Comparing: battery charger makes/models

[Loren Beach]

I was happy with out previous charger, installed about 2010, but it recently started making some odd rattling noises similar to 'chattering' relay or something sounding similar. I removed it and used the occasion to (finally!) refinish the last interior bulkhead that on which it was mounted in the aft cabin. Teak plugs and several coats of varnish; off season fun!
Like always, every problem leads to a cascading list of different chores.

The charger was a ProMariner ProTech 1220i.
The only quibble we have had is the noisy fan sometimes operating on a warm summer day. I suspect that the very tidy/small form factor of this device led to more cooling need from the internal fan, but I am not an engineer.

Given that our GC flooded pair of house bank batteries, Trojan T-145+, have been quite happy with this, I am inclined to stick to a 20 to 25 amp -ish output new charger. Our spare "emergency" bank is a single AGM spiral cell 12 volt battery. We get 5 years up to 9 years out of each bank. The present batteries do not seem to mind being paired with a single-chemistry output from the charger. Kind of a "marriage of convenience."

I am about to pull the financial trigger on a new charger, likely a ProMariner ProNautic 20 or 30 amp charger. Model 633120 or 63130. Case size is larger so I will have to move the mounting location slightly, and have now installed new longer 12 volt #10 wires for both charge and ground wires. Luckily neither bank is over about 4 feet away from the charger. Rod's Marine How To site seems to like the Sterling line and presumably the related ProMariner chargers. I cannot find his exact article about chargers at the moment, so perhaps he has revised the site some. (?) Or, my assumptions are wrong; it's been known to happen...

Anyhow, any input from the Viking clans is always welcome.
Thanks!
Loren

 

[bigd14]

I have been happy with the Sterling 12-30 unit which I think is the same as the Pronautic 12-30 P that came with the new boat. They look the same anyway. The ProNautic blew a fuse unexpectedly but that was likely due to shore power issue. Either would probably work great.

Marine Battery Charger - Sterling Power Pro Charge Ultra : ProCharge, PCU1230plus, Power Factor Corrected (PFC) PCU

The new Sterling ProCharge Ultra. The Ultimate Marine Grade Battery charger. Delivers great performance, variety of high end features and exceptional value. Part # PCU1230 plus.

www.sterling-power-usa.com

 

[Nick J]

I currently have the ProMariner 1220 and it's worked well, but we'd like to add an inverter and have more visibility into how the charger is working. We're going with Victron unit because they seem to have some of the best technology on the market, they're extremely well supported, and they are priced well for what they can do. the ProMariner units are still nice chargers, but I think Victron has surpassed them for function and price.

Take a look at the Victron IP22 units. They do have an AC plug instead of a hardwired connection, but you should be able to remove the plug and hardwire it if that's a concern to you. They're a few hundred $ cheaper than the ProMariner, smaller form factor, and offer more advanced charging and monitoring. They still use fans, but they should be more efficient than the ProMariner which should result in more silent operation.

 

[Loren Beach]

They do have an AC plug instead of a hardwired connection, but you should be able to remove the plug and hardwire it if that's a concern to you

Perchance, have you done this change or seen it done? Without seeing one up close it's hard to imagine how easy they may or may not have made this. The price is attractive, but is it "too" cheap? I ask only because over the years I have been disappointed by paying too little about as often as when paying too much.

 

[ConchyDug]

Big thumbs down for Brunswick who owns Navico which includes Promariner chargers we changed stacks of these at the boat dealership I worked at in-between aviation jobs. They only stay in business because they shoehorn their boxes on all the boat brands they own... Boston Whaler, Grady White, Sea Ray, Scout, Aviara etc... Just a hint of moisture and these units seem to fail on the humid Gulf of Mexico. Victron is light-years better and has intuitive mobile app and PC software to monitor/program the units. Mastervolt(Navico) is overly complicated and super finicky at least the big automated power systems were, firmware updates could brick the whole system, they also had terrible manuals

 

[Loren Beach]

Thanks for the details. Perhaps I need to also look closer at Sterling Power. Although the apparent lack of a local dealer does give me pause.
Notice that I have not mentioned Xantrex. I installed one of those back in the 90's, but when it came time to replace it the local repair guys said they were very unhappy with the company's support of their products at the time, so I changed to ProMariner. I wish i could depend on one brand, over the years... (sigh)
The old EY ad said that "an Ericson is forever". It's a pity that not much else is! (Well, except for the helpful folk on this site!)

 

[Kenneth K]

I have a sterling 12-30 which I bought from Mainesail's site directly a few years ago. I think he said Sterling and Pro Mariner are the same parts and manufacturer. One brand just has marketing rights to the US (Pro Mariner) and the other to Europe (Sterling).

 

[Frank Langer]

I have a Pottermania 40 amp, strange name I know, but it is very quiet, was less expensive than all the big names, and has worked great. They are on California and were very helpful.
Frank

 

[Nick J]

Perchance, have you done this change or seen it done? Without seeing one up close it's hard to imagine how easy they may or may not have made this. The price is attractive, but is it "too" cheap? I ask only because over the years I have been disappointed by paying too little about as often as when paying too much.

Loren,

I don't own this charger, but I have done this on many other devices. Once the plug is cut off, it's just like any other cable. Break it out and crimp heat shrink terminals then land them on a breaker or extend it to the panel with butt connectors. You can also run it off a standard outlet to make sure it meets our needs before cutting the plug off.

