Is it normal for the Orion 12/24V 20A converter to pull over 100A when the remote switch is turned to on? It gradually drops, relatively quickly, under 60A but not before the 50A breaker trips in the engine bay. Surge duration is about 10 - 15 seconds
I’m using 3-4m 8AWG, 100% Oxygen Free Tinned copper (105ºC rated) cable from engine bay to Orion with the breaker approx <15cm from the 12v battery in the engine bay. Charging voltage is set to 28.2 and I have had it down as low as 26.2 and it still pulls over 100A on start up regardless of voltage.
Once current stabilises the current being pulled is about 45-50A with a fairly consistent 20-25A output depending on 24v LiFePO4 batterie’s state of charge. On float it drops to around 14A. Takes about 30 - 60 seconds to fully stabilise down from 100A on start
I’ve ordered a 70A breaker to replace the 50A which I suspect can’t cope with the duration of the surge
Just wondering if this is normal? I’m assuming this must be the time it takes for capacitors to reach reach their capacity in the converter
Yes, I was probably a bit too cautious with a 50A breaker for the 12V side and I agree on the 24V side.
However I was more interested to know if the converter pulling over 100A on start is normal. I thought I may have a faulty DC to DC unit and my alternator is only rated to 110A so I’m concerned about wear and tear on the alternator each time I switch on the converter.
I previously used a 12V-to-24V 900W boost converter for a trolling motor, but it ended up damaging my battery protect circuit. To prevent that, I added a 10-ohm resistor to precharge the 12V input—this was connected to the output of the battery protect. I also implemented a voltage divider and an LM393 comparator to monitor the boost converter’s output. Once the voltage reached 23V, the comparator triggered a relay to close the battery protect and fully connect the system.
The only difference between my trolling motor converter and the Orion is the remote switch. I was using the battery protector as a remote until it died, and then I had to build the circuit. I don’t use this anymore, but it was fine. I have a new 12V motor now. The only other option is to install 2 smaller units in parallel and turn one on at a time.
Also, if you want to do something different and go away from the old Orion design, I recommend looking at the BLUETTI Charger 1 and a Victron MPPT. I just helped a mate install one, and it works a treat. We ran the output at the max 56V to the MPPT, which kept the current low and the cable small. The MPPT outputs the full 560W. It took us less than 2hrs to put it all together and the APP is really good.
