Rick6a

Rick6a

Well Known Member
Upon recieving the ES PC680 INSTALL KIT, I noted its collection of parts does not come with mounting instructions for the -8 series. A quick call to Van's revealed that a firm mounting location has never been "codified" in a DWG for the -8. I told them I am installing an IO-360 and they said some builders report success placing it so that the top of the battery is level with the baggage floor and outboard as much as possible on the starboard side of the firewall. But my efforts at eyeball engineering seem to indicate that removing and replacing the battery would be made unneccessarily difficult. Lower would seem better....both for fastening the tray to the existing structure and periodically replacing the battery. What have other done? Being the visual person I am, pictures of a completed installation would be most helpful.

engine201cm0.jpg
 
I'm not 100% sure, but I'm 99.9% sure Chino Tom mounted his sideways for easier in/out access. There was a thread about this maybe 3 weeks ago.
 
Sideways is the way to go

In my 7A with Inverted oil, the access was very tight.

I mounted my pc680 sideways on the lower right of the firewall (as seen from the pilots seat) with the terminals pointing outward.

Battery slides in and out quite easily, _AND_ you can reach the terminals for a jump start if necessary.
 
N131RV said:
I mounted my pc680 sideways on the lower right of the firewall....with the terminals pointing outward.Battery slides in and out quite easily, _AND_ you can reach the terminals for a jump start if necessary.
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Joe,

Yours *seems* a solid solution. I'd sure like to see a photo of your installation. For instance, how do you access the terminals for a jump start? A recent thread talked about what people have done or were doing and some discussion on various mounting angles, yet no pictures of a finished, flying installation were posted. Its one thing to build a certain way when the project is halfway finished and quite another to discover later on that you wished you had done something differently. This topic seems to fall into the latter category. Still, sideways mounting does seem a highly practical option worth further thought. Thanks.
 
Rick6a said:
Joe,

Yours *seems* a solid solution. I'd sure like to see a photo of your installation. For instance, how do you access the terminals for a jump start? A recent thread talked about what people have done or were doing and some discussion on various mounting angles, yet no pictures of a finished, flying installation were posted. Its one thing to build a certain way when the project is halfway finished and quite another to discover later on that you wished you had done something differently. This topic seems to fall into the latter category. Still, sideways mounting does seem a highly practical option worth further thought. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Here is a photo of a similar installation only it is different ;) (RV-6, homemade bracket...yes, the nylon cable ties have held up just fine for several years, there is now an Odyssey installed in place of the Panasonic battery but same bracket.)

battery.jpg


The battery can be accessed for jump start through the oil access door.
 
I cheated for the jump start

Since my positive terminal is on the bottom in my setup, it is quite a reach to actually get on the terminal (and it's a tight fit).

I bared about 1/4" of my main battery cable ( I have a little piece of hose to slide over it) and I can now clip a jumper cable directly to the positive battery cable. This is the short cable that runs from the battery to your main solenoid.

My battery is pretty low on the firewall. Since I'll be decowling tomorrow for some paint prep work, I'll try and remember to snap a picture or two.:)
 
Funny timing. My 680 just came in the mail today. I was originally thinking about modifying the stock Vans batt. tray, but after receiving the batt. I don't like the tie-down situation. (a block of highly conductive aluminum so close to the terminals). I think I decided I am going to mount the battery in the middle of the tray (front to back) and cutting the tie-down channel to run front to back right in the middle of the battery.

We'll see I guess. I was really hoping to save the money for another mount plus all the work I put into mounting the stock batt. tray.
 
Something Like This

The tray and hold-down are not modified yet but this is roughly what I'm thinking.


 
briand said:
...........I don't like the tie-down situation. (a block of highly conductive aluminum so close to the terminals).........
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That bothered me too. With the stock metric terminals installed on the PC-680, there is no problem with clearance but refitted with much larger SAE terminals, I decided to narrow the profile of the tie-down bar a few mm's to assure positive clearance and then added an insulator to the positive post of the battery for good measure. Since a ring terminal is bolted to the SAE terminals well ABOVE the aluminum tie-down, I think the issue is resolved.

You could always deviate from the plans slightly and make up a similiar tie-down bar with a sufficient stand off built in to mitigate your concerns. In my case, the bar was already completed when I discovered the potential for conflict.

