Piper Arrow Battery Charger

mandm

mandm

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It’s time for a trip and the Arrow is going to sit in the hangar for awhile, I wanted to hook up a battery charger while I was gone, but I opened up the back Velcro compartment and saw a bunch of red rubber covers and a battery box that was safety wired shut with 2 nuts. I didn’t want to mess with it and it wasn’t clear to me what was going on outside of the battery box. Since the plane is in a heated hangar, I’m guessing the plane and battery should be ok even if sitting for a few months.

Does anyone have photos of their battery charged hooked up to their battery? Does the battery box need to be safety wired shut? (If so it doesn’t make sense to cut it to plug in the plane and re-safety wire it for each flight). I saw some separate box that said “Fill” and was wondering if that’s the battery acid. I have no idea what battery I have and I don’t know much about batteries, appreciate any tips or feedback. What is the APU/GPU? port on the exterior of the plane used for? Could this be used to charge the battery? Thanks!
 
Depending on how long you are gone, the best answer might be to do nothing. If you are going to be gone for several months, the answer would be a Batteryminder (that's a brand) that makes an aviation specific battery maintainer. They also have a wiring harness that can be installed to eliminate the need to open the battery case. If you are unsure of what to do in the battery compartment, having your A&P install this would be a good option, it's fool proof once it's wired in. The port on the side of your Arrow has been wired different ways over the years, but it is designed for "jump starting" not charging.
 
You can hook the BatteryMinder up outside the box. A positive lead goes to the starter solenoid.......hook red there.

Black to any ground.

Pay a mechanic to help you the first time.

The remote APU/GPU won't work to charge the battery.
 
From memory of my Arrow days, my battery box was not safety-wired shut. The external power port has a relay and won't work for charging the battery, only for jump starting (or possibly running avionics from external power). The fluid reservoir is for the hydraulic fluid that runs the retractable gear pistons.
 
iamtheari said:
From memory of my Arrow days, my battery box was not safety-wired shut. The external power port has a relay and won't work for charging the battery, only for jump starting (or possibly running avionics from external power). The fluid reservoir is for the hydraulic fluid that runs the retractable gear pistons.
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I suspect the OP has the Bogert Battery Box modification. Metal box with two drilled wing nuts safety wired together.
 
kgruber said:
You can hook the BatteryMinder up outside the box. A positive lead goes to the starter solenoid.......hook red there.

Black to any ground.

Pay a mechanic to help you the first time.

The remote APU/GPU won't work to charge the battery.
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It would be too convenient if the APU/GPU port could be used. I wish I took a photo to share, there was a number of red rubber covers exterior of the box and if it was a car I would have played with it but I don’t want to mess up the airplane. She flies as she is now haha.

To the other post, I am thinking the plane will sit for 2-3 months. I may ask my instructor to fly her once or twice to keep her from sitting or more if needed.
 
Hang 4 said:
I suspect the OP has the Bogert Battery Box modification. Metal box with two drilled wing nuts safety wired together.
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This sounds right. And the battery box was corroded in the past, I was told the mechanic fixed it but there is still black stuff on the frame underneath it, just wondering if it’s one of those acid batteries that I have to be on the look out for something. The other day was the first time I opened the Velcro panel.
 
mandm said:
but I don’t want to mess up the airplane
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mandm said:
I am thinking the plane will sit for 2-3 months
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Just to add, depending on the health of your electrical system you may want to at least disconnect the battery cables at the battery. 2 to 3 months can be an issue if you have even a small parasitic drain on the system. Or before you go have your APIA install a charger pigtail on the battery that would mount outside the battery box in the immediate area and give you a convenient plug-in for an appropriate battery minder.
 
How much do batteries run? I did a quick Google search and I was seeing them for $300 or so. Does it make sense to also spend $300 on a batteryminder and have an extra step to do pre/post flight?
 
mandm said:
Does it make sense to also spend $300 on a batteryminder and have an extra step to do pre/post flight?
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FYI: In the big picture, it makes more sense to spend that $300 first on reviewing your entire aircraft electrical system and make sure it is to spec, then look to following the battery OEM recommended practices with a float charger, etc. The goal is to get as many years out of your $300 or $600 battery and it starts with a healthy aircraft electrical system with proper upkeep. There's no reason you can not get 7 to 11 years out of a battery before it starts to lose capacity. On the other hand, some people are happy with 2-3 years per battery and simply plug in a battery minder to get those years.
 
If it’s cold weather and there is no clock in the plane, 2-3 months should be fine, unless the battery was old or weak to begin with. Cold weather makes batteries not put out as much juice, but it also means they self-discharge much slower than in warm or hot weather (slower molecules/atoms and that chemical reaction thingy).
 
'69 Arrow here with a Concorde battery.

Had an AP/IA install a cable that allows a BatteryMinder to be quick-connected/disconnected. Money well spent. Battery always charged up and conditioned. Easy to plug in and unplug before pulling the airplane out of the hangar. 10/10 would do again.
 
Deelee said:
'69 Arrow here with a Concorde battery.

Had an AP/IA install a cable that allows a BatteryMinder to be quick-connected/disconnected. Money well spent. Battery always charged up and conditioned. Easy to plug in and unplug before pulling the airplane out of the hangar. 10/10 would do again.
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Any idea of the costs to install the quick connect? And does the wire run underneath the Velcro?

Do you have a sealed battery box?

Care to share any pics or take some next time you see your plane?

Thanks!
 
