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chasb(at)satx.rr.com
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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 2:35 pm Post subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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Based on the recent discussions of battery capacity, I decided to put
my six year old Odessey PC-680 battery through a poor man's capacity
test. I started with a fully charged battery which read 12.7 volts at
the beginning of the test. I turned on my aircraft main bus with all
the avionics, gyros, engine monitor (VM-1000), instruments, and
instrument lights - ON. The electronic ignition, nav lights, and
strobes were left OFF (aircraft on the ground.) After 20 minutes the
voltage was down to 12.1 volts. The engine was then started (cold
start and it took two tries to get it going.) The electronic ignition
and electric boost pump were turned ON; however, the alternator was
intentionally left OFF. The engine was run for three or four minutes
and shut down. The aircraft then sat for another 35 minutes with the
main bus, avionics, etc., left ON though the ignition and boost pump
were turned OFF. The lowest battery voltage was 11.4 volts. After a
full hour of battery only operation, the engine was again started
with no problems. The alternator was turned on after the second
engine start and the bus voltage read 13.8. (I forgot to check the
amperage, which is basically an alternator loadmeter.) The engine was
only run for about three minutes. After engine shutdown, the battery
voltage was back up to 12.4 and the test ended.
Pretty good battery I think. Based on the age of my PC-680, I really
didn't expect this kind of performance.
Charlie Brame
RV-6A N11CB
San Antonio
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tinnemaha(at)hotmail.com
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 7:03 am Post subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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I don't get it...........I thought the purpose of the capacity test was to
see how long the ship's battery could power the essential bus & stay above
10.5 Volts. If the amount of time this takes is within the pilot's zone of
comfort (i.e. enough to land safely), then the battery is deemed sufficient.
Any battery's ability to start an engine is tested at each startup.
Assuming the above is true, I don't see what this particular test
accomplished. Can someone explain what I'm missing?
Thanks,
Grant
Time: 03:35:28 PM PST US
From: Charles Brame <chasb(at)satx.rr.com>
Subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test
Based on the recent discussions of battery capacity, I decided to put
my six year old Odessey PC-680 battery through a poor man's capacity
test. I started with a fully charged battery which read 12.7 volts at
the beginning of the test. I turned on my aircraft main bus with all
the avionics, gyros, engine monitor (VM-1000), instruments, and
instrument lights - ON. The electronic ignition, nav lights, and
strobes were left OFF (aircraft on the ground.) After 20 minutes the
voltage was down to 12.1 volts. The engine was then started (cold
start and it took two tries to get it going.) The electronic ignition
and electric boost pump were turned ON; however, the alternator was
intentionally left OFF. The engine was run for three or four minutes
and shut down. The aircraft then sat for another 35 minutes with the
main bus, avionics, etc., left ON though the ignition and boost pump
were turned OFF. The lowest battery voltage was 11.4 volts. After a
full hour of battery only operation, the engine was again started
with no problems. The alternator was turned on after the second
engine start and the bus voltage read 13.8. (I forgot to check the
amperage, which is basically an alternator loadmeter.) The engine was
only run for about three minutes. After engine shutdown, the battery
voltage was back up to 12.4 and the test ended.
Pretty good battery I think. Based on the age of my PC-680, I really
didn't expect this kind of performance.
Charlie Brame
RV-6A N11CB
San Antonio
_________________________________________________________________
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chasb(at)satx.rr.com
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 6:00 am Post subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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Grant, et.al.,
I set out to test my battery endurance, though I stopped the test
after an hour and before reaching 10.5 volts. After a full hour
powering my Main Bus and two engine starts, the battery still had
11.4 volts. Thus, it was obvious to me that the battery would have
stayed above 10.5 volts for another 30 minutes or more, or even
longer if I had only used the Essential Bus. That is well within my
zone of comfort. The engine starts were just additional drains on
the battery and without them, I would have expected the endurance to
have been even greater.
The point of my post was to highlight the performance of a six year
old Odyssey PC-680.
Charlie Brame
RV-6A N11CB
San Antonio
-----------------------------------------------------------
| Quote: | Time: 08:03:25 AM PST US
From: "Tinne maha" <tinnemaha(at)hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Odessey Battery Capacity Test
I don't get it...........I thought the purpose of the capacity test
was to
see how long the ship's battery could power the essential bus &
stay above
10.5 Volts. If the amount of time this takes is within the pilot's
zone of
comfort (i.e. enough to land safely), then the battery is deemed
sufficient.
Any battery's ability to start an engine is tested at each startup.
Assuming the above is true, I don't see what this particular test
accomplished. Can someone explain what I'm missing?
