Question 1

Does this work with a smart alternator? And does it work when the leisures and the starter share the body of the van as negative/earth?

Accepted Answer

Yes this work with a smart alternator And work when the leisures and the starter share the body of the van as negative/earth?"

Question 2

There is no green remote plug to remove per the instructions when setting up. Is this right ?

Accepted Answer

On the one I received, the remote plug was present but fitted INSIDE the blue casing.  I believe that with this design, you loosen the screws and remove the wire loop across the terminals of the remote, rather than remove the whole plug.

Question 3

Will the device charge in both directions (charge leisure battery from alternator but also charge vehicle battery from shore power)?

Accepted Answer

No.  The Tr Smart has no connection to the grid and cannot handle grid voltage.  Also, in order to protect the starter battery from being drained, when the alternator is not running, the Orions disconnect from the starter battery circuit.  Probably safer to get a second, cheaper, mains-powered lead-acid battery trickle charger, which only gets powered up when you connect to the grid / shore power, and keep it connected directly to your starter battery.  A trickle charger would not raise the starter battery voltage high enough to activate the Orion so charging can only take place where it's needed.  Many people setting up a vehicle system also include a more powerful mains-powered battery charger/power supply for their on-board leisure battery and DC circuits, when connected to the grid.  With any apologies due for  stating the obvious, battery to battery chargers are for connecting to the starter battery and the circuit/battery to be powered, only, not to the alternator.  The Victron web page, data sheets and videos for the Orion series give full info.  All the best for your installation.

Question 4

Can this trickle charge a lead acid starter battery from a LiFePo leisure battery when the van is not being used? (Leisure is solar charged)

Accepted Answer

You can either charge a Lifepo4 battery or a Lead acid from solar panels you can not charge both at the same time or use the Lifepo4 to charge the Lead acid with this.

This unit is a solar charge controller only. (ie the solar panels are connected to it and in turn the unit is connected to your battery to charge)

The unit must be set up to charge as either Lithium or Lead acid

ASIN	B0851TPKV7
Amperage	18 Amps
Battery Charge Time	1 hours
Best Sellers Rank	9,270 in Automotive ( See Top 100 in Automotive ) 73 in Car Battery Charging Units
Box Contents	Orion Tr-Smart Insulated
Brand Name	Victron Energy
Colour	Blue
Compatible Devices	Car batteries, boat batteries, lead acid batteries, lithium batteries
Connector Types	Screw Terminal
Current Rating	18 Amps
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (912)
Input Voltage	12 Volts
Item Dimensions D x W x H	7.1D x 18.5W x 13H centimetres
Item Highlight	Battery Charger for Dual Battery Systems with Bluetooth
Item Type Name	NT-1100
Item Weight	1.2 Kilograms
Manufacturer	Victron Energy
Manufacturer Part Number	ORI121222120
Model Number	ORI121222120
Number of Items	1
Number of Packs	1
Output Voltage	12 Volts (DC)
Product Warranty	Other
Specification Met	CE
Unit Count	1.0 count

Victron Energy Orion-Tr Smart DC to DC Charger 12/12V 18A 220W Isolated

Details

Details

Description

Specifications

Common Questions