BTW, don't let the black casing on the battery fool you. It IS essentially a PC-680 purchased locally. I forget what the part number is. Enersys packages them that way intended for sale to utility companies and such. I found this one at an industrial park a few miles from my home and priced at $89.00 a few months ago...in June. Its nice this popular battery is widely available from any number of sources.

battery00420ow6.jpg
 
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Vans prices...

dan said:
Good call! $93. Wonder if you could avoid shipping & handling charges if you bundle it with the FWF kit. Hm...maybe Van's does that already? They didn't stock it back when I bought mine, so I'm just wondering about that.
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It never hurts to glance at home plate first ;)
 
Power Sonic

I know this thread is not strictly about mounting but noticed the price watch above.

What about Power Sonic, PS 12180-B, $35-$40 and it's lighter, by 2.8 lbs, same size and rated at 18Ah:

DIMENSIONS

POWER SONIC PS 12180
Length 7.13" 181 mm
Width 3.00" 76 mm
Height 6.59" 16 mm
Weight 12.6 lbs 5.70 kg
Terminals:
F2 = 0.250" tab
NB = Nut & Bolt Tin plated brass post with 5mm nut & bolt connectors
B = 6mm threaded internal post (like Odyssey)

Odyssey PC 680
Length 7 ? in. 7.27 in. 184.7 mm
Width 3 1/16 in. 3.11 in. 79.0 mm
Height* 6 5/8 in. 6.67 in. 169.4 mm
Weight 15.4 lb. 7.0 kg
Terminals Female threaded for M6 stainless bolt
*Height is measure to top of terminal


SPECIFICATION*

Power Sonic PS 12180 (ref: Detailed Specs)
5 hour rate (3.2A to 10.50 volts) 16.0 A.H.
20 hour rate (900mA to 10.50 volts) 18.0 A.H

Odyssey PC 680
5 hour rate (3.0A to 10.02 volts) 15.0 A.H.
20 hour rate (0.8A to 10.02 volts) 16.0 A.H.


*It's hard to compare apples and apples with battery specs, but for $35 it may not be a bad deal? I like the almost 2.8 lb saving in weight. The big disconnect are CRANK AMPS? Odyssey has some CRANK spec or pulse discharge that PS does not list.


PS list a 10 sec, 180 amp, Short-Duration Discharge Current. I don't know dow to what volts but assume about 10 volts? The Odyssey mentions a very high "Pulse Hot Cranking Amp", PHCA, of 680 amps. Odyssey also list CCA (cold crank amps) 220amp, CA (crank amps) 330amp, HCA (hot crank amps) 370amp. I think the Odyssey spec is based on 5 sec or less, 7.2 volts and temp of 77F? Any way apples and oranges.

Power sonic does not list CRANK AMPS, except for a discharge current of 210 amps, but I'm sure it will "Pulse" or "Crank" more than that. If you short a battery it will put out lots of amps. The Power Sonic and Odyssey have different internal resistance, so that might be a clue to which one has more power & capacity. No doubt the $100 Odyssey is technically better based on cost and weight and the "no free lunch rule", but the Power Sonic might still get the job done for many VFR RV's.

The specs above are hard to sort out. They may come under the heading of too good to be true, but the Power Sonic looks good. I suspect the PS does not have quite as much max short duration crank power? The lower weight may be a clue; however for a builder with an easy starting O320 (150HP with metal prop), in a warm climate and wire-wound starter**, it may be a deal. For $40 and 2.8 lbs less! :D

** Wire wound starter verses (PM) permanent magnet starter, PM uses more current/power to get the job done. Wire wound starters cost more and might weigh a little more.


Here are some Power Sonic vendors:

You want the PS 12180-B with the 6mm internal threaded post ($39.80)
http://www.batteryplex.com/powersonic.cfm
http://www.voltdepot.com/product/18194.html
http://www.atbatt.com/product/3596.asp

Caveat, I never tried the Power Sonic. Has any one tired it? I know some people use the Panasonic. Any one out there used either?

To muddy the waters: Panasonic makes a nice looking PC680 equiv about 1 lb lighter for $35-$40:
http://www.batteryspec.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?action=link&product=125
http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/battery/oem/images/pdf/Panasonic_VRLA_LC-RD1217P.pdf
 
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