New Battery -- thanks for the recommendation

[Jay Honeck]

Just installed the new Concorde RG 35AXC -- the most powerful battery
approved for my plane -- and, wow, what a difference! No more "bumping"
the starter to get the prop past the highest compression stroke of that big
ol' six cylinder on a hot day... It just whirls it right around!

When I pulled the 8-year old battery out, there was an area of spilled
acid/crusty stuff that had to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm looking forward to
this new "sealed" battery eliminating that problem, and the yearly expense
of paying my A&P to clean the battery box (and surrounding area) at every
annual inspection.

I can't remember who recommended this battery to me -- but it's great --
thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Denny]

I have an RG 35 in Fat Albert - which still has the original aluminium
cables running from the nose compartment, through the wings, to the
engines... Night and day difference compared to a standard battery...

denny

[RST Engineering]

Paying ... a mechanic for taking a 10% solution of baking soda, a putty
knife, and a kitchen tuffy to a little corrosion????

Man, you MUST be making a pile at that hotel.


Jim



"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:6QTye.138638$xm3.133637@attbi_s21...

> When I pulled the 8-year old battery out, there was an area of spilled
> acid/crusty stuff that had to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm looking forward
> to this new "sealed" battery eliminating that problem, and the yearly
> expense of paying my A&P to clean the battery box (and surrounding area)
> at every annual inspection.

[Darrel Toepfer]

RST Engineering wrote:
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
>>When I pulled the 8-year old battery out, there was an area of spilled
>>acid/crusty stuff that had to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm looking forward
>>to this new "sealed" battery eliminating that problem, and the yearly
>>expense of paying my A&P to clean the battery box (and surrounding area)
>>at every annual inspection.

> Paying ... a mechanic for taking a 10% solution of baking soda,
> a putty knife, and a kitchen tuffy to a little corrosion????
>
> Man, you MUST be making a pile at that hotel.

And you still pull the battery and clean the box every annual, doesn't
matter the battery you have, they can all leak...

Our A&I told us horror stories about the firewall damage they recently
found on a plane due to a leaking battery...

[Jay Honeck]

> Paying ... a mechanic for taking a 10% solution of baking soda, a putty
> knife, and a kitchen tuffy to a little corrosion????
>
> Man, you MUST be making a pile at that hotel.

I wish!

No, it's just one of those "outta sight, outta mind" things that I ALWAYS
forget, even when I'm doing the "owner-assisted" annual inspection.

Then, at the end, my A&P always mentions "By the way, I had to clean up your
battery box...", inducing my usual smack-to-the forehead reaction...

BTW: When cleaning my battery I didn't have anything on hand to neutralize
the spilled acid. While painstakingly scraping and vacuuming up the crud,
Mary produced a paper towel soaked with -- get this -- PICKLE JUICE. Yes,
we had her home-made dill pickles in the fridge, and what's in pickles?
Vinegar!

Worked like a charm, and smelled good, too!

:-)

I then applied some ACF-50 anti-corrosive goop, (a free sample from OSH '96,
or thereabouts) and pronounced the job done.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> And you still pull the battery and clean the box every annual, doesn't
> matter the battery you have, they can all leak...

Can a sealed battery like my new one leak?

It looks like it would have to explode in order to leak!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Darrel Toepfer]

Jay Honeck wrote:

>>And you still pull the battery and clean the box every annual, doesn't
>>matter the battery you have, they can all leak...
>
> Can a sealed battery like my new one leak?
>
> It looks like it would have to explode in order to leak!

Ever had to clean the posts on a sealed car battery? I have...

Have also seen cracked "sealed" ones from overcharging/dry out/freezing...

[Jay Honeck]

>> Can a sealed battery like my new one leak?

> Have also seen cracked "sealed" ones from overcharging/dry out/freezing...

Crap. And here I thought I had removed the battery from my "worry about"
list...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Dave Butler]

Darrel Toepfer wrote:
> Jay Honeck wrote:
>
>>> And you still pull the battery and clean the box every annual,
>>> doesn't matter the battery you have, they can all leak...
>>
>>
>> Can a sealed battery like my new one leak?
>>
>> It looks like it would have to explode in order to leak!
>
>
> Ever had to clean the posts on a sealed car battery? I have...
>
> Have also seen cracked "sealed" ones from overcharging/dry out/freezing...

I don't think the gas-recombinant-whatever sealed aircraft batteries are the
same technoloogy as "sealed" (they really aren't) auto batteries. No experience
with 'em though.

DGB

[RST Engineering]

>
> Then, at the end, my A&P always mentions "By the way, I had to clean up
> your battery box...", inducing my usual smack-to-the forehead reaction...

And, of course, your immediate review of your written inspection procedures
revealed that you missed a step? You DO have a set of inspection
procedures, don't you? Hmmm...
{;-)
I can port you the BlueOnBlue procedures, not that they will in any way
resemble Assless procedures, but you will have a reference point to start.


