Just did this for my RV recently. I found two washers on top of the bolts but below the plastic separator helps keep the bolt head seated deeper in the holder and make it less likely to slip out and spin.
Too funny and timely! 😂. I ordered the Lynx distributor, opened box, looked at it and sent it back for the power in. No way I’m paying extra for flashy lights and fuses if I have to buy another component just to provide power to the flashy lights!!💡 It’s just the principle of the matter 🤦♂️. Excellent hack though and I will try it 👍☀️⚡️🤩
Adam, thanks for the tip. I'm throwing together a battery (to get the system commissioned for tax purposes), and this seemed like a great way to get started for a much larger battery bank down the road.
Thanks body for sharing this crucial information with us. You certainly have saved me more than few bucks. I’ve purchased Lynx distributor just few hours before accidentally come across your channel and took your advice straight away and went to cancel my order and ordered the Lynx power in from the same company and thanks to you I’ve saved £60. I don’t need to buy any extra hardware for upgrading power in as I’ve plenty of bolts, washers and nuts already. Thanks a lot for your help my friend. Good night and luck from London as the great American journalist Edward R. Murrow would say.
Power in to the system from batteries should be fused at the batteries within 6” of the positive power posts. ABYC requires this to prevent massive electrical fires should battery cables short out.
I saw this online like you did and always wonder... why? Power In is $150 on Amazon, Distributor is $210. If you want M10 terminals on the Power In it's over $180. In a system that has multi-thousand-dollar inverters, folks are trying to save $20-50? Better savings areas would be re-using any HDMI screen laying around instead of the Cerbo touch panel (which I did, saving $220-330) or using a raspberry pi instead of the Cerbo (maybe $150 if buying the Pi, $279 if you already have one). To each their own, I suppose, and I don't want to "knock" you or anyone who chooses to go this route, but I'd rather get the appropriately-badged Lynx Distributor and offset the chance that, in the future, they enable remote fuse monitoring through the Cerbo. :) Looking forward to your next project!
Thanks for the comment! I see any savings as a win as long as it doesn’t end up costing you more in the long run. Each thing you mentioned though is another point of possible savings. Another thought is just using a tablet instead of an hdmi screen connected to the cerbo. Lots of possibilities!
Can I connect multiple mppt controllers to the lynx distributor or power in ? I have 5 different mppt to accommodate different panel sizes on a boat. Can I double up cables on the posts or are they too short or space restrictive? While there are only 4 connections, can I use the bus bar terminal to the right as a 5th connection?
Yes you can connect multiple mppts. I’ve got several connected. If you got creative, you might be able to double up, but I’m not really a fan of doubling up high current cables. Yes you can use the terminal ends as extra connections. I’ve got my cerbo and rsd power supply on the terminal end.
What’s up Adam⁉️ We started this journey together two years ago with signature Solar it’s been a long bumpy road anyways I have got a fantastic Victron system now and I’m blown away with how flawless it works compared to my EG4 orgrowatt whole house system I’m like 90% off grid now with electricity. And trying to figure out how to connect my victron system to my generator so I can be completely off grid Is this something you will be doing or will you stay connected to the grid for when we have a few cloudy days Keep the great videos coming you’ve been a huge help PS people it might take a little while to save the money for a top of the line system like victron BUT. It’s totally worth it compared to a lower end entry level solar system I’m glad I still have a house with some of the failures in my old systems. Very scary With some of the issue I had
Hey Cowboy! Yeah it's been a wild couple of years. It's amazing the difference between quality and quantity... I'm still working on more solar and batteries to take more of my house off-grid. Getting there slowly. The only generator I have is an open-frame genny w/o an automatic start. I would imagine though that it would be exactly the same as how I set up Ignoring the AC IN using the generator start/stop feature of the cerbo (th-cam.com/video/4ZsGHi8nKGc/w-d-xo.html). You would just run the two-wire from the cerbo to the generator instead. Yeah, you had some sketchy stuff happen. Glad you've been able to get a solid system in place!
