Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
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Aerovoltz/Ballistic LiFePO4 Battery
Over the last 18 mo. since first flight, I've made a number of modifications and enhancements to my STOL CH750 such as an autopilot which has resulted in the usual weight creep that results when we can't leave things alone! ;>)
I'm currently using an Odyssey PC680 (~15 lbs) mounted on the firewall with my Jabiru 3300. This is a great battery and I have absolutely no problems with it! However, the Aerovoltz 12-cell LiFePo4 battery (2.5 lbs!!!) is looking awfully tempting because of the instant 12.5 lb weight loss! Just that one modification would probably wipe-out all the weight gain of my mods!
Just wondered if anyone has had any relatively long-term use of the battery and would appreciate their insights. I'm in a mild climate, my plane is hangared and the cowl is heated in winter, so I don't think there would be in cold-weather starting problems.
For optimal battery life, I understand balance-charging is recommended every few months and Aerovoltz sells the appropriate charger. I have a very nice balance charger already and wondered if it would be compatible. Anyone got a pic of their Aerovoltz battery showing the balance port?
Thanks,
John
N750A
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Austin on
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By the way ... did a little more research and the Aerovoltz/Ballistic charger "that is specifically designed for use in balance charging Aerovoltz/Ballistic batteries" is just a rebranded iMax B6 balance charger (popular in the radio-control crowd) that can be had for as little as $20. So if you buy a LiFePO4 battery, save yourself $50-60 and buy the IMax B6!
John
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Permalink Reply by Ken Ryan on
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According to one review on Amazon, there are many iMax B6 knockoffs. Also there are many one-star reviews on Amazon -- 9 of 48 reviews give it the lowest rating. Frequently, but not always, you get what you pay for.
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Since Amazon sells "everything," it's too bad they also sell knock-offs! You're probably right - get the name brand, but I don't think it'll be anywhere near what Aerovoltz/Ballistic charges! What I read said Aerovoltz/Ballistic just sticks a label over the "iMax B6" on the charger! FWIW, I've got an iCharger 106B+ (they sure seem to like to use B's & 6's in these names! Lol!) which is a very nice charger - can charge up to a 10A rate, has onboard cooling fan, etc., and more functions than a Japanese watch! Really pretty handy to have around - can charge just about any type of battery, function as a storage/maintainer, etc. Can't remember what I paid, but they're about $90 on Amazon - I'm sure they've got a million new models out since I bought that one a few years ago!
John
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The Aerovoltz.net website has been down for at least the last few days. Anybody know if the company is in trouble?
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Ken,
I don't know about the Aerovoltz site, but the Ballistic site is still up and they're identical batteries. My Ballistic 12-cell worked great cranking my Jab 3300, but I found out it didn't have near the capacity I needed, so I went to the EarthX ETX36D. If you've not seen my topic on this, it's here.
John
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