iaw4 Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 2006 CTSW, N378CT. [1] I want to carry a battery to start the airplane if, by mistake, I leave something on (or the battery is dead). I also want to use it for extended playing with instruments in the cockpit. I am thinking that something like https://www.amazon.com/GOOLOO-18000mAh-SuperSafe-Starter-Portable/dp/B0748D8KT6/ref=lp_1253955011_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1545007996&sr=1-1 should work. opinions? [2] I have seen a few topics about trickle chargers. is there a universal favorite now that I can hook up and forget? presumably it would switch itself on and off intelligently. also, is the new CTLSi battery a drop-in better replacement for the older CTSW battery? regards, /ivo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Leave your anti collision light switch on, if you forget to turn off the master you will know when you get out of the plane. This works in any aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdarza Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I have recently been using a CTEK MXS 5.0 (test and charger) Thus far i am happy with it. Although, i really dont use it much as i usually fly weekly and no need for the charge. On my CTSW the 12v cig lighter is live even with the master switch OFF thus i always have my 12 v fuse popped in the off position just incase i have some parasitic drain. (this happened recently when my (faulty) cigarette usb adapter plug was left in the receptacle and drained and killed the battery completely.) I tried recovering the battery but it just wouldnt take the charge anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 cdarza, there is a procedure to recover a AGM battery that has been deeply discharged. The CTEK and most new chargers will not charge a battery if it is below a certain voltage. To charge a AGM that has been deeply discharged requires connecting a standard 12v "flooded cell" battery in parallel to the AGM battery and then applying the charger. There should be directions either in your charger manual or on their website for this. Might work in your case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaw4 Posted December 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 thanks. leaving the collision light on is a great idea, obvious once explained. I am thinking of replacing the standard battery with the earthx lithium one on the next annual. does it have higher capacity than the standard? amazon is selling automotive trickle chargers for $20 https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/automotive/15707061/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_automotive_1_4_last . of course, lead-acid only, until I may upgrade next year. any reason not to use any of the $20 ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 The 20 dollar chargers suck. Either they don't float charge, or they don't fully charge an AGM battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaw4 Posted December 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 well, this one charges 750mAh, and because it is merely keeping it at least half full, I figured it would be ok. are there any solar cell 12V battery maintainers (not full chargers)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdarza Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 7 hours ago, Runtoeat said: cdarza, there is a procedure to recover a AGM battery that has been deeply discharged. The CTEK and most new chargers will not charge a battery if it is below a certain voltage. To charge a AGM that has been deeply discharged requires connecting a standard 12v "flooded cell" battery in parallel to the AGM battery and then applying the charger. There should be directions either in your charger manual or on their website for this. Might work in your case. thank you - probably too late but will try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaw4 Posted December 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 22 hours ago, iaw4 said: I am thinking of replacing the standard battery with the earthx lithium one on the next annual. does it have higher capacity than the standard? the standard battery in a 2006 CTSW was an Odyssey PC-310, with about 8Ah capacity. the earthX ETX680C has 12.4 Ah and more cranking power. with its longer life-span and various built-in protection circuits (and lighter weight), it seems well worth its cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Koerner Posted December 22, 2018 Report Share Posted December 22, 2018 IAW, I think LiFePo batteries, like EarthX, operate at a higher nominal voltage than lead acid batteries. That's no problem in most vehicles as their voltage regulators are set high enough anyway. However, the voltage regulators that Rotax uses are a bit feeble and may not be able to fully charge an EarthX battery. Some time back one of our more illustrious contributors, Chanik, did extensive testing on our voltage regulators and found that not only is their output voltage generally low, they don't regulator well (the voltage is all over the place) and they are inefficient (they get hot and occasionally burn out). He eventually found a better regulator made by Silent Hektik, but they are hard to come by. You should review his posts before committing to a lithium battery. Mike Koerner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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