Another Odyssey battery question

[bsanorton]

Received delivery this past week on my 2001 V11. Battery weak and could not crank engine. Saw it had a battery tender pigtail so I hooked up my deltran battery tender plus and charged overnight. The next morning the battery cranked over the engine fine. Took the seat off to check on what battery I have just in case I should get a new one and found an Odyssey 545 battery. Maybe I'm sorry I started to research them, but holly molly....so much info. As a rule I normally put a new Yuasa or Interstate battery in any new bike I buy. With this one, the PO said that it might only be 1 year old. My question is do I really need an official 'Odyssey battery charger' or can I buy a ctek, batteryminder, noco?  Suggestions? Did I do any damage using the battery tender plus?       

[docc]

First, congrats on getting your Rosso Mandello! That is really exciting!!

As for the PC545, they are awesome batteries. Sure, it helps to know their voltage/amperage requirements to get the most out of them. You will not have damaged the Odyssey on the low amp-low voltage charger overnight. But, Odyssey is clear that using these devices will damage the battery. Plus, without "at least" 6 amps, you will not be able to actually charge the PC545.

If you have a voltmeter (you have a V11 now, you MUST have a good digital multimeter!   ), record the voltage and turn on the lights/ hi-beam for about three minutes, record that voltage and observe what it recovers to after 10-15 minutes. Hook up a manual car charger of at least 6 amps (no limit, Odyssey says !) and terminate the charge when the battery reaches NO MORE than 15.0 volts.  A healthy PC545 will take a week (or weeks) to statically fall to the charging threshold (12.65v) - then simply repeat (discharge then charge to 14.2-14.7v / not over 15.0).

Or simply ride it once charged with 6+ amps to 15.0 volts!

 

[bsanorton]

Thanks Doc, I will do that. I plugged in my digital battery tender volt meter into the pigtail (before your suggestions) with nothing on it read 12.7 volts after riding for 15 minutes it read 12.8...Any charger recommendations?

  

[docc]

12 minutes ago, bsanorton said:

Thanks Doc, I will do that. I plugged in my digital battery tender volt meter into the pigtail (before your suggestions) with nothing on it read 12.7 volts after riding for 15 minutes it read 12.8...Any charger recommendations?

  

Yeah, Odyssey publishes an "approved" list. Let me see if I can scare that up for you.

It occurred to me that when the bike didn't start, you might have turned the lights on a few minutes and re-tried. I have seen the PC545 do amazing things using this (very non-intuitive to me) method!

[bsanorton]

Thanks Doc, are you saying there's a way to start the bike up without the lights on? I thought it was automatic. I do confess haven't thoroughly read the owners manual or looked at my light switches

[docc]

8 minutes ago, bsanorton said:

Thanks Doc, are you saying there's a way to start the bike up without the lights on? I thought it was automatic. I do confess haven't thoroughly read the owners manual or looked at my light switches

Actually, no, I'm saying that if the battery seems sluggish  it may be "field expedient" to turn the lights on a few minutes to enhance the battery's starting performance. After a few minutes with a current draw, the battery warms chemically and the deeper charge in the plates becomes more available.  Unlike the old days when we would try not to "use" any of the battery's capacity before trying to start, the Odyssey benefits from this chemical "warming" (not so much as a Li-Fe, but it is still valid).

Here is Odyssey's current (4/2018) list of approved chargers. Yes, it makes a difference!

https://www.odysseybattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODYSSEY_approved_12V_chargers.pdf

[bsanorton]

Thank you so much Doc, LOL i guess I'm odyssey challenged, have a hard enough time spelling odyssey!

[bsanorton]

After an hour of charging on a 10amp battery charger (I forgot I had one) it was at 13.4, after 11 hours of charging it's at 14.4. Am I done waking this battery up?  

[docc]

Seems she was very sleepy!  Once the charge is terminated, it should drop back to 100% (12.84v) in hours. It is very telling how long it takes to fall off to the 85% charge threshold (12.65v). If that is 24-48 hours, repeat the discharge/charge cycle. After a few cycles, it should hold above the 12.65v threshold for 7-10 (or even weeks).

You can also follow up with a float charge at 13.5-13.8v  for a day or so. Odyssey states that "trickling" at voltages below 13.5v will damage an Odyssey battery. Most of the low amp trickle chargers I've seen are set at 13.15-13.18.

[bsanorton]

Charger disconnected a few hours ago. I  checked twice so far and it's holding at 13.4. I'll take another look at 4pm ET. Wow, I never thought I'd be baby sitting a battery like this! I guess it's my curiosity that keeps me from going to get a normal AGM Yuasa battery or something similar at my local Batteryplus joint!  

[docc]

The Hawker Odyssey is an awesome piece of kit, even at 75-80%.  Lots of folks just don't worry about and do "whatever."

I'm just not a 75-80% kinda guy, I suppose.

[bsanorton]

Holding at 12.6 after a 20 minute spirited ride. Took my old Buell S2 right after for a 20 minute spirited ride, sitting at 12.6 as well. Time will tell. I'll check again tpmorrow morning. Thanks for all the information Doc.

[bsanorton]

It's 8 o'clock, do you know what your battery reads? holding at 12.6

[docc]

"Holding" is good! Do have a meter quality enough to show you that next decimal place?

If that were my PC545 below 12.65, I would discharge it with the lights and see where the voltage is after 2-3 minutes.  Over 12.0 would be nice to see. Then watch how long your 10 amp charger takes to bring it into the 14.2-14.7 range. (And whether it comes closer to the 15.0 limit this second charge cycle).

[edit: Alright, ya made me look. The Sport was ridden yesterday 70 miles, 12.73v this morning. The 10 1/2 year old PC545 in Swampee-the-test-bed sits at 12.66v after sitting weeks and weeks.]

(It is well know that splitting hairs is safer than splitting atoms. )

[bsanorton]

i have a very old digital it measured 12.46 on the odyssey, but it also measured 12.40 on a new lead battery on my Buell S2. Now i need to buy a new meter to see if my old one is not calibrated right.