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Thread: Battery Tender

  1. #1
    Monty's Avatar
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    Default Battery Tender

    Interested to know if people leave a battery tender always plugged in or if there is a downside to this other than the hassle of plugging and unplugging which I have a work around for.
    Thank you
    Kitfox Model SS7 E-AB
    Airmaster CS
    G3X touch

    Rotax 912 IS
    Eastern Missouri

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    What kind of battery and what kind of battery tender?
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  3. #3
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Use the EarthX battery and you don't need a trickle charger to hassle with. It will lose almost no charge over many, many months-even a year. One of the big advantages of the lithium-iron battery, other than weight and power.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  4. #4
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Just Fly More Often.

    My EarthX didn't survive a year on the shelf for me. They did not recommend not tending to the battery periodically as I had done. They were very good on the customer service too. They sent me a new one. Kitfox no longer ships the kits with a battery and John, as I recall, said that this is the reason why. Debra also was great on the subject. She assured me that if EarthX for some reason wouldn't work with me that KF would for sure.
    Back to the subject. I do not use my battery tender as I fly one to three times a week. Not braggin, but I am having fun!
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  5. #5
    Monty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Quote Originally Posted by jiott View Post
    Use the EarthX battery and you don't need a trickle charger to hassle with. It will lose almost no charge over many, many months-even a year. One of the big advantages of the lithium-iron battery, other than weight and power.
    Thank you very much
    Kitfox Model SS7 E-AB
    Airmaster CS
    G3X touch

    Rotax 912 IS
    Eastern Missouri

  6. #6
    Monty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Quote Originally Posted by efwd View Post
    Just Fly More Often.

    My EarthX didn't survive a year on the shelf for me. They did not recommend not tending to the battery periodically as I had done. They were very good on the customer service too. They sent me a new one. Kitfox no longer ships the kits with a battery and John, as I recall, said that this is the reason why. Debra also was great on the subject. She assured me that if EarthX for some reason wouldn't work with me that KF would for sure.
    Back to the subject. I do not use my battery tender as I fly one to three times a week. Not braggin, but I am having fun!
    Wish I could. Weather and work get in the way during the winter
    Kitfox Model SS7 E-AB
    Airmaster CS
    G3X touch

    Rotax 912 IS
    Eastern Missouri

  7. #7
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    I have several battery tender type charger/maintainer that I use on SLA and AGM type batteries in everything from motorcycles, lawn mowers, skid loaders, and my airplanes. On my Sonerai I used a SLA garden tractor battery that I used a battery maintainer when I knew it could be some time between flights, and for winter storage (no cabin heat). I never had an issue when the maintainer was hooked up, only when I let it sit without the maintainer connected did I have problems. On my Kitfox, it has a small AGM battery and the airplane resides in an unheated hangar. I have a maintainer hooked to it right now and it has been hooked to it since my last flight about a week ago. I have no reservations about doing so. I use a couple different brands of maintainers, with the majority of them being Battery Tender brand. None that I currently have are compatible with LiFePO4 batteries.

    That said, the LiFePO4 are very attractive and when it comes time to replace my Kitfox battery it will likely be replaced with a LiFePO4 battery. However, when that happens I will get a compatible maintainer and still hook it up. and the reason is:

    I have been into RC airplanes for a long time and have used NiCd, NiMH, dry cell, LiPo, etc. Also having many seasonal use pieces of equipment, I have never had any battery that did poorly when being maintained. Some batteries can take a deep discharge and be charged back up, but the LiPo batteries I have for my RC stuff are basically ruined if they are allowed to discharge too much just one time. I go through a monthly ritual with my RC batteries and make sure they are fully charged. I do this because in the past I wasn't so particular and had LiPo batteries that were ruined from not being maintained.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  8. #8
    Monty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Some very good feedback here. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to respond here.
    Kitfox Model SS7 E-AB
    Airmaster CS
    G3X touch

    Rotax 912 IS
    Eastern Missouri

  9. #9
    Monty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowrider View Post
    What kind of battery and what kind of battery tender?
    I have the EarthX battery
    Kitfox Model SS7 E-AB
    Airmaster CS
    G3X touch

    Rotax 912 IS
    Eastern Missouri

  10. #10
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Battery Tender

    I recommend giving EarthX a call and they will point to the charger/power supply you will require for the battery you use. They will tell you not to use a lead acid battery charger on the LiFePO4 battery if you are not aware of that already.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

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