New Victron ORION XS DC-DC Charger Upgrade B2B Installation
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Fitting the new Victron Orion XS B2B with Smart Bluetooth capability to the Campervan to enable more charge as we drive about.
This gives up to 50A charging in a single unit which is lighter (5.2x), smaller and produces more power and less heat as it’s more efficient than the previous generation of Orion. I also remove the Schaudt WA121525 Booster so I now have a single B2B/DC-DC charging solution.
What I used:
16mm2 Red cable (5-6m) - I plan to upgrade the cable from the vehicle battery to 25mm2
50mm2 Black cable for the negative (1m)
16mm2 Black cable for the negative (2m) and additional to the light negative connection.
20mm conduit for running the cable in underneath (10m)
Appropriate cable termination including heat shrinking
2 x 100A rotary switches - I got mine from Amazon “Battery Isolator Switch for Car, 32V ON-OFF-OUT Battery Power Cut Off Kill Switch, Car Battery Switch Master Power Cut-off Switch Kit, Car Battery Power Switch for Yacht Boat Truck Bus Car (100A)”
4 x 60A fuses and fuse holders (Mega Fuse, Midi Fuse, ANL or equivalent suitable for the appropriate current)
I bought my Victron Orion XS From Offgrid Power Solutions:
offgridpower.solutions
Victron Energy Website:
www.victronenergy.com/dc-dc-c...
Contents:
00:00 Introduction to the Orion XS B2B
02:23 Background of the Orion XS or Buckboost
02:29 Where I purchased mine
02:46 The Weigh in! Out with the old
03:26 Key advantages of the Orion XS
07:12 Wiring it up - Wiring Diagram
08:52 D+ Engine Running connection
11:25 Out with the old and in with the new Orion
12:37 Walk through wiring and fitting of the Orion XS
14:11 Review of the Victron Orion XS
Everything I purchased is a personal purchase and not sponsored in any way.
If you decide to do this yourself, this video is just a guide on how I have gone about it to suit my specific purposes and may not be the best way of going about it. Any mods you undertake you need to personally assess the risk before going ahead and whether it’s needed or right for you.
Everything I purchased is a personal purchase and not sponsored in any way.
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Well done David a really interesting video and good to see the benefits of modernising the electrics in the van!
Thank you Daniel - it makes such a difference
For use on a motor home. Thanks for your videos. Just installed four hundred watt panels. My gel batteries are seven years old. Looking at roamer lithium. Thanks again.
Sounds like a great solar panel - I’ve been really pleased with my Roamer battery - thanks very much for watching - all the best, David 👍
Great video David. I will be sticking with the Schaudt WA121525, I did remove its output from the Elldis PCB and put it direct onto the a Battery (Roamer SB230) mega/maxi fuse box i installed. I find 24amps per hour I seem to be getting (tested via Roamer app) OK for our van use.
Excellent that’s great output and you can tell that you’ve put it direct to your battery 👍
All the best, David 👍
Well done David you look like you know your stuff but it was like you were talking a foreign language to us 😂 went right over our heads! Glad it worked out and great it comes with an app (like everything nowadays) 👍❤️ have a good week x
I don’t understand it either guys - all I know is that I can use the hairdryer and toaster without being plugged in 🙌 just like magic! 🪄
Rachel & David 💕
Speak for yourself.. easy to understand. Shane the XS is impossible to buy
Hopefully it will be available again soon with sufficient production run for everyone who wants one. All the best David 👍
Great video, thanks!
