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PC680 battery

jimbo

Well Known Member
Patron
OK I admit that I've left my master on about 4 times over the life of my 3 year old RV9 and think I'm on borrowed time with my 4year old battery. Not sure if I'm going to have much cranking time come this winter (even tho I preheat).

What do you guys think ?

Jim
Howell, MI
 
Poll

Create a poll Jim. Some RVators reported the battery life up to 10 years. If you are not planning to fly far and stay long, leave it. Experiment. I change mine every two years as a precaution. I fly to some remote and desolate places and want a pieace of mind.
 
OK I admit that I've left my master on about 4 times over the life of my 3 year old RV9 and think I'm on borrowed time with my 4year old battery. Not sure if I'm going to have much cranking time come this winter (even tho I preheat).

What do you guys think ?

Jim
Howell, MI

in my opinion, after you drain it completely once, you are on borrowed time.

leave your strobes on to help you catch your master switch before you leave the hangar.
 
Last edited:
in my opinion, after you drain it completely once, you are on borrowed time.

leave your strobes on to help you catch your master switch before you leave the hangar.

Maybe not. One of my PC680's was totally drained (master on for ten days!) at the four-year point and it was still going when I replaced it at nearly eight years.

Hey...I left my master on with the Dynon staring right at me! Final solution was a screaming audio transducer wired to an oil pressure switch.
 
Create a poll Jim. Some RVators reported the battery life up to 10 years. If you are not planning to fly far and stay long, leave it. Experiment. I change mine every two years as a precaution. I fly to some remote and desolate places and want a pieace of mind.

Hey Vlad - if you can afford the weight, carry an extra. They are small as you know, and they hold a charge very well stored. That would be cheaper than changing out every two years and if you do end up with a discharged battery for whatever reason, you have a spare ready to go.
Just a thought.
 
Hey Vlad - if you can afford the weight, carry an extra. They are small as you know, and they hold a charge very well stored. That would be cheaper than changing out every two years and if you do end up with a discharged battery for whatever reason, you have a spare ready to go.
Just a thought.

No need to have dead weight on board. Add the second battery and double your "alternator failed" electrical power reserve. Replace one battery every three years - sooner if you abuse it by leaving a master on or such.

With most electrical power hungry panels these days a single fully charged PC-680 might last 45 minutes.

Carl
 
No need to have dead weight on board. Add the second battery and double your "alternator failed" electrical power reserve. Replace one battery every three years - sooner if you abuse it by leaving a master on or such.

With most electrical power hungry panels these days a single fully charged PC-680 might last 45 minutes.

Carl

Better make sure your second battery is completely isolated or it might not matter.
 
Not true.

Carl

I think it is just a different outlook on a different problem Carl. If you leave the master on in a remote area, your just as dead with two parallel batteries. If your battery shorts a cell, I am not really sure what happens to the second battery. Anyway, this was really for Vlad's consideration as he posted his concern about his battery suddenly dying in a remote area. That is the only time I have carried a spare and my simple VFR panel doesn't really need a second battery, even if the Alt. goes tu.
 
I guess theres always the good old fashioned hand prop- but I assume that wont work with electronic ignition? As well I'm not sure I would have the guts to do with a three bladed prop.... Although it can be done. I have found on most piston airplanes Ive flown (c180's, beavers, etc) that batteries tend to give you a fair bit of warning when they about to give up. A couple slow cranks and its probably time for a new one...
 
I guess theres always the good old fashioned hand prop- but I assume that wont work with electronic ignition? As well I'm not sure I would have the guts to do with a three bladed prop.... Although it can be done. I have found on most piston airplanes Ive flown (c180's, beavers, etc) that batteries tend to give you a fair bit of warning when they about to give up. A couple slow cranks and its probably time for a new one...

Hand propping might get you out of there but you won't have enough juice to energize the alt. field. So, no electronics and in many RV's, that might be primary flight instruments and flaps The newer batteries like the PC680 don't give you the kind of warning the old batteries did unfortunately.
I changed mine around five years. The old battery is still going strong after another four years in my lawn tractor. Great batteries.
 
my PC680 has been flying for 6 years and is probably 7 years old. Twice I have left the master on. The last time was 2 years ago. No problems so far. (of course now that I posted this, it will be dead :))
 
Hand propping might get you out of there but you won't have enough juice to energize the alt. field. So, no electronics and in many RV's, that might be primary flight instruments and flaps The newer batteries like the PC680 don't give you the kind of warning the old batteries did unfortunately.
I changed mine around five years. The old battery is still going strong after another four years in my lawn tractor. Great batteries.


Good point about the electronics, one downfall of our new glass panels I suppose! I wondered if the new batteries like the 680 would have less warning... Good to know!!

Alex
 
Good point about the electronics, one downfall of our new glass panels I suppose! I wondered if the new batteries like the 680 would have less warning... Good to know!!

Alex

Well, I could be mistaken. Oddessy claims a "slow loss of power" at end of life. Let's hope that is true. This is contrary to my experiences with other glass matt batteries, but I would not be surprised if Oddessy took this into consideration on the design. I have not been at the point to test one.
 
Maybe not. One of my PC680's was totally drained (master on for ten days!) at the four-year point and it was still going when I replaced it at nearly eight years.

Hey...I left my master on with the Dynon staring right at me! Final solution was a screaming audio transducer wired to an oil pressure switch.

Just about the identical situation here - finally replaced the original after 9 nears. I chose not to fool with it trying to squeeze more out of it given the age.

Dan
 
Thanks for all the replies. I did end up getting a new PC680 battery mainly because I thought the staying power wasn't the same with the 4 year old one and with the cold weather coming up I wanted the extra umpf to get the Lycomingsorus started.

Time will tell if it made a difference.

Jim
RV9a
 
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