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

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John

I thought I was doing good... Citabria went from G35 @27 lbs to a PC680 @12.5 lbs :>)

I would wait a while and let someone else do the R&D for Aerovoltz on their nickel.

Installed the aerovoltz  12 cell this spring in my 701 w/rotax 912s , So far no problems , but have not gone through a New England winter yet

Harmen

Another Lithium-Iron battery option is Shorai batteries. BatteryMart.com markets them. They are the same chemistry as the AeroVoltz units but are manufactured to replicate the cases and cranking powers of the more common motorcycle/ATV batteries. You have a wider range of power levels to pick from and an easy mounting job -- battery boxes are made to fit these for the motorcycle/ATV folks already. They also market a Shaorai specific balance charger. http://www.batterymart.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?screen=searchspri...

Hi

I have been using one on my motorcycle for two years and one in my 701 with a Rotax 912 ULS for 1,5 year. I had no problem so far. I attached a picture of the connector.

Regards,

Francois

Attachments:

Thanks for the pic, Francois! Is that the twelve cell battery? 

John

John,

We have been using a 12 cell LiPeFo4 on our 0-200 powered 601XLB for about 2 years now without any problems. It has been performing much better than the lead acid motorcycle battery that it replaced. We had some problems with the mags so it had to operate through multiple miss-starts without any problems. If it is cold, one simply puts some load (draw) on it and then it starts to release its power. In other words, if it is cold when you first hit the key, it will turn over a little slow and then it soon picks up speed. As far as any thermal runaway problems, it is something we are wary of but we have not heard of any problems with this type of battery. We would really like to hear if any one has documented proof of this happening.

Good luck,

Joe

Look also the discussion here:

http://www.zenith.aero/group/stolch750/forum/topics/which-battery-s...

Not sure what you have for a balance charger but I would get the one from aerovoltz.

Not sure what you have for a balance charger but I would get the one from aerovoltz.

Why do you say that? I already have an iCharger 160B+ which is virtually identical to the Aerovoltz charger (the iCharger is just a little more expensive and has more features, etc.) and just like the Aerovoltz charger, has a specific balance charging mode for LiFePO4 cells 1-8 series. (I've done a little research and the 12 cell Aerovoltz is a 4 series.) All I need is the 5 pin cable between the charger and the battery! 

John

 

FWIW, I've done a little more research and apparently, the Ballistic EVO2 is absolutely identical to the Aerovoltz EVO2 LiFePO4 battery. Since Ballistic caters to the motorcycle crowd and their battery doesn't have "Aero" on it, it can be found for $30-$40 cheaper than the Aerovoltz. To utilize my iCharger 160B+, I found the 5-pin/4S male/female connector cable on Ebay for less than $4 delivered. Balance charging is recommended every few months for optimal battery performance and life.

John

John, 

I did some research on this for an article, and also for my personal use, and what I found was enlightening, and unexpected in some ways. There can be a vast difference in some of these products, some are merely "relabeled" that I would not use in an aircraft, some are just "ok", and some are really nice products, though like always, you get what you pay for. If you dig through it all on the internet, you will find some pretty strong opinions, and some pretty telling factual information. 

I'm not promoting one or the other, we all have different needs and reasons, all valid, but you might want to look at the Full Spectrum Pulse 3. There were many reasons I went with them, but 1) they have been around a long time, and more importantly, 2), when you consider the stake a race car driver, motorcycle racer, etc would have in his vehicle, and the environment in which a product must perform, it speaks volumes on the durability and reliability of the product. That was important to me. And, made in the USA. (I would also buy a Canadian product, Joe)

Full Spectrum Power really doesn't advertise their product for aviation, though Aircraft Spruce does sell it. I would suggest you email Jason at Full Spectrum Power, as he is very informed on the market and can answer any questions. fullspectrumpower.com also has a blog that answers some questions about lithium batteries and what to be aware of. 

I have an Odyssey battery temporarily hooked up, but I will mount a Pulse3 on my exterior firewall in a battery box, and have a temp sensor hooked up to my MGL Odyssey panel. I will also have a manual disconnect for the battery inside on the interior firewall, for safety, and the option of disconnecting the battery jn remote areas to make sure I'm not hiking out due to a dead battery.

There's a lot of information out there on different products and the manufacturers, and bottom line, there's a product out there to help increase usable load by 10+ lbs, or impact a CG issue, or increase performance. Like always, it may come to at what cost.

Walt Snyder

Award winning, Podium proven, Lightweight Lithium Batteries, Made in the USA.

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Walt: If you have a master solenoid, won't that serve as an emergency disconnect? Am I not understanding something here?

John Benton

John, I have a master switch, and a starter solenoid. I want something that disconnects all wiring, including starter, ignition, etc, from the inside that I can easily use, though rarely. Summit Racing has a good, lightweight switch that I'll use. 

Walt

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