@@AdamDeLayDIY Keep up the great videos I’m sure you’ve helped a ton of people including myself buddy Thanks a Ton ‼️ Both of my generators have push button start But no dry contacts to connect to my cerbo 😢
@@cowboymcq6711 Thanks a lot! I know I've seen comments of aftermarket auto-starts for generators as long as it has an electric start. Might be worth looking into. You may have to make a few modifications but if you don't have to go outside to start...might be worth it!
I get the ones rated for 48v from Current Connected: www.currentconnected.com/product/littelfuse-mega-fuse-60a-to-300a-for-12v-24v-48v-systems/?ref=AzzpK9Fl
each mptt regulator must be connected by lynx space 1 space for an mptt? i have 5 mptt i need 2 lynx? not possible to put 3 MPTT on 1 lynx space and 2 mptt on another lynx space? the current coming from the mptt is 40A max per mptt
It's recommended to fuse each connection from the mppt to your battery. That way if there's any current issue, that connection is broken. The connections would be extremely tight if you tried to put 3 mppts on a single connection (if they would even fit). You would then have the issue that if your fuse blew, now you would be down multiple mppts instead of just 1. Now what you could do is use the 4 connection points on the lynx power in and then add an external fuse and connect to the end of the lynx power in with the 5th mppt. Usually the end is for connecting another lynx device, but if you added your own fuse, you could also use that. Then you would only need a single lynx power in.
hello yes I have a 40A fuse at the output of each mptt already ready! 3 mptt together is possible because the cable at the output of the mptt is 6MM²X 3= 18MM² eyelet terminal in 25 or 35MM² would pass yes I understand at the end of the lynx used to add 5 mptt good idea! but on the other hand I could not add a lynx power to power the battery! and I also need 2 slots for my future multiplus 8000VA! I think 2 lynx will be less dangerous!
hello yes I have a 40A fuse at the output of each mptt already ready! 3 mptt together is possible because the cable at the output of the mptt is 6MM²X 3= 18MM² eyelet terminal in 25 or 35MM² would pass yes I understand at the end of the lynx used to add 5 mptt good idea! but on the other hand I could not add a lynx power to power the battery! and I also need 2 slots for my future multiplus 8000VA! I think 2 lynx will be less dangerous!
is this how you tapped your battery to supply the power to the extra inverters which you have been testing? I have wondered how you did that and want to duplicate that. I am powering my XW Pro and want a a 2nd unit, but they are $3500 from SS. Then watching you test/review the 6000XP, I thought I might just add the 6000XP to my existing battery and save $2000 now over the 2nd XW Pro
@@AdamDeLayDIY bingo, thank you for the great insight to that issue. I currently have 500 amp buss bars and want to replace them with 2 Power In panels. Now I have a place to put the existing bus bars to use, in the 2nd (or 3rd) inverter area 😀
Hmm. You're the first person I've heard from that said the design was different. I know there was supposed to be a newer Lynx device that used Class T fuses instead. Did you end up getting one of those?
No it's just the regular m8 version of the lynx power in, I have seen 2 versions, one with the provisions for the leds and 1 without . It has took me over 3 years of saving and buying everything one piece at a time to be able to get the equipment for my solar system because I live on a very fixed income and I am disabled and unable to work, hell I can barely walk. I live in my 1967 GM city transit bus on my friends land out in the high desert of New Mexico. It gets very hot ( over 100 degrees) in the summer and very cold ( below 0 degrees) in the winter here . I've been trying to get my system up and running so I can be more self sufficient. Next on the list for me is the Victron lynx distributor and smart shunt 1000, fuses and a shut-off switch and the copper bars to connect them.
@@jamesmason7124 Good luck with your install. I know all about having to peace-meal a project because finances are tight. If you wana save a few bucks, just get another Power In instead of a distributor (unless you really want to see the indicator lights).
