Earlier, Ben Flewett wrote:

...Once you agree to put transponders
in gliders you are obliged to use them
and they are a pain in the ass...

If that's on the basis of your personal experience, I'd be inclined to
check if maybe you mounted the antenna the wrong way up.

Where I fly, there are airliners. We have a letter of agreement that
allows us one squawk code. No talking to Center; it's just set and
forget. And, yes, there are officially rules about always using the
transponder if it is available. Uh huh. Right.

Bob K.