Can Portable Power Stations also be REAL backup UPS worthy??

[@darrenorange2982]

Also make sure your actual UPS can communicate with the machines you are backing up so they can shut down gracefully in the event it is needed. These power stations don't have any way to talk to your computer but the UPS can, I do this exact setup at home for my UNRAID server, if all back up is loss it will still shut down gracefully.

[@Darkk6969]

Plus need to size the UPS running time to give the servers ample time to properly shut down before it loses power completely. Most file systems can recover from sudden power loss but not when there is alot of disk activity.

[@darrenorange2982]

@@Darkk6969 Yes absolutely I ditched the crappy server batteries however and wired them directly into a set of lawn batteries meant for lawn mowers. I tell the server to start shutting down once it reaches 50% run time remaining.

[@thelaughingmanofficial]

There's software built in to Windows that lets you set your Desktop PC to shut down once a certain percentage of battery is reached. It's usually used for Laptops but can be set up for Desktop too. Also newer power stations support UPS hookups even if they don't have an UPS mode.

[@JeffDM]

@@thelaughingmanofficialif power stations support communication with a computer I’m not finding it noted as a feature.

[@aaa000777]

Power stations don't have the communication feature via USB or Serial to alert your computer that it is on backup power and to gracefully shut down. So unless you are actively using your computer / server and can manually shut it down, the Power Station will only help in short outages where it's batteries will last.

[@Ethorbit]

So plug it into a UPS and plug the UPS into the power station. The benefit of this would be longer lasting power since a UPS can only keep the load on for like 10-15 mins whereas a generator can keep it on for a couple of hours. This way if the generator runs out of power and the UPS runs low, the computer will still gracefully shut down.

[@practicalguy973]

A UPS would be grounded to earth also. I think many power stations are a floating ground, so that is something to consider for server equipment and your safety.

[@Ian-S.]

This is WORD FOR WORD the EXACT video I was looking all over for!

[@Matt561]

ditto

[@sonictech1000]

If you're going to do the UPS + power station thing make sure to allow some overhead for charging the UPS and test the heck out of it.

[@richragasa8608]

I like the idea of keeping the ups connected to the power station. It could give me hours of power to my computer equipment. Wouldn’t using the power station always on to supplement the UPS shorten the lifespan of the battery on the power station?

[@dancarney106]

Thank you for the topic demo upfront in your video and the detail about the demos at the end of your video. I sure wish more youtubers followed that format. I agree with all you said. Most people have no clue about UPS or even a perspective of the unit of time expressed in milliseconds. Hint: Snap your fingers then divide what you heard by 1000 and you got about one (1) millisecond. I would ask that using the APP for a solar generator as a UPS one should monitor the solar generators internal battery temperature. Below 50°C (122°F) on Li-Ion not sure about LIFEPO4 chemistry.

[@Constitution1789]

The Online UPS port on the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra advertises 0 ms, and that's because the Online UPS port is only using the battery, no power from the AC input. Downside is, like you mentioned in your video, is reduced battery lifespan.

[@P4NCH1]

Really cool and informative video!! I now want more videos about UPS reviews :D

[@P4NCH1]

I have a "server" (normal desktop PC with a lot of storage) running as NAS, Plex and Minecraft server and I'm always thinking about the need of an UPS for it, at least to protect it from power grid outage, and I simply can't decide on what is good/justifiable for it

[@djyoungcity]

Did you do any testing to see if the flow through power on these models continue to flow after the battery runs out (ie long power outage) and then power is restored. Want to keep one on my network rack but concerned that a long power outage will take it offline and it will not automatically get power again after power comes back without manually turning on the battery unit.

