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petrkovac avatar image
petrkovac asked

Orion charger for small car

Good day,

I got toyota 1.4 DTD diesel car + caravan. Now i dont know for certain, but should have 90Amp alternator.

Now i would like to use car as back source of power for caravan if solar won't provide enought power in worst times such nov-jan. Now i go 320w solar aiming extension to 500w, but i recon still might not be enought at some point.

For back up, i would like to have DC-DC from car.


Now couple of question - Orion Tr what size to go for - or more precisely how to find out what this small alternator is able to produce if i got car on idle stationary?

Can max cuurent be set on Orion Charger - so e.g. i by 12/12 18A -> can i set it to 9A?

How to find out what alternator can produce on my particular car in idle state-> my idea start car, and start accessories(lights, fan, cif plug) one by one, i suppose alternator will be producing more and more. Once i switch something on and alternator wont raise amp for it, it will start sucking battery if i am not correct? and that's what i roughly can get from Alternator i recon on idle and can size it according to this?

Another point if you can set orion limit on current, i would rather buy high model and set limit so if i get bigger car/alternator dont need rebuy.

Also i want to keep charger in Caravan not in Car as thats subject to change so it would be really best if orion can be limited by Amps, hope its possible.


Cheers for any constructive and sensible comment in advance


Petr








dc-dc charger
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2 Answers
kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

Check the plate on the alternator for output current.

Suggest you use a clamp meter to determine loads and idle current, but be aware this is only an approximation and will change according to battery SOC as well as what is switched on.

Aim for a max including the Orion of 50% of alternator output under sustained load.

There's no current setting in the Orions. Although they can exceed their nominal output for short periods, assume that an 18A model will take 10A from the alternator. However, batteries, especially AGM, will reduce Orion output as they approach full charge.

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petrkovac avatar image
petrkovac answered ·

Okay, just to clarrify your points:


Aim for a max including the Orion of 50% of alternator output under sustained load.

if sustained load is say 20A(on idle having nothing on particulary, but say i would go for battery depleted, meaning car battery), than it would be 70A free to use, if not anything else to use(thats ofc my task to assure of that). Then i can go theoretically from you mentioned for 50% -> 35A charger, if correct i would still go for 20A. Correct?


There's no current setting in the Orions. Although they can exceed their nominal output for short periods, assume that an 18A model will take 10A from the alternator. However, batteries, especially AGM, will reduce Orion output as they approach full charge.
I dont understand this one, how you meant it - to me 2nd sentence contradict 1st sentence, but its really more i dont get your answer.


I would most likely wont be interested in charging battery when driving, so from this point of view, there would be sort of minimal draw on car and can be more for charger. But i understand there must be kept safe margin even if i would it charge it when driving(yet i might still decide to go for higher(i think 18A over 9A) with understanding ONLY when i can use charger and when not.

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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·
Sorry, typo. The 18A will take about 18A from the alternator. NOT 10A.


To charge a battery, the Orion pushes/forces charge into it. The fuller the battery, the harder it becomes to get more in. This results in the charge current dropping. It's very much like getting clothes into a suitcase. Easy at first, but gets harder as you go on.




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