diy solar

diy solar

It's a Beautiful Plan! No, really. Well....

TAS CPA

New Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
95
Plans can be a beautiful thing. Kinda like our plan to be spending every other weekend out in the RV. That's not going well either. But, we have to start somewhere. This is based on a standard Victron schematic (Drawing BJE-288B). I have deleted a whole bunch of stuff that won't be in our rig. The rig is a 50Amp Travel Trailer.

Plan is for DIY batteries, but we have a trip planned that looks like it will require the purchase of some off the shelf batteries to get us going. So, the initial setup will be with a minimum of 2 x 200Ah Lithium batteries. But, one way or another that battery capacity will markedly increase before the 2022 RV season.

The hope is that with this version, you can help us by looking at the overall plan and provide feedback on the order of things, missing things, too many things, etc.. Battery building will need to come later.

Help! The punch to the face is coming soon, so might as well get the plan adjusted now.

Thanks much.

Todd
 

Attachments

  • Beautiful Plan v6.pdf
    1.3 MB · Views: 45
I was able to get two 2/0 cables mounted onto the input side of my Victron shunt OK. The bus bar in your diagram would make connect/disconnect easier if it was to be done to just one battery. But otherwise, the bus bar isn't necessary.

That's all I got.
 
I would not have the positive cable for the engine starter with any type of switch. I've seen starters draw well over 400a. Or have a way to bypass any switch.

How many feet from DC to DC to 12V electrical panel? I'd rather have the DC to DC close to the house batteries and hooked directly to their main busbars with just a breaker right before connection to the busbar. The reason is you have several connections in between and each connection will have it's resistance and possible point of failure. Putting the DC to DC closer to the house batteries also will help with any voltage drop, if you install the DC to DC at the tow vehicle, you will get voltage drop thru the cabling to the trailer simply due to distance.
 
I was able to get two 2/0 cables mounted onto the input side of my Victron shunt OK. The bus bar in your diagram would make connect/disconnect easier if it was to be done to just one battery. But otherwise, the bus bar isn't necessary.

That's all I got.
Thanks. That is one of the things from their original plan that seemed unnecessary after removing multiple other components. If it isn't easy enough to run the chassis ground from the external lug of the Lynx Distributor, please let me know.
 
I would not have the positive cable for the engine starter with any type of switch. I've seen starters draw well over 400a. Or have a way to bypass any switch.

How many feet from DC to DC to 12V electrical panel? I'd rather have the DC to DC close to the house batteries and hooked directly to their main busbars with just a breaker right before connection to the busbar. The reason is you have several connections in between and each connection will have it's resistance and possible point of failure. Putting the DC to DC closer to the house batteries also will help with any voltage drop, if you install the DC to DC at the tow vehicle, you will get voltage drop thru the cabling to the trailer simply due to distance.
On batter/Orion switch. Would that make sense if it really didn't include the battery to starter cable in the switch? Or, is the more appropriate place for a switch after the Orion? Everyone seems to want a switch to turn off alternator charging.
 
I would not have the positive cable for the engine starter with any type of switch. I've seen starters draw well over 400a. Or have a way to bypass any switch.

How many feet from DC to DC to 12V electrical panel? I'd rather have the DC to DC close to the house batteries and hooked directly to their main busbars with just a breaker right before connection to the busbar. The reason is you have several connections in between and each connection will have it's resistance and possible point of failure. Putting the DC to DC closer to the house batteries also will help with any voltage drop, if you install the DC to DC at the tow vehicle, you will get voltage drop thru the cabling to the trailer simply due to distance.
DC to DC. The Orion would be in the same bay (under the bed) as the rest of the components, so the distance to the batteries will be minimal. The "Positive BusBar" with the MPPT and Orion fuses will also be in the same bay.

Planning on doing separate wire and connectors to the Orion so don't have to worry about overloading the 7 Pin. That overall distance will be approaching 50' (Battery to TT equipment bay).

The distance to the actual DC Panel is at least 8' of wire (one way).

Does that make it work better or am I not understanding?
 
On batter/Orion switch. Would that make sense if it really didn't include the battery to starter cable in the switch?

I wouldn't have a switch on starter cable if given a choice. Usually you can find the feed for fuse panel and hook up there.
Or, is the more appropriate place for a switch after the Orion? Everyone seems to want a switch to turn off alternator charging.
Switch before would be fine, just for the purpose of the ability to shut it off but you do have a breaker there you can always shut off.
 
I wouldn't have a switch on starter cable if given a choice. Usually you can find the feed for fuse panel and hook up there.

Switch before would be fine, just for the purpose of the ability to shut it off but you do have a breaker there you can always shut off.
Thanks!

Any idea if that type of "thermal circuit breaker" has any problems with being used as a switch/disconnect? Can't imagine that I'd disconnect very often.
 
Thanks!

Any idea if that type of "thermal circuit breaker" has any problems with being used as a switch/disconnect? Can't imagine that I'd disconnect very often.
If it is rare that would manually trip it, I wouldn't worry about it. Probably the only time you would disconnect was if you had work to do on the circuit. You can use the remote to turn DC to DC on and off.
 
If it is rare that would manually trip it, I wouldn't worry about it. Probably the only time you would disconnect was if you had work to do on the circuit. You can use the remote to turn DC to DC on and off.
Playing the idiot here is easy! Remote? Not sure where that would be. Is that a Cerbo or other software control option to turn the Orion Off or is that just unplugging the TT to Truck Anderson connector?
 
Playing the idiot here is easy! Remote? Not sure where that would be. Is that a Cerbo or other software control option to turn the Orion Off or is that just unplugging the TT to Truck Anderson connector?
It's on your diagram; the Orion has a port where you can wire it to remote sense or a toggle switch. I'd prefer the toggle switch, especially if your alternator is not that large. You can manually turn on the Orion while driving down the road. You could splice into the H terminal wires and install a toggle in it and leave it on and that would allow you to manually shut the Orion off.

Or you wire it like in this photo, note S1. https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...Smart-DC-DC-chargers-isolated-250-400W-EN.pdf

The other choice is a link between L and H terminals, then run a wire like in your diagram to the alternator so unit automatically starts charging. Settings are accessed thru your phone app. https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...on-set-up-Orion-Tr-Smart-DC-DC-Charger-EN.pdf
 
It's on your diagram; the Orion has a port where you can wire it to remote sense or a toggle switch. I'd prefer the toggle switch, especially if your alternator is not that large. You can manually turn on the Orion while driving down the road. You could splice into the H terminal wires and install a toggle in it and leave it on and that would allow you to manually shut the Orion off.

Or you wire it like in this photo, note S1. https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...Smart-DC-DC-chargers-isolated-250-400W-EN.pdf

The other choice is a link between L and H terminals, then run a wire like in your diagram to the alternator so unit automatically starts charging. Settings are accessed thru your phone app. https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...on-set-up-Orion-Tr-Smart-DC-DC-Charger-EN.pdf
Truly...Thank you.
 
Back
Top