NOCO GENIUS1, 1A Smart Car Battery Charger

There is a reason the NOCO GENIUS smart car battery charger is so popular. It works well, it is very simple to operate and solves the major headache for car owners who must leave their vehicle unattended for weeks or months at a time. It used to be when you turned off your vehicle and removed the key, all power was off and there was no drain on the battery. Not anymore, there are all kinds of things that always stay on now. If you have a newer vehicle, you know what I am talking about. I went away for just a couple weeks and when I returned my car would barely start. I didn't think too much of it but when I went away on a 6 week trip this past summer, I came home to a super dead battery in a 3-year-old car with 20K on it. Nothing worked, no lights, no locks, no trunk, nothing… I even had a very difficult time getting into the electronically assisted doors. Now to be honest, after a couple weeks away, my car sent me an email saying it was shutting down systems to save the battery. When I returned, I measured the battery voltage, and it said 3 volts, it was so dead. I put a charger on it overnight and the next day it was only 6 volts, and it still would not turn over. I was able to get it started with one of those new micro jump start devices that I remembered I had (amazing little devices) and I took it to the Lincoln dealer and they replaced the battery under warranty but said anytime I go away for longer than a week to put a trickle charge on it or remove one of the battery posts to prevent the battery from completely discharging but they really didn't like that idea and preferred the trickle charge because a bunch of electronic settings will need to be reset once you hook it back up. Moreover, I am seeing the latest luxury vehicles now are coming with two batteries, one just as a starting battery and a separate "house" battery to run all the electronic stuff that is running in the background. That is the way yachts do it. All these car apps that talk to the car via satellite, the various alarm, safety and convenience stuff will kill your battery if you don't regularly use your vehicle, it is that simple. While this can charge your battery from a very low state, keep in mind it will take a very long time, it really is designed only to “maintain” your battery, and does not do an efficient job charging it from a dead state. Batteries require a charging “profile” depending on the type of battery, most have an initial heavy duty “bulk charge” phase followed by a “float charge” or a maintenance level. This charger only addresses the maintenance charger of about 1 amp or so. So, what you want is a SMART trickle charger that is smart enough to know the battery type you have AND smart enough to know when to stop and start charging at a very low amperage just enough to keep your specific battery type at its optimum charge level for the longest lifespan. The NOCO GENIUS does just that. What I like about it the most is that it is super simple, so simple my wife can do it without freaking out about doing harm to anything. The other thing I like about this is the cost. It is very reasonable and on sale it is a screaming buy. Everyone needs this IMO. Get it and it will save you way more $ than it costs, as well as a massive headache when you come home from a vacation to a dead vehicle that will not budge, and you must arrange to have it serviced in your garage! Positives: • Effective trickle charger • Simpe to connect and operate • Will not do harm to your battery (or cause a fire) from overcharging • Safe for long periods of unattended operation • Reasonable cost Negatives: • Not the best charger for charging batteries from a very low state • Will not “jump start” your vehicle I think you will like this useful item, and it will provide many years of service for a modest price. 5 stars