I have been using a ProSport multi battery charger for a few years now and while it works it has a major flaw with my duty cycle. While connected to shore power with house loads like lights on it fails to sense that the battery is running down. Eventually I will notice the lights are dimming, check the voltage, and reset the breaker so that the charger starts a fresh cycle.

I recently got a second boat with two batteries and am evaluating my options for a shore power charger. Any advice or product recommendations are warmly welcome.

Mariner 28 Sloop
Wellcraft Elite 222 XL

Very happy with my Noco Genius triple battery charger.

I had a ProSport fail after just a year. I replaced it with a 2 bank Noco and it has been working great. The Noco seems to be built nicer, and it takes less room.

I have a few of the NoCo. Very cool.

https://no.co/products/charging/gen

The pro sport 20 draws 4.7 amps and there needs to be a 14 AWG extension cord hooked up to it. Unless you have a shore power cable hooked up to your house. That said, you only have 10 more amps on your house circuit. Pro sport battery chargers have a self-diagnostic which tells you if the unit is bad or each battery on a particular Bank. Can't explain your lights dimming/cycling the home circuit breaker, in your house unless you overloaded the circuit.

I've had a pro sport 20, two bank battery charger, for years before it went bad. I verified that through their tech support which I find excellent. They're always there a few times I called them and stepped me through the process of checking the charger to see if it is bad. When I purchase their updated pro sport 20 from them, they gave me a discount. Undercutting their dealers because I owned one previously. I've had that battery charger now for 6 years. It is always plugged in when the boat is not on the water.

They have a 3-year warranty. They probably would have shipped you a new one for free.

I have a Pro Marine that I've had for 11 years now and it does a great job. I keep my boat plugged in over the winter and it cycles the batteries and keeps them in good shape. It also has the ability to be programmed for the different battery types so it senses the internal resistance properly and charges them to the correct voltage. My current batteries have to be over 5 years old and they still hold a charge like new even when playing the radio for hours.

My boat also didn't come with a battery voltage gauge on one of my 2 batteries. So I picked up 2 of these. they are neat and have logging.


if you're a nerd like me, who doesn't want their battery voltages / dates / times in an excel sheet? Also tells you if your alternator isn't working.