E-ZPass transponders

[John105]

Do they necessarily go in sequence, when it comes to ser#'s (same agency)?

Here's why I ask. I got 2 new ones in 2023. One of them, has a ser# lower than a tag that was issued to us in 2015. They tend to last 10 years.

Could the one with the low ser# have been sitting on a shelf for 10 years?

p.s. I have two that were issued 2013 that no longer work. Have been meaning to return them.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

The company I use to work for acquired the division of IBM that made the toll tags used by the expressway in Dallas. Although our tags at the time were serialized, the serial number was not used at all by the sytem for tag reading, and validation. There was another RFID sequence number imbedded in the tag firmware that was used for all transaction validations.

 

[53' Stude]

Do they necessarily go in sequence, when it comes to ser#'s (same agency)?

Here's why I ask. I got 2 new ones in 2023. One of them, has a ser# lower than a tag that was issued to us in 2015. They tend to last 10 years.

Could the one with the low ser# have been sitting on a shelf for 10 years?

p.s. I have two that were issued 2013 that no longer work. Have been meaning to return them.

I don’t need one; family added me to their E-Z Pass plan.

 

[earlyre]

The company I use to work for acquired the division of IBM that made the toll tags used by the expressway in Dallas. Although our tags at the time were serialized, the serial number was not used at all by the sytem for tag reading, and validation. There was another RFID sequence number imbedded in the tag firmware that was used for all transaction validations.

how long ago was that? for a couple years pre-'16, I had an NTTA (North Texas Toll Authority) Toll Tag on my car.. ( made it easier when i went to visit my brother)
Their Tags, long with the systems around Houston, up in OK, and KS just have little RFID Stickers you put on the inside of your windshield. ( TX doesn't even have Toll Booths anymore... if you don't have the Tolltag, it takes a pic of your license plate, and you get a bill in the mail... at a higher rate than the tag...)

EZ-Pass, is a bigger box, with a 3.6v Lithium battery to enhance the broadcast range. ( which really isn't needed any more... Texas and Hennessy tested the Pure RFID system on a not quite opened to the public yet stretch of Highway with one of their souped up Corvettes... system read the tag just fine @ 200 mph..)

Then when I had to go to OK for a few days in 2017, I got one of their tags (just an RFID Decal), i was able to just cruise right through all the toll gates, while my buddy's mom had to stop and pay at all the gates in her rental. ( we were at FT.Sill for His Little Brother's Graduation from basic, the rest of the family was staying with family friends up outside OKC and commuting back and forth... We Booked the Motel 6 nearest base... wasn't great, but it was Clean, did the job, and was relatively cheap...

 

[SHOZ]

Illinois is going to windshield sticker this year to replace the EZ Pass transponder.

 

[BobsArmory]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

 

[mdoan300]

The company I use to work for acquired the division of IBM that made the toll tags used by the expressway in Dallas. Although our tags at the time were serialized, the serial number was not used at all by the sytem for tag reading, and validation. There was another RFID sequence number imbedded in the tag firmware that was used for all transaction validations.

I worked for Intermech-Amtech back in 99-2000, in software development. Did you work for Transcore?

 

[mk378]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

That would be easy by sticking it to something else then sticking that to the windshield. But the system also reads the license plate which would catch switching cars.

 

[JHZR2]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

Why would it matter? I switch it between cars all the time. I’d probably just not stick it to the window then.

 

[k1xv]

So long as the toll is paid, why would they care if a transponder is moved car to car?

Unless they used the system as a Big Brother to track car movements, and not for payment of tolls.

 

[Pew]

So long as the toll is paid, why would they care if a transponder is moved car to car?

Unless they used the system as a Big Brother to track car movements, and not for payment of tolls.

I'm not sure about other states but Illinois police is not allowed to use the Illinois tollway cameras for law enforcement.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Why would it matter? I switch it between cars all the time. I’d probably just not stick it to the window then.

They say they be stuck adhesively to the windshield. Whether that is to get you to stick them or not - don't know. They are supposed to be matched to a license plate. I think what happens is if it can't read the RFID, then you get billed eventually via the camera / tag - but at the proper rate. I believe this because sometimes one or two tolls come in like a week later - after my trip - even though most are pretty much instant.