The picture at the beginning of this video shows a different version of mine , Yes I rather just save up and get the lynx distributor. I will be actually using my lynx power in to connect my batteries into parallel, I am also building my own batteries from headway 38120hp cells so I will also be able to start my bus with them, but before I will be able to use them for starting the bus, I will need to get a Wakespeed WS500 alternator controller that will connect to a Victron cerbo gx that I still need to get . Money is such a pain in the butt
Tinned copper is really important on boats because of concerns about corrosion. Victron is huge for boats so they really focus on that (also why they use stainless steel for all the bolts on this too)
Links to the parts & pieces in the video (affiliate links)
------------------------------------
M8 x 25mm Hex Head Screw Bolt
amzn.to/3VBdhT0
M8 Stainless Steel Flat Washer
amzn.to/4cCaMWy
M8 Copper Split Lock Washer
amzn.to/4adMHDV
M8 Hex Nut
amzn.to/4cz8aZK
Victron Lynx Power In - 1000 Amps
bit.ly/3OLqTrc - Current Connected
amzn.to/43252kC - Amazon
Victron Lynx Distributor - 1000 Amps
bit.ly/44210I2 - Current Connected
amzn.to/3wyJYWK - Amazon
Victron 48V MultiPlus-II 5kVA 120V Inverter
www.currentconnected.com/product/victron-48v-multiplus-2-5kva-120v-inverter-70a-charger/?ref=AzzpK9Fl
10kVA 120/240v Base MultiPlus-II System
www.currentconnected.com/product/10kva-120-240v-multiplus-2-5kva/?ref=AzzpK9Fl
Just did this for my RV recently. I found two washers on top of the bolts but below the plastic separator helps keep the bolt head seated deeper in the holder and make it less likely to slip out and spin.
I hadn’t noticed any spinning issues but I’ll keep an eye out when I add more connections. Thanks for the tip!
Too funny and timely! 😂. I ordered the Lynx distributor, opened box, looked at it and sent it back for the power in. No way I’m paying extra for flashy lights and fuses if I have to buy another component just to provide power to the flashy lights!!💡 It’s just the principle of the matter 🤦♂️. Excellent hack though and I will try it 👍☀️⚡️🤩
Haha! It's funny I've seen quite a few people talking about this hack recently. I figure, why not save a few bucks!
Just did the same thing for my EG4 6000XP and a few DIY 100ah battery packs. Super easy, used 48v/125a mega fuses for each pack
That helps! Thank you!
You're very welcome Joe! Thank you!
Adam, thanks for the tip. I'm throwing together a battery (to get the system commissioned for tax purposes), and this seemed like a great way to get started for a much larger battery bank down the road.
@@joeldcoxks glad to help!
Thanks body for sharing this crucial information with us. You certainly have saved me more than few bucks. I’ve purchased Lynx distributor just few hours before accidentally come across your channel and took your advice straight away and went to cancel my order and ordered the Lynx power in from the same company and thanks to you I’ve saved £60. I don’t need to buy any extra hardware for upgrading power in as I’ve plenty of bolts, washers and nuts already.
Thanks a lot for your help my friend.
Good night and luck from London as the great American journalist Edward R. Murrow would say.
Awesome! Love saving some money!
Thanks for the great video. Explorist Life is one of my go-to channels for information. Thanks
Thanks! Yeah, Nate does a great job!
Is it possible to connect to Lync Power In for battery, solar charge charging, and inverter in a single unit? Thanks Adam
@@adassociates8235 if you want to use it simply as a bus bar and not try and use the lynx shunt to monitor power flow, yes you can.
Power in to the system from batteries should be fused at the batteries within 6” of the positive power posts. ABYC requires this to prevent massive electrical fires should battery cables short out.
@@robertschulke1596 what is ABYC?
