Odyssey battery rack

[Steve]

In my quest to develop complicated, labor intensive solutions for simple problems, here's my battery rack:

[EuropaTC]

Gee Steve, that is one very neat piece of work.

I won't bother posting a picture of the bent bit of wire that's holding mine down.....

[LotusJoe]

Very cool battery rack 

[Mecky]

Very good solution, but how is the battery rack fixed in the car? And on which place in the car did you plan to mount it?

[cal44]

Nice work Steve.  That stinkin' battery ain't going no where...........

[benbeames]

You sir, are my hero.

[3929R]

It is a work of art and certainly a hell of a lot nicer than my bent pieces of aluminum with a couple of holes drilled in it! 

I am curious as to why the big battery as opposed to the Odyssey PC680?  Is it needed? helpful? Do you have a stereo that rattles my windows when stopped at signals?  Just wondering.....

[Steve]

"I am curious as to why the big battery as opposed to the Odyssey PC680?"

Somebody GAVE me two of them!! Friend of mine at the airport flew a Turboprop Lancair for awhile. It has a 24V electrical system, and uses two of these in series. They are replaced yearly as a part of routine maintenance. Being a "Hobby" airplane, they only had 20 or so starts on them. I've had them on "Battery Tenders" for awhile now. The one in the picture was capacity checked when I was making the measurements for the rack, &  Passed with flying colors.

Here's my charger/loadbank:



I charged it up, and pulled 20A out of it for two hours, and still had 12.2 VDC. I hope it survives until the car runs on it's on!!

[Steve]

A poster asked about where the battery will be mounted; Behind the passenger seat, which has been floored up with carbon fiber honeycomb panels. The beaverboard (which was deteriorated) canted bulkhead was removed, and a new one was constructed of the same carbon fiber material. Please excuse the untidiness of the area.

[LotusJoe]

If the battery is going to be closed up in the section behind the seat I would suggest a battery cut off switch, just in case you need to disconnect in an emergency.

[BillS]

Where did you get the carbon honey comb.  I'm replacing the firewall as well and waslooking into composite material currently used as a firewall in boats.

[LotusJoe]

Where did you get the carbon honey comb.  I'm replacing the firewall as well and waslooking into composite material currently used as a firewall in boats.

I don't know where Steve got his, but I did find some here.
http://www.dragonplate.com/ecart/categories.asp?cID=82

Not cheap though 

[jbcollier]

A little rubber or foam padding will help to dampen out vibrations -- which can shorten battery life quite dramatically.

[plaid]

A poster asked about where the battery will be mounted; Behind the passenger seat, which has been floored up with carbon fiber honeycomb panels. The beaverboard (which was deteriorated) canted bulkhead was removed, and a new one was constructed of the same carbon fiber material. Please excuse the untidiness of the area.

Carbon fiber is conductive (don't ask me how I know), make sure it can't short the terminals.

[4129R]

Carbon conducts electricity, carbon brushes in electrical motors etc.

Therefore, according to Spock, it is logical that carbon fibre conducts electricity.