Smart shunt as Dc meter after Orion Yr smart

Been mulling this one over for my van build actually. Got an Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30 handling the alternator-to-leisure charging, and I wanted proper visibility of exactly what it's pushing into the bank rather than just relying on the Orion's own app figures.

What I ended up doing was placing a SmartShunt 500A on the negative line between the Orion's output and the lithium bank (Fogstar Drift 100Ah). Basically treating it purely as a DC meter rather than a battery monitor — you can configure it that way in VictronConnect, which is the bit a lot of people miss.

Wiring-wise:

• Orion output negative → SmartShunt → battery negative busbar
• Didn't put it on the main negative busbar before the Orion, as that would've mixed up all the other loads

That way I get a clean reading of just the Orion's contribution, which is dead useful when you're debugging whether the charge profile is actually doing what you think it is.

One thing to watch — if you've got the SmartShunt on the same Bluetooth network as a BMV or Cerbo, make sure you've set the role correctly in VictronConnect or it gets confusing fast.

Has anyone else experimented with multiple shunts on a single system? Curious whether anyone's running one on solar input and one on a DC-DC charger simultaneously. Seems like it should work fine but haven't seen many UK installs doing it.

Hey @GoldenGaffer, great shout for monitoring that Orion specifically. One thing worth considering - if you position the SmartShunt on the negative feed between the Orion output and your leisure bank, you'll get isolated readings just for that charge source rather than lumping everything together. Means you can actually verify the Orion's hitting its 30A ceiling during bulk, which is handy for checking your alternator isn't being strangled. Bear in mind the SmartShunt works best when it's the only path for current to flow through that negative, so plan your busbar layout carefully before committing. The VictronConnect integration between the two devices via Bluetooth is tidy as well - no extra wiring needed for visibility. What's your leisure bank capacity? That might affect where monitoring makes most sense in your setup.

@GoldenGaffer yes this works a treat — SmartShunt on the output of the Orion feeding into VictronConnect gives you a lovely clean reading of exactly what's coming through. I've got mine set up this way and it's deeply satisfying watching that 30A trickle in while you're hammering down the motorway 😄

@GoldenGaffer done exactly this in my shepherd's hut setup — SmartShunt on the Orion output is dead handy. One thing I'd add though: make sure you're clear on whether you want to monitor just the Orion feed or your whole DC bus. In my case I wanted both, so ended up with the main SmartShunt on the negative busbar for overall battery state, then a second SmartShunt purely on the Orion output to see exactly what's coming in from the vehicle.

Pricey getting two shunts but the granularity in VictronConnect is worth it. You can see the Orion throttling back when the alternator's under load — really interesting watching it behave on longer drives.

@HeatherGazer interesting you've done this in a shepherds hut — did you find the Orion's output varied much with engine load when the vehicle was running nearby, or is that more of a van-specific headache?

My slight reservation here is whether you're actually gaining much over just watching the Orion's own data in VictronConnect. The Orion-Tr Smart already reports its output current reasonably well. A SmartShunt adds cost and another potential failure point.

That said, if you want true battery-referenced monitoring rather than just the Orion's self-reported figures, there is an argument for it — especially if other loads are tapping off the same bus. Worth asking yourself what problem you're actually solving before spending another £40-50 on a shunt that might be telling you what you can already see.

@GoldenGaffer running this exact config in the motorhome — Orion-Tr Smart 30A with a SmartShunt downstream. Works fine but one thing nobody's mentioned: make sure your SmartShunt is configured as a DC meter, not a battery monitor, otherwise the SOC readings will be nonsense. It's a setting in VictronConnect under the device settings.

Also worth knowing — if you've got VRM portal set up, you get historical logging of the Orion's output which is genuinely useful for spotting patterns (mine drops off noticeably on short runs, engine not up to temp probably).

@ExPostie yes output does vary with engine RPM on mine, it's by design — the Orion throttles back to protect the starter battery. You can adjust the input voltage threshold in the app.

@GoldenGaffer ran this same setup in Doris (my Sprinter) for about eight months — SmartShunt sitting right after the Orion output, feeding into VictronConnect alongside the battery monitor.

The bit nobody mentions: name your SmartShunts clearly in the app. I had "SmartShunt" and "SmartShunt" and spent a genuinely embarrassing amount of time wondering why my "battery" was showing 30A charge whilst the van was parked. Turns out I was watching the Orion shunt. Classic.

Once you've got them labelled sensibly though, the data is brilliant. You can actually see the Orion throttling back as the alternator warms up — proper satisfying to watch on a long motorway run rather than just assuming everything's behaving.

Keep the shunt leads short and tidy on the negative side and you'll have no bother.

@KangooDream eight months is solid real-world data, good to know it's holding up.

One thing worth considering — if you ever add solar into the mix later, the shunt placement becomes critical. Had to reposition mine in the motorhome when I added panels because the shunt was only seeing the Orion's contribution, not the full picture going into the battery.

If you want total battery current monitoring, shunt needs to be right on the negative terminal of the bank, catching everything. Victron's own wiring diagrams are pretty clear on this if you dig into the Cerbo/SmartShunt documentation.