Garrett Gee Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 For anyone who has been running an EarthX ETX680 for a while, what are your thoughts/general consensus? I have seen a couple of posts and read up on them, but I haven't seen anyone really mention the long(ish) term. I have an odyssey that has been going strong for around 5 years, and still seems to be going strong. This annual, I am going to pre-emptively replace it, and have been looking hard at the EarthX. Is it worth the premium? It is a couple pounds lighter and has a higher amp hour rating, so it's a win/win there. Especially flying IFR, I like the thought of the extra juice. But on the other hand, the odyssey has proven itself to me, with 5 years and about 350 hours of flight time without a single hiccup. Has anyone heard of any issues? I know they are a lithium type (LiFePo compared to Lithium Ion, which is supposed to not be as sensitive to thermal runaway), so I am not overly worried about that. Any comments on how they handle cold starts when its in the 30s? Also, which battery box did people install, the regular one or the heat shielded one? Appreciate any and all information. Trying to find a reason to buy it, but also a reason not to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 I put an EarthX battery in my CTSW about 4-5 years ago. I also put one in a RANS S20 (Rotax 912 ULS) four years ago (now has 300 hours). I pre-heat my engines so I don't have good information about cold starts. I replaced an Odyssey battery in the CT and the starter spins the engine faster with the EarthX (by a very noticeable amount). I used the regular EarthX battery box in both airplanes. I will continue to use EarthX rather then any AGM battery in my planes. I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 The EarthX battery is great. It's over 300 cranking amps as opposed to 100 for the Odyssey, the difference on starting is impressive. Where I live in Georgia it doesn't get super cold, so I'll let somebody else discuss cold weather operations. I have never put mine on a charger in the year or so I've had it and it has never dropped below about 13.3v. Much more consistent than my old AGM battery. And you save a couple of pounds. The downside of course is cost. It's about twice the cost of an Odyssey. But I think it will last more than twice as long...the newer Odyssey batteries only seem to last about 2 years or so, they used to last longer. So in reality the cost is pretty equal. There is also the up-front cost of a new battery box...I'd recommend the EarthX insulated box they have for that battery, the holes line up very well with the original box...that is not the case for the non-insulated box IIRC. I'm hopeful this battery will last 5+ years, and I have no indications that won't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 It can start even in 20 degree F temps without preheating. Struggles, a little (mainly, fuel is the issue rather than speed of turning) but it does. The main thing about the odyssey battery is it can't deliver the current required to start the engine easily. As a result, there are moments where the sprag isn't completely engaged, especially if the battery isn't topped off. The lithium battery is more expensive, but having to replace the sprag just one time is worth about 4 of these batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.