Odyssey PC680 - did you know?

[Walt]

The SBS has slightly better specs than the 680 if that matters to you.

[bjdecker]

The Odyssey PC680 is an AGM type and SBS J16 is TPPL (better AGM).

A white paper explaining the differences/advantages can be found here : https://www.enersys.com/493bb4/globa...ast_future.pdf

Cheers...

[LouFly]

My 10 month old PC680 is worn out. We'll see if they honor the warranty, if not I'm going to try something new from these recommendations.

[wcalvert]

There is a lot of info and discussion out there on the forum about the 680 and performance. Life cycles is all over the map from months to over a decade. A battery that fails after 10 months is either blatantly defective or improperly maintained.

Full disclosure: I own 2 and paid for them myself, and have no other experience with any other brand.

My 7 is 14 months old, 225hrs and has lots of starts on the books. Never trickle charge, using a B&C regulator set to stock volts (14.2 IIRC). The batteries themselves are just over 26 months old and powered the entire initial installation of the electrical system (I charged them when required back then). That's just another data point.

As a suggestion, before starting down the path of swapping batteries and looking for an alternative, be sure to reexamine your charging system and power distribution, top to bottom.

My dad is famous for his story about buying a "Lifetime" warranty battery from a local chain back in the day, and returning a battery every 6 months for a new one. The manager cringed every time he walked thru the door but honored the warranty during my entire childhood. Fact is, the car (cars) he ran the batteries in had marginal electrical systems that ate batteries like crazy ...

Hope you find a good solution!

Cheers

[LouFly]

Originally Posted by wcalvert

As a suggestion, before starting down the path of swapping batteries and looking for an alternative, be sure to reexamine your charging system and power distribution, top to bottom.

Cheers

Bill in my case my alternator displays 14.2V and I trickle charge only using an Odyssey charger when not flying for longer than about 1-2 wks. Battery in cabin so not subjected to excess heat. Never overly discharged. Got 5+ yrs out of the Concorde. We'll see if they have any feedback for some other possible root cause.

[plehrke]

Fyi I have not bought one of the newer PC680s as last one purchased was back in 2016. That being said, here is MY PC680 experience.

-My first PC680 lasted through build and first 200 hours (2 years) back in 2006-2008
-my number 2 PC680 lasted 500 hours from 2008-2015 (7 years)
-my number 3 PC680 during its first few years I started having hot start issues, not related to battery, but ran the battery down significantly multiple times trying to hot start.
-Bought my number 4 PC680 as a backup and would swap between my number 3 and 4 battery multiple times after I ran one down with my hot start issues. Probably swap back and forth 5-8 times. Finally in 2017 I put in a SDS CPi electronic ignition and hot start issue went away. Put in my PC680 battery number 3 and have had it in there for the last 350 hours and 5 years.
-just this week after my condition inspection and running battery quit a bit my number 3 did not have enough umph to start my RV on a 30 degree day so charged up number 4 that has been sitting in box for last 5 years and it started my engine right up the last few cold mornings. Will see how long it lasts.

I typically fly every week. I do have an Odyssey charger that I used on batteries 3 and 4 when I was running them down in trying to start but have never left any of my PC680s on trickle charger.

[LouFly]

I replaced a 5 year old Concorde in January with a PC680 when the Concorde was struggling to get the first blade compression (IO-320). Appreciated the local retail pickup, price and weight savings.

After 11 months (just when the weather got colder) the PC680 started having the same issue. Used the Odyssey trickle charger. My Foxwell tester indicated the battery needed replacing.

Today before we got started, I put the PC680 on the Foxwell and it said it was OK. In fact, it said it had 190CCA, 10% more than rating. So I put it back in the plane and started going through the Skytec troubleshooting today. Step 1, Skytec procedures say battery is questionable.

Got 2nd opinion, a different tester also indicated the PC680 was healthy.

I learned a rough thumbrule for battery sizing is about 1 CCA per in^3 of displacement. I decided to buy a Duracell AGM motorcycle battery. Same weight, lower cost, roughly same dims (no major battery box mods needed), 310 CCA. Spins prop great. We'll see how it goes.

Also have a theory that those testers provide more accurate results if you give them some time after taking them off a trickle charger.

Meanwhile, Phil Lehrke or other local folks, I have a free PC680 if you like.

Bob

[Triumph1974]

Originally Posted by LouFly

I decided to buy a Duracell AGM motorcycle battery. Same weight, lower cost, roughly same dims (no major battery box mods needed), 310 CCA. Spins prop great. We'll see how it goes.


Bob

Hi Bob,

Can you provide more details on the Duracell Batter model # and where purchased etc? Also - so was minor battery box mods required? Or was it a drop in replacement?

Thanks!

[LouFly]

Originally Posted by Triumph1974

Hi Bob,

Can you provide more details on the Duracell Batter model # and where purchased etc? Also - so was minor battery box mods required? Or was it a drop in replacement?

Thanks!

Triumph,
Duracell Ultra 20HL-BS at Batteries+
I already had some dense foam in a standard Van's cabin RV-6 battery box, I trimmed one of the pieces of foam by about 3/8" to accommodate the increased width.
Bob

[Northernliving]

I’ve been highly impressed with the NOCO charger/maintainer/desulfator chargers. I had a PC680 that I was thought dead three years ago that is still going strong after running the repair cycle on it a couple of times. Now I just run the repair 1-2 times per year and everyone is happy. I’ve revived many other sealed AGM batteries in UPS backups, my walker mower, snowmobiles, and several others. Highly recommended.