Sam is right - the PC680 is the default standard these days. I have found, however, that in our -6 (kit #4), the battery box between teh rudder pedals fits the lawn tractor battery perfectly, but the Odyssey is a half inch too tall. So we keep using those lawn tractor batteries (they least about 6 years, so its not a big deal....).
So....check your battery box dimension before you buy!
Paul, the existing 5 year old battery is a lawn mower battery. So why pay 6 times the price just for a name. Just ordered another one. Thanks amigo.
Paul, the existing 5 year old battery is a lawn mower battery. So why pay 6 times the price just for a name. Just ordered another one. Thanks amigo.
I finally have reached the stage where it's time to buy my battery.
Where's the best place to get the freshest PC680? I would hate to buy one that's been on the shelf for a year. Or in the case of the PC680 does it really matter?
Took a tour of a battery factory years ago and remembered the tech say that a batteries life ( lead acid anyway) starts the moment the plates are installed and to try to find the freshest battery you can find when buying one.
Wait for a Christmas special some time after Thanksgiving.
The PC680 has become the defacto standard for a lot of us. But if you're willing to look a little deeper, there are other useful options. I've had one similar to this:
https://www.apexbattery.com/ub1220-12v-22ah-battery.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwprbPBRCHARIsAF_7gDbCEXSyv5goNbPdxaZ06dpRLQz2d0PriRxH7MrsEqVoor-KJ5bs-uAaAtXyEALw_wcB
in my 160 HP -4 for about 4 years now, and I've used the 18AH versions for the previous couple of decades. Four to six year life, and the batteries tend to sit for weeks at a time because I don't fly much.
One potential advantage to the 22 AH size batteries like the link is that if you have an electrically dependent a/c, it has significantly more total energy than a PC680, which is a 16 AH battery (meaning longer duration with normal electrical loads in the event of an alternator failure).
If you're one of those who needs the brand-name for confidence, go with the PC680, but if you're value-oriented enough to do more research, these 'no-name' batteries are worth a look. They have the same AGM technology as the PC680. The primary difference is that they are optimized primarily for continuous load, instead of starting. But they still have more than adequate 'CCA' numbers for cranking our engines.
The 22 AH models have an almost identical footprint as a PC680, but they are slightly taller. Do your homework before purchasing; neither is a physical drop-in replacement for the old wet cell lawn tractor or a/c batteries we used to use.
Charlie
http://www.gruberpower.com/12-volt-18-amp-hour-ah-battery
I have these flying in a few airplanes I maintain and they have been flawless. Better performing than the PC680's they replaced.
... it should be known that quite a few people have had early failures of AGM batteries when they regularly used trickle chargers....
...AGM batteries have a very very slow 'self discharge' rate, ....
My battery came from Napa, sealed tractor battery mounted in the engine compartment, been good for 5 years and cost less the $40 to replace. I can buy a lot of these for the price of one lighter weight battery.
There is a little more difference between a PC680 and a lawn mower battery than just the name and price.
The current versions of the RV-6, the RV-7, have the battery mounted on the engine side of the firewall. The lawn mower battery just ain't gonna work in that installation. The PC680 can also be mounted in any orientation except upside down and you don't have to be concerned with it venting. The PC680 in my 1999 RV-6 is on the firewall and mounted on its "end". It is also several pounds lighter and several inches smaller than the Concord battery most older RV-6's first flew with.
Having the original, cabin-mounted battery box gives you some choices the newer installations don't allow.
I've been using the Odyssey PC 680 in my 7A. I bought the battery sometime in early 2012. Estimating that perhaps it sat on a shelf someplace for maybe 3 months and it's now September 2018.... This battery has performed admirably. I have noticed lately that starting seems a little "tired." Hopefully heading out on a couple of cross countries in October and don't want any issues.... So, I've decided it's time to get a new battery.
I was going to replace it with the same but after reading these posts.... I've decided to give the APEX referenced by Charlie a try. Seems like the exact same battery except all the numbers are better. And the price was about $30.00 plus 20 for shipping. Still that's less than half the cost of a PC 680. The best PC680 prices were amazon running $114.00 with free shipping. It's worth a try to save $64.00! Only thing is the terminals a different. Shouldn't be a problem.