BatteryMinder Not For Use On Aircraft Batteries.

[Geico266]

I was stunned to learn that Battery Minders are no longer recommended for use on Odyssey, Concord, or any other AGM or "Gel Cell" battery as they shorten the life and performance of the battery.

Several times I have recommended these maintenance chargers (on VAF) for our AGM batteries because I specifically called the company and talked to the engineers about these chargers and aircraft AGM batteries. Now they are back tracking and finally figured out their chargers are NOT COMPATIBLE with AGM batteries. Of course they have new chargers to sell, but I would certainly not buy another one from Battery Minder.


http://www.batteryminders.com/specials.php

My sincere apologies if anyone took my advice and purchased these chargers for their aircraft.

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by Geico266

I was stunned to learn that Battery Minders are no longer recommended for use on Odyssey, Concord, or any other AGM or "Gel Cell" battery as they shorten the life and performance of the battery.

Several times I have recommended these maintenance chargers (on VAF) for our AGM batteries because I specifically called the company and talked to the engineers about these chargers and aircraft AGM batteries. Now they are back tracking and finally figured out their chargers are NOT COMPATIBLE with AGM batteries. Of course they have new chargers to sell, but I would certainly not buy another one from Battery Minder.


http://www.batteryminders.com/specials.php

My sincere apologies if anyone took my advice and purchased these chargers for their aircraft.

Hmmmmmm....if a charger works well with an Odyssey battery in a Honda or BMW motorcyle, why wouldn't it be fine for the same battery (PC680) in an airplane? The PC680 is not an "aviation" battery. Maybe this is attorney-driven marketing-speak?

I've never used the Battery-Minder but have used the little (~$40) Battery Tender Jr. units to keep a PC-680 topped up when there were some serious keep-alive items in the plane. I've found that if the plane is flown every few weeks the PC680 maintains its charge very nicely without any help. The Battery Tender Jr. is now tasked with maintaining the old Panasonic battery that powers my APRS iGate receiver.

[dhall_polo]

Batterytender still likes Odyssey AGM. I've had good luck with batterytender throughout the project. I upgraded to powertender recently.

http://batterytender.com/default.php?cPath=11_4

[RV7AV8R]

I have used a Battery Tender brand on my Odessey battery for a several years in the winter with no problems that I can detect. A Battery Tender stops charging when the battery gets to 13.2 volts to avoid gassing. Does the Battery Minder go to a higher voltage before it stops charging?
We sell Battery Tenders in my motorcycle shop and I use several of them on everything with a lead acid battery and have never had a problem, the batteries are always ready to go and survive the winter. Few small motorcycle batteries will survive a winter with out a Tender.

[asav8tor]

I think it is very transparent and respectable of them to:

(1) Be upfront about the issue. (Identify the problem)

(2) Do something about it and address the specific need. (Offer a solution)

(3) Try to mitigate the impact. (Special trade in offer)


Would you prefer them to just keep shut about it and let everyone shorten the lives of their batteries once the issue is known?

Another manufacturer has a new charger on the market, claims to be safe for AGM batteries (Odyssey)

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motor...er/optimate-4/

http://www.tecmate.com/optimate4_detail.php

http://highergear.myswiftstore.com/C...ger--Optimiser

Maybe later they will say this one is unsuitable as well I don't know but it's the one I currently own. If anyone knows this charger is unsuitable for the PC680 please chime in.

[plehrke]

Originally Posted by Geico266

I was stunned to learn that Battery Minders are no longer recommended for use on Odyssey, Concord, or any other AGM or "Gel Cell" battery as they shorten the life and performance of the battery.

Just to be clear, the BatteryMinder 12248-AA-S1 , 12248-AA-S2 (plug and play), and 12248-AA-S3 (specific for Odyssey FAA-PMA and 600 series) are OK. These have the "Aircraft Calibrated" note on the front of the unit. When I bought mine last year I saw they had this aviation specific ones so bought it as I have Concorde in the Cessna.

I would not hesitate using the Model 12248 (non-aviation BatteryMinder) on an Odyssey 680 as that is not an aviation battery.

[WiseGuy]

I am wondering what the real issue is? Is it the charge rate? or the cut-off voltage? or something else? It seems to me the electrons don't know if they are charging an aviation battery or a motorcycle battery? Could someone more knowledgeable educate me. Thanks

[N131RV]

For years I have used a battery minder on my Long-EZ, which is parked far too much. As long as I had a Concorde battery, all was hunky dory.

I switched to an Odyssey PC680 (gives better CG). Left the plane parked for a few weeks with the battery minder on. Came to fly and the battery INDICATED 13.2 volts, but had almost no cranking amps. The battery was toast (and it was only a few months old).

Moral, I don't use that battery minder on Odyssey anymore. I have a different charger for "topping" up my Odyssey.

To be fair, Odyssey does promote a special charger/maintainer for their batteries.

YMMV

[jjconstant]

Please move to new thread if appropriate.

While talking chargers, I purchased the 100 something dollar 12 amp Odyssey charger to make sure I was charging the PC680 appropriately. I left the master on overnight accidently and when I returned the charger was toasted. I took it apart and there were obvious scorch marks around what looked like a dead resistor and there was a chip that had exploded/split itself apart. Very dead charger.

It was drawing around 7.5 amps continuously and I assume that this was simply too much for the charger, as it clearly wasn't designed as a power supply.

Someone said they never leave a charger on unattended. but that seems to be counter to the usefulness of giving it an overnight charge...

Jeremy

[Mike S]

Using the link provided, I found that "BatteryMINDer" is still recommending using the #12117 and #12118 on AGM batteries, and that they specifically mention Odyssey batteries.

This makes me wonder if they have not yet changed the info in the above ads, or does Odyssey make a battery specifically for aircraft that is chemically or electrically different from the batteries we use??

If there is a difference in the actual aircraft battery, anybody know what is different???

Odyssey doesnt make any specific distinction on their website, in fact they even compare the certified SBS J-16 to the non certified PC680.