Can You Power Your Pi With A Power Bank Instead Of A UPS? I Tried The Shargeek Storm 2

[@aardwolf21]

Pity the fact that many power banks pass through line power if it's available, then take a short time to switch to battery power once the main input is lost was missed in this video, as this effectively removes, and reapplies power to the pi if the mains goes off, at best causing a reboot, at worst bricking the storage. FInding a bank that doesn't do this is the trick, and the reason to go with a UPS.

[@RhavoX]

Yeah and this guy didn't test for that scenario of course... Ehhhhh.

[@abcedariumu8033]

Can't this be avoided by simply connecting the output of your powerbank board to an additional safety circuit? As far as I know, designing it is possible.

[@davidl6566]

Depending on the pi's power draw, even a capacitor in parallel might do the job if it doesn't need to be the size of a car audio cap

[@Hozzizay]

Go UPS plus powerbank

[@DonVintaggio]

9:05 another great feature of an UPS would be to signal the RPi when the mains power is gone and thus take action: reducing the number of processes, perform a preemptive backup of critical data, and alert the sysadmin that the system is running on battery.

[@rickmoskovits1144]

An excellent video on the difference between UPS and power banks . I am currently using a sunfounder UPS but definitely want a power bank. Thanks again

[@MechnoSferatu]

I had a UPS that took 18650s that, when it failed, rude-booted my pi over and over again until the microsd card was toast. Your purpose built ones look a lot better than the one i was using.

[@MichaelKlements]

I've had a pretty good experience with the Pi Sugar 3 Plus. I've seen quite a few complaints about reliability on the Geekworm one although there are a number of versions and revisions of this board so it's difficult to tell which are good and which are bad.

[@MrPir84free]

Many power banks have passthru charging; a feature that allows the device ( PI ) and the battery bank to both receive power at the same time. There are two transitions to be concerned about however; what happens when power to the power bank is removed and what happens when power is re-appplied . Most power banks that support pass thru charging still don't handle that transition nicely which will cause a reboot/power drop on the load side ( PI in this case ). Many wi-fi cameras are similar in that the device is USB powered and every power bank I've tested fails on one of the two transitions. IN fact this is how I "learned" about these two transitions... Even some "UPS" devices built for things like the PI fail the real UPS test ( how it handles the transitions ) .

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks for sharing your experience with power banks. A UPS that fails these transitions is effectively useless, it's no longer an "uninterruptible" power supply.

[@StankoRago]

Do you know any powerbank that doesnt do that? Im facing same problem when pluging/unpluging power imput to battery pi restarts. Thank you

[@JoTheVeteran]

So besides the continuously shameless advertisement for that power.. bank? Looks more like power supply to me, it looks I can use my ancient powerbank, or a dirt cheap one I can buy for $10 to power my pi, and the pi won't blow up or something. Good to know.

[@iblackfeathers]

one thing not mentioned in the video is pass through. with that you can run the pi with some form of mains power or even a powerbank with sufficient power, but then have a way to switch to battery power when that primary power source is cut off. then, when the secondary power source is reaching its limit, have an automated way to shutdown. there are some options out there from talentcell, which have passthrough capability to certain pisugar models or even a diy solution. the shargeek powerbank is too high end for thus. i use mine for various needs but cannot commit it to a pi. one issue brought up in the kickstarter was that the batteries are not removeable, so you cannot replace it since it is a sealed case. they were about to go with panasonic batteries but the electronics shortage had them switch to samsungs, but that’s heading off-topic… then there’s the higher power requirements of rpi 4. if you do not need a 4, earlier models have lower power consumption demands which leads to wider options of power options, and may be better suited for the job.

[@sumantkhalate]

Even if it supports pass through the power on the output will power cycle for a few milliseconds causing the pi to restart. This is the biggest problem I faced while using a power bank (Mi make). But again it is a power bank, not a UPS. So I won't blame it. It's best to use purpose-built UPS when you have primary power and you want it to run off batteries in case of primary power failure. if you are only concerned about running it off battery for as long as the battery lasts in a remote location, a power bank should get the job done.

[@MichaelKlements]

@iblackfeathers thanks for sharing your thoughts. Pass through is an option on some power banks but I'd still go with a UPS for the battery protection, communicaiton with the Pi and safe shutdown capabilties. If you're using pass through then you're effectively using the power bank as a UPS anyway. I didn't think to try opening the Storm 2 up to see if the batteries can be replaced but I did notice that there were screws on the end cap, so I just assumed that this was an option. Not being able to replace the batteries would be a pretty poor design decision if that is the case but it looks to me like it would be possible. Yes, most earlier Pi models have lower power requirements than the Pi 4 so they'd be better for battery powered applications.

