question

I'd like to see this as well for DVCC max charge current. Also a nice way to data log input sources other than PV and grid. Maybe in the settings on the GX, like the multi where you can select AC input type (grid, short, gen), you can have similar options (alternator, ect.)

I am interested in this too, since The charge by the alternator would not be monitored on the Gx

I am also interested in having this integration. Adri

I’d also like to see this but for the reverse reason.. looking at using one or two to power 12vdc lighting from the 48vdc battery bank.. would be nice if it would tell the GX the power it’s drawing from the bank.

Second the need for that. Just shopping for a Orion-Tr, and can't believe, that it can't be integrated with my CerboGX, MP-II and BMS...

Any news on integration? Slowly working on replacing everything with Victron and I was surprised that through the whole ecology this unit wasn't part of the data collection in arm for instance.

I was about to order 3 Orion 30A and realised that it cannot be connected to Cerbo. I also have a Multiple and MPPT on a lithium system with BMS.

Huge disappointment. I am wondering on what the alternatives are?

Right now we're solving this with external current measurement and the on/off switch.
The Orions can operate in parallel, so we're e.g. using 2 devices for a 48V DC rail powering various appliances in a smarthome (mostly PoE switches, which in turn power other devices).

If the Power requirements drop below what one Orion can deliver, one of the two is turned off for power savings. Also, should one of them break (not happened yet and as they are not isolated also not sure the problem would be 0V rather than 55V), we could turn the defective unit off and turn the other on.

So yeah, Ve.direct would be nice, but remote on/off is still better than nothing.

I have been upgrading my van solar installation to Victron with an MPPT and a Smart Shunt and am now quite disappointed to find that the Orion devices do not integrate with the VE Direct devices.

Looks like I will be sticking with my Sterling B2B for the time being.

Come on Victron don't fail us, you've got some great products that just need VE Direct adding.

It's been two year since everyone asked for integration of the Orion Smart tr with the Color Control GX, and Victron said it would be coming. How much longer will this be? I need this.

Hi folks, news about a new firmware? Wake up Victron, let the Orion TR become as smart as your other products! Thank you very much and happy new year.

Ciao!

I guess I'm not understanding how the information on Orion chargers available in the victron app (ios in my case) couldn't be made available to Venus/GX devices. It's very useful information (eg knowing that the charge is currently in "float") and is awkward to only be able to view it on the phone.

I understand that the hardware itself may not have all of the information that you might _want_ for a full integration, but simply making the data it has available over bluetooth would be a massive improvment.

any updates? i would like to get some orion in de next 3-4 months, will there be some VE Direct Version.

cheers

@brezzi I doubt you will see anything soon. While the device has a bluetooth interface to work with Victron Connect, it has no other interfaces that the Venus/GX devices can use to get information. There is no ve.direct ports. If all you want is current and voltage, then you might like to put a shunt in to measure what is happening.

We bought two of these assuming they would play well with the rest of the expensive victron environment. Wonder how many others did the same?

Technically faulty research on our part. But am surprised and disappointed. We should have gone with another brand for the DC to DC charger.

This isn't an answer, I'm just taking a minute to reflect on the fact that Orion comms/integration has been the topic of two out of the top three non-announcement threads on this entire forum for over two years now.

I guess I am perplexed that the Cerbo can read and display Bluetooth data from a ruuvi tag and a mopeka but not victrons own Bluetooth devices that show up in victron connect. Seems like this function could be easily integrated for monitoring only.
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I'll add my two cents since I haven't posted in 3 years on this topic. I understand developing a new product takes time and to quickly change a new product is difficult. I understand any delays and will just deal with them. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for Victron to release a DC-DC charger that has the following:

• Direct connect to GX for external control via DVCC and external BMS (just like the multi and MPPTs have)
• Higher output (70-120amps) that's configurable like the MPPTs
• Better efficiency so the unit runs cooler (I'd even take fans on the unit but I understand that's a hard sell for Victron as their heavy background in the marine industry).

I have since sold my camper van and I'm in the process of building another one and still with no option from Victron I ended up going with the new 2023 Sterling BB12120 dc-dc that does 120 amps and will just install another smartshunt for monitor only this input. It's got two out of the three that I requested above and until Victron releases something I'm just going to live with it. It's going to be sad to have a red box surrounded by blue but it'll work fine until Victron gives us something better.

I placed my order for the Sterling today so it'll be here when my van gets delivered.

Hello, so many people want a better DC/DC Charger with real "smart" functions and more power with less selfheating.

Best regards Robert

I had a similar problem, I needed 24V on a 48V system with pylontech batteries. I solved it by using a AC charger connected on the multiplus AC out instead of an Orion DC/DC. Works fine.

And the charger has VEdirect port, but I can't connect since the cerbo thinks it charges the main battery, but in fact it's used as a 24V power supply

Hello, i'm here to enforce the fact that a way to connect orion's plateforms to Venus OS should be found.. I'm building my RV installation with a lot of sensors, and Venus installed over RPI running also Node-RED.

It would be very nice to get this feature to design more smart custom automation scenarios.

Please Victron consider it.

