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  #11  
Old 03-03-2020, 06:52 PM
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Vlad Vlad is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
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Good battery that PC680. I replace mine every two years the tough little thing takes insane amount of cycles and never sees an external charger. This year I plan to buy a B&C version of PC680. Anyone tried it?
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  #12  
Old 03-03-2020, 07:04 PM
Adam Adam is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 269
Default 680

I have had my 680 in my RV-8 for 12 years! It has been strong and very reliable, Well maybe not after this post!
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  #13  
Old 03-03-2020, 07:14 PM
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plehrke plehrke is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Defiance, MO
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My PC680 just keeps chugging alone even after several dozen times of fully discharging it when I was having hot start issues 3 years ago. I would need to check logbook but pretty sure it is at least 6 years old with over 300 hours and 300 starting cycles.

Sort of thread drift here but several mentions of cheaper batteries in this thread, I was wondering if there is any kind of rating on batteries for ruggedness? Don’t want to get into only batteries certified or qualified for aviation, but thinking some of these cheaper batteries may have thinner cases, or not be as fire resistant, or what ever and therefore maybe are a little less safe or carry a higher risk.
Anybody know of a “ruggedness” rating that applies to batteries?
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Last edited by plehrke : 03-03-2020 at 07:17 PM.
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  #14  
Old 03-03-2020, 08:01 PM
DJR DJR is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: GiG harbor, wa
Posts: 60
Default Pc680

I'm into my 8th year now with original 680. Not a lot of time on it (350 hrs), but interestingly, Ive always used a smart trickle charger to keep it fresh. I didn't know about the decreased life issues with a trickle charger before reading this thread. It's still going strong for now....perhaps they are manufacturing differences with later models that have reduced their longevity. I dont know.
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  #15  
Old 03-03-2020, 11:02 PM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 5,297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJR View Post
I'm into my 8th year now with original 680. Not a lot of time on it (350 hrs), but interestingly, Ive always used a smart trickle charger to keep it fresh. I didn't know about the decreased life issues with a trickle charger before reading this thread. It's still going strong for now....perhaps they are manufacturing differences with later models that have reduced their longevity. I dont know.
definitely different types of trickle chargers. Those that simply pump a constant 13.6 volts are the problem. The smart ones that turn off and wait for a voltage drop before starting the charging cycle again are usually safe.

Larry
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  #16  
Old 03-03-2020, 11:12 PM
jliltd jliltd is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Rancho San Lorenzo
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I think the mixed results on battery life with cheap trickle chargers has to due with their inconcistent and sometimes crazy voltage variations seen during operation. Not all, but most cheap battery maintainers cause more harm than good. However, if you use a quality charger like the BatteryMINDer brand you can leave it connected indefinitely without the maintainer causing trouble. Unfortunately these are in the $240 range. I attended an IA seminar last weekend and we had a Concorde Battery factory rep give a presentation and he said their testing showed these BatteryMINDers had perfect voltage control across all charging scenarios with the added benefit of a desulfating feature to extend battery life and help bring back whacked batteries. None of the competition could compare.



I have two of these high dollar units, 14V each, one labeled for Concorde batteries and one labeled for Odyssey/Hawker batteries. So the Concorde guy made me feel a lot better about the investment. Since each BaterryMINDer model is brand specific and voltage specific (14 or 28) and type specific (AGM/RG/Wet Cell) ot can hit it's specific manufacturer's charge recommendations exactly. The down side is that not only are each individually expensive, but if you deal with multiple aircraft with different batteries the cost of having one of each type is prohibitive.

On the bright side an Odyssey PC680 combined with one of these chargers is still less expensive than an EarthX set up. Not that I think EarthX batteries aren't worth it. I have an EarthX EXT900-VNT in my RV-8 and love it. But then it too requires a trick Optimate Lithium charger/maintainer.
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  #17  
Old 03-04-2020, 12:06 AM
Cumulo Cumulo is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: KHMT
Posts: 55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJR View Post
I'm into my 8th year now with original 680. Not a lot of time on it (350 hrs), but interestingly, Ive always used a smart trickle charger to keep it fresh. I didn't know about the decreased life issues with a trickle charger before reading this thread. It's still going strong for now....perhaps they are manufacturing differences with later models that have reduced their longevity. I dont know.
Powersonic, which was mentioned earlier in this thread has a quite good battery manual at: https://www.power-sonic.com/wp-conte...cal-Manual.pdf .

It describes floating the battery at 13.5 to 13.8 volts. for the best standby longevity. Ref was per cell voltage 2.25v/cell to 2.3v/cell.

I believe the statement that a constant trickle charge is bad is far too broad. Maintaining the battery at about 13.6 volts is ideal for battery life. Only a few milliamps does it. So, the quality of the trickle charger is likely the issueand DJR has one that does it right.

Ron
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  #18  
Old 03-04-2020, 06:36 AM
Paul K Paul K is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,004
Default No complaints here,

Just replaced my 680 after 7years. Still working but did notice less endurance so changed it out just before we start a trip to the Bahamas. Don't want battery issues away from home.
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