New battery

PaulR035

PaulR035

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Paul R
I’d like to replace the old dead battery in my PA-28R-180 with a sealed Concorde RG series battery.

Can someone walk me through all the legal requirements? It looks like the RG-35A is approved for use on my aircraft but I don’t know if I need any additional paperwork or anything like that.
 
It’s up to your mechanic. Read AC43.13-2B chapter 10. You don’t need a specific approval but some mechanics still balk at it.
 
PaulR035 said:
Can someone walk me through all the legal requirements?
Click to expand...
What battery is installed now? Is it the original Piper P/N? If the RG-35A is listed as the Concorde OEM replacement for your specific aircraft and no previous modification was performed to install that battery, then you can replace the battery under Part 43 Appx A(c)(24) as preventative maintenance under your pilot certificate. HOWEVER, if the weight difference between the existing battery and Concorde exceeds 1 lb you will need an A&P to correct the aircraft empty weight and balance. Also if the Concorde requires any modification to install it properly you'll need the A&P to sign it off as a minor alteration vs a replacement.
 
The battery has an STC for your make and model. You need an AP signature and 337 filed with the FAA for the battery change to be legal.
 
Clip4 said:
The battery has an STC for your make and model. You need an AP signature and 337 filed with the FAA for the battery change to be legal.
Click to expand...

So, this is interesting.

As noted above by (someone else), if the battery's weight is within a pound, it may well be installable with a mere logbook entry - up to the A&P and his/her judgment.

Of course (and as you've noted) there are STCs which have been created for certain battery / aircraft combinations (notably, by Wilco), but the existence of an STC does not concomitantly infer the requirement of an STC to use the product; it could be good marketing.

As for me, I have bought a Concorde RG35AXC from Wilco and secured their STC in the process (they charge nothing for the STC if you buy the battery from them, their service is outstanding and their pricing is very competitive. So, buy from them and get an STC - can't hurt!

---

Edit:

Good luck *finding* a battery to buy just now...
 
SCCutler said:
this is interesting.
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FYI: another interesting thing about batteries is most have multiple approval levels for the same part:
STC= design and install approval but no production;
PMA= design, production, and install approvals;
TSOA= design and production approval but no install approval.
In general, technically only a PMA meets the requirements of a replacement part as the others would be considered alterations. This is the reason a pilot can replace a battery using the PMA approval.
SCCutler said:
it could be good marketing.
Click to expand...
Its also a good business decision. One of the benefits in using an AML-STC vs a standard STC is one design approval can be used for multiple TC aircraft and other approvals like a PMA. This is more economical than paying for a separate design approval for each aircraft model.
 
Going to a Concorde sealed battery is a good choice. That was one of the upgrades made during this annual on the Archer. Those old Gill’s can leak and make a mess out of the battery box and compartment - ask me how I know…
 
Weight your old battery after you remove it.
Weight your new battery before you install it.
Note the weight being removed and weight being added in your owner log entry for the battery change.
Doing this is transparent as possible given a log review is requested.

Use the new W&B numbers for flight planning. But do not generate your own W&B "official" document because you can't.

When you get your next annual or oil change or mx ask for a new W&B.

One other quirk with Concorde and Cessna is that some battery box covers require a slight modification which requires a heat gun to alter its shape slightly.

My mechanic had me do that and then reviewed and recalced the W$B.
 
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