I am a little new here, and are in the ordering process for my van build out. I am also lazy and simplified the terms, not looking up each protocol.

Please correct if I am wrong:

anything with the "smart" name could be connected and would synchronize charge via bluetooth.

With that being said, I see two scenarios:

1. my solar charger and orion will be in use while driving. They will communicate via bluetooth.

2. my solar charger and multiplus-ii will be in use while parked. They will communicate via carbo-gx

Again, new to mobile life. I have a home setup, but not a mobile.

Might be a realy dump question, but can‘t a victron MPTT be used instead? Or is the input voltage of 12/24v to low for it to work correctly/efficently? But they are also just DC-DC converters and have all the fancy hardware features we want.

I'm only here to state that I'm disappointed with the situation and that we didn't hear anything about the topic from Victron for over two years now, even though so many people are asking for it. This taints my previously good image of Victron. I'm planing my energy system now and I will probably decide to use cheaper DC-DC converters from a different manufacturer, because the Orion doesn't integrate with the rest.

I also would like to draw attention of the Victron Energy Inc and its management to this tread. The topic is now 4 years old and the situation has still not been settled. That is very disappointing.

I'm here to throw my hat in the ring. We live in the desert southwest where temperatures can be in excess of 120 degrees.

We replaced our old solar charger with an MPPT solar charger to stop cooking our batteries in the heat. Then we got a Smart Battery Sense to report back to the MPPT charger because the temp reporting was more accurate. Then we got a SmartShunt and it linked up with the mppt charger via network. We purchased the temp sender for the smart shunt as it is said to be even more accurate. Then we got another Smart Battery sense just so we have visual temp on all 3 (knowing the smartshunt over rides the Smart Battery Sense).

I purchased the Orion from Amazon last night. It will be here today. I will be returning it unopened because it can't receive temperature data from any of the other products i purchased and it cannot throttle output current (amps) to a specific set range like it's MPPT cousin. I am considering a Cerbo upgrade as well and the Orion doesn't speak VE???

The only thing this product has in common with the others is the blue outer case. It is not "smart" at all. In fact, compared to the other products it has a learning deficit that renders it near useless.

We are extremely disappointed. We will be running off the the regular old house charger in the RV until Victron gets this figured out. Maybe even get another brand if need be.

The entire situation is extremely unfortunate. I am planning to electrify a sailing yacht which has not any electrical wiring yet. Initially, I was planning with components from Victron Energy. But now I am actively looking for alternative manufacturers due to this lack in Victron's portfolio.

It doesn't make sense. Personally, it seems to me as if the Orions are not manufactured by Victron themselves, but are re-branded products only to have "some" DC-DC charger in the portfolio and fill a gap. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense why these chargers have been being completely incompatible with the other components for the last four years without any indication that this will change.

As @Happy Camper wrote: The Orions have nothing in common with the other components except the blue color of the enclosure.

Extremely disappointing.

There is a new Orion in development that will have ve.direct and will have adjustable output current.

But it will still take some time. I guess Q1 2024.

@mvader (Victron Energy) this thread is now over 3 years old and nothing did happen till now.

Nothing is smart on the smart orion, but it cost double then triple of your competition....

Additional you get max 27A out of a 30A charger also at 25 degrees, my alternator can do 80A continous. It's really a big disappointment these TR smart orion...

Why should i buy a TR-Orion?? No integration of any sort, bellow specs charge current and gets hot like my induction stove...a renogy 60A DC2DC that I can reduce to 30A (also not possible to reduce charge current with TR-Orion) costs 100 bucks less...and delivers more via its bt app then victron does.....I can integrate this via smart shunt but even that feature is not there as promised.

An easy solution which I don't understand why it is not there since years is why the cerbo GX with its Bluetooth functionally cannot connect via bt direct or via bt connect to all Smart products and get all the data that instant readout delivers and can also use all bt connect functions like eg synchronised charging. That is a super simple interface to implement...@mvader please explain why?

Is ve-direct cable such a huge business? Would make installation much easier..especially if the cerbo is added later and all cable conducts are full like in my case...

Really, really disappointed that you cannot resolve this in over 3years...

Will change soon to 24V bank with 12V alternators and also 24V inverters. the new 12 to 24V DC2DC and also inverter (will be 2 Studer XTM24-3500) won't be victron anymore...if i have to add more mppt will be studer too.

mainly because I see no change at all, quality change through backdoor (multi 2 are much more hf then LF inverter anymore...studer are full LF with less standby) and have no trust anymore in promises that are not kept and obvious quick fixes are not done...and I am not alone...

Its told, the Orion-TR smart does not integrate with VE.Direct because it would be a competitor for a smartshunt device, because it reads everything a smartshunt can read and does some extra while less expensive. I think this is a marketing decision. Anyway, you can add the product to a Ve.smart network over bleutooth.

The Orion-TR smart does not integrate with VE.Direct because it would be a competitor for a smartshunt device, because it reads everything a smartshunt can read and does some extra while less expensive. I think this is a marketing decision. Anyway, you can add the product to a Ve.smart network over bleutooth.