Spy,
Not sure how long I was out there, and didn't have a transponder in it either. The pack was warm, but not overly so. I'm not concerned about the batts at all, just don't want to blow out the controller. Bernies seems to be saying that the soft batts can do that, so it appears to be a moot point.
I went looking at the Zippys, but the tray is only 138 x 47. I think their packs were a bit bigger than that. I need to look around for someone else who has this car and see what they're running. Of course, there is AE's new Reedy pack for this car, and it's a real steal at $300.