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EarthX Battery issue

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calpilot

Well Known Member
After 14 months and 200 hours, I had two issues with the 690 battery. After running the master switch and PFD for 12 minutes on a fully charged battery, the next engine start resulted in the starter engaging for about one second, and then everything going blank. I charged the battery with the proper charger, and during flight the next day, the "Warning" light illuminated, and stayed on. EarthX said it was due to one of the parallel circuit monitors was dead, and the battery was running on only one of the monitoring circuits. I asked the tech what would happen if the second one had an issue? The anticipated answer was "the battery would go to zero output, no restoration possible". OK, as a DAR, I get around a lot and talk to owners. There are many out there that have had the same issue. Me? I just installed an Odyssey, yes, 8 pound weight gain, but piece of mind.
Fly Safe!

Gary
 
I like redundancy but it seems for this to create a safety issue both circuits in the battery and the alternator would need to fail on the same flight. Even if that happened a RV with modern avionics would have anywhere from 30 minutes to a hour to get on the ground if IFR.
 
Had the same thing occur last November. Went to start and prop moved for a second then everything blacked out. Red warning light activated on the battery. Ended up having to replace the battery. Went back to an Odyssey battery. Decided that the 20 lbs extra in my RV 10 was worth it. The circuit in their battery is just another thing that will leave you AOG.
 
I like redundancy but it seems for this to create a safety issue both circuits in the battery and the alternator would need to fail on the same flight. Even if that happened a RV with modern avionics would have anywhere from 30 minutes to a hour to get on the ground if IFR.

redundancy does not help you get started when the battery is tango uniform, you are flying IFR, or in a remote area.

Had similar experience in a 727 with low batteries, couldn't start the APU, so couldn't start the engines. If it ain't right, don't fly it!

Also, had a friend recently with an EarthX melt down under his seat in his Cub replica, still no known cause for it!

Fly Safe!
G.
 
Earth-x Battery

So, I just had a call from Cathy at Earth-x; she was quite helpful, and is sending me out a replacement battery. She also explained that one of the issues I had heard about with the Earth-x battery becoming hot and deforming was caused by a motorsport battery installed in an experimental Cub. The battery must be matched to the charging system, so please make sure that you understand the charging system of your aircraft and procure the appropriate battery. Earth-x claims that their units are highly reliable when installed properly. Another enlightenment from our conversation was the meaning of the warning LED illuminating and remaining on in a steady state, not flashing. I expect Earth-x may clarify that on future publications. It has always been my policy over the past 25,000 hours or more, that if there is a problem with an aircraft, and I can't determine promptly in a factual manner what is the cause or what to do about it, LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT! Todays experimental aircraft are more electrically dependant than ever, and especially when flying IFR.

Fly Safe!

Gary
 
What the solid LED light means

So, I just had a call from Cathy at Earth-x; she was quite helpful, and is sending me out a replacement battery. She also explained that one of the issues I had heard about with the Earth-x battery becoming hot and deforming was caused by a motorsport battery installed in an experimental Cub. The battery must be matched to the charging system, so please make sure that you understand the charging system of your aircraft and procure the appropriate battery. Earth-x claims that their units are highly reliable when installed properly. Another enlightenment from our conversation was the meaning of the warning LED illuminating and remaining on in a steady state, not flashing. I expect Earth-x may clarify that on future publications. It has always been my policy over the past 25,000 hours or more, that if there is a problem with an aircraft, and I can't determine promptly in a factual manner what is the cause or what to do about it, LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT! Todays experimental aircraft are more electrically dependant than ever, and especially when flying IFR.

Fly Safe!

Gary

Dear Gary,

It was a pleasure to talk with you today. Based on our call and your post, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify what a solid LED light means. This is located in the manual which can be found at: www.earthxbatteries.com.

All of the ETX-series batteries' critical electronic components are redundant to ensure that there is no single point of failure. As a DAR, I am sure you are familiar with the FAA regulations for a certified aircraft battery, and it is important to note that the ETX Hundred Series are designed and tested to the following safety regulations as outlined in:
• FAA RTCA DO-311a (excluding the Thermal Runaway Containment Test), RTCA DO-160, DO-254

You state you received a solid LED light warning from the battery while in flight and it stayed on. Per the manual if this happens:

Scenario 1: Solid Light-Any voltage-BMS electronic issue. Discontinue use. If in flight, this is not an immediate issue unless it is in conjunction with a charging system failure.

