Hi all!

I’m new the whole “off the grid” or “hybrid” world of electricity (and this forum) and would like to start slowly. I’m really going to make use of the “there is no such thing as a silly question” policy.

Though my goal eventually would be a solar solution (financial research still outstanding to motivate that with the Minister of Finance – my wife), I just want to get through basic load shedding for now.

As most South Africans, I have invested in battery banks, rechargeable lights, etc and have access to a gas braai. I’m mostly, for now, sorted in general when load shedding hits.

Only problem I currently have, is when the lights go out, I don’t have internet (running a fibre Openserve solution at home). I would like to look at a cheap, reliable solution with decent cycles that will get me through loadshedding with internet and wifi. I remember my younger years that UPS was something that existed (and probably still do) that allowed you to run a computer for a few minutes. These back then was expensive and only lasted a year or 2 before it was unusable.

I’m aware that you get what you pay for, so want to consider all the options out there before making a choice (even if it is, do nothing or just save up and start the solar project).

I plan on running 2 devices on the backup power:

• TP-Link Archer C20, 12V – 1A
• Huawei EchoLife HG8240H GPON Terminal, 12V – 1A
• Want it to survive a loadshedding event and it is fine if it recharges through municipal power when the power is back up
• This will hopefully give me sweet fibre internet in loadshedding 😀

Lastly, I hope all this works and the actual internet infrastructure in the area will still operate when we have loadshedding. The cellphone towers for sure don't work, so currently we can't even call, never mind do anything else, when loadshedding hits.

Thanks for the help everyone!
Storm

You can get a Ratel 412 from communica for ~R600. It should be able to do everything you want.

9 minutes ago, P1000 said:

You can get a Ratel 412 from communica for ~R600. It should be able to do everything you want.

Short and sweet, amazing. Will have a look, thanks

48 minutes ago, P1000 said:

You can get a Ratel 412 from communica for ~R600. It should be able to do everything you want.

At 15W output, you'll probably need 2 Ratels, one for each device. (12V, 1A - 12W ea.)

At a combined R1200, since you've apparently got batteries, you're just a step away from a small inverter/charger and your journey has begun.

32 minutes ago, GreenFields said:

At 15W output, you'll probably need 2 Ratels, one for each device. (12V, 1A - 12W ea.)

At a combined R1200, since you've apparently got batteries, you're just a step away from a small inverter/charger and your journey has begun.

Those 2 together is unlikely to draw more than 10W (as long as you don't have anything power hungry plugged into the USB on the Archer). The Huawei draws quite a lot of current on power-up, that might be a problem, but I don't think it will. At idle these will probably not even be drawing 2W, and I assume they won't be working very hard during loadshedding. Lots of assumptions, yes, but as you say, if they are wrong, it won't be a big issue.

The 860p would be a safer bet - with 60W and double the storage, but alas, it is out of stock.

Edited January 13, 20205 yr by P1000

I see that the Ratel 430p is in stock, I would rather go for that one, if you haven't ordered yet.

https://www.communica.co.za/products/ratel-430p

19 hours ago, P1000 said:

as long as you don't have anything power hungry plugged into the USB on the Archer

Doubt I will ever plug anything into the USB. 
 

19 hours ago, P1000 said:

The 860p would be a safer bet

Saw that one as well.

 

1 hour ago, P1000 said:

I see that the Ratel 430p is in stock, I would rather go for that one, if you haven't ordered yet.

Not ordered yet. This one does look like the one to go (watts wise). Saw a specifications sheet saying the 430P will handle 30W for 2 hours and 20W for 3 hours. The 860P will do 20W, 10 hours and 40W, 5 hours. All in all, will go for either 430P or bigger. Will probably buy end of the month. Looks like a neat piece of equipment, thanks for the help. 

I use this unit to back up fibre NTU and MikroTik router and a wireless access point. It works well and the 8AH battery that i use outlasts the load shedding, hmm so far. 

It has battery protection so that the load is cut off to prevent over discharge of the battery.  It also has a 12V output that goes high when the mains is out and this is useful to have a small LED lamp switch on automatically when the prince of darkness strikes.

http://www.sherlotronics.co.za/power-supply-12vdc-3-2a/

Just make sure all the units use 12V ! 

I cut all the leads off the power supplies close to the adapter and then fed them into the unit making sure the polarities are correct.  

On 2020/01/13 at 11:14 AM, Storm said:

I hope all this works and the actual internet infrastructure in the area will still operate when we have loadshedding.

My Vodacom fibre goes off when there is load-shedding in the area. I think they don’t have backup batteries. Sometimes after some time the fibre comes back on again, but I think its when they eventually start a generator. I did not know this when signing the fibre contract, before I had Telkom LTE and that used to stay on during load-shedding, now I’m thinking of getting LTE again as a backup when fibre load-shed’s

On 2020/01/13 at 11:14 AM, Storm said:

Hi all!

I’m new the whole “off the grid” or “hybrid” world of electricity (and this forum) and would like to start slowly. I’m really going to make use of the “there is no such thing as a silly question” policy.

Though my goal eventually would be a solar solution (financial research still outstanding to motivate that with the Minister of Finance – my wife), I just want to get through basic load shedding for now.

As most South Africans, I have invested in battery banks, rechargeable lights, etc and have access to a gas braai. I’m mostly, for now, sorted in general when load shedding hits.

Only problem I currently have, is when the lights go out, I don’t have internet (running a fibre Openserve solution at home). I would like to look at a cheap, reliable solution with decent cycles that will get me through loadshedding with internet and wifi. I remember my younger years that UPS was something that existed (and probably still do) that allowed you to run a computer for a few minutes. These back then was expensive and only lasted a year or 2 before it was unusable.

Great start!

Have a look at this thread in the 4x4 Community forum: https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/324405-Power-for-a-modem

They thrash out the different options but ultimately decide there's no sense going with an inverter UPS solution due to it's inefficiency..