[@DeanBennett1]

This is the BEST question on the video if you use these in an unattended deployment! My CyberPower 1500 powers my computer rack for about 20-30 minutes and I wanted a much longer run time. I back-ended it with a Oukitel P2001 after watching a glowing review. My 'hosts' could get the shutdown notice from the CyberPower if the P2001 ran dry. The 'hosts' are set to boot up on a power restore. It all worked great until you re-applied power and the P2001 was still running. If the batteries in the P2001 were dead when the power came back, it charged the batteries but, the inverter defaults to off on a dead battery start. I traded a lot of emails w/Oukitel. A disappointing exercise. The 'Power station' folk don't seem to understand what UPS means. I spend a lot of time out of town tending to remote aging parents. It cost me a lot of money to get out from underneath of the Oukitel and I'm still looking for a solution if anyone knows of one.

[@karljolley8346]

Thanks for the explanation, this is what I have been wondering; I presume we plug the UPS into the PowerStation. so as long as the PS has pass through it wont be working till power goes off, where my $400 ish UPS covers the gap. really is best to have the option to take the PS somewhere else as needed..

[@ChrisRider]

I know this is an older video, but I am looking at doing the UPS + power station setup. My server rack has two rack mount UPS systems (lead acid batteries) that give me around 10 minutes or so. The power to my house is not as reliable as I would like - had two outages this past week that lasted a few hours. I work from home, so need internet. A power station would give me a lot more runtime and avoid the "rolling outages". I think another advantage (maybe!) - a power station might give you more life from the lead acid batteries. They can be expensive to replace. Not to take anything away from Byte My Bits, but HoboTech is another good place on KZbin to get reviews of power stations.

[@red1inerr113]

How about daisy chaining a power station behind a UPS so that the UPS can communicate via USB but run off the power station until it drains.

[@Darkk6969]

Do NOT daisy chain the UPS together. You're just asking for fire.

[@MarcFain]

@@Darkk6969 Why? At 10:35 you say you can put a UPS on the output of a power station. Is it an issue of powering the UPS with a pure sine vs modified (or square) sine from a UPS?

[@silverbackag9790]

After I finish installing a big assed SMA-based offgrid solar system for my shop, my mom's house, my future house, and another future big outbuilding, I'm going to recycle two of my parent's old Trace and Outback inverters as UPS. Huge honking units for just 3500 watts each...but highly efficient (maybe 8-10 watts standby?) and have quick power switching pass through. Gonna wire their gen ports in to my bigger system for passthrough power. Get em a couple of lifepo4 200 AH batteries (with BMS) and use existing charge controllers to treat them like a FLA battery (dumb communication) with custom parameters.

[@CraigGivant]

OK so which is it? Daisy chaining is a fire hazard or the best idea since sliced bread? I personally do it, but I have read comments saying its a bad idea. My Eaton UPS will not pull power off of battery at all but my large Cyber Power works fine. Glad to see I wasn't crazy when it came to the "super" power pro. I ended up with a VigorPool and if I add a second one using their expansion cord, I'll realize more Watt Hours, higher surge, LiFePO4 cells, and a second battery when needed. Overall I'm much more happy than I was with the ZenPower er Vandure.

[@agentj642]

I think that would be a good test, hook up a few UPS' one at a time and see what would happen. From what I understand and used, UPS' need a pure sine input in order to recognize utility power. I think this would show the actual application and everything in action. I know it is impossible to test many UPS', but maybe just a few consumer (not enterprise/business) sizes (300-600VA, 1000-1500VA) across a few well known brands like APC, CyberPower, Tripp-Lite etc. You are correct when you talk about using a relatively small UPS between your equipment and power station, even if it only lasts a few minutes. The UPS will react fast enough (and some, like APC XS1500 series, has adjustable reaction time) in order for the power station to switch without causing power problems on your equipment. Plus any UPS worth its weight in batteries also provide some level of surge protection too.

[@Bob_Adkins]

What I need is a power station that has dedicated UPS outlets. The power station would be plugged in to 120v, but the power station would be totally off yet the pass-through outlets would continue to work. When power fails, it would trigger the pass-through sockets to switch to the inverter. I have yet to find one.

