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Odyssey PC-680 Battery Problems: Please Chime In

Battery

Hi Guys

Finally went the easy way out and bought another Concord RG25XC like the old one.

Man It is nice to have power...The a/c is almost moving forward while cranking the engine...Nice..

Thanks again for the good advices.

Cheers

Bruno
 
Still living in the certified world, Concord batteries are great, excellent products ... I'm not sure I'd switch to a different brand even in the experimental world ...
 
J.F. - I see from your signature tagline that you're a Future (Hopefully) member of EAA245. We don't turn members away, so come on out, pay your membership and you're in! :)
 
kamikaze said:
Still living in the certified world, Concord batteries are great, excellent products ... I'm not sure I'd switch to a different brand even in the experimental world ...
Click to expand...

Once you leave the certified world and come over to the experimental community you will most likely be open to more options..... ;)

The post--RV-6 Vans aircraft are designed with boxes for the Odysseys because the smaller batteries offer excellent service and are lighter and less expensive than legacy batteries.
 
Bought my PC680 4.5yrs ago. Used it a bit during panel installation and normal flying since 12/2010. I've left the master on 2X and sucked it empty. First time I thought I ruined it, as it would not charge from the smart charger. I had to hook up my old Sears charger for 20 minutes. Then on the Odyssey charger overnight. Works fine. I've put the charger on it 2 or 3 times over the years to top it off, if the plane has sat for a month. No cranking issues...no reason to go with a different one.

How long should I keep it?
 
You can't go wrong with an Odyssey or a Concorde, but for the price differential I know which I will be using in my RV.

Odyssey batteries really are nothing more than a re-labeled Enersys AGM battery in a orange colored case. The Enersys branded batteries are used in multiple certified aircraft applications as emergency power supply batteries. There are even large 24 volt main ship (as in aircraft) battery applications that use four large Enersys 12 volt "mono-blocks" that are bussed together inside a stainless steel case. These batteries provide excellent service as long as they are not left discharged for more than 48 hours which causes plate sulphation.
 
hydroguy2 said:
Bought my PC680 4.5yrs ago. Used it a bit during panel installation and normal flying since 12/2010. I've left the master on 2X and sucked it empty. First time I thought I ruined it, as it would not charge from the smart charger. I had to hook up my old Sears charger for 20 minutes. Then on the Odyssey charger overnight. Works fine. I've put the charger on it 2 or 3 times over the years to top it off, if the plane has sat for a month. No cranking issues...no reason to go with a different one.

How long should I keep it?
Click to expand...

'Til it quits? :)

I recently replaced my eight-year-old PC680. It was still crankin' the O-320 but the new battery spins it faster.
 
Another Data Point

RV6A PC-680 is 1 year old and starting to give problems- Not going to blame the battery Sulfation as yet but will be looking at the system as a whole. We treated it normal(ignored) - haven't done a thing such as charge top of or anything. Will see...
 
I purchased my pc680 in April of 13. Worked great in my 9a with a O320 till today. No warning just refused to spin the prop. Voltmeter showed 12.3 volts before I used the starter and then 11.4 afterwards.
 
About to swap out my 8 yr old one

Sam Buchanan said:
'Til it quits? :)

I recently replaced my eight-year-old PC680. It was still crankin' the O-320 but the new battery spins it faster.
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Got mine about 8 yrs age also. Getting ready to swap it out in Dec. I hope the new last as long as the old one.
 
Canadian_JOY said:
My experience is much like Sam's... six year old PC680 is still going strong. It has never been on any form of external charger, just the aircraft alternator. Sometimes it goes a month without being flown, and often in the winter it might be more than a month of bitterly cold weather before we get a break and can go flying. The 680 has been like a tank - zero problems.

I just ordered a pair of 680's, one for my wife's Mazda Miata, the other to replace the 6-year-old battery in the airplane. The airplane battery would be replaced solely as preventative maintenance, not because it's showing any signs of deterioration. If/when I replace the airplane battery I'll be putting the old one in the Miata, just to keep it charged up through the summer months. I suspect it will soldier on for many more years in that application. In this part of the world, six years is about all one can expect from an automotive OEM battery - if it makes it to six years then you can safely bet it will let you down the next time the temperature hits -20C.
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As a follow-up... The "new" PC680 in the Miata is still working perfectly. Cruddy cold weather this summer meant infrequent driving and short trips. Battery still cranks the car very well. Soon we begin the true torture test called Canadian Winter! :D

The "old" PC680 in my flying airplane is also still working perfectly. It's getting far less flying than I would like it to, but it still cranks like crazy.

So much for the concept that we may be hearing only from a few disgruntled owners here. I'll keep my PC680's, thanks! :p
 
I always pull my prop thru 8-12 times before starting. seems to loosen the oil up and definitely makes it turn over faster than when cranking without the tugs. I am going to try not using a battery tender and see what the difference is. with the tender I have not been getting anywhere near the life expectancy that others are reporting. I fly average every 2 weeks.
 
