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Aircraft battery (Gill versus Concorde)

Since the battery is portable my method is to take it to the auto parts place, where they will check it for free locally.

All car battery testers I have seen do a test with a relative high load (this is quick), those test do not meet the maintenance instructions from Gill or Concorde.

Do not forget to recharge the battery immediately after a capacity check.

JP-Avionics
EHMZ

Thanks a lot for so many usefull informations. I imagine to show my maintenance shop a paper with a positiv test report from an auto parts place. Would they accept this ?
The POH lists the Battery without saying it is from Gill. For me this means I can decide for Concorde as well, or not ? Or do I need a minor change approval ? Such a yoke would fit to EASA.

Berlin, Germany

The POH is not the correct place to seek for parts, us the parts catalog. If not listed, see if the other one comes with an EASA acceptable STC for your aircraft.

I don’t think the autostore test will meet the test requirements as indicated in the Gill manual. If it will take a from a few seconds upto 15 minutes, than you can be sure it does not meet the requirements of either Gill or Concorde. Be sure the check this if you are willing to go this route. See the link in Achimha’s post for the Gill manual.

On a car it is important that the battery will be able to start the engine when your car is outside on a cold morning, meaning: can it take a huge discharge for a very short period without giving up?

On an aircraft battery, it is to see if it meets the 80% rated capacity, to supply your electrics and avionics when the alternator fails, meaning can it supply sufficient (lower) current for a longer period of time..

The goal of the test is completely different, and the test therefore not the same, and not interchangeable (IMHO). I think your shop is taking good care of you based on this point.

Last Edited by Jesse at 09 Feb 18:11
JP-Avionics
EHMZ

My car needs the battery to convey me reliably from place to place. My aircraft in my service do not, even the one that actually has a battery.

Having moments ago ordered a replacement $240 USD Concorde RG-25XC for one of my planes, I was reminded of the following points relative to servicing these batteries.

1. Do not use steel terminal bolts. The batteries come with copper bolts threaded into copper, and the battery cable lug will also be copper. This reduces issues with corrosion, which can seize the terminal bolts in place.

2. Do not over-torque the terminal bolts. There is a very gentle installation torque specification provided on the top of the battery and the assembly is extremely fragile. The soft copper terminal bolts typically thread into the soft copper lugs only about 4 turns and I think they should basically should be treated like a disaster waiting to happen. This is equally true if there is any corrosion present when removing the bolt – tightness in the thread and removal torque will snap the copper lug off the battery quite easily.

3. Pay attention to the thickness of the battery cable fittings and washers. It is easy for a normal looking fitting to create a situation where the copper-on-copper terminal thread will strip. If a substitute bolt is used instead and it is slightly too long, it will bottom out and immediately break off the battery lug. Either situation will turn your battery to scrap and there is little allowance for variability in the aircraft cables and washers that you might normally associate with good design.

Regardless of the discussion above on intricate battery electrical testing, I can imagine that with the servicing requirements noted many of these batteries are scrapped when they are perfectly good electrically, which seems a shame. My recommendation for an aircraft battery in the absence of certification issues remains very much in favor of Odyssey batteries, including the SBSJ-16 which is specifically rated for aircraft service. On experimental aircraft such as RVs, Odyssey PC680s seem to be almost universal. I think the Odysseys are a MUCH higher quality choice when compared with what is used on most certified aircraft.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 16 Feb 07:39

helo,
any suggestions where to get Gill batteries in europe at a good price!

fly2000

Dont, you will find a concord battery better value for money.

Try Airpart supply at EGTB.

thanks also good idea so if anyone knows of a supplier for concord batterys cheers

fly2000

LAS Aero is a good firm but I notice they sell only a limited range of the Concord batteries. But of course the answer depends on where in Europe you are.

FWIW, Aircraft Spruce have an agent in Germany, trading under the A.S. name.

I would not use Gill again. They fail at fairly random times and in strange ways, and sometimes immediately after “passing” a load test. Concord batteries are more expensive but are much better quality. When they fail the load test, they still start the aircraft perfectly, and work great with the high speed starters (e.g. Skytec) which need a lot more current.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I think you should limit your statement to sealed Gill vs sealed Concorde. The traditional Gill are known to be good.

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