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Ready for new batteries...again...


Godfather

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I’m ready for another set of batteries.  Retiring my third or fourth set of Gill batteries. Purchased my plane with Concord units that were already failing (plane was around 3 years old) so I thought the Gill might be the answer. I’m ready to switch brands again although I see Gill has a new option.  Best place to buy them right now?

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Get the right BatteryMinder for the brand/type of battery you decided on.  Seeing you have an M20R, that's two AGM 24 volts so either Concorde RG24-15 or the latest version of the Gill 243S (I don't know what the new Gill version is...but since I won't go back to Gills after years of replacing them every 18-20 months or so...I don't care about Gills).

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The nice thing about having a two Gill battery system.... you get to replace one each year at annual... this way you don't have to buy two at a time...

To break that cycle, I Bought two Concordes a year ago and haven't bought a new battery since...

Not very enlightening, but you can see the direction I’m heading...

Around eight years of Long Body ownership... that's a lot of Gills...

Best regards,

-a-

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You also might ask your mechanic to make sure your trickle charge circuit is working in the airplane. Looking back in the logs on my M20M and seeing how many sets of Gills were replaced and then after owning it discovering that the trickle charge components were blown - I think there was a direct relationship.

That being said though I have never had any luck with Gills, unless you count bad.

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12 hours ago, Godfather said:

I’m ready for another set of batteries.  Retiring my third or fourth set of Gill batteries. Purchased my plane with Concord units that were already failing (plane was around 3 years old) so I thought the Gill might be the answer. I’m ready to switch brands again although I see Gill has a new option.  Best place to buy them right now?

I replaced  my Gills with Concordes on my Ovation. Had the BatteryMinder converted to Concordes as well. Bought them from AC Spruce. It was the best deal (?) I could find. 

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 Replaced my Concords out of shame and worry I'd be stuck somewhere, they were about 9 yrs old , plane has always been in a heated hanger, my 4 yr old Concords are still going strong.

A rep from Gill at the AOPA flyin at GROTON offered  me a new set of new Gills for free as a test bed for Gill, I declined, I still have his info but decided to stay with what I have. 

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Each set lasted about 3.5 years and cost between $600-700 a set. Not as bad as most have reported but I’d sure like to get twice the life out of them. 

13 hours ago, RLCarter said:

The life of a Lead Acid Battery depends how it was initially serviced, rush the  process and you get to replace it again in short order. 

Great care was given to the batteries and I normally fly over 150 hrs per year so they don’t sit unused very long.  When in the hanger the batteries are connected to the correct batteryminder. 

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3 hours ago, Dream to fly said:

Aircraft Spruce offers free shipping and it was at my door in threes days.  Concord batteries for me is the only way to go.

+1  My Concord was already 6 years old when I bought the plane, and still seems okay.  I remember one day last year where I had to make a start in 40 degF weather and hadn't really figured things out yet.  I cranked for the better part of 10-15 minutes before giving up.  I put on the battery charger afterwards, and the voltage was only down to about 60% of full capacity, so I know it has enough juice to do that.

In theory, AGM batteries lose charge more slowly than liquid electrolyte batteries.  My experience seems to back that up, as I went 4 months between flights waiting for the new prop, and the capacity was only down to about 85%.  Less worry about electrolyte leakage is another plus

Edited by jaylw314
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Cyril,

Two types of parasitic load...

1) internal to the battery. All battery’s drain over time...

2) external to the battery.  All the memory devices are kept live some how...

I haven't a method of measuring.   But my #1 battery may drain quicker than #2. #1 is connected to the electric memories and unstitched lights and things...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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Cyril,
Two types of parasitic load...
1) internal to the battery. All battery’s drain over time...
2) external to the battery.  All the memory devices are kept live some how...
I haven't a method of measuring.   But my #1 battery may drain quicker than #2. #1 is connected to the electric memories and unstitched lights and things...
PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...
Best regards,
-a-

Do people switch their ones and twos every six months or so? Or just keep them as they are and rotate in the new one?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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5 hours ago, carusoam said:

Cyril,

Two types of parasitic load...

1) internal to the battery. All battery’s drain over time...

2) external to the battery.  All the memory devices are kept live some how...

I haven't a method of measuring.   But my #1 battery may drain quicker than #2. #1 is connected to the electric memories and unstitched lights and things...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

FWIW, anything that goes through the master solenoid (or radio solenoid) should not have any parasitic load, since they are mechanically disconnected.  On the other hand, that doesn't stop anything from being wired directly to the battery (like the interior lights).

My Davtron clock uses an internal alkaline battery, which I think is typical.  I suppose glass stuff may have an always-on circuit, but all I know is my Garmin 530 doesn't.

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Jay,

Some of the Long Bodies have a few things that get kept live even when the master is off.

For a real annoyance... accidentally bump the convenience light in the baggage compartment during the day.

Other things that can kill a battery are portable stuff left plugged in the cigarette lighter plug.  

Many electronic devices have memories that are kept alive. Clock, fuel used, frequencies...

 

Checklist 103 kind of stuff.

Best regards,

-a-

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16 hours ago, carusoam said:

Jay,

Some of the Long Bodies have a few things that get kept live even when the master is off.

For a real annoyance... accidentally bump the convenience light in the baggage compartment during the day.

Other things that can kill a battery are portable stuff left plugged in the cigarette lighter plug.  

Many electronic devices have memories that are kept alive. Clock, fuel used, frequencies...

 

Checklist 103 kind of stuff.

Best regards,

-a-

I knew about the cabin/baggage lights, but the cigarette lighter plug?  That seems like a bad design decision...

I assumed non-volatile memory in panel instruments must be in common use.

Edited by jaylw314
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