What to do with an "Old" Odyssey?

[Ironflight]

Well, the original Odyssey PC680 I put in the Val has seen it's share of misuse and abuse (Throughout the build process and occasional maintenance learning processes, it has been deeply killed a few times...), and with cooler weather, it has shown signs of maybe stranding me somewhere, so I ordered a new one yesterday. Which brings up the question - what do I do with the old one? It's not like it is dead - it just seems a bit long in the tooth. I could probably put it in one of my Jet Skis I suppose....any other creative ideas?

(I think I bought it four years ago - I know that folks get longer than that on them, but I'm being a little conservative since I have an "all electric" airplane that I operate IFR. I change my Aux battery every year BTW.)

Paul

 

[craigvince]

Give it to a local builder to use as a bench-test battery.

 

[Mike S]

Give it to a local builder to use as a bench-test battery.

What he said--------you really want to get stranded in the middle of a lake???

 

[n8zg]

Old Odyssey

Paul -

It will make a great bench battery and portable power source. The one I'm using now is at least 7 years old - I got it second-hand. I've used it more than once to crank a dead truck (not MY truck, of course - I wonder if it has enough snort to turn my Cummins ).

 

[David_Nelson]

Motorcycles and UPSes

Much to my delight, I discovered that the PC680 will fit into a BMW 1100RT motorcycle. If you subscribe to the notion of replacing the PC680 every couple/several years regardless of condition, this might work. But since it's starting to show its age, that may not be so wise.

Another thought I had was to replace the battery the in my computer UPS. They tend to last a couple of years before needing replacement.

Just another $.02...

 

[DaX]

Again, my ignorance is shown here, for I thought you were talking about the MGL Avionics Odyssey when I first read this! I was thinking - there's no way you're tossing out a panel after only four years!

Ignore the ignorant and carry on!

 

[Wes Hays]

Riding Mower

I change out my PC680 every two years. I took the first one and a bit of scrap aluminum angle and straps and mounted it on the riding mower.

Turns the motor so fast, that if it was water cooled, it would boil the water. I think it has been on there for four years now. The second one I use for bench testing.

Great batteries.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

Odysseys are good for much more than two years

Much to my delight, I discovered that the PC680 will fit into a BMW 1100RT motorcycle. If you subscribe to the notion of replacing the PC680 every couple/several years regardless of condition, this might work. But since it's starting to show its age, that may not be so wise.

I often see the "change the battery every two years" idea expressed, and being a Bob Nuckolls student I know the origin of this doctrine.

But something that I think a lot of folks are missing is that Bob presented this doctrine in regards to using cheap, non-aviation RG batteries such as the Panasonic, Powersonic, generic wheel chair, burglar alarm, etc, batteries. The idea was to replace cheap batteries often instead of buying expensive, heavy flooded batteries that lasted several years.

The Odyssey batteries were never a part of Nuckoll's "replace every two years" idea. The PC680 has a reliable lifespan of much more than two years with many of them lasting four or more years.

If a builder wants to replace a perfectly good Odyssey every two years, so be it, but the rational behind the original idea didn't apply to expensive, high-quality batteries like the Odyssey.

(Send me your two-year-old PC680's, I'll be happy to fly them for a few more years! )