question

keegxwill avatar image
keegxwill asked

Is the Trickle Charge TR-Charge Cable necessary?

Wiring my MultiPlus Compact 12/2000 and saw I needed a TR-Charge cable for trickle charging an aux battery. I'm installing in a van, so the aux would be the starter battery. I also have the Orion-TR DC/DC charger, so I don't feel it's absolutely necessary. I would like to avoid buying an additional 15' of wire to run.

Is it necessary? Can I just leave it out?

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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3 Answers
Paul B avatar image
Paul B answered ·

Yes you can just leave it out, its totally optional whether us use the feature or not


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keegxwill avatar image keegxwill commented ·

Awesome! Thank you very much! I appreciate it.

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nicoelectrico avatar image
nicoelectrico answered ·

Hi,

I am about to install the MultiPlus Compact 12/2000 in a Van and I'm a bit confused. I would like to charge the house/domestic (LiFePo4) battery while driving with the generator of the car. Is that possible with that one? Or do I need an extra device like a booster?


Like keegxwill mentioned there is the "TR-charge" spot to connect the positive from the starter batterie. The diagram shows that I have to connect the negatives from the domestic and the starter batterie. Is that true? The manual says I need a 70mm² wire. Is that also the case for the negative connections?


Thank you very much.

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kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·
  1. You cannot charge the house battery from the alternator via the multiplus, it gets its input from mains AC. You need a DC:DC converter/charger like an Orion. Cable size will depend on the output current of the charger and length of cable. There's a calculator in the Victron toolkit app. Don't overdo the charge, it's possible to fry your alternator
  2. Negatives should be connected, usually via the chassis or body. If the house battery is properly fused, you don't need a 70mm earth/ground connection. The 70mm is to carry the nearly 200A current from battery to multi when it's running as an inverter. You'll need a big well cooled battery to carry that load for any length of time.
  3. The tr connection runs at the same settings as the charger for the house battery. It only feeds the starter battery, cannot draw from it. Might be an idea to check further before using it as the starter battery is lead acid, your house is lithium and these have different charge profiles.

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