The transponder is a new part in 1.6.0 that helps track ships in space and the vehicles list. Centauri Spaceworks will be including this its on larger ship designs.
No other part can do what the transponder module can. It adds a dynamic waypoint that moves with the location of the transponder module. The waypoint is always the location of the transponder module.
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| Transponder Navi-comp with an option to provide a long name |
Unlike the other parts, the transponder is not unlocked after completing missions in campaign mode. The only way to unlock it is to purchase it. It is a good purchase to add some new functionality. Like the other premium features it isn't something you have to purchase to get the experience of the game, but still is useful for players who may run their own aerospace agencies
The down side of the transponder module is the size. it is about the width of a large station module or the refuel silo. This makes it a large for smaller ships, like the Squirt, or stations that only contain a few modules. Something the size of the crew capsule would have been a better size to fit on smaller ships.
Since the waypoint moves with the module it isn't helpful for stations that should remain in a fixed location. As part of its daily operations Centauri Spaceworks ships have often, unintentionally given a stations a little bit of momentum as they dock. With regular way points it is easy to see how far off the mark the station moved and put it back to the original location. This isn't possible with a transponder way point since it moves with the station.
Given the transponders large size and what it does, Centauri Spaceworks will only be adding it the larger ships it manufactures. Stations and smaller ships will not be equipped with a transponder.
