question

jhickok avatar image
jhickok asked

Amp Draw During Use for Orion-TR Smart 12/12 30A charger

The Orion-Tr Smart 12/12 30a charger is installed in my battery system with a monitor on the load. When I start the vehicle engine with the house battery load at zero, the battery monitor shows the house battery load immediately increasing by 1.5 to 2 amps (give or take). Does this simply reflect the power needs of the Orion-Tr charger while running? I am just trying to explain this load so I understand, and it makes sense that the charger is using power to run itself. Not sure why else the monitor would register that extra couple of amps while the vehicle is running and the Orion device is in operation.

Although, one thing I do not understand is that the Smart DC/DC charger is not connected to the monitoring shunt, but rather connected to a separate post on the house battery. I thought that meant that my shunt (and monitor) would not be picking up on any power used by the Orion DC/DC device. Maybe I just don't understand how the shunt and monitor are working...

orion-tr smartamps
1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Bob K avatar image Bob K commented ·
Is this a motorhome? Does any particular system kick on and start pulling from the house batteries when the vehicle motor is started?

I'd try disconnecting one of the output wires for the Orion and see if the same load persists.

Do you have all loads connected on one side of the shunt? In the case of the Victron SmartShunt, all loads must go through a single negative wire on the load side of the SmartShunt. Then, there is a single negative wire connection from the SmartShunt to the battery (or battery bank). That way, all electrons into our out of the battery must pass through the shunt. If you have the Orion hooked up directly to the battery, that means your battery monitor isn't picking up any activity from the Orion.
0 Likes 0 ·
1 Answer
veryactivelife avatar image
veryactivelife answered ·

I don’t know about the load you are seeing, but you do want the charger to go through the shunt otherwise the battery monitor will not know what the charger is adding to the battery.

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.