Noco Genius Gen3 (12A)

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gnappi

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May 8, 2017
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Location
Southeast Florida (Tri county)
I've been using a 2 bank Deltran "Battery Tender" brand in my boat since I first ran all electric. It had a few issues for my purposes, it's only two banks and I have three batteries, its charge rate is very low (1.25A per bank), and it's not waterproof. I like it a lot, but keeping the third battery charged meant disconnecting one of the batteries in the stern and connecting the "house battery" up front. It not being waterproof is also a problem as I have to keep my covered boat outdoors, but covers blow off, and I was always checking to see if it was dry.

Battery tender makes a four bank model, but it's not waterproof, has the same low charge rate and is pretty costly for it not being waterproof.

Anyway in my search, I bought a Promariner 5 5 3 (13A total) and it had a few issues so I returned it. For a relatively low charge current, the cables were extremely thick and not pliable, it was rather large, it ran very hot, and it had no indicators of what each battery was doing. Also all of the charge cables MUST be connected to batteries at all times to work properly.

So, I've been on the hunt for a new charger that I could leave in the boat that has a somewhat reduced size, is waterproof, has three banks and some sort of indication of what state each of the batteries were in. The Noco Gen3 (4,4,4, 12A total) is what I feel has a decent charge rate, smaller physical size (~8"x7") for its charge rating, as are the cables, and it has separate indicators (albeit simple LED's) for the three batteries...

Not connected to a battery (Green/red alternate flashing), charging (red), charged (green), maintenance (Green breathing / pulsing) and a second LED lit Yellow for reverse polarity connection. All LED's flashing is a battery error.

It had been on test on my solar batteries for a week, and now that it's installed in the boat I'm very satisfied with it.

It has some nits I'd have liked to have seen done differently:

The cable termination area has some really B-I-G inline fusing, and sturdy ring connectors which make it difficult (or impossible in my case) to snake charge wires.

I'd much prefer to see SAE type ends like the Battery Tender models have. With SAE connectors (designed for solar applications and are rated with 10 gauge cable at much higher current ratings than needed on the Noco) which would make snaking the cables easy, and the ends could be adaptable to SAE / ring, SAE to SAE, SAE to clamp, or even bare wire as the application demanded. Also SAE terminated cables make lengthening them for longer runs over six feet a snap.

The A/C cord is only six feet. Without an extension I can't imagine many situations where that six foot length would be adequate.

In addition (this is not a problem for me) the 15A model is rated to charge batteries up to 120Ah. The Noco 30A version will charge batteries with a capacity up to 230 Ah if you have large trolling motor batteries.

I get that these are design decisions made on cost and perceived needs and there are pro/cons to how it was made, but a bit more flexibility in connectivity would make it a perfect charger.

Overall I have to say it's a good fit for me, now whether it turns out over the long run to be as reliable as the Battery Tender has been for me remains to be seen.
 

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