forward as I could given the curve of the fairing. In 4 years I never had a miss-read from that location. All I do is drive with my tires even with left edge of overhead pizza box transmitter so that when the transponder resoponsa the response "hits" the pizzabox. A transponder battery is supposed to last 10 years I am at year 4.7

I have used my transponder twice this year ( two entrance reads, two exit reads and I have had 1 failure from each. What has changed is this winter I added a bad-lands device that converts my amber turn signals into day-time running lights as well. I think the badlands module or possibly my amber lights at their 50% power are kicking off RF interference causing issues with ezpass. I would like to solve this issue and get back to 100% success every time.

My chieftain now has a Roadmaster Trunk and it has hard saddlebags so there exists mounting options.

I'm going to try a 1 exit 50cent test ride with the transponder mounted in trunk on center line kinda near passenger's shoulder blades. When lid is open, transponder label appears to be "up-side down" but would be right-side-up when lid closed. The transponder is"behind" the lid organizer so no one will see the device. If this is to be transponder's forever home, I'll clean up the the tape job so it doesn't look so un-professional.

For those that care, you can get a EZ-pass from any state you want it doesn't have to be your home state. I live in Ohio but own a Massachusetts EZ-Pass because MA fee structure is super consumer friendly - both transponders and accounts have no setup fees and no yearly fees, if you setup e-billing and keep a credit card on file to cover your actual tolls your cost of ownerhip is zero and you pay only for your actual toll which is less than the cash price which is awin all the way around.
Here is where I am considering mount the transponder now that fairing might not work anymore.
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#3 ·
I generally just put mine in the small compartment in the fairing. If it works, great, if it doesn't? Doesn't really matter. They just look up your license plate number, see that it's attached to an account and charge you appropriately. I've forgotten it a few times and there were no fees or extra charges on it.
About to take a long trip (10 ish days) and it'll likely end up in the trunk rack bag. We'll see how that works.
 
#4 ·
I generally just put mine in the small compartment in the fairing. If it works, great, if it doesn't? Doesn't really matter. They just look up your license plate number, see that it's attached to an account and charge you appropriately. I've forgotten it a few times and there were no fees or extra charges on it.
About to take a long trip (10 ish days) and it'll likely end up in the trunk rack bag. We'll see how that works.
what you describe is exactly how it is supposed to work and in most states it does work that way, in Ohio they got greedy and changed the rules so it does NOT work that way.

If you have a no-read on exit then Ohio uses the camera system to lookup the license plate and you are charged the correct fee for your valid turnpike entrance. But if you have a no-read entrance then Ohil conveniently does nothing with the cameras and simply "assumes" that when you exit your entrance will be whatever gate yields the max possible fare - which for my exits is $10.50. Ohio puts the onus on the consumer to file a dispute and say "I endured a no-read at the xxx turnpike entrance, please review the security camera and adjust my fare accordingly." It turns out that 100% of the time Ohio will agree and will adjust the fare to the correct amount. This of course is a hassle so its best to enjoy 100% valid reads 100% of the time.

on a happy note:
I did my 50-cent test this evening. I had a valid read at both the types of hardware Ohio uses to read a transponder. With my "one-in-a-row" success I am feeling reasonably good about making this the transponder's new "forever home". I have 3 more opportunities in the next 2 weeks where my commute to an event is a financial wash between paying the toll but driving less miles or taking the free roads but going 25 miles further. The 75 cent diff is a wash. I feel that if can go 8 for 8 in perfect reads (4 entrances/ 4 exits) then I will consider this issue resolved and the trunk location as described in initial post is a valid solution.
 
#7 ·
@splitt thank you for the link. I did review that entire thread before creating the thread we are reading now. I found the linked thread lacking detail on exactly how to execute a hidden mount and still enjoy 100% read-success. The linked thread did offer hope that some were enjoying success with a non-windshield mount I just felt I didn't have enough detail on how they did it.

It is my hope that the documentation provided in this thread will help others - either as I guide of what worked - or as an enumeration of what does not work. I expect to have a definitive answer witnin a few weeks regarding if the trunk mount as described in initial post is behaving flawless.

If I don't post again in this thread it is because everything is continuing to work as described and desired. I am certain upon first failure I would document the failure here so that everyone knows there were issues as well as to seek input what else I should try.
 
#8 ·
I bought one of those $5 black rubber cover form my EZ-Pass. I mounted it down in the windshield pocket in front of the dash storage compartment. I have moved it around from all over and this is the location that seems to be working 100%. When riding it is not visible. I'll have to get a pic.
 
#9 ·
I had a problem with my Ohio EZ Pass mounted inside my Memphis Shades Fats fairing, on one of the metal horizontal bars. So I zip tied it the the back of my RAM phone mount, on the top of my 10” mini apes, and I have 100% success now.
Charlie
 
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#12 ·
I put mine (EZ Pass Texas) in the little box of my lower fairing with some Velcro glued to the top side so it stays out of the way. On my wife's Chieftain, hers is stuck to the inside lid of her saddle bag. Unfortunately, the glue on her Velcro gets hot and fails allowing the Pass to fall into the bag. It still must be working as I have no notices from the transit authority and I see both appear on the statement when we go through toll readers.
 