[@Bterrierz1]

Just wondering what the setup would look like using a UPS and a power station? Not sure what I plug in where.

[@MikeHarris1984]

not a real UPS then... To say it is a UPS, that is an UNINERUPTABLE power supply.. if it bumps off for a second, or even a split second that a computer bonks off, then it is not uninterruptable!!!

[@MarcFain]

Good point. It's not a UPS if success depends on the ability of the load to tolerate the power interruption. I would think a UPS would be implemented similar to an inverter generator, where AC is converted to DC, then back to AC.

[@Bytemybits]

Troof!

[@jefftatchio6091]

Utah Jeff …. Here….the UPS feature I believe will get more important as time goes on. My next purchase will be a 1000wh or higher with UPS. It is just logical to always have a power bank / station to have a full charge in case of a need. Not really that important on a camping trip. More the ability to quick charge with solar.

[@darcsentor]

Super informative, I was wondering about exactly this.

[@markniblack7160]

Excellent discussion of this issue and I agree with your final recommendation.

[@fiziksgeek3562]

Did you test what happens when the power comes back on? I have seen some where the power station will respond to a drop on the input and keep powering whatever you have connected, but when the power comes back, they deactivate the power output, so if the power dropped out again, it would not operate as a UPS.

[@kreana02]

i just figured this in a bad way. I bought an anker c800 for a fridge. It lasts for around 5-6 hours but if power does not come back and the power station dies, it does not reactivate the AC ports back when the power comes back leaving my fridge off. And none of these reviewers test this.

[@TheCostofAutism]

I've seen some of them. Have a 0 or 1 middle second transfer time.

[@toms4020]

What power stations have this? Anker? Does it degrade the battery??

[@airgunnyhighway]

I got the informations I needed. Clear and straight to the point. Thank you

[@Bonsfaves]

Using the BLUETTI AC70 for my home office and it works perfect as a UPS

[@Bob_Adkins]

Is the display screen on when it's idle? How about the fans?

[@MikeSmith-lx9jg]

nothing will be able to beat a gas powered inverter generator when the lights go out. They are cheap easy to start and put out a LOT more power for a lot longer time.

[@geofreypejsa54]

Thanks Jason. Nice video. Keep it going!

[@Nifty-Stuff]

Great video! I've been looking for a power station (bluetti, ecoflow, etc.) that can act as a UPS for my grandma's CPAP machine. Your idea is brilliant to daisy-chain a "cheap" UPS with quick switchover that is powered by a power-station. My question: How many / which power-station models can be left-on 24/7 AND have passthrough power/charging? I'm really struggling trying to find a list of ones that offer this.

[@Outworlder]

I got an Ecoflow River 2 with the express purpose of using it as a backup power for a CPAP machine. That, plus a 12V power supply gives a lot of runtime(at least a couple of days). However, like you I am not able to find one with passthrough power. The River2 AC output is inverter only. This is not a problem when using a 12V PSU but, as it is not the same power brick that came with the unit, it's not "approved" and I don't like to use it exclusively. If you are lucky and your grandma's CPAP is one of the models that have the option of being powered by 12V natively then you could use any power station with a cigarette adapter and be golden. Those are not very common, unfortunately.

[@arto00-g2n]

Great video. Can you test and review an eco flow?

[@KrumpetKruncher]

wouldn't the quality of your PC's PSU also impact which batteries work and which don't? My assumption being that higher quality PSUs with better components/capacitors could handle small fluctuations in power or micro power losses during switching much more gracefully so a better PSU might still work with a slower battery system.

[@ConfidentGrips]

Wouldn't a whole home generator be more cost effective. 3k for 3000watts seems high dollar

[@IsaacMomperousse]

Definitely more cost effective, but a PowerStation has more potential use cases since they don't make as much noise as a home generator....but i agree old school would be cheaper.

[@michaelgleason4791]

Do they make ones with instant on now?