Scenario 2: Solid Light that turns off after 3 minutes-Any voltage-Short Circuit protection was activated. Nothing needs to be done.

The solid light that remains on means something on the BMS board is not working as designed. It does not mean it is “dead.” If the redundant critical components also had an issue, (we have no documented case of this) there would be no protection to the battery in the event of a charging system failure. The battery is still functional. You would be relying on your over voltage protection to save your electronics in your aircraft (including your battery). If this also failed, you would be relying on you as a pilot to manually turn your charging system off. The battery does not go to “zero output” in the event both redundant circuits fail, it is the same as using a lithium battery with no BMS. The LED alert is designed to “alert” you to a potential problem. Lead acid batteries can not do this. Having no alert of a potential problem does not mean one does not exist.

We hope this helps clarify.
 
Might be useful to include in the manual that depending on the regime of flight (IFR, etc.) consideration should be made to exit IFR conditions and/or land at nearest suitable airport.

Regards,

Gary
 
Earth-x claims that their units are highly reliable when installed properly. Another enlightenment from our conversation was the meaning of the warning LED illuminating and remaining on in a steady state, not flashing. I expect Earth-x may clarify that on future publications. It has always been my policy over the past 25,000 hours or more, that if there is a problem with an aircraft, and I can't determine promptly in a factual manner what is the cause or what to do about it, LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT!

You know, EarthX ETX batteries ARE indeed highly reliable when installed properly. And charged properly with proper chargers. And the proper battery mated to a compatible alternator. And managed periodically with the PROPER EarthX battery minder/charger. Problems crop up when folks don't read and heed the product manual...which is true for any battery. A motorsport LiFePO battery in a Super Cub is not a match made in heaven.

Regarding the meaning of the warning LED, I'm not sure exactly what EarthX needs to clarify. The meaning is printed right in the manual, and it looks like the image below.

I have that chart printed and posted on the back cover of my POH for quick and "factual" reference. I also study it (like the rest of my POH) so I know when not to over-react over a red solid or blinking LED. There just aren't any real barn-burners here involving the battery..."unless it is in conjunction with a charging system failure," malfunction or over-voltage. Hopefully you also installed reliable overvoltage protection (which is ALSO stressed by EarthX in their manual). Simply put, EarthX is pretty transparent about their product, their manual is complete, and they're always willing to help. It's our job as builder/owner/pilots to read and understand.

Having said all that, yes, I agree: If there's a problem with any aircraft system and you can't resolve it with the available time and brain bytes, definitely land the aircraft as soon as conditions permit.
 

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The only problem I've ever encountered with my ETX900 was also related to a solid red warning light - which I actually tracked down to a wiring fault and had nothing to do with the battery at all.

Almost 3 years and 495 hours on it so far.
 
You know, EarthX ETX batteries ARE indeed highly reliable when installed properly. And charged properly with proper chargers. And the proper battery mated to a compatible alternator. And managed periodically with the PROPER EarthX battery minder/charger. Problems crop up when folks don't read and heed the product manual...which is true for any battery. A motorsport LiFePO battery in a Super Cub is not a match made in heaven.

Regarding the meaning of the warning LED, I'm not sure exactly what EarthX needs to clarify. The meaning is printed right in the manual, and it looks like the image below.

I have that chart printed and posted on the back cover of my POH for quick and "factual" reference. I also study it (like the rest of my POH) so I know when not to over-react over a red solid or blinking LED. There just aren't any real barn-burners here involving the battery..."unless it is in conjunction with a charging system failure," malfunction or over-voltage. Hopefully you also installed reliable overvoltage protection (which is ALSO stressed by EarthX in their manual). Simply put, EarthX is pretty transparent about their product, their manual is complete, and they're always willing to help. It's our job as builder/owner/pilots to read and understand.

Having said all that, yes, I agree: If there's a problem with any aircraft system and you can't resolve it with the available time and brain bytes, definitely land the aircraft as soon as conditions permit.

Been doing this over 45 years, including designing many small and large aircraft electrical systems. In the stated case, there was a fault, indicating the battery was not totally well, and an additional fault may render the battery totally unable to supply power. I fly IFR a lot, yes, I do have an essential buss powered by standby battery, however that battery can not start the motor. Therefore, and without the aid of the main battery, essential buss life is limited, therefore, I will choose to exit IFR if possible, land at nearest suitable airport.