I also have a '69 Arrow with the BatteryMinder connected to the starter solenoid battery terminal and a ground close by. I have the "official" PowerPole connector that just resides on the floor of the baggage area close to the "hatch" access to the back of the plane. No way to really mount that connector so the wires to the solenoid and ground just go under the hatch Velcro. I suppose one could fashion a bracket to mount the connector somewhere close to the battery but then you have to remove the hatch cover each time to connect to the BatteryMinder. And the baggage compartment door still has to rest on the wires to the connector. No really good way of installing this but it does work well at keeping the battery in good shape.
 
Here’s a pic of a quick connection that I installed on a customer’s Archer. Turned out really nice but ended up taking a lot hours because I found a number of wiring issues. The area under the luggage flooring, just fwd of the battery is one you want to have looked at carefully. Also the wiring on the right side and aft of the battery box. It’s very tight in that area and is easily overlooked.

Note: The battery minder has to disconnected at the quick connection plug before flight. Meaning don’t just unplug the the AC cord and leave the charger connected while flying around. Sounds silly but I know a guy who was doing just that. It’s also not supposed to be used when the battery master is on.
 

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I had a friend with an Arrow IV with the battery box. He had a SAE connector wired to his battery terminals. The connector was zip tied to the door to fill the oil. The SAE connector is the same as is used on the Battery Minder.
 
kshaw said:
He had a SAE connector wired to his battery terminals. The connector was zip tied to the door to fill the oil. The SAE connector is the same as is used on the Battery Minder.
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That’s how you rig up a charging pigtail on a boat or motorcycle. I don’t have a problem with the SAE connector but it should not be wired directly to the battery terminals. Nothing additional goes directly to the battery like that. It should be wired to the battery contactor and fused. There should be a logbook entry for legality. This requires an A&P sign off. An A&P will probably want to use standard mil-spec wiring instead. I don’t know of a way to connect directly to a SAE connector but there might be something like that available. Most mechanics choose an inexpensive Anderson SB50 or similar quality connector that can be attached directly to the proper wiring without a splice.
Btw, Anderson recently came out with a slender, more ergonomic version of the SB50 connector which is also available in a chemical resistant material. I ordered one for next time I need to install a charging pigtail forward of the firewall. Less than $10 with terminals.
 
Battery Minder has connector kit for certified aircraft. It has a fused connector like the one described above as well as a SAE pigtail that has the other gender of the same connector at the other end. Likely one could source the parts for a lot less than the $69 they charge. Agree that an unfused connector is asking for a lot of trouble.
 
Hang 4 said:
Battery Minder has connector kit for certified aircraft. It has a fused connector like the one described above as well as a SAE pigtail that has the other gender of the same connector at the other end. Likely one could source the parts for a lot less than the $69 they charge. Agree that an unfused connector is asking for a lot of trouble.
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Yep. I know the kit you’re referring to. It’s made by Audio Authority for Battery Minder. There’re good. I’ve installed them. Was told that BM got themselves into a situation with the auto/marine type pigtails and contracted AA to help make a basic kit that a mechanic could use on certified airplanes. I used the kit, or some of it in the pic I posted. The problem is the kit is very generic. It doesn’t normally have everything that’s needed, and I end up with stuff I don’t need or want. The A&P still has to build the pigtail from the kit and sign it off as such. AA just provides most the supplies needed in one convenient package. I’ve since started building up my own with quality supplies that I like much better.
 
Jdm said:
I don’t know of a way to connect directly to a SAE connector but there might be something like that available.
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By specification the "SAE connector" is molded with pigtails. Hence its nickname. Now whether all the available "SAE connectors" are made to that same spec is a different question. But there are no bare SAE connectors. Another good option to use is a MS cannon plug or similar which is what I prefer to use when possible in this type install. It offers more mount options in my opinion to include external options if appropriate.
Hang 4 said:
Battery Minder has connector kit for certified aircraft.
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FYI: this statement that BM uses is merely a marketing pitch to sell you $10 worth of parts for $70. All the parts they list are considered standard parts and have no FAA approval. The AP installing those parts makes it "certified" to use the word loosely. Plus they stay in the gray-area of Part 3 when advertising it for a TC'd aircraft. Now if BM mfg'd a complete pigtail harness assembly then they would need a STC, PMA, or TSO on it in order to market it to TC'd aircraft.
 
Are we talking about the same pigtail I use on my motorcycles for the “battery tender” connector?

It has an integrated blade-type fuse holder.
The negative side is an unprotected male-end of the plug type.
The positive side is a protected female version of the plug type.

2ED651AA-9A8C-4AFB-80C1-7498E5145A19.jpeg
 
Bell206 said:
FYI: this statement that BM uses is merely a marketing pitch to sell you $10 worth of parts for $70. All the parts they list are considered standard parts and have no FAA approval. The AP installing those parts makes it "certified" to use the word loosely. Plus they stay in the gray-area of Part 3 when advertising it for a TC'd aircraft. Now if BM mfg'd a complete pigtail harness assembly then they would need a STC, PMA, or TSO on it in order to market it to TC'd aircraft.
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Totally agree. The only remotely value added part in that pic is the black plastic case that goes over the Anderson to SAE converter. I suspect with better google-fu, I could find that as well. Or just do without.
 
Hang 4 said:
Totally agree. The only remotely value added part in that pic is the black plastic case that goes over the Anderson to SAE converter. I suspect with better google-fu, I could find that as well. Or just do without.
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Yes, you can order the black plastic case. Last one I got was super back ordered and took a very long time to arrive. Other options available though.
I like the MS cannon plugs also. Haven’t tried one for this purpose but I should! Some aircraft are very difficult to find a good location for mounting, so this could be helpful.
Yes, the whole “certified aircraft” statement is a total marketing pitch.
It’s a bit more than $10 worth of stuff in the kit by today’s prices. Maybe $25 max.
 
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