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Odyssey Batteries

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chasb(at)satx.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:57 am Post subject: Odyssey Batteries

I couldn't find the original thread in the archives. So I hope this info gets to the right builder.



I had a similar starting problem with a nearly new PC-680 a few years ago, i.e., weak starts on my O-320, particularly on cold days. I also was using a Battery Tender for charging. I called Odyssey to complain and they said one is better off never charging than to use a Battery Tender. Something about the Battery Tender not providing a high enough initial charge resulting in the battery taking a lower than normal voltage set. Odyssey sells a high dollar charger that they recommend. However, based on info I got from Bob and others, I bought a Schumacher 1562 from WallMart for about $20. The Schumacher returned my PC-680 back to life and it has started cold engines quickly for the last four years. The Schumacher also rejuvenated a 10+ year old PC-680 and it has been used to help start airplanes and autos all over the airport for several years.

There is much in the archives regarding charging Odyssey batteries. The Schumacher 1562 or equivalent is recommend in many threads.

Charlie Brame

RV-6A, N11CB

San Antonio

---------------------------------------------

 	  Quote: 	
		  Date:Oct 22, 2013From:"Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com>Subject:Re: Odyssey Batteries 	  Quote: 	
		  



At 07:21 PM 10/21/2013, you wrote:

Hi Bob,

I took one of your seminars a few years ago at Ohio State University

Airport and now I have my Wittman Tailwind flying in phase one testing.



The problem I am having with an Oddessey battery PC925 is that it will not

start my Lycoming O-320 when it got to the mid 40s in temperature

overnight. I had the battery on a trickle charger overnight (Battery Tender

brand) and it showed it had charged enough (green led on control unit).



This is the second Oddessey battery I have had in the Tailwind, I had the

previous one replaced under warranty in May.



I need some guidance at troubleshooting this situation, when the battery

was first installed, it cranked the engine well. It has gotten

progressively slower at cranking despite being put on the trickle charger.



Recently after it would not start early in the morning, I put it on the

trickle charger and tried to start it again after lunch. It did start then,

just barely, and then I ran the engine for about 15 minutes to warm up the

oil. The engine has a 60 amp alternator (Nippon Denso) and the buss voltage

on my GRT EIS was 14.2-14.4 volts as the engine was running. After the 15

minute run, I shut off the engine and tried to restart after a couple of

minutes and the engine would not crank more than about 3 blades.



I realize that it is unlikely that I got bad battery to replace a bad

battery but I am not sure which component(s) to look at first. The battery,

starter, wiring and alternator are all things that may be causing the

problem but what to check first?



Thanks for your help, this got a little longer than I intended.



    I agree that the likelihood of two bad batteries in

    a row is very low. It's likely that some COMBINATION

    of effects (voltage drops) are adding up to sabotage

    cranking performance.



    It's very difficult to do quantitative analysis of

    a cranking circuit using a starter as a load. Engine

    compression strokes and other variables in mechanical

    loads on starter make it impossible to use a digital

    meter to make any measurements . . . and still difficult

    with an analog instrument.

	
	


 [quote][b]

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:06 am Post subject: Odyssey Batteries

At 10:57 AM 10/23/2013, you wrote:

I couldn't find the original thread in the archives. So I hope this 

info gets to the right builder.



I had a similar starting problem with a nearly new PC-680 a few years 

ago, i.e., weak starts on my O-320, particularly on cold days. I also 

was using a Battery Tender for charging. I called Odyssey to complain 

and they said one is better off never charging than to use a Battery 

Tender. Something about the Battery Tender not providing a high 

enough initial charge resulting in the battery taking a lower than 

normal voltage set. Odyssey sells a high dollar charger that they 

recommend. However, based on info I got from Bob and others, I bought 

a Schumacher 1562 from WallMart for about $20. The Schumacher 

returned my PC-680 back to life and it has started cold engines 

quickly for the last four years. The Schumacher also rejuvenated a 

10+ year old PC-680 and it has been used to help start airplanes and 

autos all over the airport for several years.



There is much in the archives regarding charging Odyssey batteries. 

The Schumacher 1562 or equivalent is recommend in many threads.

   Good data. I had forgotten about those exchanges.