I've flown over 1 million passengers safely to their destination, don't plan to sully that record.
 
Nor should you. Like any builder/owner/pilot, you must make your own decisions on what is or isn’t acceptable for IFR (outside of FAR requirements). That’s not EarthX’s decision.

However, like Kathy clearly pointed out, your specific fault was with one of the two BMS cards. If the other BMS also failed (a dual BMS failure has never happened) you would STILL have an operational battery. You can still start the engine (although I don’t know why you’d have that need while airborne in IFR...that sounds like a totally different aircraft system problem).

And yes, when in doubt, do land the plane.

Look, nobody doubts your established credentials as a senior pilot. It appears, though, that you are the classic gajillion-hour older wiser pilot who distrusts new technology. This tech might not be the right answer for you. With respect, maybe you should just get a simpler older-tech battery and sleep better.
 
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Nor should you. Like any builder/owner/pilot, you must make your own decisions on what is or isn’t acceptable for IFR (outside of FAR requirements). That’s not EarthX’s decision.

However, like Kathy clearly pointed out, your specific fault was with one of the two BMS cards. If the other BMS also failed (a dual BMS failure has never happened) you would STILL have an operational battery. You can still start the engine (although I don’t know why you’d have that need while airborne in IFR...that sounds like a totally different aircraft system problem).

And yes, when in doubt, do land the plane.

Look, nobody doubts your established credentials as a senior pilot. It appears, though, that you are the classic gajillion-hour older wiser pilot who distrusts new technology. This tech might not be the right answer for you. With respect, maybe you should just get a simpler older-tech battery and sleep better.

What Scroll said.
 
I have that chart printed and posted on the back cover of my POH for quick and "factual" reference. I also study it (like the rest of my POH) so I know when not to over-react over a red solid or blinking LED.

I also added this chart to my POH in the “Equipment Section” but here is my issue. I print a PDF copy of my POH and keep it in “Books “ on the iPad. I went to the EarthX website and tried to copy their chart for inserting in my “Word” POH file and their on line document wouldn’t allow “copy and paste.” I therefore had to recreate the chart in Excel and then “copy and paste” it into my Word POH file. What a royal pain in the a**!

Since this is such an important chart (along with their charts on “discharge curve” for identifying how long your battery should last if you’re suffering an inflight electrical system failure) I would like to see EarthX put these charts out there in a format that people can copy for POH purposes. Having a good PDF version of the POH on the iPad saves me from having to carry a hard copy (weight and space being a concern) and provides quick inflight access when needed. It also makes updates easier.
 
I also added this chart to my POH in the “Equipment Section” but here is my issue. I print a PDF copy of my POH and keep it in “Books “ on the iPad. I went to the EarthX website and tried to copy their chart for inserting in my “Word” POH file and their on line document wouldn’t allow “copy and paste.” I therefore had to recreate the chart in Excel and then “copy and paste” it into my Word POH file. What a royal pain in the a**!

Since this is such an important chart (along with their charts on “discharge curve” for identifying how long your battery should last if you’re suffering an inflight electrical system failure) I would like to see EarthX put these charts out there in a format that people can copy for POH purposes. Having a good PDF version of the POH on the iPad saves me from having to carry a hard copy (weight and space being a concern) and provides quick inflight access when needed. It also makes updates easier.


Hi Jim,

I am so sorry for the effort you had to put into getting this chart in a format you needed. Had you contacted us, it would have taken me 20 seconds to send you a word version for you, which I gladly would have done. Contact info: [email protected]
 
I would like to see EarthX put these charts out there in a format that people can copy for POH purposes. Having a good PDF version of the POH on the iPad saves me from having to carry a hard copy (weight and space being a concern) and provides quick inflight access when needed. It also makes updates easier.

Jim,
Here's the link to the ETX manual:
https://earthxbatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ETX_Manual_111017_Y.pdf

I saved that pdf file to my home computer downloads, then emailed it to myself and opened THAT attachment on iPad. There, I saved it to my iPad files. Almost as easy as (now) posting photos to VAF. :cool:
 
Replacement battery?

Calpilot,

You stated that you replaced the faulted battery with an Odyssey, but then in a subsequent post, you reported that EarthX was sending you a replacement battery. If you don’t mind me asking, which battery did you ultimately decide on and why?

