REFLECTOR: Battery Advice

[Mark Magee]

Odyssey is made by EnerSys:

http://bestbatterytips.com/best-battery-brands/who-makes-odyssey-batteries-mailbag-mondays-qa/

and they are publicly traded

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ens&ql=1

I was hoping they were privately held. Batteries are huge business, if one
works too well: lasts too long, the merry-go-rounders will buy them out and
fix that problem. From my short study this morning I'm thinking these are
my new normal. Thanks guys!

Mark

On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 11:44 AM, Laurence Coen <lwcoen at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Johnson Controls acquired Optima in 2000.
>
> ------------------------------**--------------------
> From: "Laurence Coen" <lwcoen at hotmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 11:29 AM
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Battery Advice
>
>  Mark,
>>
>> My first Optima was made in Colorado and the replacement was made in
>> Mexico. I figured that was probably because of all the US restrictions on
>> the use of lead.  When I got the first one in1998 Interstate was the only
>> place you could buy one.
>>
>> Larry Coen
>> N136LC
>>
>> ------------------------------**--------------------
>> From: "Mark Magee" <edjonesbrady at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:06 AM
>> To: "sbjknox" <sbjknox at earthlink.net>; "Velocity Aircraft Owners and
>> Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
>> Cc: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Battery Advice
>>
>>  Sid,
>>> Thanks for that data on Odyssey battery. I've never owned one but will
>>> consider one for the Velo. I've gone back to lead acids in my diesel's (at
>>> one time I had 3 diesel vehicles, now only 1 left) as they seem more cost
>>> effective. If you study the battery business and industry it is an amazing
>>> business. As a Money Manager I've looked closely at such companies as
>>> Johnson Controls, one of the bigger manufacturers. They design to get those
>>> batteries to something short of the stated warranty so the purchaser will
>>> Bring it back to the store chain where they purchased it to get credit
>>> toward a new battery of the same brand. It's quite a money maker. Years ago
>>> I thought Optima was the ticket off that merry-go-round. Maybe it's Odyssey.
>>> Interestingly, when Optima first hit maybe 20 years ago, they were a
>>> serious threat to the battery industry's business plan. Then, and I'm
>>> working from memory here, I believe Interstate bought Optima and brought
>>> them in-house. That is when the price started to rise and I believe the
>>> quality began to fall a little. Interstate (again I think Interstate) had
>>> to price-point them vs their lifespan to keep the merry-go-round spinning
>>> to their advantage.
>>> Nobody seems to want to build a battery that lasts forever!
>>>
>>> Mark B. Magee
>>> Sent from IPhone 4S
>>>
>>> On Dec 10, 2012, at 9:32 PM, "sbjknox" <sbjknox at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ruben Creus" <ruben at vainneg.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Battery Advice
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Talking about batteries, It is time to change mine; we had some
>>>>> discharges
>>>>> over time and not holding well now. I am thinking on an Odyssey 925.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have four Odyssey 925 batterys, one in Velocity, one in Starduster,
>>>> one in '57 Triumph TR3, and one in '89 Ford Probe.  Oldest is about 7 years
>>>> old and as potent as when new.  The only one that gets a float charger
>>>> (Harbor Freight, about $8) is the Probe because sometimes it sits for a few
>>>> months between use and the computer (ECU) will slowly suck it dry. Odyssey
>>>> batterys recover very well from a deep discharge. Self-discharge is
>>>> essentially zero.
>>>>
>>>> Sid Knox
>>>> Oklahoma
>>>>
>>>> Velocity  173 RG  N199RS
>>>> Starduster  N666SK
>>>> KR2         N24TC
>>>> W7QJQ
>>>> <Starduster Odyssey battery_c20.jpg>
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