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colorado-dave asked

Orion-Tr Smart 12/12 30A ISOLATED DC-DC Charger - Switch Details

I am using the Victron 12/12 30A DC-DC Charger in a truck & truck camper installation - 2 FLA batteries in the truck, 1 large LiFePO4 battery in the camper.

If I use the H-pin and install a switch on the alternator side, is the unit still isolated if I turn the vehicle OFF with the switch in the ON position? My purpose for installing the switch is to allow me to turn off charging when in a heavy load situation, or to use monitoring tools to see the impact of the charger as compared to OFF.
Effectively, when the engine is off I do want the two battery sets ISOLATED and the DC-DC Charger OFF, without having to flip the switch to OFF.

orion-tr smartswitch
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JohnC answered ·

Hi @Colorado_Dave

Given you've highlighted the ISOLATED term, let's go there..

An 'Isolated' Orion essentially means only that there's no continuity between the negative input & output terminals. As a landlubber it may not matter to you, but in a marine situation it may be important to keep the earthing separate on the two sides.

Isolating the positives is something else. That's to stop charge between the 2 batts. If you want it to charge when the engine is running, then you wire the Remote terminals to the vehicle 'ignition'. To override that you'd need to wire a separate switch in series in the same circuit. So if either the engine stops or the switch is off then the Orion won't charge.


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