680 battery question

[Charles in SC]

I have not had experience with the 680 battery. Is one of them enough for a -7 with a 180 with mags. They look pretty small. I will have steam gages. I understand why folks would want 2 with a glass airplane. I guess I am wondering if it is enough power to start it in the middle of the winter in South Carolina?
Thanks!

 

[flickroll]

A 680 starts my -8 in the middle of winter in Central Virginia. The -8 is all electronic, and the 680 performs extremely well. I think you'll like that battery.

 

[BillSchlatterer]

It's plenty,...

Just did a first start on my O-360. With a fresh charge, we spun the prop with the plugs out for 30 seconds to get oil pressure. Spun another 30 seconds just to make sure we had oil eveywhere. Started on the first blade after that but that was a full minute of cranking.

Battery is 4 years old! Think it is more than adequate!

Bill S
7a flying in August

 

[roadrunner20]

Can't really comment on winter as I live in Florida.
But, I've been using my 680 with no issues for 4 years now.

 

[Transporter]

PC680

Guys here use them with IO-390s and no problems with starts in a Midwest winter. Great batteries.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[Frank Smidler]

Works great in Winter

My 680 always worked great turning my 0-360 even at 10 degrees F. One is plenty, you'll be happy with it.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

I have not had experience with the 680 battery. Is one of them enough for a -7 with a 180 with mags. They look pretty small. I will have steam gages. I understand why folks would want 2 with a glass airplane. I guess I am wondering if it is enough power to start it in the middle of the winter in South Carolina?
Thanks!

Charles, the PC680 is now pretty much the default battery for two-place RV's of all flavors and locations. It is an incredible battery and you should receive very good service for many years.

Mine is coming up on five years old and starts my O-320 (same compression as O-360) year round.

 

[Scott Hersha]

It's a great battery and as Sam says, is the standard pretty much for 2-seat RV's. The only thing different is, get a battery charger that is designed for this type of battery. Odyssey sells one, so do others, but a standard automotive battery charger is not good for it.... ask me how I know....

 

[Fearless]

Battery Tender Jr?

I've got a battery tender jr that I which switch around on my riding mowers. This would be okay to charge the 680 shouldn't it?

 

[videobobk]

My 680 is five years old and doing fine. No problems on an O-320 at below freezing. Great battery!

Question here: I have charged mine quite a few times with a standard charger with no problems. Usually it was done after doing electrical work that ran it down, but twice from the stupid master-left-on trick. I charge until it shows 12 volts or so and start the engine. What does a standard charger do that would damage a 680? (Sorry for the thread drift, but it seems appropriate here.)

Bob Kelly

 

[pauldan181]

It's a great battery and as Sam says, is the standard pretty much for 2-seat RV's. The only thing different is, get a battery charger that is designed for this type of battery. Odyssey sells one, so do others, but a standard automotive battery charger is not good for it.... ask me how I know....

How do you know? What happened to it, just in case I ever get in a bind and have to use an automotive charger.

My 680 is 6 years old and had never had a charger of any kind on it. Of course I used a power supply to test all the systems during building. At last annual when I had it out I was just curious and took it to work where we have an Odyssey charger. I set it to test/charge and the unit just said "battery 100%" and shut off.

As others have noted, these things are amazing, even in a Minnesota winter I could pre-heat the engine, the aft mounted battery was still below zero, and it would crank right off.

Paul Danclovic
Jamestown NC
RV-8A N181SB

 

[L.Adamson]

I have a newer "Sears" charger that doesn't put out enough voltage to get the job done with the 680. A much older "Dayton" unit that I had sitting around does fine. Just off the top of my head, thinking wise, these batteries like 14+ volts for charging, just like our alternators put out.

L.Adamson --- RV6A