I've been using a PC-680 since early 2010 without any problems. I don't use a battery tender, just go fly and let the alternator do its job.

I did leave accidentally drain it all the way down once. I installed a USB charging port and assumed (incorrectly) that the current draw would be very low if nothing was attached and charging. I was wrong. I came back to the hanger 2 weeks later and the battery was dead. My small battery tender would not charge it, it would only trip off the line, presumably on over current. A full-sized charger got the voltage back up enough to let the battery tender bring it the rest of the way up. That happened in February and the battery has run fine ever since.

The PC-680 has worked fine for 4+ years now. I should probably put a new one in but if it works, don't fix it.
 
I also believe that the Odyssey battery likes to be charged at 14.7 volts and most planes charge under 14 v. I am a believer that this is part of the problem for some.
 
dougmattson said:
I purchased my pc680 in April of 13. Worked great in my 9a with a O320 till today. No warning just refused to spin the prop. Voltmeter showed 12.3 volts before I used the starter and then 11.4 afterwards.
Click to expand...
Yep, same thing last week- put a blinker light on it to discharge at a .7 amp rate. did take hours to get down to 80%, around 10 volts- then an 8 amp charge on it to full. It's back at good cranking power. I'll be watching (maintaining) this battery more than the last one-
 
Alright guys, so what's the solution? I too have a PC680 that has good voltage but not enough cranking amps to start the aircraft. Is that it for the battery then? I plan to troubleshoot the 'why' the cranking amps got so look again (second battery in 3 years), but is there a way to revive this Odyssey?
 
My understanding is that 'they' can charge it up properly to get full power back if not damaged. I can't seem to get more than a couple years out of one before the cold weather makes it unreliable. Have had to get out and jump my 9.5 to 1 compression O-320 twice now at around 60 degrees. Works fine after flying and both warmer oil and good charge, I guess....

Thanks to Mike S. I ordered one of these:
Big Crank ETX20L Battery
http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX20L-Battery.html?gclid=CIyN6aSRt8ICFZFefgodSUYAYg

Has 310 CCA and 17.5 Ah versus 170 CCA and 16 Ah for the PC680, big difference.

Will report on how well it works after some experience with it.
 
Crank73 said:
Alright guys, so what's the solution? I too have a PC680 that has good voltage but not enough cranking amps to start the aircraft. Is that it for the battery then? I plan to troubleshoot the 'why' the cranking amps got so look again (second battery in 3 years), but is there a way to revive this Odyssey?
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There's a sticky in the Maintenance section of the forum on just this issue, and the procedure to desulfate:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=108220
 
Oddly enough I just bought a battery load tester to check my 680. Shows excellent voltage and load capability. Just won't turn the engine more than a few revolutions before it can't any more, when cold. And many are probably laughing at 55-60 degrees as cold....and you're right! Not very....:rolleyes:
 
I sent mine back to Bohannon battery. They confirmed it was not any good and sent me another one. In the mean time I borrowed one from another rv'er here. It was a 2010. He changes batteries every two years and had a couple sitting around. That one works fine in my o320 and the new one is on the shelf.
 
PC680-P ??

Was looking into getting a new PC680 for first engine start & noticed on the Odyssey site that it's a PC680-P. Unless I missed something, I think the "-P" is new. Just wondering if this is the same PC680 that Spruce & Wicks sells, & what we use on our RVs.
 
680

Had mine for 14 months, then it did not want to start my -4. Like it had no capacity. Did the desulfurization and back to normal. Of course it was after I had already ordered a new one
 
flyingriki said:
Oddly enough I just bought a battery load tester to check my 680. Shows excellent voltage and load capability. Just won't turn the engine more than a few revolutions before it can't any more, when cold. And many are probably laughing at 55-60 degrees as cold....and you're right! Not very....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

If a tester shows good voltage AND capacity, I wonder if the culprit may be the starter contactor. Several threads talk of weak starting when the contactor "contacts" get pitted and worn.
 
PC680 - PC680-P

Has anyone figured this out yet? What's the difference between the PC680 and the PC680-P.

Mine is 8 yrs old and I am going to buy a new one. Planning to replace the Battery and starter contactors at the same time.
 
Gash said:
I have a PC680 and Battery Tender Plus. I always connect the Battery Tender to the PC680 after every flight. Whether it sits for a day or a week, it's always plugged in no matter what. I've done this without fail for 2 years and have not had any problems whatsoever with the battery. All the literature I've come across says that to ensure long term reliability, you need to maintain the batteries on a float charger. So far I've been happy with the results. Just another data point for you.
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I have done the same thing on my RV6-A since 2006 and my 9 year old PC680 cranks the 0-360 like new!

I do have a new...just purchased PC680 on the shelf ready just in case.
 
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