The premise
Robbert is building a Victron three-phase 5 kVA system and wants the look of a full Victron lineup. What he doesn't want is to pay Victron prices for features he won't use. The Lynx Distributor and the Lynx Power In are nearly identical units. Same housing, same busbars, same bridges. The Distributor adds four fuse holders, a small PCB that talks to the Cerbo, and four indicator LEDs on the front cover.
The price gap is the part Robbert pushes back on. So this video converts a second Power In into a working distributor with a handful of bolts and washers.
The price gap
| Unit | Price |
|---|---|
| Lynx Power In | around €120 |
| Lynx Distributor | €190 to €200 |
| Saving per unit | around €70 |
For a setup that already costs a lot, knocking €70 off a non-critical component is worth doing. The only feature you lose is a front-panel LED telling you a fuse has blown. Robbert's argument: if a fuse goes, the Multiplus will report it anyway. He doesn't need a dedicated lamp for that.
What you need
- 4 × M8 bolts
- 8 × M8 ring terminals (revets)
- 4 × M8 spring washers
- 8 × M8 nuts
- 4 × MEGA fuses sized for your setup (Victron recommends a specific amp rating for a 5 kVA set)
The conversion
The two screws on the front of the Power In release the plastic cover. Lift it, undo the two underneath, and the plastic insert pulls out. Underneath sit four threaded holes already cast into the busbar, sized for M8 bolts.
Drop an M8 bolt through each hole. Set the plastic plate back on top, add a ring terminal, a spring washer, and a nut on each post. Tighten them down and put the outer cover screws back so the unit holds together permanently.
Now back off the original busbar nuts that were holding the cover in place. Slide a MEGA fuse over each pair of bolts. Add a ring terminal, a spring washer, a nut. Repeat for all four. When cables are attached later, their lugs sit on top with another ring terminal, washer, and nut.
The result is mechanically and electrically identical to a Lynx Distributor. The only thing missing is the PCB and the blown-fuse LEDs.
What you give up
- The four front-panel LEDs that indicate which fuse has blown
- Cerbo communication about fuse state
- The factory Distributor sticker
That last one bothers Robbert enough that he asks viewers to send him a spare if they have one. Cosmetics aside, the system works the same way and a blown fuse still shows up everywhere it matters.
Where this fits
This swap makes sense when you're already buying Victron components and want to keep the visual consistency of the Lynx line without paying for telemetry that duplicates what the Multiplus already reports. For a 16 kWh DIY pack feeding a Victron three-phase system, the €70 saving is one of several small cuts Robbert is stacking through the build. The earlier video saved €200 on the Lynx Shunt by building it from a Smart Shunt. The same logic applies here.
Takeaways
- The Lynx Power In and Lynx Distributor share the same housing and busbars.
- Four MEGA fuses, eight bolts, and a handful of washers turn one into the other.
- The only real feature loss is the blown-fuse indicator LED on the front cover.
- Around €70 saved per unit. On a multi-Victron build, those savings compound.
