Readi Amp8 Battery Charger

[sailjunkie]

Our boat comes with a Readi-Amp 8 Battery Charger made by Professional Mariner (now Pro Mariner?). We're not running across any problems, but having recently purchased the boat, we are trying to learn as much as possible about her systems.

My research suggests:

• This particular model is no longer in production.
  
• This particular model may have a reputation as a "battery killer". A couple of power boat forums indicate this.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has had any experience, good or bad, with this charger? As long as it continues working, there is no need for immediate action. However, I will be taking a closer look at the entire electrical system, either next year or the year after, and a new charger might be appropriate then.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[SoulVoyage]

I don't think battery chargers, per se, are battery killers...I think PEOPLE are battery killers. By that I mean that leaving a boat constantly on shorepower when it doesn't always need to be, is eventual death to a battery. A charger will only do so much, YOU (not you, but John Q. Public) have to take responsibility for maintaining your batt.

If you leave the boat for a week or two or three....unplug your shorepower. I unplug mine and take the cord right off the boat, as I am often concerned about lightning striking nearby and traveling through the cord and wreaking havoc on the boat's electrical system...I am sure this is unfounded, but nonetheless.

If you have a flooded battery (your standard lead-acid type)...check your electrolyte level often often, and take a Specific Gravity reading every now and then to confirm that it correlates with what your battery state meter says.

Just as your batt charger puts energy into your battery, YOU have to put energy into your battery maintenance schedule. I see too many people simply plug their shorepower in and head for the hills...and then wonder why their batteries are only lasting 18 months.

[mitiempo]

I disagree. A good 3 stage charger is designed to be left on 24/7. The Xantrex Truecharge chargers, one of which I just installed, have an automatic equalization that requires constant power. They will do no damage to your batteries. When I checked on the install the batteries were fully charged and the Xantrex was putting less than an amp into a 225 AH bank. This was easy to see with the Link battery monitor I also installed. This will not kill a battery with the proper fluid levels. A cheap 1 stage ferro resonant charger should not be on the boat.