Still living in the certified world, Concord batteries are great, excellent products ... I'm not sure I'd switch to a different brand even in the experimental world ...
the Odysseys because the smaller batteries offer excellent service and are lighter and less expensive than legacy batteries.
Bought my PC680 4.5yrs ago. Used it a bit during panel installation and normal flying since 12/2010. I've left the master on 2X and sucked it empty. First time I thought I ruined it, as it would not charge from the smart charger. I had to hook up my old Sears charger for 20 minutes. Then on the Odyssey charger overnight. Works fine. I've put the charger on it 2 or 3 times over the years to top it off, if the plane has sat for a month. No cranking issues...no reason to go with a different one.
How long should I keep it?
'Til it quits?
I recently replaced my eight-year-old PC680. It was still crankin' the O-320 but the new battery spins it faster.
'Til it quits?
I recently replaced my eight-year-old PC680. It was still crankin' the O-320 but the new battery spins it faster.
My experience is much like Sam's... six year old PC680 is still going strong. It has never been on any form of external charger, just the aircraft alternator. Sometimes it goes a month without being flown, and often in the winter it might be more than a month of bitterly cold weather before we get a break and can go flying. The 680 has been like a tank - zero problems.
I just ordered a pair of 680's, one for my wife's Mazda Miata, the other to replace the 6-year-old battery in the airplane. The airplane battery would be replaced solely as preventative maintenance, not because it's showing any signs of deterioration. If/when I replace the airplane battery I'll be putting the old one in the Miata, just to keep it charged up through the summer months. I suspect it will soldier on for many more years in that application. In this part of the world, six years is about all one can expect from an automotive OEM battery - if it makes it to six years then you can safely bet it will let you down the next time the temperature hits -20C.
Yep, same thing last week- put a blinker light on it to discharge at a .7 amp rate. did take hours to get down to 80%, around 10 volts- then an 8 amp charge on it to full. It's back at good cranking power. I'll be watching (maintaining) this battery more than the last one-I purchased my pc680 in April of 13. Worked great in my 9a with a O320 till today. No warning just refused to spin the prop. Voltmeter showed 12.3 volts before I used the starter and then 11.4 afterwards.
Alright guys, so what's the solution? I too have a PC680 that has good voltage but not enough cranking amps to start the aircraft. Is that it for the battery then? I plan to troubleshoot the 'why' the cranking amps got so look again (second battery in 3 years), but is there a way to revive this Odyssey?
Oddly enough I just bought a battery load tester to check my 680. Shows excellent voltage and load capability. Just won't turn the engine more than a few revolutions before it can't any more, when cold. And many are probably laughing at 55-60 degrees as cold....and you're right! Not very....
I have a PC680 and Battery Tender Plus. I always connect the Battery Tender to the PC680 after every flight. Whether it sits for a day or a week, it's always plugged in no matter what. I've done this without fail for 2 years and have not had any problems whatsoever with the battery. All the literature I've come across says that to ensure long term reliability, you need to maintain the batteries on a float charger. So far I've been happy with the results. Just another data point for you.