   I'm not sure I understand the physics of the "low

   initial charge" . . . I'll have to dig around in

   the books on that. To be sure, the 1562 is probably

   the best bargain out there.



   Bruce, if your load tests at 200A drop the battery

   to less than 10v, you might want to drop by Walmart

   and pick up one of the Schumacher 1562 chargers. Walmart

   is showing these on sale at the moment for $17.00.



http://tinyurl.com/m464b8d



   I've owned several over the past 10+ years. Except for gross

   failures, they've performed well on all size batteries

   in my instrumentation herds.



   A side note, a couple of 32 a.h. SVLA batteries

   I've had for at least the past 10 years finally

   gave up the ghost. Cells on the end of the stack

   swelled up like a toad. These batteries were not

   Odyssey products . . . both were Panasonic. The

   last time I cap-checked them was about 4 years

   ago and they were still turning in numbers

   of 24+ a.h. at a 4 amp rate.



   I don't think I've ever load-tested these batteries.

   They were never used for cranking . . . only for

   running portable instrumentation systems.  The SLVA

   can demonstrate exemplar performance.



   Bob . . .

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gptailwind(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:00 am Post subject: Odyssey Batteries

I had a very simular starting problem early on with my tailwind with Lyc.

160 until I changed out the battery cable to a #2 welding cable.   No more

problems.  Gordon

On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 8:57 AM, Charles Brame <chasb(at)satx.rr.com> wrote:



[quote] I couldn't find the original thread in the archives. So I hope this info

 gets to the right builder.



 I had a similar starting problem with a nearly new PC-680 a few years ago,

 i.e., weak starts on my O-320, particularly on cold days. I also was using

 a Battery Tender for charging. I called Odyssey to complain and they said

 one is better off never charging than to use a Battery Tender. Something

 about the Battery Tender not providing a high enough initial charge

 resulting in the battery taking a lower than normal voltage set. Odyssey

 sells a high dollar charger that they recommend. However, based on info I

 got from Bob and others, I bought a Schumacher 1562 from WallMart for about

 $20. The Schumacher returned my PC-680 back to life and it has started

 cold engines quickly for the last four years. The Schumacher also

 rejuvenated a 10+ year old PC-680 and it has been used to help start

 airplanes and autos all over the airport for several years.



 There is much in the archives regarding charging Odyssey batteries. The

 Schumacher 1562 or equivalent is recommend in many threads.



 Charlie Brame

 RV-6A, N11CB

 San Antonio



 ---------------------------------------------



 *Date:**Oct 22, 2013**From:**"Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com>**Subject:**Re: Odyssey Batteries <http://www.matronics.com/searching/getmsg_script.cgi?INDEX=116834357?KEYS=odyssey_batteries?LISTNAME=AeroElectric?HITNUMBER=1?SERIAL=0826451382?SHOWBUTTONS=NO>*



 At 07:21 PM 10/21/2013, you wrote:

 Hi Bob,

 I took one of your seminars a few years ago at Ohio State University

 Airport and now I have my Wittman Tailwind flying in phase one testing.



 The problem I am having with an Oddessey battery PC925 is that it will not

 start my Lycoming O-320 when it got to the mid 40s in temperature

 overnight. I had the battery on a trickle charger overnight (Battery Tender

 brand) and it showed it had charged enough (green led on control unit).



 This is the second Oddessey battery I have had in the Tailwind, I had the

 previous one replaced under warranty in May.



 I need some guidance at troubleshooting this situation, when the battery

 was first installed, it cranked the engine well. It has gotten

 progressively slower at cranking despite being put on the trickle charger

- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:39 am Post subject: Odyssey Batteries

At 02:00 PM 10/24/2013, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  I had a very simular starting problem early on 

with my tailwind with Lyc. 160 until I changed 

out the battery cable to a #2 welding cable. Â  No more problems. Â Gordon


	


   What size wired did you take out?

   Bob . . .

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gptailwind(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:52 am Post subject: Odyssey Batteries

What size wire did I replace.  Don't remember,however it was an aircraft

wire and was aluminum and  much  smaller.

On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:38 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com> wrote:



[quote] 

 nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com**>



 At 02:00 PM 10/24/2013, you wrote:



> I had a very simular starting problem early on with my tailwind with Lyc

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Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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