EarthX Battery

[carlconti]

My X2 was showing signs of weakening after two years. I have the original starter and the X2 has been very satisfactory. However, the Earthlink 36 C just looks too good to pass up.

I installed the 36 C today-took it for a test ride. It spun up stronger than I've seen with any battery.

Now the long term test begins. I will report any significant development.

regards, Carl

[DRL]

We have about 20 hours and 15 starts on an EarthX 36C. It turns the engine over exceptionally well at 70 degrees. There are a few precautions, such removing the battery if it is necessary to use a battery charger and they recommend their charger, but so far this seems to be the answer for the EX with the old starter and battery box installation. Although, we won't know for sure until we see how long it will last. They say 8 years, which is a bargain even at $350. Those in cold weather may have a different experience.

We carefully watch the voltage and the amps on the Skyview considering the reputation of Lithium batteries. This one has protections built-in, and is recommended by the manufacture for aircraft use. So, we will see how it performs and report back.

[seastar]

To revive a new thread----
I bought an EarthX 36 battery last spring while my CC was in for condition inspection.
As fa result of a severe problem with the engine I did not get the battery installed until last week.
The battery sat in my garage for four months.
I installed the battery without charging it just as it came from the factory and it spun the motor better than any battery so far.
No hesitation, very fast start.
one thing I noticed is a "high current" alarm on the Dynon display in my panel.
I have had that alarm on each start since I installed the EarthX.
Anyone else notice that alarm?
Pete, have you had any reports of this alarm?
Bill

[carlconti]

To revive a new thread----
i bought a EarthX 36 battery last spring while my CC was in for condition inspection.
as a result of a severe problem we found I did not get the battery installed until last week.
The battery sat in my garage for four months.
i installed the battery without charging it just as it came from the factory and it spun the motor better than any battery so far.
No hesitation, very fast start.
one thing I noticed is a "high current" alarm on the Dynon display in my panel.
i have had that alarm on each start since I installed the EarthX.
Anyone else notice that alarm?
Bill

I now have over 30 starts on the EarthX36. The longest it has sat idle is 8 days. This battery continues to amaze me with it's strong starts. Of course, here in Florida the temperatures are very kind to batteries.

At no time have I experienced a warning on the Dynon. Possibly there is a setting in the Dynon software.

When I find the right contact temperature sensor I plan to instrument it so that I can monitor and analyze temperature during start and while it is charging in flight. I have faith in the internal safety circuitry, but I've also been looking for a pair of asbestos undershorts, considering the location of the battery.

Carl

[DRL]

To revive a new thread----
I bought an EarthX 36 battery last spring while my CC was in for condition inspection.
As fa result of a severe problem with the engine I did not get the battery installed until last week.
The battery sat in my garage for four months.
I installed the battery without charging it just as it came from the factory and it spun the motor better than any battery so far.
No hesitation, very fast start.
one thing I noticed is a "high current" alarm on the Dynon display in my panel.
I have had that alarm on each start since I installed the EarthX.
Anyone else notice that alarm?
Pete, have you had any reports of this alarm?
Bill

We agree, the battery's starting performance is outstanding. We have also noticed 20 to 30 Amps charge for a few minutes after start. We adjusted our Skyview Volts and Amps scales to give a warning if the battery is out of the normal voltage range and if the alternator is not putting out positive amps. If the field connector on the Alternator were to fail, the battery is good for about 45 minutes. Without going into detail, we have some experience with this.

There is one aspect that should be noted, the battery's self protection circuitry will shut it down below 11 volts or above 15.5 volts. This is normally a good thing, but the lightspeed ignitions will also stop working when the battery shuts itself down. Other, AGM type batteries, the ignitions may work all the way down to 6 volts. So, it certainly is good practice to replace the standby battery on a regular basis and to check it prior to each flight.

If anyone is interested, we can provide the volts and amps parameter that work for a Skyview system. Most important is that there are positive amps out of the alternator, we get the yellow warning below zero amps and red at -10. The normal voltage green range is 13.4 to 14.6, ours varies between 13.9 to 14.1 in-flight.

There is a lot of information on the Vans forum worth reading about improving the Denso alternator field connector. Potting it with RTV is recommended, in our case it failed because of a bad crimp.

[seastar]

As an update------
I have about 30 starts on the CC with an EarthX battery.
Lately, the temperatures have been in the 30s and 40s.
The EarthX continues to spin the engine better than any previous battery.
I have stopped using pre heat and no need for a battery minder.
The airplane sat for over a month while I was in Fort Lauderdale for the boat show.
No difference starting when I returned.
When the temps get really low I will go back to pre heat for lubrication on start up.
The EarthX, so far, has been an excellent addition to the CC.
Bill

[Cubrath]

So far no problems, but have only done around 10 starts since installation. Cranks very well, even with my legacy starter.

Anyone have an update on their EarthX battery? I'm getting ready to order one next week. Should I buy a charger as well??

Mike

[carlconti]

Anyone have an update on their EarthX battery? I'm getting ready to order one next week. Should I buy a charger as well??

Mike

I'll be coming up on a year with the EarthX. It continues to perform perfectly. I bought the charger, but have never needed it. Starts are strong.
regards, Carl

[marcusadolfsson]

I'll be coming up on a year with the EarthX. It continues to perform perfectly. I bought the charger, but have never needed it. Starts are strong.
regards, Carl

Same thing, starts have been very strong. I did need the starter once, I left the ignition on and didn't fly the plane for a few weeks. That drained the battery low enough for the low voltage switch to trigger. No problem re-charging though.

[GreggG]

I called Earthx to order the 36C and found out that they now have the ETX680 in the "C" size. It's $30 more for the ETX680C vs the 36C, but that buys you redundant battery monitoring (BMS) and an LED to let you know if something is wrong.

Gregg