Sterling ProCharge Ultra PCU1230 Review

Reproduced with thanks to The Sealine Forum

The following review was originally posted on The Sealine Forum by StormingNorman; this is his account of fitting the Sterling Power ProCharge Ultra PCU1230 to his Sealine S37.

I also got around to fitting the new engine bay extinguisher but forgot to take a photo, and while I was there I also moved one of the cables on the isolator switch so it was on the correct side!

The best thing we did today though was to fit our nice new battery charger.

The very nice people at MDS battery told me I only needed the Sterling Power PCU1230 30A to replace the old 40amp Newmar one. Technology has moved on a bit in the 16 years it was fitted. They did me a cracking deal as a forum member and it arrived the next day too so cannot fault the service at all !!

Now the old one still works but it hums or buzzes all the time, so loudly that we cannot sleep with it on! which is a bit silly as we always used to leave it on all night on the old boat. The new Sterling one is soooooo quiet you could use it as a pillow.

Here is the old charger

So before you remove it you need to unplug your shore power cable and isolate the batteries so you don't get an electric shock !! it's a very simple job that's well within most peoples capabilities. undo the 240v cable. if you've ever changed a plug then you can do this. Then undo the 12v cables. then you just need to undo the 4 bolts holding the unit to the bulkhead and be prepared to catch it as it falls forward. A word of warning here - it's bloody heavy!! a bit like the weight of a car battery!

The new one in comparison is nice and light and a pleasure to fit. I simply fixed the new one in place with some self tappers and attached the wires and job done. it's one of the quickest and easiest jobs I've ever done on the boat, so that's saying something!

There is a battery temperature sensor included and this was also very easy to fit. one end just plugs into the charger a bit like a phone socket and the other end has a ring terminal that you pop onto one of the battery negative terminals.

I have to say this new charger looks like it would feel at home on the space shuttle!! it has so many led lights and functions it looks quite complicated but actually it's not. it's so clever you just need to tell it which type of batteries you have and it does the rest.

When we first turned it on it ran through a self diagnosis test which includes running the cooling fan a full speed and Debs heard the noise and was very dissapointed !! once I explained to her what the charger was doing and that the fan would not be running flat out during the night she was able to smile again funny the fan had already switched to a slower and quieter speed by this time and then turned off completey and I have to say is absolutely silent !!

Money very well spent for several reasons not least because we will now be able to leave it on all night and I feel much happier that the batteries are being properly looked after and charged just the right amount.

To read more of Norman's boating DIY experiences, visit The Sealine Forum www.sealineforum.co.uk