Thanks for reporting your experience with one of their batteries. I have an EarthX battery in my 8 and so far, have had no issues, but anytime someone posts a problem with one it grabs my attention and forces me to review and ensure I’ve followed EarthX’s recommendations.

Regards,
J Baker
 
I think you missed my point. When there is a failure of the type I encountered last week, there is an EFIS warning that "som ting wong". Yes, the battery can still function normally. HOWEVER... should the other half of the "control brain" become disinterested in further toil, once the aircraft is on the ground, that is where it is going to stay until a replacement battery can be installed. This may be impossible on a weekend or in an out of the way or backcountry airstrip. The other side of the equation is that following the battery warning, it will not heal itself, the indicator warning light will stay on until the battery is totally discharged or fails. I don't continue to fly aircraft with a known failure. Now, I am not knocking the idea of a lighter and reliable battery as the Lithium Ion, quite the contrary, I am an avid proponent of new technology. However, when a conventional low maintenance battery is catching cold, it gives us some indication all is not well, sluggish starting, low voltage, etc. We know it is time to replace it, usually around 5 years or so. With the warning light on the Earthx on, we have no idea if or when the other shoe will drop. I was looking forward to flying the 787 up to retirement, but the issues with the batteries delayed the delivery for about 24 months, and I pulled the pin, enjoying the heck out of retirement, being around experimental aviation, and the wonderful people I meet and products I see in the process.

Regards,

G.
 
I think you missed my point. When there is a failure of the type I encountered last week, there is an EFIS warning that "som ting wong". Yes, the battery can still function normally. HOWEVER... should the other half of the "control brain" become disinterested in further toil, once the aircraft is on the ground, that is where it is going to stay until a replacement battery can be installed. This may be impossible on a weekend or in an out of the way or backcountry airstrip. The other side of the equation is that following the battery warning, it will not heal itself, the indicator warning light will stay on until the battery is totally discharged or fails. I don't continue to fly aircraft with a known failure. Now, I am not knocking the idea of a lighter and reliable battery as the Lithium Ion, quite the contrary, I am an avid proponent of new technology. However, when a conventional low maintenance battery is catching cold, it gives us some indication all is not well, sluggish starting, low voltage, etc. We know it is time to replace it, usually around 5 years or so. With the warning light on the Earthx on, we have no idea if or when the other shoe will drop. I was looking forward to flying the 787 up to retirement, but the issues with the batteries delayed the delivery for about 24 months, and I pulled the pin, enjoying the heck out of retirement, being around experimental aviation, and the wonderful people I meet and products I see in the process.

Regards,

G.

Good news, Gary.
Your EarthX Lithium Iron Phosphate battery (not "lithium ion") will not strand you if it has a solid LED unless you remain there well over a month, nearly two.

Per the EarthX owners manual, the ETX680's run capacity is 12.4 amp hours at 1 degree C. The LED draws only 0.01 amps. At that rate, the LED will drain the battery in 1240 hours. Call it 1000 hours, well over a month's time.

Since your battery still had a good BMS, and since the battery still functions even if both BMS cards die (again, never happened before), your problem would not have stranded you.

If you can't find a replacement battery (which I do agree is the best plan), at least your battery would have still gotten you out of the back woods and back to civilization.

Another great reason to love the EarthX.
 
I’m not an electrical genius by any stretch of the imagination. When I see posts like this, it stresses me out. I have an EarthX battery in my aircraft. Charging of the EarthX battery is done via my alternator when the plane is running. Alternators are the same as they were BEFORE these new batteries. The alternator does not have any smarts in it to know its charging an EarthX battery, so why does a battery charger need them? Is my EarthX battery going to fail because I have it hooked up to an alternator designed to charge lead acid batteries?
 
Gary,
I just thought of something. Did you say you ran your battery fault wire into your EFIS? If so, does it merely flash a warning? No steady or flashing? Just on or off?
 
Is my EarthX battery going to fail because I have it hooked up to an alternator designed to charge lead acid batteries?

Good question. Yes and No and "it depends". I think most important, follow the manufacturers instructions. Second, read up on LiFePO4 batteries, lots of good articles out there. Note I typed "LiFePO4" and not "lithium" batteries. EarthX is a Lithium Iron Phosphate, not Lithium Polymer, HUGE difference in safety and performance.

