Needing to buy a new A/C battery. I'm leaning towards the Gill RG-35A. Did a search on the Concorde G-35 and from the reviews I read which were about twenty 90% said they would not buy a Concorde again because they were lucky to get 2 years out of them. What's your guys opinion. Thanks

Sorry guys it's the Concorde RG-35A battery that I'm leaning towards not the Gill> I think I had a senior moment. It's going in my Cessna 180.

Go for the rg35-xc the few extra bucks is well worth it the extra cranking amps for the big continentals

Odyssey PC680 is half the weight and more powerful for starting....
Less storage volume, but saves you 15lbs...

Interested in what people have to say. I've been doing some looking because I might need to replace the gill 25 in my Luscombe but wanted to use a odyssey. IA says not unless it is approved for the plane. Seen lots of good reviews for the PC680 in a 180; what approval method are people using?

whee wrote:Interested in what people have to say. I've been doing some looking because I might need to replace the gill 25 in my Luscombe but wanted to use a odyssey. IA says not unless it is approved for the plane. Seen lots of good reviews for the PC680 in a 180; what approval method are people using?

PC

Minor modifaction per AC43.2a chapter 10 - log book entry and 337 to records .
PC 680 is motorcycle / watercraft battery where SBSJ16 is aircraft version ,same weight and size.
SBSJ16 is stc and PMA approved on PA18 and other piper models. Get rid of the wet cell battery's entirely !
Concord is OK but 20 lbs heavier than PC680 or SBSJ16 .

I got tired of replacing Gills after 2 years at best.

I got an Odyssey to test with to see if it was worth the trouble to convert, and while the cranking starts out considerably stronger than with the Gill (low voltage droop), if you had to crank for more than a little, things died down even faster than the Gill.

I got a Concorde. No problems so far, cranks slightly stronger than the Gill right out of the box, and it hasn't yet lost any cranking capacity. Not a ringing endorsement by any stretch, but so far so good.

L,
not going to help you with your 180 but the experimental crowd small engine guys should check out the EarthX lithium iron 36D. Lots of the cub drivers up here are using them now.

Read about them here:
http://www.supercub.org/forum/showthrea ... ery-Option

Seems like I always have a few of those little orange batteries, only mostly dead, sitting on my battery charging bench. It is posable they just don't like the AK environment and really don't like it if you are forgetful about your master...once.

My last Gill 35 lasted seven years starting a 0-320, that is until I left my master on a couple of times this last summer.

We were advised to avoid the sealed recombant (sp?) batteries in the floatplane world because the discharge rate is such that it dies suddenly without warning, not something you need while trying to hot start your 206 bucking down the braids of the Branch.


Rocket

182 STOL driver wrote:

whee wrote:Interested in what people have to say. I've been doing some looking because I might need to replace the gill 25 in my Luscombe but wanted to use a odyssey. IA says not unless it is approved for the plane. Seen lots of good reviews for the PC680 in a 180; what approval method are people using?

PC

Minor modifaction per AC43.2a chapter 10 - log book entry and 337 to records .
PC 680 is motorcycle / watercraft battery where SBSJ16 is aircraft version ,same weight and size.
SBSJ16 is stc and PMA approved on PA18 and other piper models. Get rid of the wet cell battery's entirely !
Concord is OK but 20 lbs heavier than PC680 or SBSJ16 .

I assume you mean AC 43.13-2B chapter 10. I've read it and it talks about Lead acid and Nickel-cadmium and from the way it reads it doesn't look like it requires a certified battery, just one that will pass the load test. I've talked to several people about this and they don't see how this can be applied to a Odyssey battery.

Just took a minute to educate myself instead of relying on others, should do this more often, and learned something everyone else probably already knows. The PC680 is an AGM (Absorbed glass mat) battery which is a type of Lead-acid battery so it is pretty clear that AC43.13-2B applies. I shouldn't have listened to those people who told me they couldn't see how this AC applied to a Odyssey battery. The local Batteries Plus store has the PC680 in stock. Now I just need to get my IA to read and understand AC 43.13-2B.

