New: the ARCO Zeus high energy alternator regulator
ARCO’s Zeus is the only high-energy alternator regulator to feature Bluetooth and a native app (on IOS and Android) allowing for easy installation and configuration. With its intuitive interface, you have access to information on your system that you never had before. This information allows you to regulate your system and optimize your battery charge and alternator output resulting in a safer experience while protecting your energy system investment.
Zeus is the only alternator regulator that measures and reacts to inputs from the Battery current and temperature and the Alternator current and temperature.
Through the ARCO Zeus application, you are in good hands as your data is automatically logged and can be shared with your technician to troubleshoot your system when remote. You can even import your remote technician’s configurations.
Zeus optimizes battery charges for 12-48 volt systems. Whether you are using Lithium (LiFePo4) batteries to lead-acid Deep Cycle batteries, Zeus has you covered with its pre-set battery libraries and configurable menus to optimize your charging profiles. Zeus manages a complex set of inputs by giving you easy to understand options.
Zeus also takes into consideration the power of your engine and allows you to configure the alternator’s power take off from the engine by managing the field, or duty. An advanced feature of Zeus is that it can turn your engine into a dedicated generator with a press of the button, whereby it focuses the alternator’s performance to the creation of energy in replenishing your battery bank quickly.
Consistent with Zeus’s ease of use, Zeus is the only alternator regulator on the market that comes with alternator/battery harnesses and 2 thermistor harnesses, without an additional charge, saving users money and time from sourcing harnesses.
The ARCO Zeus Regulator costs $796.
Features:
- Secure Bluetooth connection for easy installation, configuration, and updates
- Harnesses, Thermistors and NMEA 2000 kit included – Zeus comes with both a battery wiring harness and alternator wiring harness as well as 2 thermistors and the NMEA 2000 kit ($159 in savings)
- Native ARCO Zeus application on mobile/tablet for easy to use and intuitive dashboard, system information, and a myriad of pre-set and customizable regulator settings. (Compatible with iOS and Android.)
- State of Charge – Zeus is the first to the market regulator with built in State of Charge which eliminates the need for an additional state of charge monitor
- Generator Mode – Is a first to market advanced feature of ARCO’s Zeus is that it can turn your engine into a dedicated generator with a press of the button, whereby it focuses the alternator’s performance to the creation of energy in replenishing your battery bank quickly. This sustainability feature enables you to use less fuel to drive energy to your alternator.
- Pre-set battery libraries – Whether you are using Lithium (LiFePo4) batteries to lead-acid Deep Cycle batteries, ARCO Zeus has you covered with its growing pre-set battery libraries.
- Data logging and sharing – Log your alternator’s performance and settings wirelessly and automatically. Communicate setting files and performance logs with a push of a button to technical support as well as import and automatically configure a technician’s recommendations remotely.
- CAN bus and NMEA 2000-integrated networks enable you to transmit relevant data to RV navigation systems, multifunction displays (MFDs), or marine chart plotters
- Compatible with all voltage systems – 12-48 volt compatible
Learn more about Zeus’ solutions at our Learning Center for High Energy.
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This is interesting, would be cool to see how this compares to the Wakespeed stuff beyond marketing literature. WS seems to integrate well with all the Victron stuff I already have, it’s not clear if this would be as good or better in that setup… The bluetooth setup sounds a lot better than bringing the laptop into the engine room or dip switches though..
Nice to see more people entering the alternator regulator game. Also interesting to see it being done by ARCO which has existed in the marine alternator and starter spaces forever but seemed to not be to concerned with high-ouput alternators during that time.
I’m looking forward to a review and test of the Zeus regulator and the new Arco 225 amp small frame marine alternator. On paper (and with some of Rod C’s input on both) it looks like a winning combo. When Integrated with a DVCC system like Victron Energy’s, we are approaching a comprehensive integrated solution to on board energy production and management. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but hoping that this might be possible at some point in the near future.
