Flexible Lithium Battery Charging with Orion XS and Balmar Regulator

Posted on by luken7

Done….got the Victron Orion XS 12/12 50A DC charger installed. The never-ending optimization for charging lithium batteries.

As I have a Balmar 6- Series 100amp alternator with the MC-614 external regulator, figured it would be a breeze. It’s too much of a breeze and I want some more customization. The default profile on the 614 shuts down the alternator way too soon. I want continuous duty from the alternator when motoring down the waterway, albeit with light duty. Might as well use the alternator for 12v power instead of batteries. Doing a custom config is too detailed for me.

So now using a 12/12 charger from the start battery to the house to get what I want. I like that the Orion XS is infinitely configurable. It has on-the-fly adjustments. It switches from charger mode to power supply mode to provide constant voltage for systems.

The MC-614 profile is set back to flooded. Based on the selector switches, I can still charge the lithium directly. I can also use the Orion XS for charging (yes, I have the alternator temp sensor installed too). I’m liking this setup so far. Seems to suit my needs and what I’ve been looking for. Simplicity yet flexible charging and usage options. I need to do a full diagram.

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Published by luken7

An avid and passionate sailor, drummer and technologist. My career focuses around computing and storage technologies. My passion is sailing and playing drums. I love music, especially progressive jazz and rock.