Experimental Aircraft
EarthX ETX Hundred Series batteries are the most used and trusted batteries on the market! EarthX is an American engineering company that is the first in the world to achieve a 13.2V FAA approved TSO Certified lithium starter battery! The ETX Hundred series are designed specifically for your aircraft starter or backup battery needs. The latest model added is the ETX104, designed for your back up power for your critical systems complete with current limiting so it works with any aircraft charging system. If you know which battery you require for your aircraft, feel free to scroll to the bottom of the page to view our products. If you aren’t sure which battery is right for your application, check out our helpful flowchart or use the search option on this page.
Our lithium airplane batteries are proudly used by many aircraft and helicopter manufacturers, including Vans Aircraft. They are tested and used by many engine companies, such as Rotax, Continental, Lycoming, and UL Power.
Why Choose an EarthX Lithium Battery for Your Experimental Aircraft?
- You’ll instantly remove 11+ pounds compared to the lead acid battery in your experimental aircraft! Now that’s a huge weight savings.
- Significant increase in cranking power. If you’ve been using the PC680, you’ll increase your CCA’s from 170 to 320 and the PCA’s from 520 to 680! Now that’s power to crank your engine!
- You can easily have a backup battery and not worry about the additional weight. In fact, if you switch from a lead acid battery and add a backup battery, so you have a primary and a backup, you’ve still decreased your overall weight by 50%!
- Innovative and sophisticated BMS designed and engineered with redundancy for safety, reliability, and performance. These are EXCLUSIVE features!
3 Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Battery for Your Plane:
1. Can it turn the engine over (CCA)?
2. Does it have enough capacity to run your needed instruments if the alternator/generator fails (true amp hours)?
3. Is it designed for the application you are using it in (alternator/generator max amperage output)?
As Odyssey batteries are widely used in the experimental market so we have a chart of the Odyssey’s batteries and the EarthX batteries to assist you in a comparison.
| Model | Price | Volts | Ah (1 hr 1C rate) |
Crank Amps (PCA/CCA) |
Weight | Case Size (L x W x H) |
Aircraft Guidelines | |
| ETX680C* | $379 | 13.2 | 12.4 | 680/320 | 3.9 lb (1.8Kg) | 5.9” x 3.4” x 4.5”
150mm x 86mm x 115mm |
400ci engine size or less;
60 amp alternator/generator or less |
|
| ETX680* | $379 | 13.2 | 12.4 | 680/320 | 4.1 lb (1.86Kg) | 6.5” x 3.1” x 6.6”
166mm x 79mm x 168mm |
400ci engine size or less;
60 amp alternator/generator or less |
|
| ETX900/ETX900-VNT* | $449/$549 | 13.2 | 16 | 840/400 | 4.9/5.4 lb (2.2/2.4Kg) | 6.5” x 3.1” x 6.6”
166mm x 79mm x 168mm |
540ci engine size or less;
80 amp alternator/generator or less |
|
| ETX1200* | $725 | 13.2 | 24.8 | 1200/600 | 6.9 lb. (3.1Kg) | 6.5” x 3.1” x 6.6”
166mm x 79mm x 168mm |
550ci engine size or larger;
120 amp alternator/generator or less |
|
| * ETX680C, 680, 900, 900-VNT, ETX900-24, ETX900-TSO and ETX1200 has redundant electronics and battery cell / hardware fault monitoring. The ETX900-VNT, ETX900-TSO also has built in thermal runaway containment and venting for in cabin installation. Operating temperature – 30°C to 60°C or -22°F to 140°F | ||||||||
For Comparison Purposes Only…
| Voltage | Weight | Ah (1 hour 1C rate) | Case Size inches (L x W x H) |
Cranking Amp (PCA/CCA) |
Overcharge Protection? | Overdischarge Protection? | Max Alternator Charging Amp’s | |||||
| Odyssey PC1200* | 12 | 38.2lb (17.3kg) | 32.1 | 7.87 x 6.66 x 7.60 | 1200/540 | No | No | not specified | ||||
| Odyssey PC 925* | 12 | 26lb (11.8kg) | 24.3 | 6.64 x 7.05 x 5.83 | 900/300 | No | No | not specified | ||||
| Odyssey PC680* | 12 | 15.4lb (7kg) | 12.3 | 7.27 x 3.11 x 6.65 | 520/170 | No | No | not specified | ||||
| Odyssey PC625* | 12 | 13.2lb (6.2kg) | 13.6 | 6.7 x 3.9 x 6.95 | 530/200 | No | No | not specified | ||||
| Odyssey PC545* | 12 | 11.2lb (5kg) | 9.6 | 7 x 3.38 5.17 | 460/150 | No | No | not specified | ||||
| *information used from www.odysseybattery.com **without metal jacket for the Odyssey Operating temperature -40 C to 45 C or -40°F to 113°F |
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Battery Management Features:
1- Over discharge protection. If you leave your master key on, the battery will disconnect internally prior to cell damage (approximately when about 95% of the energy has been drained). You’ll need to charge the battery before use again in this scenario.
2- Over charge protection. If you have a voltage reading above 15.2V, your regulator has failed and your overvoltage protection in the plane will be activated if you have this safety feature. If your over voltage protection in the plane fails, the batteries over voltage protection will engage. In this scenario, the battery does not disconnect but instead blocks the excess current/voltage into the battery. If you see high voltage and amperage readings, you should immediately take your alternator off line to avoid damage to your electronics and possibly damage to the battery. The BMS protection has limitations and is designed to protect your battery, not your electronics. See manual for details of this feature.
3- Short circuit protection up to 1000 amps.
4- Excessive cranking protection. If you’re trying to start your engine continuously for a long period of time, the cells inside the battery will heat. The BMS will disconnect for approximately 90 seconds so the cells can cool off and not cause damage to the battery.
5- Built-in cell balancing technology.
6- LED battery fault light indicator. This alerts the user to the state of charge and the health of the battery. The LED light will illuminate to let you know when there is a something outside of the normal range. This is a very important safety feature; be sure to connect it to your EFIS or LED light on your control panel.
Please review the manual for details about these features and for a check list of possible LED light causes and steps to be taken.
Important safety/use precautions:
1-The ETX Hundred series have a different BMS with built in redundancy and additional safety features than our power sport line. Do not use the power sport models for your aircraft.
2- If you have an alternator or generator that outputs greater than 20 amps, over voltage protection is required. (crowbar protection)
3- Do not use any lithium battery in a vintage engine that was not originally designed for a battery, such as a Rotax 503 pull start. (Provision 4, gear box with 4 bolts).
4- Only the ETX900-VNT is designed for in cabin installations as it has a venting system build in and is also in a fire proof containment system.
You will gain a significant amount of cranking amps and drop a minimum of 11+ pounds instantly by switching from a lead acid battery to the EarthX lithium battery.
