I charged my LiFePo4 auxiliary battery with an Orion Tr 12|12-30A for nearly three years with good results. My only complaint was that the unit heats quickly and then de-rates its power output. The “30-amp” output was usually closer to 22 amps after about 20 minutes. It was tolerable, though, because it still isolated the two battery circuits and would not overdraw from the alternator. Still, I was fairly pleased when the new Orion XS 12|12-50A was announced late in 2023. I knew that I’d want to upgrade! The first units were sold and tested in Europe early in 2024, with shipments arriving in the United States a few months later. I was finally able to order mine in June and received it in July. I had to upgrade some wiring, but I was quick to install the charger afterwards.
The photo above shows that the new XS footprint is significantly smaller than my outgoing Tr, as evidenced by the old mounting screws still being installed. That was a cleaner look than leaving exposed mounting holes. 😀 This photo shows the actual size difference. Not only is the XS case smaller, it also lacks the huge heatsinks of the Tr. The XS is amazingly small and lightweight… I mounted it with ¾” #8 wood screws. I had to upgrade the wiring from 8-gauge since the XS doubles the output power the Tr. The XS literature says that it accepts 4-gauge wires, with 6-gauge being the minimum required. I’ll say that 4-gauge is a very difficult fit; and forget about using wire ferrules! I had to ensure that every strand in each of my 4-gauge wires was perfectly laid… even light twisting of the wire made it too thick to fit inside the terminal block! Only the natural lay of the wire would fit; but it does fit.
I chose to connect my wiring with the charger on a work surface, then mount it with all wiring attached, and then route the wires last. There’s no way I could get all strands of the wiring inserted properly without being able to look directly into the terminal block. It’s that tight! The good news is that the terminal block cover is also a strain relief that’s sized perfectly for 4-gauge wires. The charger fits closer to its mounting surface since it does not have a heatsink. I had to route the wiring off to the side before sending it into the battery compartment. I could have used some stand-offs, but I like the slimmer profile of the XS.
I mentioned earlier that this charger “doubles the output” of the Tr. Remember, the Tr de-rates its output quickly as it heats. Its advertised 360W soon falls to below 300W, sometimes as low as 270W. Excess heat is a byproduct of its 87% efficiency. That efficiency drops even more as the unit gets hot, often reaching case temperatures as high as 120°F during the summer months. The XS is 98.5% efficient! Not only does it maintain its output power, it barely even gets warm. That’s true even when charging my 100-Ah battery from 0-100%, which takes about 2.5 hours instead of the 5+ hours of the Tr! I’ll admit, however, that output is a little lower during the summer months. I think that has more to do with my car’s “smart alternator” than the charger itself. My alternator pulls back its charge current when it’s warmer than about 70°F. The XS still charges at ~30-35A on hot days, though. Of course, it rips at max power in cool weather. Keep in mind that the 46.9A figure shown in this BMS app screenshot represents what’s going into the battery; power that’s being consumed by my battery’s load is not counted here.
This Victron app screenshot shows the power at each stage of the process: The input, what’s coming from the alternator, is shown as 13.3V and 50.00A; the charger’s output is shown as 14.0V and 46.60A. There is some power loss while converting the alternator’s output to a voltage that’s suitable for charging a LiFePo4 battery. Since I also have Victron’s Smart Shunt, this shot also shows the difference between the charger’s output and the battery’s input. The difference is 2.33A, which is consistent with me having two transceivers monitoring the airwaves. Speaking of the Victron app, the XS charger shares more information than the Tr. This overview at a glance is a nice touch. Victron offers more powerful monitoring tools than the smartphone app, but this is a great space-saver in a small car. I’ll share more screenshots below.
Between the shunt and charger data, I almost never need to view the BMS app. This is a screenshot of the charger’s activity. It’s essentially the same data that’s shown above, but it’s easier to read on the road since the fonts are larger. About the only time I feel the “need” to view the app while driving is if I’ve drained the battery more than usual due to freezer activity or extended ham radio use. Otherwise, I just trust that the battery will be topped-off in short order, especially if I’m pulling 50A from the alternator!
In my opinion, the XS definitely is worth the upgrade over the Tr! What’s not to like about more charging power with less heat? Some have two 12|12-30A chargers in their rigs, which might match the output of one 12|12-50A. They may have more money and cable management invested in such a setup. But there’s something else to consider: How is the HEAT in whatever space houses the chargers? Two Tr chargers have to be hotter than one. The XS will relieve a hot equipment cabinet, for sure, and take less space while doing it! First time shoppers should skip the Tr and go straight to the XS… It’s a no-brainer. Take the leap!
Getting a Charge Out of This!
Scott
