REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery

Ron Brown romott at roadrunner.com
Fri May 11 16:07:39 CDT 2007


I agree with Andy.  I have my instrument rating and have at least 4 hours of 
battery.  I got a big ole car battery, which can run my panel which includes 
a Garmin 430 and I have a Jeff Rose Electroair on one side.

I had this happen - in VFR - my field wire broke where it attaches to the 
alternator right after we left Atlanta.  I had over two hours to go to reach 
Ft Myers and we decided as long as the battery was showing over 12 volts, we 
would keep on going.  Sure enough, the battery had plenty of punch left, 
even for the start up the next day after I found the broken field wire 
(remember to double crimp - the wire and the insulation!!!).  So like fuel 
in the tank, you can't have too much battery - especially since you need the 
ballast up front when flying alone in a Velocity.

Ronnie



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Millin" <amillin at sbcglobal.net>
To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery


> Hiroo,
>
> There are any number of situations that one can think of that might 
> prevent
> you from landing at the nearest field with an instrument approach.
>
> The first could be that the airports around you are below minimums.  An
> instrument approach won't get you in.  You may have to divert to your
> alternate, or possibly return home.  Stuff happens that wasn't supposed to
> be there according to the briefer man.  Been there, done that.
>
> When we took Bob Nuckoll's class he emphasized having early detection of
> alternator failure AND carrying more battery on the essential bus than you
> have fuel in your tanks.  Essentially, as long as you have fuel in your
> tank, your essential instruments will stay up.
>
> Having the capability can increase options.  Like most things it comes 
> down
> to your personal minimums, what you want, and what you feel you need to
> have.
>
> The runway behind you, the altitude above you, the gas you left at the 
> pump,
> and now the electrons you didn't squirrel away...
>
> Andy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Hiroo Umeno
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 3:55 PM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery
>
> I don't have IFR experience yet so I might be missing something but...
>
> Why do you need 2 hours?  Unless you are over open water or in the
> wilderness of Alaska, you are never too far from an airfield with an IFR
> approach, right?  So, if your "Low Voltage" light or "Alternater Failure"
> light comes on, then the process should be...
>
> 1.  Declare emergency to whomever you are currently talking to...
> 2.  Get vectors to the nearest airfield with IFR approach...
> 3.  Get yourself down.
>
> With an average speed of a Velocity at 160Kts or more, you should be able 
> to
> get down under most situation in 30 minutes or less, no?
>
> On my plane, I installed a secondary battery (motorcycle kind) that kicks 
> in
> when the mains go flat.  So the sequence of event on mine would look 
> like...
>
> 1.  Alternator failure light comes on. (Annunciator Panel) - Alternator is
> no longer supplying 13.5V or above to the bus.
> 2.  Low Voltage warning. (EFIS Alert) - Main battery getting low.
> 3.  Standby battery kicks in (Annunciator indicates Backup Battery) - Main
> bus is isolated.  EFIS, panel lighting and Radios getting power 4.
> Everything goes dark.
>
> I am hoping this is enough warning to "get me down in a hurry".
>
> The only thing about the way I did the electrical is that once the main 
> bus
> isolation kicks in, I will lose the ability to use any of the external
> lighting (NAV, Strobe, Landing Lights, etc).
>
> I will need to find a lighted field to land in.
>
> Hiroo
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Chuck Jensen
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 12:11 PM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery
>
> Larry,
>
> Good advice all.  Fortunately, the GRT EFIS provides for alarming multiple
> voltage points, so an alternator going off line will put an alarm on the
> screen and I have a flashing red light for a separate alarm, though it
> doesn't put out an audio alarm to the head sets.  One would hope that 2
> hours is sufficient to escape IFR and with prompt load shedding, perhaps 3
> or more.  Still, juice is like money...more is always better.
>
> Chuck Jensen
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Laurence Coen
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 2:57 PM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery
>
>
> Chuck,
>
> I use the Optima D34 (deep discharge version) like Pat.  I also did a
> battery rundown test to check the real world expectation as opposed to the
> theoretical.  During simulated night flight, two hours is all I got if I
>
> didn't shed load.  When the buss voltage hits 10V, your radios stop 
> working.
> In IFR this is not good.  The battery isn't really "dead" but you are a no
> radio flight.  The unfortunate truth about alternator failure is that it's
> noticed when the radios go dead. Too late!  The other thing that often
> happens is that the alternator partially fails and the battery slowly
> discharges with each flight.  This means when the alternator finally gives
> up the ghost your battery is already dead.  What I'm trying to say is keep
> the volt and ammeter in your scan and understand what they're telling you.
> If you suspect a problem, shed load as much and as fast as you can.
> whatever is gone isn't coming back.
>
> Larry Coen
> N136LC
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chuck Jensen" <cjensen at dts9000.com>
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 1:23 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery
>
>
>> Keith,
>>
>> I concur with the two different missions for the battery, though I
>> understand the PC 680, in good condition, should be adequate for both
>> missions; namely cranking an IO 540 as well as provide escape time
>> from IFR electrical failure.  The IFR escape capacity of the battery
>> holds importance to me.  The PC 680, in good condition, seems to have
>> the 17 AH seems adequate to "get home" if the electrons stop birthing
>> and several parties report the 680 CA is amply to spin the IO 540, so
>> I'm going to give it a go.
>>
>> My current FLA battery is getting to the point that even after a good
>> charging flight, the next day it just barely makes the start, though
>> it always has.  Of course, when I install the PC 680, if I still have
>> the same problem, then I'll know to look elsewhere.  I believe this
>> process is known as being a "parts replacer" rather than a mechanic.
>> Of course, being a parts replacer makes me qualified to work in most
>> any automotive shop these days!
>>
>> And Pat, looking at your 38# monster battery, I'm thinking if your
>> alternator goes out, that you'll just have to remember to fix it after
>
>> two or three days of flying.  It's got enough juice to get you home,
>> back again and home again.
>>
>> Chuck Jensen
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]
>> On Behalf Of Keith Hallsten
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 9:52 PM
>> To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Odyssey Battery
>>
>>
>> Chuck,
>>
>> Sure - even a very small sealed lead-acid battery will crank the
>> engine... However, if you file IFR or fly at night and don't have a
>> back-up alternator you should consider establishing a minimum capacity
>
>> for the battery that will be sufficient to get you to your intended
>> destination without breaking a sweat.  That's an entirely different
>> question and will depend on your enroute electrical loads for, say,
>> night flight.  If you stick to day VFR, this is not a significant
>> consideration unless you have an electrically dependant engine (EFI,
>> electrical fuel pump only).
>>
>> Keith
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]
>> On Behalf Of Chuck Jensen
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 4:16 PM
>> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>> Subject: REFLECTOR: Odessey Battery
>>
>> Is the Odessey PC 680 battery sufficient to crank the IO-540?
>>
>> Chuck Jensen
>>
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