Battery-fed mains power - short & medium term

[24942895]

I'm intending to do something with batteries along the lines of a UPS but bugger that will power my PC and accessories and keep the broadband router online during short-term power cuts (a couple of days max) and in the longer term will allow me to recharge batteries and have illumination during a long-term power cut. (this will also be handy when my electricity runs out, previous tenant here had one of those pre-payment meters fitted and it runs out without warning if I forget to check it! instant darkness)

Before I start making stuff up, has anyone done something like this already and can give me some pointers?

The vague outline in my head involves gel vehicle batteries (the gel ones don't give off fumes like lead-acid right?)
that is charged by the mains and a solar panel (probably something that fills my main windowsill)
and use either one large or a few small inverters to AC.

[Hamradioop]

you will need a battery bank to have the capacity that it would appear you require. Also a charge regulator for your solar panels as you will need more than one if their is a power cut. Lots of stuff on you tube to give you some ideas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-lo828o1dU

[short circuit]

Old UPS make good inverters but I got ones with the start button on the front that way its not connected to the mains but you can start them up when needed all i did was take off the kettle type power fitting on the output and put on a plug socket then extended the red and black battery wires outside the unit with the same thickness wire to a car battery you can use more powerful ones but there costly on the charging side I just nocked up some solar panels on a bit of wood and taped then on with sellotape the covered them in see thru plasic on a sunny day 70w pannel will power a 150w inverter without a battery you would just need a voltage regular I striped a old cb radio power pack down to make mine i just removed the transformer and rectifing diodes and wired it to the panel i used a scotty diode live side to the panels so there was no feed back at night. you can also make a wind gen out of a MY1016 motor or a peddle bike gen...its easy stuff as long as you remeber you can get a nasty belt if you dont play safe

[12mp82]

First thing I would try and do is get shot of the pre-payment meter, it costs way too much using one of those

Second thing you might need to look at is switch over gear to isolate your private supply from the national grid, after all it might be someone working on the line that causes the interuption so you won't be in good books if you zap one of those workers.

Next you need to ask around on here and find someone to help you run the figures of what you will need to supply the demands you might put on your system.

Then save up for all the components

[short circuit]

deep cycle jell batterys are the best, its all about what you can afford really if I had the money I would use rolls cells at 1v and build banks of batterys. plane batterys are the best but cost 100's
most of us in the skint world make do and mend still get power at peanut prices.

[ForgeCorvus]

Don't computers and routers run on DC already? My router has an adapter to drop the mains down to 12V DC and I know theres something like inside the computer as I've had to replace mine

Battery (DC) >Inverter (AC) > Adapter (DC) strikes me as wasteful...... A wasted power is something you can really do without on a solar system.


I bought one of these recently (Maplin had a half price deal on them at the time)

I'm still testing it out, it has one inverter socket, two round 12v DC sockets and a USB port

[24942895]

Don't computers and routers run on DC already? My router has an adapter to drop the mains down to 12V DC and I know theres something like inside the computer as I've had to replace mine

Battery (DC) >Inverter (AC) > Adapter (DC) strikes me as wasteful...... A wasted power is something you can really do without on a solar system.


I bought one of these recently (Maplin had a half price deal on them at the time)

I'm still testing it out, it has one inverter socket, two round 12v DC sockets and a USB port

Internally the computer needs a very stable 12v and 5v feed, router is 9v and my three monitors are probably 12v or 19v inside, probably best to have the system give me an hour or so max and then keep the router and a laptop alive for longer term (or just the router and my phone).

[short circuit]

That is true the more you step up and down the more you loose thru heat, as you say anything thats already a 12v dc unit just needs a regulated 12-14v DC power supplie...just make sure your adapter is 12v DC and not 12v AC because some are and are chopped to DC within the router.
or as above 9v....If your going to look for two power suplies 12v dc 5 volt dc better to make a 6v solar system as well as there is less loss in heat regulating down one volt rather than from a 12v battery where your going to be dropping 7 v to much heat waste

[Steve C]

I'm intending to do something with batteries along the lines of a UPS but bugger that will power my PC and accessories and keep the broadband router online during short-term power cuts (a couple of days max)

If you have a local powercut your UPS may keep your router running however if the local area broadband switches/routers don't have any power you still won't have an internet connection. Same with mobile phone masts once backup generators (if fitted) run out of fuel.

[24942895]

If you have a local powercut your UPS may keep your router running however if the local area broadband switches/routers don't have any power you still won't have an internet connection. Same with mobile phone masts once backup generators (if fitted) run out of fuel.

Yep, only useful for short local power cuts.

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