Looking for anyone with professional Victron installation experience to clarify whether it is standard practice to connect MPPT’s and Orion XS DC-DC chargers to a Cerbo GX monitor in a van conversion.
I recently paid a not insignificant sum to have a professional van conversion done but my converter only hooked up my Multiplus inverter to my Cerbo Monitor and told me connecting the MPPT’S and Orion’s are optional extras only and not done as standard?
My Cerbo currently only tells me power draw data through a single VE connection to my Multiplus (which itself is not an accurate reflection of my actual power draw as there is no smart shunt on my Fogstar battery).
I connect anything that is connectable.
The whole point of the Cerbo is to see all the information in one place.
Some fogstar batteries have can. Does yours?
I too connect everything that can be connected - that said, every installer will charge for their services, and if your contract with them didn’t include full connection of everything, then full connection of everything would be an “extra”, yes - that’s a question that can only be answered by your contract terms.
Personal Opinion:
If you payed for having it done properly - Then you should also insist to have it done properly.
I can’t follow the reasoning why one would not consider these connection “Standard” if connectable elements are deployed side-by-side. Interconnecting them is the whole purpose of adding (and invoicing ) a gx device.
Will it work without? Yes. Does it make sense to omit this, if possible? Absolutely no…
Thanks for the response! And yes, I spoke several times to my converter about the reason I wanted to the Cerbo (in order to see all information). I really didn’t think I needed to specify what this meant connection wise as he is the experienced Victron installer (not me!) and should know how easy it is to run some additional cables from the MPPT’s and Orion’s to the Cerbo while sorting out all the cabling pre-panelling of the van.
A job that would have taken him an additional 20 minutes during a 3 month conversion could now take much longer and be messier to retrofit
Sound like an opportunity missed.
Even they have comms that work with the GX even though they aren’t on the official list. There are many success stories on the forum here.
And usually thats the one you are most interested in too.
Only reason why maybe comms can be left out is cable possibly length but we are tlaking 20m+ qnd even then if you are determined there are ways around that? Seems sily otherwise.
) a gx device.
