According to the manual, the Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC charger should be installed with the cables facing downward, not sideways. However, this doesn’t really fit well with my setup.
Can someone explain why the cables need to point downward? I’ve heard that it can effect de-regulation due to excessive heat, but in my case, I find that hard to imagine – the unit is mounted to the cabin wall, with plenty of air around it, though of course there’s no airflow. I would think heat soak will heat the unit universaly within a short amount of time anyway?
With terminals facing downwards there is practically zero chance of anything conductive falling into them and possibly bridging the connections. XS has “feet” on all 4 corners giving an air gap on all sides so convective cooling can still occur if you mount it with the wires to the side. With suitable precautions to ensure airflow and prevent the terminals being inadvertently bridged I would take that chance.
Yes, I have taken my chances and certainly ensured that nothing conductive can fall onto them. I am currently testing two DCDC chargers next to each the other one a Redarc Alpha50. However, the Victron derates much, much earlier than the Redarc and does not really provide the 50Amp for very long.