The International Cessna^® 170 Association

dont know if this would be a hijack so I'll start a new thread.If I were to indeed build a new batt. box would that require any form of approval or just a log book entry?

zreyn,
If you were to build a new box, you wouldn't make it like the original, would you?.....I wouldn't .....That may take some significant paper work....Brad

brad,
Naw I would prolly make a rack instead if there was some way to get by with it seeing as how it's already on the firewall as per the avcon lyc STC so being in a fully ventilated area it doesn't need a box. My background is all airline & large A/C I sometimes get confused about 337's STC's & such.I can make a snazzy stainless box or rack just not sure how to make it legal or if I need to.

Zreyn,
If you do consider the Odyssey battery as an alternative to the original here's some information that might help.

The mount here http://www.odysseybatteries.com/fullsiz ... hdslvr.htm is less than a pound and $38.75 from A/C Spruce. It might be cheaper directly from West Coast Batteries (1-888-379-2555). You would have to get a field approval for installation. Maybe handing over a few cool beverages in exchange for a sign off from your airline's DER might do the trick. Unless you have an understanding FSDO or a friend who is a DER my guess is that is going to be cheaper to just get the STCed mount from FADodge. A DER is going to want to see that the mount is able to handle X amount of Gs. This test wouldn't be too difficult--even if he wanted a 10 G load that would only be around 150 lbs. A DER might also be concerned about the heat an exposed battery is subject to in the engine compartment. Burl's Aircraft makes a non-STCed mount for the C-180/185 but it requires a heat shield to be used in conjunction with it. http://www.skygeek.com/burl-aircraft-18 ... -tray.html (These parts are cheaper directly from Burl's Aircraft http://www.burlac.com/full_catalog.htm). I would think that it is actually going to be harder to get a field approval for your own mount now that FADodge has this one STCed for the C-170. Apparently these batteries are quite popular with the C-180 guys. I have an IA friend in the northwest who was able to get a field approval on an Odyssey installation on his C-180. If it would help, I could ask him for a copy of his paperwork which I could scan and send to you. Alternatively, you might try contacting Jacen Puerta, a C-170 association member in Alaska. I understand he has an Odyssey battery installed in his 170.

I sure like the idea of that compact setup & long life batt, but it seems like a lot of paper work trouble for a bit of "cool" cause the setup I have now seems to serve very well & the issue of more paper work to build a new box makes a simple repair to the one that's been here since 1954 a lot more attractive.