[@JByteTX]

@@michaelgleason4791 Yes. I have a Generac 22KW. When power is lost it immediately turns on, get's up to running speed and is powering the whole house in about 20-30 seconds.

[@silverbackag9790]

Did you watch the video? It's not a replacement for a UPS. It's all about not crashing computer, server, and switch shit when the power goes out. There's no way a generator, even with auto start, is going to be fast enough. Not unless it's connected to a battery/inverter system with fast power switching (which is what a UPS is).

[@JByteTX]

@@silverbackag9790 I think the point they were making is that for $3000 you could get a much smaller UPS/powerstation for much less $$$ to hold the pc/server/whatever up for only a few minutes until a generator kicks on.

[@Spiderman-tg9ke]

I bought an ALLPOWER 2000 watt solar generator with 400 watts of charging from Walmart for 1200 bucks tax included 😊I researched a lot because I live day to day most of the time and it was the best buy around. No ups but affordable

[@lordchavo]

Buyers beware: The VTOMAN Flashspeed 1500 UPS function is faulty, when charged to 100% the switchover takes about 3 seconds, It's 20ms, as advertised, when charging only. Had to put a real UPS between the power station and the PC.

[@coreymoyers]

Anyone have a video like this with the major brands?

[@KrumpetKruncher]

Has anyone tried replacing the usual lead acid batteries in most UPS with an equivalent LiFePO4 battery to see if it still works/recharges the same but you could get better run-time and more cycles out of it?

[@Xpert45]

it's impossible because you'll need another controller.

[@kreana02]

@@Xpert45 I bought a Vatrer 12v 7ah lifepo4 for a basic APC ups. I was looking SLA batteries when it appeared on amazon. They advertise that as a replacement. it does kinda work fine and it lasts twice the time as the previous SLA pack. (kinda because the BMS inside the Vatrer shuts off the battery if it runs out).

[@jullejoro]

When will you make the video how to connect Prowlarr, Sonarr, Lidarr and Radarr in delugevpn on unraid

[@learnblueiris]

This is an awesome video. Very interesting and helpful.

[@sonictech1000]

My favorite ups's are used APC SU series, usually the su-1500s. Getting good replacement batteries can be a challenge though. In my office currently I have a Powerware that I got for free. That thing is a beast (3kw iirc) and easier to get decent batteries for.

[@MorganTN]

Nice quick glitch intro!!

[@SirHackaL0t.]

Not if it’s the Anker 767 Powerhouse.

[@goldbondx]

None of your referral links work.

[@MikeSmith-lx9jg]

why would anyone spend that type of money for a power station when you can buy a 200 dollar cyber power UPS and then get a small inverter generator for like 500 bucks. You only need the power when lights go out for say a hour or two. in that time you can run a cord and crank the small generator that you plug your ups back up to. Also Lithium batteries have got really cheap. You can get a LFP 100 amp hour battery now for 150 bucks add a inverter say 1000 watt inverter from Amazon for 70 bucks and boom you have a back up for your UPS that will keep ya running a long time.

[@walkertongdee]

Obviously, he is leaving out the ones that would have given the correct results in favor of the result he wanted, some test lol....

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

It’s just a battery in a box, with a great profit margin. Calm down

[@emsbas1]

#Batteries4Lyfe

[@zector0]

No.

[@TechySpeaking]

First

[@hav2win]

What a waste of $8K. The average person (most likely 99% of your audience), either cannot afford any of these behemoths, or is major overkill for their application.

[@MutaharFarooq]

Power stations are not just used as a UPS, they can also be used in conjunction with solar panels to save on electricity bills over time, along with keeping the power in your house going when there is a brownout or blackout. They also tend to have a higher output wattage and significantly higher capacity than a standard ups, making the investment worth the initial cost

[@Finezjanto]

I am about to test Growatt Infinity 1500, thin clients,pcs,server,ubiquity POE ,switch ,router.All rack mouted.Wish me luck. Ps.Without gaming beast its 120W constant consumption.