The neighbours - all standing outside at night because it's dark inside - have just cheered as the power came back on in Boeung Tompun. Only a short outage, about 10 minutes, but the third one recently. The UPS carried the media server without a problem, although beeping in complaint the whole while, but I realised that without a powered network switch I couldn't access the server to down it even if i wanted to.

Is anyone running an inline voltage inverter/battery solution in PP? I had the opportunity to buy one for $600 a while back, but it wasn't auto switching, which seems to miss the point to me. I know the batteries (Yuasa from Japan) can be had for $120 but I know nothing about the brands, reliability, or inline installation of inverters in this 110V ungrounded world.

StroppyChops wrote:in this 110V ungrounded world.

Its 240v here.

How about fixing a socket on the ups linking to the battery to allow you to add another support battery in parallel to the ups battery once the ups has switched over?

Kuroneko wrote:

StroppyChops wrote:in this 110V ungrounded world.

Its 240v here.

You're right! Well, 230v actually... My mistake, I was reading the power input rating for a laptop adaptor for something completely unrelated, and the 110v stuck in my head.

How about fixing a socket on the ups linking to the battery to allow you to add another support battery in parallel to the ups battery once the ups has switched over?

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm considering something like the following, with more batteries in parallel (and not for a solar farm, as the one shown is) - I've seen both auto and manual switching versions in Cambodia:

Essentially solder an extra lead to the terminals which connect to the battery terminals in the UPS. Reassemble the battery back in the ups with the other ends of the two leads outside the ups. The two ends could be either soldered to a socket that you attach to the ups case or have crocodile clips attached that can be clipped to a large battery as in your photo. When the power goes off, the ups kicks in and your network is running off the small(ish) battery in the ups. Just clip on the larger battery which is now in parallel with the ups battery and giving you have increased capacity. The charger in the ups will not be up to charging both batteries so when the power comes back you need to immediately disconnect the second battery. Probably best to unplug the ups from the wall once you are running on battery.

Note this fix is for a switching type (standby) ups that runs on mains and switches to battery. Some ups are permanently connected to the charging circuit so you may damage the circuit. Not sure about this. Some info on the different ups circuits here http://www.apcdistributors.com/white-pa ... ystems.pdf

Ah, okay... although technically you could refer to an inline bank of batteries as a UPS, I suspect we're talking about different things. I'm talking about powering the whole house, including at least one AC, on a battery array.

StroppyChops wrote:Ah, okay... although technically you could refer to an inline bank of batteries as a UPS, I suspect we're talking about different things. I'm talking about powering the whole house, including at least one AC, on a battery array.

Yes I was referring to a network. When I lived in Toul Kork around 20 years ago we got quite a few cuts. I run the computer through a ups. Had some lights that automatically switch on when the power fails and the whole house circuit wired into a generator on the back balcony via a large double pole double throw switch. When the power went off computer kept running and lights came on. Only took about 5 minutes to fire up the genny.

Yup, definitely already have decent UPS for the NAS, and the laptops have Belkin inline power filters so all good there.