Although aircraft batteries aren’t always high on our list of things to worry about, their performance and life span have been an ever-increasing topic within the industry. As we come to the end of yet another Summer, it is important to discuss ways in which you can protect your aircrafts battery, during the coming months of possible downtime and/or extended storage. Over time, with new technological developments, products like the BatteryMINDer, now offered at DeHavilland Dreams Pilot Shop, are paving the way for more efficient and reliable battery charging capabilities that will benefit your aircraft!
The aviation specific 12-volt and 24-volt BatteryMINDer chargers have a temperature sensor that keeps voltages optimized for storage environments, which will benefit batteries in both hot and cold hangars. Temperature sensors have been around a long time, but have previously been restricted to high-end chargers used for multiple deepcycle battery setups. Some chargers have a temperature sensor capability built into the charger itself, but this is a poor second to a ring terminal actually attached to the battery, such is the case with the BatteryMINDer. The aviation charger models sense the battery temperature and protect the battery from getting too hot, as well as adjusting the charger for the ambient external battery temperature.
Charger operation is silent and the weatherproof case is a plus for damp or humid environments. The unit is light, small and has a selection of useful options, such as ring terminals with a quick disconnect so you can easily switch back to quick clamps. The chargers have all the popular smart charger functions, including non-sparking connections, reverse polarity protection and an auto-soft start to protect deeply discharged batteries from high inrush current. In-line fuses are included as an additional safety feature. There are numerous indicator lights to inform the user of charging status, all accompanied by an explanation placard on the case. The BatteryMINDer units also have a generous five-year warranty.
Leading aviation experts weigh in on the benefits of the BatteryMINDer:
- Battery Chargers - VDC Wins in a Walk (The Aviation Consumer)
- BatteryMINDer keeps batteries at their peak (Ag Air Update)
- Early Battery Failures - Some Factors You Can Control (Light Plane Maintenance)
- Are All Battery Chargers Alike? (Kitplanes)
- Battery Pulse Desulfators - Are they really necessary? (The Mooney Pilot)
The BatteryMINDer can now be found at DeHavilland Dreams Pilot Shop, at http://www.dehavillanddreams.com/, under "Pilot Shop", "Accessories".
Disclosure:
Parts of this post were taken from an article written by Kim Santerre, editor of Aviation Consumer’s sister magazine, Light Plane Maintenance. Reprinted from Aviation Consumer Copyright © 2007 Belvoir Media Group, LLC.