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#13 ·
I'm in NY and, for whatever reason, they refuse to issue me one of the new "small / thin" EZPass transponders. I have the huge box one that won't really mount anywhere on my Chieftain. Tried putting it in the only place it would fit; the glove box. It won't read from there. I've called EZPass a few times trying to get the new small one issued and they won't until this one "dies".

Also because it won't read, NY charges me the "Car Fee" instead of the discounted Motorcycle fee.
 
#14 ·
@Usafle
I too have a chieftain and enjoyed 4 yrs of 100% success reads by doing the following.
try this...
take off the headlight bezel as to access the cavity,
remove headlight (3) 10mm bolts so you room for your hands and vision.

take your transponder and "dry-fit" it to the area between right turn signal and windshield motor. I encourage you to "play" with the angles and positioning as to find the magic spot and ange which maximizes how "squarely" the flat side of the transponder is tracking to direction of travel. you will not get perfection it will be pointing slightly rightward the mis-alignment is because of the curve of the fairing. But you will find an angle that gets you the close. now that you have this spot and angle in your mind. prepare the transponder by putting scotch tape over the "paper" label. this is protecting the label from damage a few years from now when you remove the transponder from fairing.

Now use high quality ducktape such as "gorrilla" or T-rex brand and tape transponder into its "magic spot". Do a super good job in this taping as it needs to last years and it needs to survive dessert hot temps. I had my transponder taped down with apx 4 strips of gorrila duck tape 10" long. I created this full encasing matt over the transponder and maximizing the tape contact with fairing. The above tape job lasted years and never loosened. when needed to take the transponder out, the scotch tape protected the label from damage when the gorilla tape was peeled off.

I enjoyed years of 100% success reads. Here is what I did, when you drive thru the toll gate, go under the posted speed limit as to maximize the time for a great read to occur, aim your bike so the center line of tires is directly under the left edge of the overhead "pizza box" reader. This bike position still has your transponder in the "heart" of the strongest activation signal comming from pizza box and because your transponder was mounted as to be pointing skewed slightly rightward by us being on pizzabox's left edge are compensating for that mis-alignment. The net result of the above was 4 years of 100% success every time.
For what its worth, My transponder looks like this...
Image
 
#18 ·
If you have a discounted motorcycle EZpass, you need to send the one you have physically back to them with a letter requesting a replacement and then they will send you the new style. They will not just send you a replacement tag since a motorcycle tag is set for discounted toll rates. They want the old one in hand first.
 
#24 ·
Who as mounted their ezpass transponder out of sight such as within trunk or saddlebags and enjoyed 100% success in their transponder being read by the turnpike system?
If this is you, please describe where you mounted your transponder a picture would be nice if its possible.


Background. my 2016 Chieftain has had its EZ-pass transponder mounted within the fairing last 4 years. It was between right turn-signal and windshield motor, "pointing" as best straight forward as I could given the curve of the fairing. In 4 years I never had a miss-read from that location. All I do is drive with my tires even with left edge of overhead pizza box transmitter so that when the transponder resoponsa the response "hits" the pizzabox. A transponder battery is supposed to last 10 years I am at year 4.7

I have used my transponder twice this year ( two entrance reads, two exit reads and I have had 1 failure from each. What has changed is this winter I added a bad-lands device that converts my amber turn signals into day-time running lights as well. I think the badlands module or possibly my amber lights at their 50% power are kicking off RF interference causing issues with ezpass. I would like to solve this issue and get back to 100% success every time.

My chieftain now has a Roadmaster Trunk and it has hard saddlebags so there exists mounting options.

I'm going to try a 1 exit 50cent test ride with the transponder mounted in trunk on center line kinda near passenger's shoulder blades. When lid is open, transponder label appears to be "up-side down" but would be right-side-up when lid closed. The transponder is"behind" the lid organizer so no one will see the device. If this is to be transponder's forever home, I'll clean up the the tape job so it doesn't look so un-professional.

For those that care, you can get a EZ-pass from any state you want it doesn't have to be your home state. I live in Ohio but own a Massachusetts EZ-Pass because MA fee structure is super consumer friendly - both transponders and accounts have no setup fees and no yearly fees, if you setup e-billing and keep a credit card on file to cover your actual tolls your cost of ownerhip is zero and you pay only for your actual toll which is less than the cash price which is awin all the way around.
Here is where I am considering mount the transponder now that fairing might not work anymore.
View attachment 805626 View attachment 805629
I have an Illinois iPass transponder and have it in a Motopocket handlebar bag behind my Scout Rogue quarter fairing, works every time.
 
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#26 ·
I now have 6 ezpass trips with the 5 year old transponder mounted within the trunk lid center line at its highest point.
With 12 success reads in a row I am ready to declare victory.

To be fair I "creep" directly under the reader at 1/2 the posted speed limit - just to give system ample time to enjoy a read. but so far it is enjoying success 100% of time to the point I no longer fret that things might not work
 
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