>
> BTW: When cleaning my battery I didn't have anything on hand to
> neutralize the spilled acid. While painstakingly scraping and vacuuming
> up the crud, Mary produced a paper towel soaked with -- get this -- PICKLE
> JUICE. Yes, we had her home-made dill pickles in the fridge, and what's
> in pickles? Vinegar!

And what is vinegar but acetic acid. So you neutralized acid with acid?
Not in my chem class you don't. You could have used window-cleaning
ammonia to do the neutralization, 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.


Jim

[RST Engineering]

Nothing on the airplane isn't on a "worry about" list. It just took it from
the #1 priority list to the #3 or #4 list.

Jim


> Crap. And here I thought I had removed the battery from my "worry about"
> list...

[Jay Honeck]

> And what is vinegar but acetic acid. So you neutralized acid with acid?
> Not in my chem class you don't. You could have used window-cleaning
> ammonia to do the neutralization, but the stuff of choice is plain old
> Arm&Hammer baking soda at about a 10% concentration in water.

Okay, "neutralize" it doesn't. "Dissolve" it does, and then I "neutralized"
with the ACF-50 goop.

It still smells good!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Maule Driver]

8 years. That's sounds pretty good. Perhaps too long.

i've had to change batts every 3-4 years. Both sealed Concordes and an
unsealed something. That last year, the battery just gets a little
weaker and weaker until one cool day, it just won't go.

I think I'm taking adequate care and am unaware of any discharge problem.

What are other people's experience with battery life?

Jay Honeck wrote:
> Just installed the new Concorde RG 35AXC -- the most powerful battery
> approved for my plane -- and, wow, what a difference! No more "bumping"
> the starter to get the prop past the highest compression stroke of that big
> ol' six cylinder on a hot day... It just whirls it right around!
>
> When I pulled the 8-year old battery out, there was an area of spilled
> acid/crusty stuff that had to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm looking forward to
> this new "sealed" battery eliminating that problem, and the yearly expense
> of paying my A&P to clean the battery box (and surrounding area) at every
> annual inspection.
>
> I can't remember who recommended this battery to me -- but it's great --
> thanks!

[Jay Honeck]

>8 years. That's sounds pretty good. Perhaps too long.

Yeah, I'm pretty satisfied with that kind of life from a battery. My A&P
says it lasted so long because we fly often, and kept the thing charged up.

He also thinks our new (in March) wing-tip landing lights probably were the
kiss of death for the old battery. It was probably weak, getting weaker,
and then I put that big ol' load on it. (The amp-meter shows over 40 amps
with everything on, which means the alternator probably can't keep up when
taxiing....)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[nrp]

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.......

[Jay Masino]

RST Engineering > wrote:
> Arm&Hammer baking soda at about a 10% concentration in water. When it stops
> bubbling with each fresh application, you is done.

I also re-coat the inside of the box with some of that acid resitant black
paint that you can get at most of the aircraft parts places.



--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.OceanCityAirport.com
http://www.oc-Adolfos.com

[Jay Masino]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
> When I pulled the 8-year old battery out, there was an area of spilled
> acid/crusty stuff that had to be cleaned thoroughly. I'm looking forward to
> this new "sealed" battery eliminating that problem, and the yearly expense
> of paying my A&P to clean the battery box (and surrounding area) at every
> annual inspection.

Yike! 8 years? I suspect that replacing that battery with ANY battery
would have made it spin faster.




--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.OceanCityAirport.com
http://www.oc-Adolfos.com

[RST Engineering]

Are you talking about the Pep Boys Aircraft Supply Depot?

{;-)

Jim

>
> I also re-coat the inside of the box with some of that acid resitant black
> paint that you can get at most of the aircraft parts places.
>

[Jim N.]

You should check, but my understanding is that the RG batteries may only
last 2-3 years, and that the decreased life is a trade-off compared to
normal lead acid batteries.

For what it's worth, I was told to change the battery on the Extra (by
necessity an RG) every two years, while the normal batteries in the Baron
are a lot older and still crank well.

[Jay Honeck]

> You should check, but my understanding is that the RG batteries may only
> last 2-3 years, and that the decreased life is a trade-off compared to
> normal lead acid batteries.

Man, I hope not. At $162, this battery ain't cheap.

Anyone got any real-life numbers on this?

> For what it's worth, I was told to change the battery on the Extra (by
> necessity an RG) every two years

Why would they tell you to replace a battery based on the calendar? If it's
still cranking fine, what other parameter is there to worry about?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jim N.]

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.

[David Lesher]

"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

[Paul kgyy]

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

[FlyWithTwo]

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

[Jack Allison]

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)

[No Spam]

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

[George Patterson]

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.

[George Patterson]

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.

[Mike Noel]

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.......
>