Thank you - appreciated - all the best, David 👍
Well, I’m glad you know what your doing David..🤦🏻♂👏
Let’s hope eh 🤞 All the very best, David 👍
My setup is a mixture of renogy and victron but all runs via a hard wired ac200 max Bluetti so a fogstar puts power back into the ac 200 when required giving 240v 24/7 and we have a dedicated solar panel feeding the AC 200 separate to the leisure battery as we have a bifacial panel looking after the lithium we also have a 500w victron booster to take power from the leisure side when needed so a bit of a Frankenstein setup but works amazing wouldn’t change it
Sounds like a cracking setup - it’s all about finding something which works for you isn’t it - all the very best, David 👍
Hi David Great video and thanks for taking time out to do it, if you dont mind me asking you a question, Where the earth cable joins to the chassis, is it ok just to join straight to the battery instead of chassis? Thanks again
There are chassis points near the battery but if you have a modern vehicle with start stop (and some others with sensors) you should not connect direct to the negative terminal of the battery - just to an appropriate point - some don’t have this so fine but usually the battery has a sensor nowadays - hope that helps / makes sense? All the best, David 👍
Thought I had better say Hello. Not sure I need the extra power of the XS but was interested to see if it was as good as folk say. We survived another winter with our current set up of 200Ah of Lithium after I got a deal which was better and lighter than the AGMs I was going to fit. Thanks for sharing.
Hello 😀 it’s quite a bit extra power isn’t it and in some cases the alternator or other things wouldn’t support it, wonder if they will do a 25/30A version at some point, imagine that could be even smaller!
Thanks for dropping by, all the very best, David 👍
Another great video thanks. Quick question>. ...On your original build you had your battery maintainer between the 240v charger and the Schaudt b2b charger. Looks like you have retained the battery maintainer when replacing with the new B2B. Does this just now connect directly to the vehicle battery and still work fine? Many thanks. John
Hi John, when I removed the Schaudt, I kept the battery maintainer connected to the vehicle battery connection and the other end to the charger which feeds back to the leisure battery so it’s essentially the same as the vehicle battery input just connects to the converter connection and then on to the vehicle battery so it’s connected directly.
Hope that makes sense and thank you.
All the best, David 👍
Hi David, Great video and walk through of the change and you are definitely responsible for giving me ideas which lighten my wallet 🙂.
In relation to the VE bus, does it currently utilise the battery reading from the smart shunt to match the charging profile? Just with Solar, B2B and shore charging from Victron it was only the Orion that was not matching. With the new XS does it now match with your other units?
I've not gone to the cerbo yet but would be interested in your findings on how all the current battery charging sources work.
Hi Louis - thank you - it becomes an expensive game doesn’t it - I think it uses the in / out voltages what the ve bus is giving is the visibility and history of what’s happened if that makes sense. All the best, David 👍
I’ve bought one now so can’t wait for it to arrive and get it installed. So I’ll soon have a spare Victron Orion used for 6 months for sale as well 😊
Great job David as always…..how much for the 30amp bud?
Thank you- looking for around £130 if interested drop me a line at; feedback at LeisureBit . Co .uk - all the. Best. David 👍
Hi David. how did you get your hands on one this early ?. i am having some upgrades to my motorhome and the firm doing the upgrade told me that the 50amp b2b would not be available until late March early April.
Sorry to hear that - I ordered it when it first went for preorder from Offgrid Power Solutions and was lucky to have been in quick I think before they sold out of the first batch - it was delayed slightly like any of the others due to time to supply - hopefully yours will come sooner. All the best, David 👍
Hello! If you connect the 12v alternator and charge a 240 amp 24 amp lithium battery. I can load
Hello, thanks for the comment, not sure of your question - is it charging 24v battery?
David, many thanks for yet another great trechnical blog.
I'm happy with the standard fit Schaudt WA121525, as it charges my single 95A orginal AGM battery (Elddis CV40) in quick enough time when needed. As i'm very tight with my dosh (saving fuel), I would like to be able to turn off the "Schaudt WA121525" if I know I'm going into a paid campsite with EHU or if I have to move, but know there is plenty of sunshine to charge the battery later. Would having a switch on the D+ line be a good idea? I have asked Schaudt, but await their response. Thank you 👍
Hi Darren - yes a switch in the D+ line into the Schaudt would achieve that and you’re right the energy comes from somewhere so reducing load = reduced fuel costs 😀 I keep being tempted to try and work out Ah>diesel to see how much it is but imagine over time it would be significant
All the best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit Thank you David for the response. I think I will fit one of those bluetooth devices from Amazon so I can activate/deactivate remoteliy without running wires around :)
@@darrenpardoe good idea, just make sure it's volt free contacts to avoid damaging your van electrics, most of them seem to be relay so should be :)
where did you connect it to on the cab battery also have you a photo, and what connector/fuse did you use
Thanks for the comment- I used a 60a mega fuse from the spare terminal on the battery (I think it’s in the video I did in the Orion 12-12-30 as I have reused the wiring from that. I had to use another mega fuse holder to get the bolt etc to fit the fuse to the spare way on the battery. Hope that makes sense, if you can’t find it will try and get a photo - David 👍
Is there an automatic battery isolator in this Orion XS? Does it shut off if there is no charge voltage measured from the alternator? Otherwise it seems from the schematic that the vehicle battery would discharge.
