Battery Life

[Lunchbox]

A recent thread about A-Star batteries got me thinking a bit, and not wanting to hijack the other thread, figured I'd start a new one.

 

What do you guys do to keep your batteries going as best as possible? I'm generally talking about standard sealed lead-acid batteries (although tips for other kinds are welcome as well) on any type of helicopter (type specific tips are also welcome). I've realized that I really don't put a whole lot of thought into battery maintenance, yet at the same time I haven't seemed to have had any noteworthy recurring battery issues. Either I'm plain lucky, or I'm unknowingly doing something right.

 

Here's a list of things I genreally try to do to my batteries:

 

- Use ground power as much as possible (oil flows, electrical checks, pilots fiddling with avionics, etc)

- Keep batteries warm during winter (battery blanket or remove battery to heated indoors)

- Charge up a new battery before installation

- Tell pilots to try not to wait for NG top out in a 206 before introducing fuel (assuming of course that other starting parameters are within limits)

- Daily ritual of unplugging batteries after last flight

- Keep voltage regulator within range (an ongoing battle in a 206, but I rarely find a need to fiddle with the A-Star regulator)

 

Please post anything you guys can add to the list.

[helofixer]

Please post anything you guys can add to the list.

 

Lunchbox, when we have an aircraft down for an extended period of time or for heavy maintenance we connect a Gill model TSC-01V battery charger to the battery. It will keep sealed lead acids charged and has smart circuitry to turn on or off as the battery voltage drops or reaches top charge. Its maintenance free, is about the size of a small hardback book.

 

 

Costs about 318.00 USD and can be found on google. I typed in the model number and got this place: Gill battery charger

[RedRag]

For NiCads, I use a Aeroquality TC-250A float charger to keep them "topped up" after they get serviced. Makes a big difference. NiCads lose a good deal of charge sitting in the box, then when you install it, the aircraft doesn't ever seem to get it back to a real good top charge.

 

Agree with using the powercart (turbo-starts are SWEET) when you can.

[cap]

ALL first starts of the day should be with an APU of some type. When I was operating a Base at one time with many other a/c involved, we found that by using the APU like mentioned, our a/c batteries would be so good at 'Time Ex' that it was a shame to replace them. This we did and freed-up some more real good APU units for more a/c to take with them.