Power is one of the most important components on a fishing boat, and keeping batteries charged and reliable is a never ending battle. Last year, after my on board charger failed, I purchased the NOCO Genius Gen5 on board charger. I purchased this product with my own money and after going through one full season and a winter in storage, this is what I think of it.
Before I get into my overall thoughts, let’s go over the specs of the Noco Genius Gen5x3. It is a 3 bank charger, meaning it charges 3 batteries simultaneously. It is rated at 15 amps (5 amps per bank) and will charge 12 volt marine, starter and deep-cycle batteries. It is capable of charging and maintaining 12v, 12v AGM, and 12v Lithium Ion batteries. You can also buy it in 1, 2, or 4 bank models.
Perhaps the best feature of this system is the Mode Selector button for each bank. This allows you to select what type of charging (12v, 12v AGM, or Lithium Ion), you want for each independent bank. It also has a recovery mode called “Force Mode” which allows you to charge batteries that have zero volts in them. Luckily I haven’t had to use that, and would imagine I won’t while using this charging system. It has individual charging meters for each bank as well, making it easy to see how far along the charging is.
Once fully charged the system automatically switches to a maintenance mode so the batteries never overcharge. It even has a thermal sensor and will adjust the charging cycle depending on the ambient temperature, making sure the batteries don’t overheat.
The display on the face of the unit is one of the most user friendly and in depth displays I’ve seen on an on board charging system. Charging meters for each individual bank, along with the mode selector button as mentioned above. Going one step further, each bank has a set of diagnostic indicators. A high voltage indicator, which illuminates when the battery voltage is too high for the selected charge mode. A “bad battery” indicator which illuminates when the battery won’t take a charge or there’s been a possible short. A “reverse polarity” indicator which illuminates when the charging cables are connected in reverse. And finally, “standby mode” which illuminates when there isn’t a detectable amount of charge in the battery.
After using this system for a season, it became clear to me that I had been living in the stone age with my old Cabela’s brand 3 bank charger. I went from having a display that had two LED lights, letting me know it had power and that it was charging. With the Genius Gen5 and it’s superior display I had options on how I wanted to charge my batteries, a meter for each battery letting me know how far along the charging was, and any issues with my batteries were identified by the charger itself as soon as it was hooked up.
The system is small and compact compared to many of it’s competitors. At around 8 inches by 5 inches and about 2 inches tall, it’s easy to tuck into any battery compartment and also comes with built in brackets to mount to the boat. The charging cords are nice and long. I have my trolling motor batteries on one side of the boat and cranking battery and the other and I have plenty of length to reach them.
The Genius Gen5x3 lists at $249.99 but can be found for closer to $200 if you take the time to search for it. That’s not cheap, and nobody likes having to spend money on a new battery charger, but I can promise you, this will be well worth the money. It has been reliable, charges my batteries very quickly, and kept them well maintained over a VERY long Minnesota winter. This is a product I will recommend to anyone.
For more information on the NOCO Genius Gen5 series chargers go to www.no.co