LiFePO4 will not "explode" any different than a lead acid battery. The historically "exploding" lithium batteries are LiPoly's. Any battery, regardless of chemistry, can have a failure event with smoke and fumes and heat.

There's a lot of misconceptions out there along with some good and bad information.

The biggest misconception I notice is folks with bad experiences with lithium polymer batteries assigning the entire history of lithium batteries to every new lithium battery that comes out. Not all lithium battery chemistries are the same. LiFePO4 (EarthX, others) is far safer than LiPoly (RC Helicopters, airplanes, cars, etc).

Also, some misunderstanding regarding how things work. EarthX advertises as a "drop in" replacement which sure, sort of true. You can certainly drop it in and it will work. But LiFE batteries will hold constant voltage until they are basically dead and then there is a sharp drop to near zero.

So they do require the user understanding this and their application. It's good, because your system gets that 14v the entire battery cycle. Bad, because if you don't understand that you give yourself no warning when it's dead. So, the non-drop-in part of an EarthX relies on you, the user, to know the differences.

For example, set a battery warning for 11.5v (edit: 13.5v is their official recommendation, see post #25) because that's right before the LiFePO4 packs drop off to near zero. So where a lead acid battery will have a more constant drop and less useful the last third of it's charge cycle, a LiFePO4 battery will hold the voltage until the very end.

If you are using an EarthX and it's at 11.5v you have a problem.

If you set a voltage warning for a lead acid battery and then upgrade to an EarthX and don't change it ... well ... :eek:

My current project, a Carbon Cub EX-3, has the battery right under the pilot seat. I find myself contemplating these issues again. I don't want to being flying with *ANY* battery under my arse and something decide to meltdown.

But I've had great luck with LiFePO4 in past hobbies and now in the RV-14. Super easy starts, reliable, but like anything, not infallible.

44E050CC-F8E0-4C1E-9CAB-14753D89EBEB.jpeg.008e2f10beb13ea6019c5d608f7a4024.jpeg
 
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Something to keep in mind with a conventional battery. If you discharge below 12.2 volts damage has occurred. A lead acid battery Should show 12.8 or so fully charged. 12.2 is 50% charged. Anytime you go below that the batteries ability to hold a charge is reduced. A few cycles below 12.2 can knock 50% or more off the batteries rated capacity. The only way to check is via a load tester. The point being a abused conventional battery may provide you far less reserve power than expected.
 
I’m not an electrical genius by any stretch of the imagination. When I see posts like this, it stresses me out. I have an EarthX battery in my aircraft. Charging of the EarthX battery is done via my alternator when the plane is running. Alternators are the same as they were BEFORE these new batteries. The alternator does not have any smarts in it to know its charging an EarthX battery, so why does a battery charger need them? Is my EarthX battery going to fail because I have it hooked up to an alternator designed to charge lead acid batteries?

Hello and thank you for the question. However, I am not sure what you mean by "why does a battery charger need them?" But I can answer your question about wondering if your EarthX battery will fail because you have it hooked up to an alternator designed to charge a lead acid battery, and the answer is no. The battery charges the same as a lead acid battery with your alternator, this is why the chemistry is Lithium Iron Phosphate, it is the same charging voltage range as a lead acid battery. It should be noted that a lithium battery needs to be charged in a range of 13.9-14.6V during flight, which MOST alternators are in this range, but if you have a charging system that is not within this range, it might not be appropriate for a lithium battery.
 
If you are using an EarthX and it's at 11.5v you have a problem.

If you set a voltage warning for a lead acid battery and then upgrade to an EarthX and don't change it ... well ... :eek:

EarthX recommends setting your low voltage warning to 13.5V as 11.5V your battery is almost 100% drained. You should be seeing 14V+ in flight, if less than this, you most likely have a charging system issue.
 
EarthX recommends setting your low voltage warning to 13.5V as 11.5V your battery is almost 100% drained. You should be seeing 14V+ in flight, if less than this, you most likely have a charging system issue.

Kathy,

If I set my low volts warning to 13.5 will it alarm as soon as the alternator goes offline or will I be discharging the EarthX for some unknown amount of time after alt fail? What I'm really asking, I guess, is what setting for low volts would get me an immediate alarm when the alternator fails so I can shed loads to manage remaining amp/hrs the best?