I have sunpass stickers on all my cars, even though I don't live in Florida. Go often enough to make it worth while - all attached to one account. The sticker is like $5, and the transponder is like $20, and that was the promotion for the transponder - you can move it car to car, but I figured I would likely forget it anyway so the stickers seemed more idiot proof.

 

[y_p_w]

I don't know about E-ZPass per se, but it's my understanding that the different agencies/states have used different technology over the years.

I wouldn't necessarily worry about serial numbers. My guess would be that they reuse older ones when the batteries die, and don't need to redo the serial numbers. Or they could just be recycling older serial numbers.

I know of one agency in California's FasTrak system that had transponders with a battery hatch and an indication that they used normal CR2032 batteries, with the expectation that the user will pay for batteries rather than return them just to get one with a fresh battery.. I think previous versions used even bigger batteries.

However, some have taken apart different battery powered transponders and found that they typically contained special high-temp rated lithium primary cells.

Anyone know much about toll transponder batteries

I figure since there's been talk about lithium batteries, maybe someone knew more about these toll transponder batteries. I've been using California's FasTrak system for over a decade, but it always annoyed me that if the battery is depleted the only solution is to return it and get a...

bobistheoilguy.com

A lot of agencies around the country are using RFID sticker based tech. Or perhaps some of the newer ones don't have batteries but use some sort of system powered by incoming RF.

 

[JHZR2]

They say they be stuck adhesively to the windshield. Whether that is to get you to stick them or not - don't know. They are supposed to be matched to a license plate. I think what happens is if it can't read the RFID, then you get billed eventually via the camera / tag - but at the proper rate. I believe this because sometimes one or two tolls come in like a week later - after my trip - even though most are pretty much instant.

I have sunpass stickers on all my cars, even though I don't live in Florida. Go often enough to make it worth while - all attached to one account. The sticker is like $5, and the transponder is like $20, and that was the promotion for the transponder - you can move it car to car, but I figured I would likely forget it anyway so the stickers seemed more idiot proof.

NJ ezpass let’s me list the license plate numbers I have.

There are different ezpass for cars, minivans, and trucks. I know this.

The other superior thing that NJ does is if you get a toll without transponder read, they will send the bill in the mail, but they will allow you to write in your ezpass account which then charges said account at the right rate. This contrasts states like md, where as soon as there isn’t a read, there’s a bill and a “service fee”. If I’m ever arrested you’ll know it’s because of my unwillingness to pay MD their service fee to toll me (I did pay the actual toll due).

 

[PF52]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

+2

According to the Illinois Tollway website, the stickers are not intended to be moved from car to car.

Interesting that Illinois is moving to a different kind of transponder, this one without a battery. Apparently it will still work in all 19 or however many EZ Pass states there are. Do any other EZ Pass states use a sticker? I have an Indiana transponder and I think I will just keep using it and I'll always be able to move it from car to car.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

I worked for Intermech-Amtech back in 99-2000, in software development. Did you work for Transcore?

I worked for Intermec at the time of acquisition.

 

[opus1]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

That and they claim the stickers are cheaper. I had to talk to one of their reps a couple of years ago due to an unrelated problem with my account and the rep noticed that I only had 2 transponders even though I had 4 vehicles tied to the account. She tried very hard to convince me to get two more so each car had its own even after I told her that I was the only driver and two was overkill for my usage.

 

[IndyFan]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

You can switch it from car to car if both cars are registered. If you switch it to an unregistered car it won´t work. I think they are doing that because it is cheaper. Makes perfect sense. Just get two stickers if you have 2 cars. Still cheaper than the little box.

 

[mdoan300]

I worked for Intermec at the time of acquisition.

Were you based in Dallas office? We might know the same folks. My wife also worked for Amtech, in software QA. She stayed for a while after the Transcore buyout.

 

[John105]

I think they are going to the windshield sticker more to prevent people from switching it from car to car. Just my opinion....

Imho that doesn’t make sense. We’re not talking about a car wash monthly