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How old ...is your Odyssey Battery

N42AH

Well Known Member
Since I purchased my 9A flying there wasn't any information either in the logbook or on the battery when it was installed.

So off I sent an email to the Odyssey.

My serial number on the battery is [FONT=&quot]06GCS061250340[/FONT][FONT=&quot] and there was a sticker on it that had 0769-2016 and under that number was 0606

Here is their reply:

[/FONT] The serial number…06GCS061250340 shows that the battery was manufactured on the 125th day of 2006 and the 0606 located under the 8 digit part number 0769-2016 indicates that the battery shipped from this facility in June 2006.



So no you know how to determine your Odyssey batteries real age.
 
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My PC-680 is one month old. I left the master on while spending 3 days in Covington, LA enroute to the Bahamas. The easy fix was to buy a new one and not have to worry about it for the rest of the trip. The old one was 4 years old.

I left my old one with my buddy and he recharged it per Odyssey instructions and then load tested it and it passed.
 
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I just load tested my PC680 purchased in 2002 (per the Oddessey datasheet). Still passed with 14AH of capacity.

It has been in my plane since first flight in 2005. I test it every couple of years.
 
PC-680

On an O320 - first one lasted 2 years......
This one is now on a trickle charger 50% of the time and hope it lasts longer! No problem with the alternator so don't know why it croaked so soon.....
 
Still Strong!

I bought mine sometime between 2005 and 2006, started using it full time Feb. 2007, and it is still performing like day one. That just makes me feel good :p
 
Send me your old ones. ;)

I would but I use them to jump start the guys that are to cheap to replace their batteries :eek:

I have an all electric airplane (dual LSI) so my theory, when it comes to aircraft maintenance, is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure :D
 
PC680

My first Odyssey battery was installed for over 4 years, took it out and put it in my airport golf cart and installed a new one.
 
I just used this one. Ordered on line Wednesday. Arrived Saturday

http://www.bohannonbattery.com/html/odyssey.html

Ron,

They seem to have good prices. I paid $149.95 + Tax out the door at Battery World in Covington, LA. I see Bohannon lists the PC-680 for $115 but I don't know how much shipping is.

My first PC-680 I bought from Vans for $150 and it only lasted for two years of flying. Would not keep a charge and I suspect a bad cell. In 2002 I purchased one for $79.95 including shipping from some battery house in Florida. I changed that one out in May 2007 for the one I drained in Covington but I don't remember how much it cost.

All in all I'm impressed with the Odyssey battery. When time comes to change out the batteries in my truck I may go Odyssey but at $300 X 2 I may rethink.

Odyssey says the design life is 8-12 years with service life of 3-10 years. Heat is a big killer so I wonder how the FWF battery location Vans now uses affects battery life.
 
Gary....... FREE shipping (or included in that price).

I also considered Odyssey for my cars but with normal lead acid batteries at Walmart so much cheaper I do not see doing it.
 
I have dual PC680s in my dual Lightspeed ignition F1 Rocket. One battery is about 4 years old and the other is almost 6 years old. I was able to kill the first one I bought when I started my kit. The other two that I'm using now have both been discharged completely on a couple of occasions. They don't seem as strong as they were when new, but both crank adequately and recharge quickly. My original plan was to change one of them out every couple years. That plan is out the window. I'm cranking on the oldest battery, and the newer battery is in the secondary system.
 
What changed? Are you going longer between replacement?

The "replace every two years" scheme is based on Bob Nuckoll's (author of The AeroElectric Connection book that is the source for electrical info) system of using inexpensive "wheelchair" batteries instead of the high-$$$$$ aircraft items. His two year cycle is based on the shorter lifespan expected from the cheaper batteries. His thinking is to replace cheap batteries on a frequent basis in order to assure top performance. This philosophy also predates the popularity of the Odyssey batteries.

The PC680 is a totally different animal from the low-cost battery described by Nuckolls and has an expected life span far greater than two years. Replacing PC680's every two years is overkill if the charging system is what it should be.
 
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What changed? Are you going longer between replacement?

Yeah, I'm going longer. I'm already double when I was originally going to replace a battery just for piece of mind. Like Sam said, two years was recommended by a lot of knowledgeable folks. If I was running a Gill or a Diehard, I might still do it. The PC680 is a very durable unit and has way outperformed any other battery I have used in any situation.

My biggest concern is to have enough juice to get through an alternator failure during a flight. Even with one older battery, I'd wager I have a lot more battery power than avgas to get through a flight.

I just can't stomach throwing away a perfectly acceptable battery before it's time.
 
Yeah, I'm going longer. I'm already double when I was originally going to replace a battery just for piece of mind. Like Sam said, two years was recommended by a lot of knowledgeable folks. If I was running a Gill or a Diehard, I might still do it. The PC680 is a very durable unit and has way outperformed any other battery I have used in any situation.

My biggest concern is to have enough juice to get through an alternator failure during a flight. Even with one older battery, I'd wager I have a lot more battery power than avgas to get through a flight.

I just can't stomach throwing away a perfectly acceptable battery before it's time.

The Odyssey 680 I am using was purchased on 3/6/2006, that makes it 5+ years of service so far. No signs of failure to date. In fact, it just sat for about 75 days with no action and still showed 12.7 volts, started the engine without hesitation.

These batteries are the best IMHO.

This particular battery has a mate. I bought 2 in 06 when the engine was a Subby H6. The other one sits on the shelf fully charged. They were both in service about 3 years before going to one battery with Lycoming. I've been thinking maybe the mate should be carried when going somewhere rather than buying another if #1 decides to give up.
 
If someone is using two PC 680s, it seems that they could buy a new battery every 4-6 years and alternate which is new. Based upon my recent PC 925 replacement at five years...and the jury is out on whether it was really going bad....I am still satisfied with five years of use.

I am debating whether I should periodically put the Battery Minder on the battery between flights (which now can be weeks).

My assessment that the battery was possibly going bad is based upon three slow cranking episodes after fuel stops and the negative (10.7 V at the battery) cranking test per SkyTec troubleshooting instructions.

http://www.skytecair.com/Troubleshooting.htm

The new PC 680 (saved about eight pounds) and upgraded SkyTec NL starter are working great so far.
 
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I am debating whether I should periodically put the Battery Minder on the battery between flights (which now can be weeks).

My assessment that the battery was possibly going bad is based upon three slow cranking episodes after fuel stops and the negative (10.7 V at the battery) cranking test per SkyTec troubleshooting instructions.

http://www.skytecair.com/Troubleshooting.htm

The new PC 680 (saved about eight pounds) and upgraded SkyTec NL starter are working great so far.

A battery minder is necessary if there are any parasite loads on the battery (electric clock, memory chips, etc) but if not, the charger may do more damage than good. With Subby and all its electric paraphernalia the Odyssey would be discharged in just 2 weeks. With Lycoming the battery seems to stay up indefinitely. I made a point of not having any parasite loads with the master switch off.

A wire wound starter, which is what the SkyTec NL is, will turn over easier than the old permanent magnet starters. I went for the B&C starter for that reason as they seem to last forever.

Odyssey should provide 7 years of service. I am going for it. :)
 
I replaced my odyssey this year after 7 years in the RV6. It was getting a little weak cranking in the winter. It's doing duty on the lawn tractor now.

Doug
 
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