Sealed Battery

It's battery replacement time for the 172 and I'm contemplating the
installation of a sealed battery to eliminate the destructive corrosion
that's plaguing our new battery box.

I've done some research courtesy of google and the consensus appears to be
that the sealed units function equally well as wet cell units as long as
they're kept charged, preferably with a smart charger like a "Battery
Tender" that can properly float the battery.

Many of the threads I read were several years old so I'd like to solicit
some current opinions on the use of sealed batteries before I write the
check. Opinions?

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

We've had the Concorde RG (recombinant gas) in the 182 for five years and it
is one of the best things we ever did. IT is getting a little long in the
tooth, and about time for replacement, but so long as it keeps cranking the
engine, it is going to be with me. Replacement when the time comes will be
with another RG

According to the engineers at Concorde, whom I consulted before writing the
RG piece for Kitplanes some years ago, is that they like to be CYCLED, not
FLOATED. That is, they like to come up to 13.6, discharge to 12.5, up to
13.6 again and so on.

Jim

--
"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."
--Henry Ford


"Doug Vetter" wrote in message
...


Many of the threads I read were several years old so I'd like to solicit
some current opinions on the use of sealed batteries before I write the
check. Opinions?

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

Don't waste your money on a float charger. Lots of guys on a different
list went to the trouble of hooking up a float charger every time they
get back. A large percentage of these guys then return to the hangar to
find the battery cooked. I installed the Concorde RG 35AXC in my Bo
over a year ago. Much more cranking speed than the standard flooded
cell battery I replaced.

Doug Vetter wrote:

It's battery replacement time for the 172 and I'm contemplating the
installation of a sealed battery to eliminate the destructive corrosion
that's plaguing our new battery box.

I've done some research courtesy of google and the consensus appears to be
that the sealed units function equally well as wet cell units as long as
they're kept charged, preferably with a smart charger like a "Battery
Tender" that can properly float the battery.

Many of the threads I read were several years old so I'd like to solicit
some current opinions on the use of sealed batteries before I write the
check. Opinions?

-Doug

Doug Vetter writes:

It's battery replacement time for the 172 and I'm contemplating the
installation of a sealed battery to eliminate the destructive corrosion
that's plaguing our new battery box.

Can't you do what I do on cars? I dump a bunch of baking soda
down before I install the battery, and every so often pour more
around [But NEVER on top..] the battery.


--
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

We recently replaced the battery in the Arrow with a Concorde RG unit.
Several folks from the Cherokee Pilot's Association had done the same
and their RG was still cranking like new even after being in service
several years. Every person that had replaced their original battery
with the RG unit was happy they'd done so. So far, I'm a happy customer
too. Much better cranking, even when compared to our original battery's
performance a couple years ago.

We don't use a battery tender (and based on Jim's reply, sounds like we
really don't want/need to).

I could send you a few photos of the acid stains on our hanger floor left by
our hanger-mates Colt. He had a tender attached to his battery most of last
winter. Not sure what the bottom of his battery box looks like, but his A&P
finally convinced him to leave it off or only turn it on the day before he
flys.
Jim

"Jack Allison" wrote in message
...
We recently replaced the battery in the Arrow with a Concorde RG unit.
Several folks from the Cherokee Pilot's Association had done the same
and their RG was still cranking like new even after being in service
several years. Every person that had replaced their original battery
with the RG unit was happy they'd done so. So far, I'm a happy customer
too. Much better cranking, even when compared to our original battery's
performance a couple years ago.

We don't use a battery tender (and based on Jim's reply, sounds like we
really don't want/need to).

Newps wrote:
Don't waste your money on a float charger. Lots of guys on a different
list went to the trouble of hooking up a float charger every time they
get back. A large percentage of these guys then return to the hangar
to find the battery cooked.

Disclaimer: This is based on experience with ground vehicles and
equipment. I don't have an A&P; I don't even have a TG&Y. Your mileage
may vary.

Were they using actual regulated chargers, that back off the current as
the battery comes up to full charge, or the ubitiquous 1 A "trickle
charger"/motorcycle battery charger? I've had pretty good luck with the
former (in ground starting-lights-ignition and traction applications)
and pretty bad luck with the latter, especially when used by people who
didn't understand how they worked. If they were using actual regulated
chargers, were they set for the charge characteristics of an absorbed
glass mat (or similar) battery vs. a flooded battery?

As far as I can tell, the continuum seems to be:

1. "Trickle chargers" made by a random Chinese company. These look
like a big wall transformer and may or may not have any regulation
whatsoever, but at least don't put out _that_ much current, and so
won't cook your battery quite as fast.

2. "Trickle chargers" made by someone you've heard of (like Schumacher)
that come in a metal box about 3"x3"x5" (8x8x13 cm), have both 120 V
and 12 V leads, are rated 1 A, and often have a 6 V / 12 V switch.
These aren't regulated, but if used intelligently, can be helpful in
maintaining a battery. You can't really plug them in and leave them,
unless you have a really big battery that is heavily discharged and
you want to charge it slowly.

3. Regulated chargers that charge in stages and back off the current as
the battery charges up. The smaller-capacity ones look like big
wall transformers, and the larger-capacity ones come in metal or
plastic boxes as above with both 120 V and 12 V leads. The DelTran
"Battery Tender" is the most well-known; Schumacher sells a "Battery
Companion" which appears to do the same thing. Most of them are
made to charge flooded batteries, but you can sometimes find
versions that are made to charge AGM or similar batteries.

Real regulated chargers used to be kind of hard to find and came at a
premium price. In the last few years, it seems that they are becoming
easier to find and cheaper.

Disclaimer: This is based on experience with ground vehicles and
equipment. I don't have an A&P; I don't even have a TG&Y. Your mileage
may vary.

Matt Roberds

wrote:



Were they using actual regulated chargers, that back off the current as
the battery comes up to full charge,

Yes. Set properly. The simple fact of the matter is that even if you
only fly once every two months there simply is no need for a charger of
any kind.

In article ,
Newps wrote:

Yes. Set properly. The simple fact of the matter is that even if you
only fly once every two months there simply is no need for a charger of
any kind.

really? The battery doesn't discharge over time?

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

Bob Noel wrote:
In article ,
Newps wrote:


Yes. Set properly. The simple fact of the matter is that even if you
only fly once every two months there simply is no need for a charger of
any kind.


really? The battery doesn't discharge over time?




Not enough to matter.