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05-24-2013, 05:57 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Newport, TN
Posts: 7,496
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan
Sure does sound complicated....why not just fly the battery?
Do the owners of the thousands of motorcycles and watercraft that use this battery obsess over this stuff? 
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Sam,
Your absolutely correct...
This procedure is for an Odyssey battery that is already failed (with this failure mode) not for one that is working good.
I plan to follow your's and other advice in this thread for the new one (fly it and not use the charger full time) and see how it goes. Hopefully the new one never needs this procedure.
There is one caveat to my particular situation and that is that I spend more than the average amount of time on the ground without the engine running with the panel fired up. It is the nature of being a techno geek. I will have to use the charger often in order to replenish what I drain out during ground ops of the panel.
Last edited by Brantel : 05-24-2013 at 06:02 PM.
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06-07-2013, 03:29 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA USA
Posts: 908
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One more data point. I decided to replace my heavy Concord 25 battery with the PC-680, I kept it plugged into a battery Tender when on the ground, after 9 months it was done, I replaced it with a new PC-680 and never plugged it on to a charger, after 9 months it was done, I though I?ll try it one more time, I bought a new PC-680 and a new Odyssey 6A charger and kept it plugged into the Odyssey charger, after about 11 months it was starting to seem weak, after reading this thread I ran it down with the landing lights to 10 volts and recharged, I did this twice and it cranks like new again. I bet I have two good PC-680s sitting on the bench that just need rejuvenating.
The landing lights get a little on the warm side running them on the ground, Is it ok to fly with the alternator shut off? Fly to lunch and return with the alternator shut off to run the battery down once in a while? What do you guys think of that idea?
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06-07-2013, 04:11 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Newport, TN
Posts: 7,496
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Russ,
Looks like you and I have had similar results.
I was also able to revive the first battery that I replaced back in the fall of last year. It had been sitting on a bench since then. I ran it down per the directions given to me from Odyssey and charged it up about 10 times with the 6 amp Ultimizer and it seems good enough to be used again. Should make a good lawnmower battery or one to plug into the airplane for ground ops. Not sure I would trust it for use on the airplane since I have a new one now.
Each time I would run it down and recharge, it would take longer and longer to complete the cycle.
PS...the Odyssey has a 2 year non-prorated warranty!
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06-08-2013, 08:49 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,788
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Brian,
What voltage do you have your aircraft regulator set to? When I spoke with the Odyssy tech rep, he told me that a charge rate of 14.6 volts was ideal. This unfortunately, is a lot higher than the preset voltage regulators on the plane power and various other alternators with a built in regulator. My normal alt output "running" voltage is around 14.5 volts, and thus far have not had any issues with my 680 or 925.
__________________
Bill Peyton
RV-10 - 1125 hrs
N37CP
First Flight Oct 2012
Aviation Partners, LLC
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06-08-2013, 08:51 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Newport, TN
Posts: 7,496
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14.3-14.4 volts per the VP-X Pro.
It is a PP alternator.
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06-09-2013, 08:48 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,788
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I too have the PP alt. using the Vertical Power system. I used a #20 gauge wire to from the VPX to the field to cause a voltage drop which increases the output voltage of the alt. That way I maintain at least a 14.5 volt output. The higher voltage will not bother any of the avionics.
__________________
Bill Peyton
RV-10 - 1125 hrs
N37CP
First Flight Oct 2012
Aviation Partners, LLC
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06-09-2013, 10:06 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 3,351
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike S
My aversion to keeping a battery on long term charge comes from 50 years of real world experience with batteries in cars, motorcycles, boats, and planes. Not to mention R/C stuff.
While it is impossible to both charge occasionally as needed a battery, and also continuously charge the same battery, and thus determine positively which works best, I have tried each with batteries of the same type/usage/manufacture etc. And in my experience, the batteries that have been on long term continuous charge do not last as long.
I have only my opinion as to why, no training or engineering degree etc. but I am suspecting that the batteries just slowly cook themselves to death if left on charge too long------even the "trickle" chargers. I used to keep a trickle charger on the battery in my standby generator so it would always be ready to start if the power went out------and every winter when I checked the generator prior to the weather turning bad, the battery was gone. Good thing I had a warranty on them. Finally after 3 or 4 years of this, the guy at the NAPA store told me to stop with the 24/7 trickle charges, and only give it an overnight trickle charge every month or so. The last battery I treated this way lasted 4 years until I sold the house.
YMMV as they say..........
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I have been connecting my plane to a trickle charger that is made for small batteries and I believe shuts itself when the battery is at full charge. I have been using it for the last 4+ years and the battery has not degraded any (that I can tell) since day one.
__________________
Mehrdad
N825SM RV7A - IO360M1B - SOLD
N825MS RV14A - IO390 - Flying
Dues paid
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06-09-2013, 10:35 AM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bavafa
I believe shuts itself when the battery is at full charge.
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That sounds like a good thing.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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06-09-2013, 08:05 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,499
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ McCutcheon
One more data point. I decided to replace my heavy Concord 25 battery with the PC-680, I kept it plugged into a battery Tender when on the ground, after 9 months it was done, I replaced it with a new PC-680 and never plugged it on to a charger, after 9 months it was done, I though I’ll try it one more time, I bought a new PC-680 and a new Odyssey 6A charger and kept it plugged into the Odyssey charger, after about 11 months it was starting to seem weak, after reading this thread I ran it down with the landing lights to 10 volts and recharged, I did this twice and it cranks like new again.
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I am on my second weak 680 in two years. My GRT has a keep alive circuit. I have to use the 12A Odyssey charger before every flight where the plane sits for 3 weeks. I do not leave it connected continuously. I will try to rejuvenate them. There is something wrong with Odyssey when my farm tractor can sit for two months and crank right up with a std automotive battery that cost half as much.
Looking around the net on car racing/motorcycle/other aircraft forums it seems most problems with these batteries have been occuring in the last two years. Cars, motorcycles and airplanes have not changed. If the battery business is like most now, profits are more important than quality.
__________________
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Last edited by Wayne Gillispie : 06-09-2013 at 08:55 PM.
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06-19-2013, 01:55 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MERRITT ISLAND, FL
Posts: 360
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It is an epidemic...
What a timely series of posts. This AM my PC680 refused to start my IO-390. I?d get about two blades then the solenoid would start its death rattle. The battery was purchased in March of this year. It was on the recommended Odyssey Ultimizer charger all last night. We put a multi-meter on the battery then engaged the starter. Although it showed a full charge it dropped to 7.1 volts. Took the battery AutoZone and asked them to check it out. They said the battery was perfect. Well perfect it ain?t. I, like some others in this post had an old PC680 and it spun my engine like a new battery.
Called Battery Mart in Winchester, VA and they told me ?well these batteries are for ATV?s and the like not aircraft.? I explained that a battery does not possess sentience in that it is not aware of its surroundings. It just needs to be treated with electrical respect. One thing I?ve learned from this is to buy your battery locally to avoid the UPS/FEDEX shuffle.
As an aside they did give me an RMA but said the shipping is on me.
__________________
Don Stiver
RV8 "Little Pill" N6371S, Merritt Island, Fl.
BPE IO-390, Dual P-mag, MT 3-blade, AFP system
Steen Skybolt: Sold
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