Hi
installing a battery system to my pop top. having a VE ORION TR 12/24 30 amp 360W ISOLATED DC-DC charger and VE 100/30 MPPT SMART SOLAR CHARGER fitted. so I can run 12 v fridge when driving but also charge from solar when stopped/driving.
how will these operate when driving and connected to car alternator? will both still charge? will they conflict? will one shut off?
many thanks for any help.
rob
Hi @robdav
The short answer is that they may 'interact' rather than 'conflict', but they should work fine if set up correctly.
Each will attempt to achieve it's own V-settings, but the one with the lower settings will fall away first (Amps) when the other's V's are higher. This 'falling away' will happen with both as the batts approach full.
What I'd do is set the mppt to how you want the batts to charge under a solar environment. Presumably your Orion is a non-smart model (a 12/12 30?). It should have a screw adjuster which you could set (with a multimeter) to maybe 0.2V lower than Float level in the mppt. That way it'll still charge when the sun is down, not as fast, but it won't overcharge on a long roadtrip either. It will charge alongside the mppt until that level is reached.
I'd also wire the remote start on the Orion so that it stops when the engine stops. Else it could drain the life from your engine battery when you're parked up.
Happy camping..
I heard a software update is in the works so that the MPPT Smart Solar controller and Orion DC Charger can work together at the same time to increase efficiency. Can someone confirm whether this has been updated yet and if not, when it is expected?
I have the same question and would very much like to see the answer. Has the software been updated yet for this situation?
They work fine together. No issues. Just make sure you have the same battery settings in them. For integrated control a GX device is needed.