As for the quality concerns, there are many reputable folks who recommend Victron including Rod Collins at Marine How to. You can even buy the charger on his Amazon site: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TRPJKN...2S2JTZ7AZAII8&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_d_asin.

 

[Loren Beach]

Once the plug is cut off, it's just like any other cable. Break it out and crimp heat shrink terminals then land them on a breaker or extend it to the panel with butt connectors. You can also run it off a standard outlet to make sure it meets our needs before cutting the plug off.

True, mechanically speaking, but I would be reluctant to put a splice in any AC wiring. (ABYC concerns) I avoid this practice our DC wiring, also.
Probably just me being overly conservative...

 

[Nick J]

It's probably a good practice to question altering a device from it's intended installation method. In this case, you would be removing the highest point of resistance in the circuit, the outlet to plug interface, and replacing it with crimped ring terminals which have considerably more contact area. The additional contact area will have a lower resistance connection. I don't know what ABYC has to say about it, but electrically and mechanically, it's a better solution. I think Victron uses a plug on this device to make it easier to install and portable. I'd be surprised if Victron, ABYC, or a surveyor would have an issue with it.

 

[Loren Beach]

Today, I visited our local brick n mortar marine electronics store. The whispered rumor that they might be closing is all too true. They were part of a small covered marina and marine electronics retail-repair complex that was purchased by a local company that has been acquiring marinas for over a decade. New owners have no interest in having a retail marine business, so what's left on the shelves is on sale -- and so are the shelves.

This was the only dedicated marine electronics company in our (approx. two million people) whole metro area. Kind of a surreal situation, it is.
So, onwards to the internet. I shall see about having a Sterling charger delivered, and have just emailed a vendor to find out if their model includes a temperature probe. I figure that if Rod Collins likes this product and the vendor, it's gotta be worth considering.

As for independent marine electronics/electrical contractors, there is one good one, and I know him -- he has work booked out until late fall and some into 2027. (sigh)

 

[Loren Beach]

Take a look at the Victron IP22 units.

Do you use the advertised BlueTooth capability to monitor info from an iPhone?

 

[Nick J]

Kind of, I have an Andoid phone and I haven't installed the Victron inverter charger yet. I do use the apps for my battery's BMS, DC to DC charger, and battery monitor. One of the reasons for switching over to the Victron universe is being able to standardize and monitor everything from a single app. Some of the think the apps allow me to do:

• Check state of charge from the cockpit
• verify that the engine is loading up due to the BMS turning charging on and off instead of a fuel issue
• Program the DC to DC charger and BMS
• Check tank levels (the Simarine Pico is also a tank monitor)

It's not necessary, but I find it really helpful.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

I have a Victron battery charger and an I phone and I can monitor the state of the charger using a Victron app on my phone.

 

[Kenneth K]

just emailed a vendor to find out if their model includes a temperature probe.

My Sterling 12-30 came with a temperature single lead, which is amusing for a 3-bank charger. But I also think that's the industry standard to monitor temperature on just the primary bank.

 

[Drewm3i]

I would be very tempted to go with one of the modern marine chargers with an AC-inlet that doubles as an inverter to power the whole AC side while on battery power. I would also be very tempted to go with a lifepo4 house battery or bank with a dc-dc charger from the starting battery...

As far as chargers, I have had good luck with options from Noco and ProMariner--Victron seems to be the bees-knees these days however!

 

[Loren Beach]

A puzzling aspect of Victron is the number of similar-appearing models that are listed. They do seem popular, however.

About currently losing our ONLY local marine electronics store-- Quite a blow. This week.
That local store always did very well, in business since the 50's, with a reputation for solid advice and informed (and honest) installation work. I bought both parts and occasionally contracted some service work from them.
in case anyone wonders, we do have a large West Marine store, but they sell boxes, IMHO. You still have to know exactly what your needs are and how to configure and install the stuff in the boxes. To me, this is better than ordering off the 'net, but only a little bit.

Rant mode: We also have almost no diesel mechanics in the area for sailboat engines, and one of our best local riggers retired a few years ago.

A certain vintage Hunter S. Thompson quote gets more relatable, over time!

 

[Jim Picerno]

On my previous boat, I had Victron chargers for the house bank and a Sterling DC-DC charger for a separate windlass battery. Both were excellent. My boat doesn't have an inverter, and I'm considering adding a Victron inverter/charger at some point in the future. I'm a bit of a geek so I really like Victron's connectivity options.

 

[KS Dave]

I installed a Victron IP22 charger last year and I love it. It has a compact footprint and it's miles ahead of the 15 year old charger that came with the boat. The Bluetooth functionality is great and it has lots of charging profiles. I installed the 30AMP 3 output model. I decided to just wire a new outlet inside the compartment as I didn't feel like cutting the wires. If I want to go Li-Po/hybrid in the future, there's space to install a second right next to it.

I HIGHLY recommend Bay Marine Supply. They sell Sterling chargers as well, but they know Victron very well. I received excellent support from them - call them up or send them a note, they can definitely give you great recommendations for your setup.

Bay Marine Supply

Battery Chargers, Inverters, Solar Components, and Wiring Supplies for Boats, RVs, and Off-Grid Applications.

baymarinesupply.com