Ed Holyoke
 
Something to keep in mind with a conventional battery. If you discharge below 12.2 volts damage has occurred. A lead acid battery Should show 12.8 or so fully charged. 12.2 is 50% charged. Anytime you go below that the batteries ability to hold a charge is reduced. A few cycles below 12.2 can knock 50% or more off the batteries rated capacity. The only way to check is via a load tester. The point being a abused conventional battery may provide you far less reserve power than expected.

Not necessarily. Leaving the battery discharged for any length of time is for sure bad. Most lead acid batteries will be considered fully discharged at around 10 - 10.5 V. This is what would be called a deep cycle. You would want to recharge it immediately or as soon as possible to avoid sulfation. I have tested Concorde RG 25 batteries to 10.5V at a 4A draw at condition inspection time and got more than 8hrs out of them and a full 24+A/hrs using a CBA from West Mountain Radio. I recharged the battery asap, usually the next morning, and got the same test results year after year on the same battery. Obviously, the deep discharge followed by a recharge did no permanent damage to the battery.

Ed Holyoke
 
Kathy,

If I set my low volts warning to 13.5 will it alarm as soon as the alternator goes offline or will I be discharging the EarthX for some unknown amount of time after alt fail? What I'm really asking, I guess, is what setting for low volts would get me an immediate alarm when the alternator fails so I can shed loads to manage remaining amp/hrs the best?

Ed Holyoke

You'll alarm within a minute of two of the alternator dying - at least if you set it a few tenths higher. My system voltage normally runs 14.4, I have my low voltage alarm set at 13.9, and it will alarm when I have my entire panel plus one fuel pump online and kill the alternator field and wait 30 seconds. You can also set an alarm for amps discharge from the battery if you are running a modern EFIS.

You know the answer - test your airplane. Go fly, set up all your normal electrical loads - and note the battery voltage. Kill the alternator field, and continue to watch the voltage readout. You'll see it drop maybe .7 volts within a minute or two - somewhere in that drop range is where you want your alarm. Low enough to avoid a nuisance trip from keying up the radio for a long transmission but high enough so you catch the discharge very early and have time to do something about it.
 
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When my Earth X failed (battery fault) last November everything was cold soaked. My RV10 had been on the ramp for four days in the 30’s. There was no pre heat available and it was about 30 Degrees when I attempted to start. Power was turned on for about 30 seconds before start. Prop moved for about two seconds and that was it. I wonder if starting a cold soaked IO540 with a cold Earth X battery caused the failure with the battery. Maybe there was too much load on the Circuit. The battery was about 31 months old but had only been in service for 21 months. Up until then was happy with the battery. The circuit failure is where I lost faith. Maybe I will try an Earth X again, but it can be an expensive option if the battery barely makes it past the warranty period.
 
Hello and thank you for the question. However, I am not sure what you mean by "why does a battery charger need them?" But I can answer your question about wondering if your EarthX battery will fail because you have it hooked up to an alternator designed to charge a lead acid battery, and the answer is no. The battery charges the same as a lead acid battery with your alternator, this is why the chemistry is Lithium Iron Phosphate, it is the same charging voltage range as a lead acid battery. It should be noted that a lithium battery needs to be charged in a range of 13.9-14.6V during flight, which MOST alternators are in this range, but if you have a charging system that is not within this range, it might not be appropriate for a lithium battery.

Kathy - my question is if a conventional alternator has no problem charging an EarthX battery, why do i need a special charger to do it?
 
Kathy - my question is if a conventional alternator has no problem charging an EarthX battery, why do i need a special charger to do it?

Alternator regulators, when operating properly, do not put out voltages higher than the nominal charging range for the EarthX. Many ground chargers do, as part of the desulfation routine for lead acid batteries.
 
Batteries (LiFePo, AGM/Lead-Acid, etc.) are there to turn over the engine and provide power to the buss in the case of an alternator failure. Aside from that, it's along for the ride. Don't believe me? Turn off your battery master switch in flight (not the ALT field or ALT on a split master) -- Avionics, Lights, Strobes, etc. will continue to run just fine.

Battery charging occurs when the battery volts are LESS than the alternator output voltage. Alternators typically put out 14.5V and a fully charged battery resting voltage is 12.66V (AGM/Lead-Acid) & 13.2V (LiFePo).

Battery Maintainers provide voltage to a battery to keep it fully charged, some of these have a de-sulfation mode which, when applied to a non-lead/acid cell will cause damage. This is why they aren't to be used with LiFePo batteries. The alternator in an aircraft doesn't have this feature.