Thanks,
Grant
Time: 03:35:28 PM PST US
From: Charles Brame <chasb(at)satx.rr.com>
Subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test
Based on the recent discussions of battery capacity, I decided to put
my six year old Odessey PC-680 battery through a poor man's capacity
test. I started with a fully charged battery which read 12.7 volts at
the beginning of the test. I turned on my aircraft main bus with all
the avionics, gyros, engine monitor (VM-1000), instruments, and
instrument lights - ON. The electronic ignition, nav lights, and
strobes were left OFF (aircraft on the ground.) After 20 minutes the
voltage was down to 12.1 volts. The engine was then started (cold
start and it took two tries to get it going.) The electronic ignition
and electric boost pump were turned ON; however, the alternator was
intentionally left OFF. The engine was run for three or four minutes
and shut down. The aircraft then sat for another 35 minutes with the
main bus, avionics, etc., left ON though the ignition and boost pump
were turned OFF. The lowest battery voltage was 11.4 volts. After a
full hour of battery only operation, the engine was again started
with no problems. The alternator was turned on after the second
engine start and the bus voltage read 13.8. (I forgot to check the
amperage, which is basically an alternator loadmeter.) The engine was
only run for about three minutes. After engine shutdown, the battery
voltage was back up to 12.4 and the test ended.
Pretty good battery I think. Based on the age of my PC-680, I really
didn't expect this kind of performance.
Charlie Brame
RV-6A N11CB
San Antonio
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Ed Anderson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 475
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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Thanks, Charlie.
I have been flying with one Odyssey PC680 - 14 1/2lbs after getting rid of
my 2 Concord RGC 25 AH batteries each weighing 22 1/2 lbs - can you say 44
lbs of battery. One went bad after 6 months and I replaced them with 2
Odyssey. After flying with 2 Odyssey for 3 years, I finally removed one and
have been flying with one for 3 years.
A battery than can give that kind of performance after six years is the
battery for me.
Ed
---
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_________________
Ed Anderson
Rv-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson@carolina.rr.com |
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jetboy
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 233
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: Re: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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The easy way to do a reserve capacity test is to measure normal inflight load and start the test by turning on sufficient lights etc to reach that loading on the battery. When the voltage falls below 10.5 stop the clock and recharge the battery. It is important not to let the voltage get below this for the Odysey type of battery.
The correct method for a capacity check is to discharge at the 20 hr rate, to 10.5 volts. For a 20 a/hr battery that would mean a load of 1 amp.
if you do the test at higher currents, the capacity is less and their website gives all the information to compensate.
They are very good batteries I have a set of Gates Cyclon (the predecessor) dated 1990 which I have been using to start a gas turbine, they are only a half volt behind my PC925 used for the Jabiru 2200.
Ralph
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Ralph - CH701 / 2200a |
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nuckollsr(at)cox.net
Guest
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: Odessey Battery Capacity Test |
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At 10:58 AM 5/24/2007 -0400, you wrote:
| Quote: |
<eanderson(at)carolina.rr.com>
Thanks, Charlie.
I have been flying with one Odyssey PC680 - 14 1/2lbs after getting rid
of my 2 Concord RGC 25 AH batteries each weighing 22 1/2 lbs - can you say
44 lbs of battery. One went bad after 6 months and I replaced them with 2
Odyssey. After flying with 2 Odyssey for 3 years, I finally removed one
and have been flying with one for 3 years.
A battery than can give that kind of performance after six years is the
battery for me.
Ed
|
I hear many anecdotal statements about battery life. Will
probably hear a bunch more at OSH this years (I'll be hanging
out in the Concorde Battery booth for awhile and I'm trying
to get a Saturday evening slot in the tents).
The question seldom asked and even less often answered is,
"Does your x-year old battery support minimum equipment loads
for a period of time consistent with you PLANNED recovery
from an in-flight failure of an alternator?"
Just because it's getting the engine started doesn't mean
it's going to be as useful as you would like when the curtain
raises on the play scripted for your own dark-n-stormy-night
story. If you're need for battery performance is governed
by a day-vfr only use of your airplane, then cranking the engine
may be everything you expect the battery to do for you.
However, if you'd like to run a certain bevy of electro-whizzies
reliably for say 3-4 hours after the alternator quits, then
perhaps your battery has been "failed" for several years.
Time: 08:03:25 AM PST US
From: "Tinne maha" <tinnemaha(at)hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Odessey Battery Capacity Test
I don't get it...........I thought the purpose of the capacity test was to
see how long the ship's battery could power the essential bus & stay above
10.5 Volts. If the amount of time this takes is within the pilot's zone of
comfort (i.e. enough to land safely), then the battery is deemed sufficient.
Any battery's ability to start an engine is tested at each startup.
Assuming the above is true, I don't see what this particular test
accomplished. Can someone explain what I'm missing?
Not sure what knowledge was added by cranking the engine too
but obviously, some level of endurance for the stated list
of appliances was demonstrated too.
Bob . . .
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