EarthX Batteries

[olyolson]

Anyone have one of these and what do you think? My Odyssey PC 925 has lasted 3 years now and seems to charge OK in flight at 14.3V. After landing the battery shows 12.6V. If I don't fly for a couple days the battery drops to around 11.5V and sometimes is hard to start. Contemplating the EarthX to replace the Odyssey to get more cold cranking amps. Since I have an IO-360 and a C/S prop shoehorned into the cowl I have to have the battery behind the back seat for weight & balance. Which means quite a long cable to the starter which equates to a pretty hefty battery. By using the EartHX I can instantly save 23 pounds.

Comments??

[BruceEicher]

I'm glad I did the same at three years with slow starts from my odyssey.

Read these;

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=127942

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...d.php?t=127942

[Ironflight]

We put one of the 900's on the firewall of our bush plane, and I have never seen an IO-360 crank so fast! Amazing battery - survived Phase I, and now we'll see how it does over the long haul.

[vic syracuse]

And I have installed many others. Search some of the threads as I know I posted on some testing I did. These batteries are amazing, and so far seem to be OK. The 20 lbs of weight savings in the aft end of the RV10 was a nice bonus as well.

Vic

[Dean Pichon]

I would like to replace my Concorde battery with an EarthX. Over the weekend I perused the EarthX User's Manual and found this caution:



In my -4, the existing (lead acid gel cell) battery is mounted between my feet. I consider this more or less in the cockpit. It is not vented. Am I increasing my risk by putting an EarthX battery in this location?

What have others done to comply with this recommendation? (Other than to locate the battery forward of the firewall...)

Thanks in advance,

Dean

[DonFromTX]

I put mine forward of the firewall, but you have to note that the EarthX has a low maximum temperature allowed. I am going to use some temperature stickers to monitor it.

[Bill Boyd]

Originally Posted by vic syracuse

And I have installed many others. Search some of the threads as I know I posted on some testing I did. These batteries are amazing, and so far seem to be OK. The 20 lbs of weight savings in the aft end of the RV10 was a nice bonus as well.

Vic

Vic - do you see any need from a safety standpoint to enclose the EarthX and vent the enclosure overboard if installed in the standard location in the -10?

If I was anticipating a similar installation and location, will I need to mod the factory battery tray? Easier to do now while the aft skin is off...

If shedding 20# of weight in the tail is beneficial, what about moving the EarthX to FWF? Is that too much of a good thing in the -10? I read of some planes requiring water- or tool kit-ballast when flown with rear seats or baggage bay empty.

Thanks. Timely thoughts for me at this stage.

[bobnoffs]

fwiw, the max temp of the earthx is 25 deg higher than the odessey

[Aggie78]

So, I ordered the EarthX replacement for the PC-680 after taking (what I thought) were fairly precise measurements of my existing Van's battery box. I sure thought that sucker would fit in there...

The EarthX battery wouldn't fit it...no way, no how. There's a slight taper to the Odyssey battery case that doesn't exist in the EarthX.

A call to EarthX later confirmed that fact...

I could have ordered EarthX's battery box...for another 50 bucks, but didn't want to get that deep into a simple battery upgrade project and just sent the entire shebang back for a refund and ordered a new PC-680.

[DonFromTX]

Thanks Bob, I did not know that.

Originally Posted by bobnoffs

fwiw, the max temp of the earthx is 25 deg higher than the odessey