[@disasterincarnate]

the biggest difference imho is that power banks you typically cant or shouldnt draw power from it while also trying to charge at the same time.

[@sspence65]

Depends on the power bank. Mine specifically says you can.

[@ZED-PV]

This specific power bank says it can without an issue.

[@realcartoongirl]

some power bank can stupid

[@mattspazmatic]

​@@sspence65Which kind do you have? I do have a lot of gear to run at once, so maybe I shouldn't return the expensive UPS I just got, but it would be rad to run my grooveboxes (edm instruments) anywhere I'd like off a power bank and ripcord.

[@Ratuono]

​@@sspence65which one do you have? I need it pls

[@Raymond_Petit]

I don't have a Raspberry Pi but I am running and HP Elitedesk G4 mini desktop on an Omars power bank I bought some years back. It has one usb C pd, two usb A, and a regular wall plug which is what I'm using. It's a bit messy but the power bank and computer are both small enough to carry around, I eventually plan to use it just like a laptop. I have a Wimaxit small monitor connected to it and just need to get my hands on a small portable usb folding keyboard if I can find one. I upgraded the Elitedesk to over 1 gig of storage and 32 gigs of ram. The thing I don't know is how long I can run this setup before draining the power bank while out and about. So far it looks like I'll get far more time than any laptop I've ever owned!

[@late_nights]

Awesome content man. You deserve more subs

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you for the support!

[@yannmassard3970]

25K 22 wats powerbank costs 14 euros. includes fast charging, usb 3 and C all inputs and outputs has a separate BMC with a screen display. FOR 14 EUROS !! and is 150 mm X 62 mm. Tf you want more than that

[@BlueSun4886]

I've been using PiSugar 3 Plus's to power several Raspberry Pi 4's (5V3A IIRC) for portable use. I just received two Pi 5s & wonder what battery rig I can get to put out 5V - 5W as the PiSugar, though it will work on a Pi 5, is a bit underpowered & you can't overclock or run at full power with an SSD. Any suggestions. The plugin chargers I have for the Pi 5s are 27W wall-warts rated at 5.1V5A. Any suggestions for a small-as-possible portable power supply that will fully power the Pi 5? BTW, the PiSugar 2 1200 mAh is great with a Pi Zero W & a Waveshare 2.3 inch e-Paper hat if you want to build your own tamagotchi for a third of the price people are selling pre-assembled ones. It takes just minutes to assemble. It's basically plug&play.

[@ShortBusRejectz]

Same question

[@israelvg9342]

Did you find any solution?

[@jamess1787]

One thing most "raspberry pi ups's" don't have is the ability to turn off the pi _fully_. So when power is restored: your pi is just hung in "halt" state. Super annoying. I think the pi sugar (and the original one) is the only one that has this feature, the rest of them are just junk. Meant for short term power or someone to come unplug the cable or press a button. I want unattended, that's the whole purpose of UPS. 😅

[@leithhobson]

You didn’t test running it with a power supply connected to the power bank. You know, as a UPS…

[@RhavoX]

You do know that a UPS also is able to be charged while running the power to the PI right? So why didn't you check that scenario?

[@OnlineObsessionista]

None of these devices are able to power on the Rpi after you shutdown it and the main power is restored

[@Mark-et1pz]

Power bank -> UPS -> Pi

[@Gameplay989me]

Nice man

[@mortenmoulder]

I have a ~80 kWh UPS connected to one of my Pis. The UPS also has four wheels, almost 500 horsepower, and can record dashcam footage to the Pi, to which the Pi then uploads to my NAS when the UPS gets home. Can recommend. For real though, I wish more powerbanks allowed passthrough, because that's an awesome feature.

[@MichaelKlements]

Haha, sounds like you're getting good use out of your Pi!

[@highvisibilityraincoat]

Got a guide for this? I've always been interested in redundancy for my dashcam.

[@mortenmoulder]

@@highvisibilityraincoat TeslaUSB :)

[@lutalia2558]

Really good video, but what about the pi 5 did it work the same way ?

[@MichaelKlements]

This will work for the Pi 5 as well but you won't be able to power external PCIe connected devices through the Pi as well since this can't provide 5A through the USB type C port.

[@lutalia2558]

@@MichaelKlements Well this is at the same time a good news and a bad news I’ve planned to build a travel kit with a pi 5 and the argon one nvme storage but if the power delivery provide less than 5A, yeah it make sense that will not working, in my mind i’ve think to use a power bank from ugreen with a capacity of 100w or 140w that can also provide charging for my mac but there is a possibility that create an overload on the pi side

[@MichaelKlements]

Depending on the NVMe hat (I'm not sure about the Argon one), they usually have a direct power input on the hat as well so you might be able to power the Pi and the Hat separately but from the same power bank.

