Generic Batteries

[mosquito]

Hi everyone,

I feel very dumb. My battery has been cranking slower and slower for the past month or so. On cold days it's even needed a little charge to help get my -6 started. I spent some time reading every thread on batteries I could find here on VAF, and finally decided to order a Powersonic 12350 to replace the Deka Dominator 8gu1h that was in the plane at purchase. The dimensions and weight were a good match.

So after making my decision, I spent FAR less time sourcing the part. Thirty seconds with Google, and I'd found a source (or so I thought) for a Powersonic 12350 for $53. Deal. I order, it arrives, I open the box, and here is what I've got:



Hmm... that doesn't look quite right. Check the packing slip, which says... 'Power Sonic PS-12350'. Ok, someone must have messed up. I recheck the website, and realize the product page, despite showing a photo of a Power Sonic 12350, has a description that begins... "The compatible replacement for Power Sonic PS-12350 rechargeable sealed lead acid battery meets or exceeds the OEM sla battery specifications."

Whoops. Looks like I bought a generic replacement battery. Not blaming the company (although 'sharks' IS in their name, that might have been a giveaway). It's totally my fault for not being more cautious with the interweb.

So my question for the collective wisdom of VAF is: Would you put this generic Powersonic clone in your (adopted) baby, or hold out for a real Powersonic? Am I doing the 'Sigmas' company a disservice by calling them a 'generic'? I'm inclined to roll with it, and maybe expect it to not last as long as the real deal. My current battery is definitely dying, so it should be a step up. I'm willing to accept the risk of getting stuck at some remote airport. I'm less inclined to accept much more than that, in terms of battery failure scenarios.

I anticipate at least one 'get a Pc680, dude' post, and my main reason for not doing so is weight. My -6 is tail heavy as it is, and I don't want my new battery to weigh much less than my current Deka (23 lbs).

Thanks!

-jon

[Greg Arehart]

Jon,

Seems crazy NOT to use this and give it a try. As you said, it might not last as long, but letting it sit on your bench until dead doesn't seem viable. The only other option is returning it.

My two cents.

greg

[Ron Lee]

Give it a try. Maybe it lasts two - three years then look at the Odyssey PC-925 (See..no 680 comment).

[gasman]

Jon, Looks to be a quality battery from their web site. The price you quoted is also good. Could you tell us your source?


Thank You

[Mel]

Looks just like PowerSonic except for the logo. Wouldn't surprise me if they were made by the same manufacturer. I've been using PowerSonic for over 25 years and never had a problem with them.

[Ron Lee]

More battery choices are good. While I installed an Odyssey PC-925 to solve the cranking issues associated with a wood two blade prop, I am considering going back to the 680 size since I changed to a three blade prop. This would save about eight pounds.

What happened with the two blade prop is that I would start the engine turning and the prop would stop on a compression stroke. It would take two to three tries to get it started. I cannot confirm that the battery was 100% but when I changed to a PC-925 in place of the 680 I had no more issues.

I am wondering about a charging limit I see on the front of your battery. It looks like a maximum of 10.5 amps initial charge rate. That seems like it could be low should a person have to try a time or two to get an engine started.

Is that a valid concern?

[mosquito]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone, I'll install it tomorrow and see how it works out.

Ron -- the Odyssey PC-925 definitely looks interesting.

gasman -- the source is 'BatterySharks' (cue the Jaws music). $53 + ~$20 shipping, showed up in 3 days. Here's the direct link: http://www.batterysharks.com/Power-S...FYGW7QodAymccg
At a glance it looks like you're buying a PowerSonic, right? I suspect Mel is correct, and it's probably made by the same folks.

Ron, I don't know enough about the electrons to know if I should worry about the initial charge rate... but with my current battery, I now regularly see >10A charge for a few moments at start. I don't think that was the case back when the battery was healthy, though. If this battery gets >10.5, does it become inefficient, or do bad things happen? So much to learn....

Thanks again!

-jon

[petehowell]

I went with a generic last year and it has been great. Even had the same terminals as the PC-680

[Flyingguido]

Pete,
I'm using Odyssey's metal cover in my mounting system. Do you think this generic you have would fit or was the "snug" fit you found preclude this? Can't sand the metal.....
Thanks!

[petehowell]

We just lightly knocked the corners off the battery case plastic and it slid right it. I think it would work fine.