I saw this online like you did and always wonder... why? Power In is $150 on Amazon, Distributor is $210. If you want M10 terminals on the Power In it's over $180. In a system that has multi-thousand-dollar inverters, folks are trying to save $20-50? Better savings areas would be re-using any HDMI screen laying around instead of the Cerbo touch panel (which I did, saving $220-330) or using a raspberry pi instead of the Cerbo (maybe $150 if buying the Pi, $279 if you already have one). To each their own, I suppose, and I don't want to "knock" you or anyone who chooses to go this route, but I'd rather get the appropriately-badged Lynx Distributor and offset the chance that, in the future, they enable remote fuse monitoring through the Cerbo. :) Looking forward to your next project!
Thanks for the comment! I see any savings as a win as long as it doesn’t end up costing you more in the long run.
Each thing you mentioned though is another point of possible savings. Another thought is just using a tablet instead of an hdmi screen connected to the cerbo. Lots of possibilities!
Can I connect multiple mppt controllers to the lynx distributor or power in ? I have 5 different mppt to accommodate different panel sizes on a boat.
Can I double up cables on the posts or are they too short or space restrictive?
While there are only 4 connections, can I use the bus bar terminal to the right as a 5th connection?
Yes you can connect multiple mppts. I’ve got several connected.
If you got creative, you might be able to double up, but I’m not really a fan of doubling up high current cables.
Yes you can use the terminal ends as extra connections. I’ve got my cerbo and rsd power supply on the terminal end.
What’s up Adam⁉️
We started this journey together two years ago with signature Solar it’s been a long bumpy road anyways I have got a fantastic Victron system now and I’m blown away with how flawless it works compared to my EG4 orgrowatt whole house system
I’m like 90% off grid now with electricity. And trying to figure out how to connect my victron system to my generator so I can be completely off grid
Is this something you will be doing or will you stay connected to the grid for when we have a few cloudy days
Keep the great videos coming you’ve been a huge help
PS people it might take a little while to save the money for a top of the line system like victron BUT. It’s totally worth it compared to a lower end entry level solar system
I’m glad I still have a house with some of the failures in my old systems. Very scary With some of the issue I had
Hey Cowboy! Yeah it's been a wild couple of years. It's amazing the difference between quality and quantity...
I'm still working on more solar and batteries to take more of my house off-grid. Getting there slowly.
The only generator I have is an open-frame genny w/o an automatic start. I would imagine though that it would be exactly the same as how I set up Ignoring the AC IN using the generator start/stop feature of the cerbo (th-cam.com/video/4ZsGHi8nKGc/w-d-xo.html). You would just run the two-wire from the cerbo to the generator instead.
Yeah, you had some sketchy stuff happen. Glad you've been able to get a solid system in place!
@@AdamDeLayDIY Keep up the great videos
I’m sure you’ve helped a ton of people including myself buddy
Thanks a Ton ‼️
Both of my generators have push button start But no dry contacts to connect to my cerbo 😢
@@cowboymcq6711 Thanks a lot!
I know I've seen comments of aftermarket auto-starts for generators as long as it has an electric start. Might be worth looking into. You may have to make a few modifications but if you don't have to go outside to start...might be worth it!
What fuses are you using? Most I see are rated at 32V.
I get the ones rated for 48v from Current Connected: www.currentconnected.com/product/littelfuse-mega-fuse-60a-to-300a-for-12v-24v-48v-systems/?ref=AzzpK9Fl
each mptt regulator must be connected by lynx space 1 space for an mptt?
i have 5 mptt i need 2 lynx?
not possible to put 3 MPTT on 1 lynx space and 2 mptt on another lynx space?
the current coming from the mptt is 40A max per mptt
It's recommended to fuse each connection from the mppt to your battery. That way if there's any current issue, that connection is broken.
The connections would be extremely tight if you tried to put 3 mppts on a single connection (if they would even fit). You would then have the issue that if your fuse blew, now you would be down multiple mppts instead of just 1.
Now what you could do is use the 4 connection points on the lynx power in and then add an external fuse and connect to the end of the lynx power in with the 5th mppt. Usually the end is for connecting another lynx device, but if you added your own fuse, you could also use that. Then you would only need a single lynx power in.
hello
yes I have a 40A fuse at the output of each mptt already ready!
