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Lorn H. Olsen wrote:
First came the hand prop, the engine started but the battery was so dead that it couldn't put out enough current to start the alternator.
That should tell you a lot right there.
After about 20 minutes of flying the current into the battery went from 20 to 30 to 40 to 50 amps before the alternator circuit breaker (CB) blew.
More clues that something is seriously wrong with the battery.
> The system charged for about 3 minutes and then shutdown again.
If a CB keeps popping after being reset, that is like being hit in the face with a 2 by 4 inscribed with the text "Something is seriously wrong. Quit doing this"
> I turned the charging system back on every 10 minutes for the next 2 hours
Based on recent discussions on the LML, I would call that a "Shannon moment"
I tested the battery temperature by hand and estimate that the battery got to about 140°F.
Still more clues.
What a great battery.
What a dead battery -- RIP. Once a battery has been that deeply discharged, it is time to replace it. All the anomalies that you experienced should have raised some huge red flags. The fact that it did not raise red flags with you is raising huge red flags with me.
I am now glad that I did. I was replacing my Gills every 1 to 2 years.
A battery is not an investment -- it is an expendable. Replace it every year or every 2 years and not worry about it. Earlier today I helped Brent fuel up his Lancair IV -- the bill was $225 for going from 1/3 tanks to full tanks at a self serve pump in a small airport. A new battery costs quite a bit less than that. How many minutes of operating cost are you saving by trying to squeeze the last bit of performance out of the battery and how much are you risking? Wasn't there a discussion recently about aviation risk management? Deciding to ignore red flags is the first link in the accident chain. Not being able to recognize a red flag as a red flag.... some will argue that that is a training problem while others will say that it is an attitude problem.
Hamid
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