Go with an Odyssey, you'll never go back. And, yes, they are a lead acid battery. And Mr Reid is absolutely correct....perfectly legal to install a SBS 16 in certified aircraft. Has to be done by A/P because not preventive maint....requires a revised weight and balance.. You're going to remove between 8 and 14 pounds of useless weight, and gain MUCH better reliability.

MTV

American Champion is also using the SBS-16. Here's a picture from the factory facebook page.
Some posters say the Odyssey 680 is also acceptable, depending on your interpretation of AC43, or better yet, your IA's interpretation. For the extra few $30 maybe avoid that whole uncertainty (thanks Cary!) and go with the SBS-16. AS&S has the proper box if you want to firewall mount it. I think the ECA and Scouts have it on the firewall - maybe somebody can post a picture.



OK, found one on the firewall, miscreant used a 680:

Just in case it is not obvious - there are a couple versions of the Odyssey 680 - with and without a metal jacket. They have different temperature ratings which will be important if you want to stick it on the firewall.

Thanks guys for all your input, greatly appreciated. I will do some more research. I just got tired of changing the Gill 35 every 2 years and some times less and decided to get some input from you guys, a lot of you have tons of experience. Thanks again.

Jeredp wrote:Go for the rg35-xc the few extra bucks is well worth it the extra cranking amps for the big continentals

X-2 -cranks my 550 so hard, the plane starts moving before the engine fires. Ya baby! Plus Concordes just last so much longer. Make sure your voltage regulator is set correctly. A lot of folks don't get long service life out of their batts due to improper maintence.

Odyssey is the only way to go. I have used Gill and concorde and will not go back to either.

8 years on a Concorde RG-35axc and still swings the prop fast enough to move the plane before starting. I haven't used the Odysseys yet-

All you guys, starting without brakes applied.... Where is that thread about checklists!
Except if you're flying on floats/skis, then the above needs not apply

182 STOL driver wrote:

whee wrote:Interested in what people have to say. I've been doing some looking because I might need to replace the gill 25 in my Luscombe but wanted to use a odyssey. IA says not unless it is approved for the plane. Seen lots of good reviews for the PC680 in a 180; what approval method are people using?

PC

Minor modifaction per AC43.2a chapter 10 - log book entry and 337 to records .
PC 680 is motorcycle / watercraft battery where SBSJ16 is aircraft version ,same weight and size.
SBSJ16 is stc and PMA approved on PA18 and other piper models. Get rid of the wet cell battery's entirely !
Concord is OK but 20 lbs heavier than PC680 or SBSJ16 .

This is not correct. Ac 43.13 contains acceptable data, not approved data. Big difference in the world of approvals . Also, a form 337 is for major repairs/alterations. If you are calling this minor, a 337 is not needed. If you are filing a form 337, your IA must sign it and approve the aircraft for return to service based on the modification being performed as per the referenced 'approved' data. A copy of the 337 must also be submitted to the FAA. FYI, the weight change alone constitutes a major alteration.

shorton wrote:Odyssey is the only way to go. I have used Gill and concorde and will not go back to either.

Yeah, what he said!

Brent

Well after only 11 short months my firewall mounted Odyssey SBSJ16 battery in the skywagon let me down! I do not like it when you push the starter and it just clicks.... After hearing the touted reliability of the Odyssey I checked everything else first.... as surely it could not be my new battery! Even my 5 year old skytec starter was exhanged! Just had the battery tested by an odyssey dealer and they confirmed that it was toast! It looks like Aircraft spruce will warranty it for 2 years so that is in process. It is mounted in Burl's firewall box with heat shield, using the stock old generator on my o-470L. Has anyone else had bad luck with Odyssey reliability or is this a fluke?