So, what's this mean --

1. You should size your battery to be able to turn over your engine AND provide power to the avionics, lights, etc. similar to fuel required for IFR minimums (45 minutes of flight).

2. Install some kind of OV protection between alternator and rest of aircraft (including battery) - Perihelion Designs has something along these lines... (http://www.periheliondesign.com/lovm.htm).

3. Change your EFIS/EIS voltage alarm limits according to battery type LO and HI ( LO - LiFePo 13.0V, AGM/Lead Acid 12.2V, HI - 15V ). Take appropriate action when the alarm trips -- LO: check alternator field/breaker, load shed, and land. HI: turn off alternator (field), if no effect - pull the B.A.B. (Big A$$ Breaker) on the "B Lead", land.

4. Don't drain your battery below its minimum voltage while on the ground (or in the air). If you wish, keep your aircraft on a battery maintainer appropriate to the chemistry of the battery.

Fly safe.
 
When my Earth X failed (battery fault) last November everything was cold soaked. My RV10 had been on the ramp for four days in the 30’s. There was no pre heat available and it was about 30 Degrees when I attempted to start. Power was turned on for about 30 seconds before start. Prop moved for about two seconds and that was it. I wonder if starting a cold soaked IO540 with a cold Earth X battery caused the failure with the battery. Maybe there was too much load on the Circuit. The battery was about 31 months old but had only been in service for 21 months. Up until then was happy with the battery. The circuit failure is where I lost faith. Maybe I will try an Earth X again, but it can be an expensive option if the battery barely makes it past the warranty period.

This exact scenario happened to me except the outside air temperature was 75 degrees. Fortunately it happened at my hangar so I was not AOG somewhere.
 
I would hazard a guess that most have read it - and there are obviously some that have not.
 
Gary,
I just thought of something. Did you say you ran your battery fault wire into your EFIS? If so, does it merely flash a warning? No steady or flashing? Just on or off?
Yes have. "BATT 1" on efis, responds exactly as led on unit. Solid steady state means there is a fault, but battery still working. Additional fault on second " brain" renders battery tango uniform forever.
 
Gary,
I just thought of something. Did you say you ran your battery fault wire into your EFIS? If so, does it merely flash a warning? No steady or flashing? Just on or off?
It will annunciate "BATT 1", and either flash or steady state just as the LED on the battery, it is how it is to be set up.

g.
 
Gary,
I just thought of something. Did you say you ran your battery fault wire into your EFIS? If so, does it merely flash a warning? No steady or flashing? Just on or off?
Yes, the indication on my efis is the same as the lED on the battery, either slow flash, fast flash, or steady. In my case, it was steady, and having that light on for months waiting for the battery to fail is not comforting! I now have an Odyssey. More weight, more piece of mind, especially when in the clouds!

g.
 
Gary,
Flying with it for months? Why? The manual clearly tells you that for a solid light at any voltage, "Discontinue use. If in flight, this is not an immediate issue unless it is in conjunction with a charging system failure." If your charging system wasn't having a problem, then the battery wasn't on the verge of failing.

Please listen. We stated in the earlier posts that a solid light means that one of the two battery management systems (BMS) failed, but that you still have the other BMS. Even if the second BMS card failed, the battery would continue to function just like any other battery not equipped with a BMS. You have made the following points clear:

1) You still haven't read your manual, specifically the meaning of the flashing LEDs.

2) You have paid no attention to what we, and specifically EarthX, have told you about the failure modes of this battery. A solid LED does not mean the battery is about to fail, and you aren’t stranded. It just means you lost one of the two BMS cards.

3) You must want this battery to fail. Why else would you continue to fly the battery "having that light on for months waiting for the battery to fail"...? If that's so discomforting, what took you so long to replace it? That logic runs contrary to your earlier position of desperately landing the airplane right away.

4) Clearly EarthX batteries are not right for you. I’m glad you moved on to a simpler battery with which you are comfortable. But please read their manual.

The EarthX is a fantastic battery, but it IS a different kind of system. Like all other systems, it's the owner/pilot's responsibility to read up and understand the manual. Because you won't take the time to learn it, and because you'd rather bad-mouth the battery instead even after we tell you where you're wrong, well that's enough of that. Enough. I'm closing the thread.
 
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