Backup batteries

[Captain_John]

Hey All,

I am installing my IBBS Backup Battery as I type this.

...also Machine Man is a tad over 2 years runtime into his RV-7 with the same G3X panel as mine.

His IBBS just went Tango Uniform. It won't boot the system for startup without invoking the Odyssey.

Now, I went and broke the seal on my IBBS and was underwhelmed at the puny batteries within.

I like the "brains" if you will, of the IBBS. It seems like a good design. Besides, he is already wired for the IBBS.

Here is my thought...

Rather than sending the unit back to have it refurbished with the same puny cells, how bad would it be to bring the battery leads out of the box and wire them to an AGM alarm battery? Perhaps something in the vicinity of a couple of ampere hours?

The IBBS advertises it to be 4ah, but I seriously question that.

Mikey, you rolled your own alarm battery setup. How is that working?

Anyone have an opinion on what I am proposing here?

CJ

[bullojm1]

SeeJay-

I went BIG on my aux battery - 9 Amp-hour (PowerSonic PS-1920 F2 - $24)



I isolated it from my main bus with a schottky diode (IXYS 45V 2X59A, about $21.09 at Mouser.com).



Before I start my preflight check I flip on my Aux Battery Bus which powers essential items (GRT EFIS's and Garmin 430W) to make sure the aux battery still has some juice left in it. Every annual I run it down. I am amazed I get over an hour!

Total cost is less than $50, and replacement batteries can be had anywhere. Plus you get over double the runtime than the overpriced $375 IBBS. My system has been going strong for 3 years now without an issue.


You could always go smaller. Power-Sonic has a good battery selector guide here:
http://www.power-sonic.com/ps_psg_series.php

[BillL]

My IBBS has not been used yet, but I did need to take the back off (I love to see inside black boxes) and the batteries are indeed small. I did not take pictures, but guess the batteries are not much of the cost. Since they are LiO batteries, then a good management system is needed. It appears to be there. If one were to be thrifty, why not just replace the internal batteries on your own?

They appear to be sub-c size and there are plentiful options. Maybe even the local battery shop that make custom repairs to hand tool battery packs.

Be careful about just wiring in a different battery chemistry, esp.
lead acid (PbA)

Sorry, they are NiMh batteries.

[Brantel]

CJ,

I could not force myself to spend the extra $$$ on the IBBS. I did just like Mike and rolled my own backup.

I did a 7.5Ah battery that is exactly the same size as the one in Mike's pic. When I replace it, I am going with the 9.0Ah one.

When I start up, I flip on the Backup Battery Bus and this powers the essentials which are the PFD1, MFD, GSU73 and the Dynon D6. This bus remains on till shutdown. This keeps power on the backup power inputs to those items and prevents brownouts during startup.

The backup battery is charged anytime the master is on and I have a current limiting resistor (some don't use one) and a Schottky diode for isolation.

I get about an hour of runtime with this setup.

Cheap and effective! Easy to find and replace batteries used in millions of UPS's and alarms all over the world.


As far as using the IBBS guts to charge and manage a different battery, that would depend on what kind of charger circuit is in there.

[Thermos]

Mike and Brian,

Where did you mount your aux batteries?

Dave

[Brantel]

I made a custom craddle for mine out of 3/4" angle from Home Depot Aircraft supply. It is bolted on the fwd side of the subpanel right where the filler plate is that covers the hole that was in the subpanel for the original map box that I removed.

[bullojm1]

Originally Posted by Thermos

Where did you mount your aux batteries?

Dave!

I mounted mine between the subpanel and firewall. I made a bracket out of leftover longeron material.

[Brantel]

My craddle looks similar to Mike's just out of 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/16" angle and not as long since mine is mounted with the side of the craddle instead of the bottom.

[Jackm]

Thanks to Brian here and Bill Peyton for the ideas, I did similar but used a Shoria battery as backup and sterling power battery charger/maintainer. It is designed as complete secondary system with no connection to to main battery or primary buss/vpx. The only connection is this product which takes Brian and Bills ideas and combines them with off shelf component. Limits charging to backup bat to 3amps/ diode protects, and does not transfer power till primary reaches 13.3 volts. Over voltage protection and fuse protected on in and out wiring all in one package.
http://www.shop.sterling-power.com/a...intainers.html
Can post a picture if interested. I am not flying but have tested the electrical system and it works as advertised.
Only issue is the Sterling unit has indicator lights which would be nice to see.....remote camera mounted behind bulkhead wired into our new AFS 5400?

[AltonD]

Originally Posted by bullojm1

SeeJay-

I went BIG on my aux battery - 9 Amp-hour (PowerSonic PS-1920 F2 - $24)



I isolated it from my main bus with a schottky diode (IXYS 45V 2X59A, about $21.09 at Mouser.com).



Before I start my preflight check I flip on my Aux Battery Bus which powers essential items (GRT EFIS's and Garmin 430W) to make sure the aux battery still has some juice left in it. Every annual I run it down. I am amazed I get over an hour!

Total cost is less than $50, and replacement batteries can be had anywhere. Plus you get over double the runtime than the overpriced $375 IBBS. My system has been going strong for 3 years now without an issue.

You could always go smaller. Power-Sonic has a good battery selector guide here:
http://www.power-sonic.com/ps_psg_series.php

Ditto. That is exactly what I did. Except. . . A model nose roller with a constant speed prop, I mounted mine behind the baggage bulkhead. (fused at the battery).