Nevermind. I should have listened more intently. It's smart! I found this in the manual: "The Orion XS can be set only to supply power when the engine is running. This is possible thanks to the integrated engine
shutdown detection. This eliminates the need to adjust in-vehicle wiring or add an engine detection sensor to determine if
charging can start. It also prevents the voltage on board the vehicle from getting too low. In addition to this detection, the Orion
XS can also be forced on via the remote on/off port.:
Yes thats right, it’s configurable by the Victron Connect app for auto-engine running detection or you could use the traditional D+ input via the connection - whatever works for your setup. Best Regards,
David
Hi thanks David any news on a isolated xs. Thanks.
Thank you - there’s no news as yet, I imagine it will be in the pipeline, I know they are popular in marine - you using it on a boat or something like that for the isolated or just wanting isolated?
can you please tell me where abouts is the factory fitted one located please david ?
Hi, on mine it was located on the other side of the washroom wall, near the fuse board and mains / charging unit - in the video it’s the blue Schaudt box on the left. Hope that helps,David 👍
Anyone have the Transit dual-alternator option ($640) with the second alternator dedicated to feed the Orion?
Hopefully someone will be along who can help 👍
Hi David, I've just installed an Orion XS with the D+ plugged on H pin, but I'm not sure if the Engine Shutdown Detection must be turned off or not. Thank you for your reply.
Good afternoon - I switched it off on mine as then it’s driven by the D+ signal to avoid any odd scenarios occurring when you expected it to charge and seems to work well - hope that helps - all the very best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit thank you for your quick reply David. I'll do the same. greetings from Italy
Greetings, I am looking to use one of these to sit between my starter battery and my Anker C1000 via the Solar input. Will this work in this manner?
I can’t see the input voltage range for the c1000 - I believe you can buy a 12v charging cable for about £25 for that model which is designed for that particular power station - might be worth checking that option out as would be significantly cheaper. All the best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit Right - I am looking to connect the DC to the XT-60 port on the Anker C1000. Using the Cigarette lighter takes forever to charge (100w vs potentially 600w).
On some vehicles the engine Alternator needs upgraded to a higher capacity type. It can also mean that twin Alternator drive belts need fitting to handle the extra horse power taken from engine as it can be as much as 7.5 horsepower. Plus twin belt pulleys. Remembering if both batteries need charging. George
You’re absolutely right and you need to make sure the alternator has sufficient capacity to ensure it doesn’t overload.
@@LeisureBit A proper job . George
Thank you George - best do it right
Ford has a $640 dual alternator OEM option however I had not seem one, even the Trail, equipped that way yet.
That would be 5.5 kW before various losses.
Apparently these get really hot seen some guys testing them on here
Thanks for the heads up will keep an eye, has been nice and cool so far but will pay more attention to see if it is heating up 👍
After 1 hour use, 22°c less than the Orion-TR 30A.
ua-cam.com/video/y3-IP-Flxuc/v-deo.html
set you a link about your wire size if you havent changed the cable size might help ..........
Thank you - appreciated. All the very best, David 👍
in my short Microcamper the 4' run from my starter into the charger will be 4awg copper, but okay to use existing 8awg copper OUT of the charger to the house lithium for a 7' run?
You would get more current flow likely through the vehicle battery side so better it’s thicker cable there. Personally I think 6 or 4 would be better especially on a 7ft run - if it’s very good quality cable.it might be ok but I would upgrade it to get the best performance and remove any risk if it’s an Orion XS, just to make sure… all the best, David 👍