I’m curious what shunts are usable or recommended for the Battery and Alternator connections? They are alluded to in all the info but not named
Why $800 for a regulator? Most other components in our electrical systems are $500 and below, MC-614 even less.
First impressions… we have had the unit for some months and are just now connecting to a new Balmar alternator. The Zeus has two very nice and expensive connectors that fan out in two cable harnesses (alternator and ships wiring).
The cable lengths are ~2m, if you need 2.1m or more, you have to splice. The harnesses are color coded wires and the manual refers to the colors in drawings, but there is NO color to function reference. If you are slightly colorblind or your printer doesn’t print exactly the right colors, good luck. I spoke with a support person today (very helpful) and he took the suggestion they provide a color to function table. Also needed is a connector pin to color reference, so ultimately you can ring out the cable if needed.
The addition of the connectors and the cable radius off the connectors makes the vertical profile of the package quite large. The unit is pretty big to begin with.
The app look good and is mostly intuitive. Our unit is in fault mode and it would be great to have a more info as to the fault condition. In our case, the Zeus is not seeing battery voltage, possibly due to using the wrong wire for volt sense due to using the wrong color!
VE comms, not sure if we have it talking yet (it is connected). I’ll update after we get that going with our Epoch battery.
Bottom line, the install seems harder that it should be. The size of the unit with the cables was a challenge and the fixed length cables take a lot longer to extend (if needed) Make sure to document the color to color change in your splice, ‘cuz your not going to find the same colors at the store.
Available Now: Victron DVCC Integration with ARCO Zeus Bluetooth Alternator Regulator
October 2024
https://arcomarine.com/blogs/learning-center-for-high-energy/arco-zeus-bluetooth-alternator-regulator-now-supported-in-victron-dvcc
I just stumbled on this recent press release while doing a comparison between these new regulators on Panbo.
I would like to replace my old Balmar ARS-5 Regulator with the Zeus. I recently converted my charger(shore power) to a Victron unit. I already had a Victron solar regulator and decided to add a Victron smart Shunt while I was at it. I will have to add some hardware to get the Canbus signal to the Zeus. I’m waiting for an answer from Zeus tech support on that question.
Thanks, Al. I found an Arco “integration guide” that shows at least one way the Zeus can be set up with a Victron system:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0110/9521/2098/files/ARCO_Zeus_Victron_IntegrationGuide_R4.pdf?v=1710361424
I think that a GX device like a Cerbo is required, but maybe other Victron BMS’s are supported besides the Lynx?
Hi Ben
I know that you have a Mastervolt system and Battery bank on your boat… have you found a way to interface either the Wakespeed or the Arco Zeus to the Mastervolt BMS? The ability of these regulators to compensate not only for temperature and voltage but also current (using external shunts)
Hi Tom, I think that was Ben Stein’s boat, which was unfortunately lost to Hurricane Ian. I have a full-on Victron Smart Lithium, Cerbo, Lynx BMS, etc. system on my boat, and it’s been working great for several years since this initial writeup:
https://panbo.com/lost-bens-nope-were-in-the-lithium-mines-finding-gold/
You can see in action here as Gizmo is still in the water:
https://vrm.victronenergy.com/installation/105905/share/ea38a0bd
Update. We spent many hours struggling with the regulator, it was not driving the alternator and was throwing an error on the app. The feedback from the app was insufficient to know what was wrong and we had to call for support. The fault was no battery voltage, so we went back to check the wiring again to make sure the colors were correct. After doubting the installation to the Nth degree, we were told to order a new regulator, ours was defective.
With a replacement regulator installed, the alternator is charging. The ability to map your own charge profile is great.
Two problems remain. Reporting on N2k: 1) the battery voltage reports as “Generator battery voltage” and 2), no N2k message with engine RPM. For this install, RPM is important because the engine panel is not in the cockpit and, the selling point of the Zeus was we would have RPM on the instruments. So far, no answers from Arco.
The system is connected to VE and reporting (as is Epoch 460), but with our small system, just monitoring the Victron Smart Shunt tells us what we need to know.