[@muhammadm1237]

What is the enclosure of pi? Can you give some details ?

[@MichaelKlements]

They're my own enclosures that I designed and 3D printed, you can get them from my Etsy store - www.etsy.com/au/shop/TheDIYLifeCo

[@elipeters5658]

Great vid. Beyond the scope of this anyone can protect their raspberry pi's os by locking it within program and no need for a ups. A ups use case is critical monitoring or if you werent able to protect the os.

[@fcf8269]

Would have loved to hear about power banks more, instead of that product you got to test

[@777sukumar]

I am trying to create a Camera Board with Raspberry pi 5. The components connected to my Raspberry pi 5 are camera and Battery. I need to record videos. Is there any power banks that I can use to record videos at least for 5 days. Your help or suggestions are very helpful please

[@MichaelKlements]

Raspberry Pi 5's are not really designed for portable battery powered projects, they're not efficient enough. Without knowing too much about the project and camera being used, they use around 4-5W in a typical project, so you'd need a battery of at least 500Wh - which is quite big. That's five times bigger than the Storm 2, which is already a large power bank.

[@777sukumar]

@@MichaelKlements Thank you so much for providing information. That helps to move forward. But Can you suggest any other boards I can use to record videos for this much long(5 days) with portable battery please.

[@herauthon]

i got a PB with usb, usb-c usb-mc 20kmA i think it will work.. but does it work for 1 hour ? Does have passthrough

[@jamesalles139]

why not both? thanks for the video

[@drofnasw]

Can you provide a link to the cable that appears to feature a DC barrel connector on both ends, as shown in your video? I’d prefer a cable with a DC barrel connector on one end and USB plug on the other end - can you recommend one? Sincere thanks!

[@MichaelKlements]

I made this one up myself but you can buy them on eBay, just search for a DC 5.5mm male to male extension

[@varenneriocha8712]

Question on a solar application: A rural school needs to run a small Raspberry Pi, either Zero 2 W or 3 A+, during the "on-line teaching" class, which means the Pi is a web server packed with the teaching material and provides a hot-spot. The kids share 4-5 laptops to take part. I'm faced with the same choice: a cheap power bank or a USB UPS? In case of a power bank they need to charge it before the class - there is mains power in another room. If UPS, it will be connected to a small solar panel 24 h and they take it to the classroom for the 2-3 h class. What do you propose? Could you recommend models? Have to be very cheap since we are going to reproduce this in many schools.

[@MichaelKlements]

What you have described sounds like a power bank would be the better option. You'll be paying more for a UPS and not really using it as a UPS, you just want portable power.

[@varenneriocha8712]

@@MichaelKlements Thank you! I am going to start with power banks, they are cheaper and simpler too. If I want to get the power banks charged from solar power, what type of (small) solar panels do I need?

[@MichaelKlements]

You can get solar panels with a USB output made for charging mobile phones, these would probably be ideal for your application.

[@varenneriocha8712]

@@MichaelKlements Makes sense. Thanks a lot for your advise!

[@LocalGhost_8080]

this is what I was looking for

[@sspence65]

Been using a power bank for my pi for several years.

[@AKMultiFit]

Which one? How does it do when power cuts?

[@chinesemusic8019]

for $50 why not just get a real UPS?

[@MichaelKlements]

Because a Pi is designed as a low power DC device. A traditional UPS uses significanlty more power because it converts AC to DC to charge the battery, then DC to AC at it's outlet and then you plug in an adaptor to convert the AC back to DC again. These DC UPS's sit on the DC side so they are much more power efficient.

[@opcionvital2335]

Can the adapter be used to power my internet provider's modem?

[@MichaelKlements]

You can get 12V inline UPS modules specifically made for modems - something similar to thiswww.wagneronline.com.au/12v-40wh-dc-in-line-mini-ups/power-solutions/data-computer/ups1238-101085/1007503/pd/

[@Darkk6969]

I too have the Turing Pi 2. Where did you get that case as it looks awesome!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you, I made the case for it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b33PlJutZpmWeqM

[@juanpaul6141]

How about combining a (big)pb w pass through and a ups ?

[@lvill3633]

Still prefer UPS

[@nagyandras8857]

but... why.... buy a damned 6v lead acid battery, allright ? then find a 5v regulator with low dropout voltage, allright ? now, you allso want a decently smart battery charger. it does certainly not have to be super smart, just be able to switch to a float voltage once the battery is charged. basicly any shite 6v "msart" charger will do just fine. hook it all up. and then you got your self covered.

[@armstrongskyview2810]

This just feels like a poor pro mo vide...not cool. Do better