3 mptt together is possible because the cable at the output of the mptt is 6MM²X 3= 18MM² eyelet terminal in 25 or 35MM² would pass
yes I understand at the end of the lynx used to add 5 mptt good idea!
but on the other hand I could not add a lynx power to power the battery!
and I also need 2 slots for my future multiplus 8000VA!
I think 2 lynx will be less dangerous!
hello
yes I have a 40A fuse at the output of each mptt already ready!
3 mptt together is possible because the cable at the output of the mptt is 6MM²X 3= 18MM² eyelet terminal in 25 or 35MM² would pass
yes I understand at the end of the lynx used to add 5 mptt good idea!
but on the other hand I could not add a lynx power to power the battery!
and I also need 2 slots for my future multiplus 8000VA!
I think 2 lynx will be less dangerous!
@@laurentsosson1739 Yeah, personally, I would just get a second lynx. Ultimately it will make things easier and a much cleaner install!
is this how you tapped your battery to supply the power to the extra inverters which you have been testing? I have wondered how you did that and want to duplicate that. I am powering my XW Pro and want a a 2nd unit, but they are $3500 from SS. Then watching you test/review the 6000XP, I thought I might just add the 6000XP to my existing battery and save $2000 now over the 2nd XW Pro
Yeah, that's how I ran my DC side. I just used 4/0 off that Power In to go to my test wall and added a bus bar on that wall for the other inverters.
@@AdamDeLayDIY bingo, thank you for the great insight to that issue. I currently have 500 amp buss bars and want to replace them with 2 Power In panels. Now I have a place to put the existing bus bars to use, in the 2nd (or 3rd) inverter area 😀
@@norsk54472 not a problem! Just make sure you have some kind of fuse for your other inverter line.
@@AdamDeLayDIY for sure
Thank you!
You're welcome!
They must have changed the Victron Lynx power in, because mine doesn't have the LED cutouts and no mine is not the new version with the M10 studs
Hmm. You're the first person I've heard from that said the design was different.
I know there was supposed to be a newer Lynx device that used Class T fuses instead. Did you end up getting one of those?
No it's just the regular m8 version of the lynx power in, I have seen 2 versions, one with the provisions for the leds and 1 without . It has took me over 3 years of saving and buying everything one piece at a time to be able to get the equipment for my solar system because I live on a very fixed income and I am disabled and unable to work, hell I can barely walk. I live in my 1967 GM city transit bus on my friends land out in the high desert of New Mexico. It gets very hot ( over 100 degrees) in the summer and very cold ( below 0 degrees) in the winter here . I've been trying to get my system up and running so I can be more self sufficient. Next on the list for me is the Victron lynx distributor and smart shunt 1000, fuses and a shut-off switch and the copper bars to connect them.
@@jamesmason7124 Good luck with your install. I know all about having to peace-meal a project because finances are tight.
If you wana save a few bucks, just get another Power In instead of a distributor (unless you really want to see the indicator lights).
The picture at the beginning of this video shows a different version of mine , Yes I rather just save up and get the lynx distributor. I will be actually using my lynx power in to connect my batteries into parallel, I am also building my own batteries from headway 38120hp cells so I will also be able to start my bus with them, but before I will be able to use them for starting the bus, I will need to get a Wakespeed WS500 alternator controller that will connect to a Victron cerbo gx that I still need to get . Money is such a pain in the butt
Are those aluminum buss bars?
Tinned copper
@@AdamDeLayDIY thank you. I was just wondering because of how shiny they were
Victron stuff is exspensive but it’s all top notch equipment from what I’ve seen so far 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🥳
@@k-sell4065 no worries! I originally wondered the same thing.
Tinned copper is really important on boats because of concerns about corrosion. Victron is huge for boats so they really focus on that (also why they use stainless steel for all the bolts on this too)
I had to watch this twice too get what your are doing. I am concerned about the ground wires at this point
What ground wires?