More on Batteries 2

[Jeff Barnes <jcbarnes@ibm.net>]

Hey, hear the one about the really dumb ever-ready bunnie ?  He ran on
moron batteries (ooh, oh, ouch!)

Got the old reflector archive stuff, thanks to Travis Young and tell me
I can't ever do this again, OK ?

>>>
Batteries 

15 Jan 1996

has anyone out there ever used a yumicrom battery? page 276 air spuce 

it is very small and can fit on the top of the nose gear where all that
stupid plumbing for the doors is supposed to go. A second battery
provides a nice boost for a
master swicth left on/too cold to start/dead alternator etc. It also
gives a 13+ lb balast up there to offset our heavy engines and props. 

i would like to use a gel type battery (as it is 10 lbs heavier and has
more power), but it might be an inch too tall, dont know quite yet. Does
anyone know which
type of battery to use and/or stay away from? 

Also, if anyone has any ideas on a aux/fail safe bus i would appreciate
them. 

=========================

15 Jan 1996

I have to see if I can find the article, and if so will report relevant
points, but a year or so I read in Aviation Consumer (I think) about
Recombinant Gas (RG)
batteries in aircraft. I know Concorde, B&C and Gill offer models. They
are described as sealed, immobilized electrolyte batteries though they
are not necessarily
gel cell. 

The general message in the article is that, if you are going to use an
aircraft battery - and therefore pay A/C battery prices - the RG is the
only way to go. A 25AH
model will generally outperform a 35AH flooded cell type. Bob Nuckolls
echos these sentiments in his newsletter. 


==================================
15 Jan 1996

I have never had a battery "die" because it was too cold up front. Been
to 20K feet and still no problem. 

Personally the most success so far with batteries has been the Sears Die
Hard, with high cranking amps. Ours has been installed for 1 1/2 years
now and not failed
us yet (went through 2 other brands just building the airplane and
testing the gear, etc.). 

Don't know much about "yum-yum" batteries. Just a thought.........keep
it simple.............it works! 


==========================

20 Jan 1996

The Concorde Recombinant Gas batteries come in two sizes for the home
builders and as PMA for the Spamcans. The specifications are given
below; 

RG 25XC
Height 6.10"/7.42" caseHt/max Ht
Width 7.50"
Depth 5.17"
Weight 23.75 lbs
No. of Plates 13
Min Capacity
for Airworthiness 20.8 AH
1 Hour Discharge Rate
80 F, 1.5V /cell 26 Amps
Cold Cranking Rate
30 secs/ 0 F/ 1.2 V/cell 340 Amps

RG 35XC
Height 6.15"/7.38" case Ht/maxHt
Width 9.67"
Depth 5.17"
Weight 29.5lbs
No. of Plates 17
Min Capacity for Airworthiness: 22.4 AH
1 Hour Discharge Rate: 80 F, 1.5V /cell 28 Amps
Cold Cranking Rate: 30 secs/ 0 F/ 1.2 V/cell 385 Amps

These batteries can be mounted and flown in five different attitudes. (
I have seen the assembly technique at the factory and the only way I
would not fly the battery is Upside Down) Try that with a liquid
electrolyte type even with "sealed"," no maintenance " claims. I grant
you, I have no INTENTION to fly very long inverted or on 'knife edge'
but...... 

There are as many prices for these units as there are retailers. The
greater the volume the retailer handles the lower ( often, but not
always ) the price. Four months
ago a vendor in Oakland sold them for $85 each but will quote $105 on
the phone tomorrow. Hearsay testimony has two accidents in which the
battery survived but the A/C was totaled; one Experimental and one
Spamcan; one in CA other in NV. Hangar talk has it's own value system. 

Concorde Battery Corporation is located in West Covina , CA and the fax
number is (818) 338-3549. They have other sizes, smaller, based on the
RG philosophy.