New Battery -- thanks for the recommendation

They (Extra) recommended changing the battery every two years since they
seem to know the history of the typical battery life (cranking the IO-540),
and the fact that it is much easier to change the battery (an RG35XC) during
an annual rather than waiting for it to die. (It involves taking all of the
panels off of the plane as well as the front seat, so is much easier to do
during an annual).

In my much smaller Decathlon the battery seemed to last around three years
before needing a change, so this sounds about right to me.

"RST Engineering" writes:

but the stuff of choice is plain old
Arm&Hammer baking soda at about a 10% concentration in water. When it stops
bubbling with each fresh application, you is done.


Nod... On cars, I leave some baking soda in place, for future leaks.

The only good news is aircraft are largely aluminum and at least the
mild acid in batteries has little effect on same. Alkali, however....

(Soaking in a tank of 180+F lye is often used to degrease/depaint/derust
{steel} engine blocks. Just be VERY sure that the aluminum pistons etc.
are not attached...or you'll see why...)

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

4 years on my last Concorde. And it didn't die - just started getting
a little sluggish when winter hit in December.

My C310K has a 28 volt system, and uses two Gill G-25 batteries in
series. Seems to be less expensive to use a pair of commonly available
12 volt instead of a single 24 volt battery. I replaced them in 2002,
the same time I replaced the very old voltage regulators/load balancer
with newer solid state regulators. I also had both generators
overhauled at Aerotech of Louisville and replaced the drive belts. I
went back through the logbooks and found that batteries had lasted an
average of 6 years (almost like clockwork), and my batteries at that
time were 6 years old.

Brian
N3827X

RST Engineering wrote:
Are you talking about the Pep Boys Aircraft Supply Depot?

{;-)

Jim

Not to be confused with the Orchard Supply Hardware aircraft supply
and/or tool department...at least according to the RV6 builder in the
family :-)

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On 7/6/05 13:59, "Maule Driver" wrote:

What are other people's experience with battery life?

Going on six and a half years on a Concorde RG 25 in a Husky. However, I'm
flying about 150 + hours/year.

- Don
History does not long entrust the care of freedom
to the weak or the timid. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Jay Honeck wrote:

Can a sealed battery like my new one leak?

I had one of the Concord RG series in my Maule. No leaks or corrosion (the stuff
you had to clean up) in ten years. I *did* find that the RG batteries don't seem
to last as long as a regular lead/acid battery. They also are more likely to get
permanently damaged if you let them sit with less than a full charge.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

Maule Driver wrote:

What are other people's experience with battery life?

The Concorde RGs in my Maule lasted about like yours. I got 6 years from the
Gill in my Cessna.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

I just removed my old Gill G-35 from my Archer and I'm waiting for a
Concorde RG35-AXC from Spruce. This non-sealed unit lasted a few months
past 8 years while being flown about 2 hours per week. According to some
spec's I was looking at (on the Concorde web page?) the sealed batteries do
not require a battery box and can be mounted in any position, so I guess
they are not expected to crack and vent.

The failure mode for the old battery was a shorted cell spewing electrolyte
against the inside of the battery box lid. Since it ate away the paint it
would be easy to pick up on a routine inspection of the battery.

Regards,
Mike.

"nrp" wrote in message
oups.com...
What are other people's experience with battery life?

C172M - I've always gotten at least 8 years from the last three
batteries. Just never let the plates get exposed to air, never let it
get discharged & keep the top clean. I do not put any trickle charger
on it unless everything is down for many weeks. I also have never had
to use the ground service plug - except when the FAA Certified Repair
Station left the master on after an annual.......