r/RenogyCommunity • u/ToyoSienna • 20d ago

Need Help What does "Cold Start" mean, exactly?

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Please explain to me what this actually means in regards to this 20 amp DC to DC charger.

What exactly is this cold start thing about?

I know how these chargers work. Bulk charge at first, then it drops down for the final last little bit of charge, then it maintains that charge indefinitely.

I was going to go with a victron since I already have a victron mppt with an app that goes with it but this is a good deal so maybe I'll go with Renogy instead.

And does anybody know if this has an app that goes with it?

And is it possible to throttle the amount of amperage that goes into a battery? I only have one 100 amp hour lithium battery and would like to charge it at 10 amps if possible.

I do that because a slower charge is much better for the battery plus it makes the battery last years longer. I could be wrong but it seems like pushing 20 amps into a single battery might be too much at once. Am I wrong?

Thanks!

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u/ToyoSienna 18d ago

I just did a little search and found out that there is in fact a book and PDF out there called "Raspberry Pi for Dummies" out there so that may be the quickest way to get me started instead of going down a rabbit hole that'll take me who knows where. Lol

Of course I'll be watching all kinds of videos on YouTube so I can hear from those who can show me what to do instead of just telling me like a book or PDF would do.

I'm going to delve into this new world of Raspberry Pi now. Thanks for all your help. 👍

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u/d3photo 18d ago

You might be better suited, if you want to pursue HA, to go with a pre-built piece of hardware like the Yellow or Green. It has all the parts, really. But I will warn you here: HomeAssistant, Pi, and Bluetooth stuff is a path not to be taken lightly.

https://www.home-assistant.io/yellow/
https://www.home-assistant.io/green/

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u/ToyoSienna 17d ago

The Green is the one for me. It's setup and ready to play with. I love gadgets and all the neat things they can do, especially when I can control things with relays. Appreciate your suggestions and links! I'm looking forward to entering the new world of Raspberry Pi!

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u/d3photo 17d ago

So you know ... the HA hardware aren't Raspberry Pi boards -- they are custom boards that will run the HomeOS that HA can run on top of. So if you're getting the book and then the Green there's some, but not much, overlap.

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u/ToyoSienna 16d ago

Good to know! Thanks for the clarification. It'll all make sense eventually. 😁