Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger
Why buy this?
- To charge you lithium service battery from you starter battery (from the alternator) when driving.
- This is non-isolated version which suits 99% of use cases – see compatibility below.
- Ideal for sheds, campervans and boats with lithium service batteries.
Features
Water resistant to IP43 but the terminals are only IP22 which means it is designed to handle vertical drips of water. It does have resin encapsulated electronics making it a good solution for boats when installed in dry locations.
Many compatible batteries types including automatic detection of 12 or 24V.
Current restriction which is not a common feature on solar charge controllers. It can be very useful for generating extra power in UK winters.
Very quiet due to natural cooling. Other controllers have a fan which may not be ideal in a small environment like and boat, campervan or caravan.
Multiple protections including solar and battery reverse polarity, solar short-circuit, solar over-current, battery over-voltage, battery over discharge, over and under (LifePO4) temperature protection.
Accreditations
Compliant with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
European CE approved – assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
ISO 9001 is accreditation for companies to ensure management excellence in continually monitoring, managing and improving the quality of their products.
ISO 14001 is accreditation for organisations to clarify the best practices for reducing their environmental footprint by adopting an effective environmental management system (EMS).
What's included?
- This is a charge controller only with no integrated bluetooth so need to buy a Victron VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle OR Victron MPPT Control + VE direct cable to setup this controller – this increases the overall price of this controller.
MPPT vs PWM
Charge controllers are either Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) or Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). They can look identical, but have different electronics inside.
Benefits of MPPT
Increased output in partial shade conditions e.g. when there are clouds or partial shade.
More flexible design when matching with solar panels. Can be used with less expensive domestic style solar panels (higher voltage).
More efficient than PWM controllers meaning more energy from the sun being stored in the battery.
Recommendation
For caravans, yachts and campervans, where there is often limited space for solar panels and often shade, we recommend MPPT solar charge controllers.
Protection measures
Compatibility
- Compatible with lithium batteries including LiFePO4 with customisable charge settings.
- Max solar input is 145W at 12V.
- Max solar voltage is 75V (Open Circuit Voltage – Voc).
- Compatible with 12V and 24V battery systems.
- Suitable for boats and yachts in dry locations due to a medium waterproof rating of IP22/IP43, but not for exposed locations.
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