If you have power every 3 hours or so, Id keep a deep cycle battery or two plugged into an automotive charger/maintainer and let it recharge at will when power is running. It should switch itself off when the battery is fully charged and back on when ever volts drops below about 12.4v I think (provided the power is on). So long as its a maintainer, not a simple charger.
Would a Chinese automotive type lightbar run OK stationary or would it get too hot? I know they arent much chop for driving lights, but might be a bright room light easy to run off the power sources available without need to solder or play with drivers etc. Just bounce it off a wall to avoid glare.
There’s coupon code if buy from Banggood: “BLF”
Usually fasttech have better price, but shipping is very slow lately for batteries. You can ask some discount from Gearbest too, they have some keeppower.
Yes, THAT was my point! It’s a safe way to bump the rate up so one can make the most of line power when it is up AND good ones are not chemistry limited so they can handle a wide variety of applications.
Not when an outage is at night … that’s why it’s good for backup batteries.
The lead acid (deep cycle) setup is a good suggestion (and probably why it is widely used), especially with a maintainer or charge limiter in the mix regardless of whether drawing from mains or solar.
Lead acid batteries are perfectly safe, fumes only really become an issue if you over charge the batteries and they start to gas (or you short the battery out when it’s overcharging and gassing or you smoke over the battery, in rare cases the battery can explode) don’t over charge and make sure you got a bit of ventilation if it’s not a sealed battery and you’ll be fine.
As I said , deep cycle batteries are best, but whatever you can lay your hands on will be fine, old car or truck batteries, sla batteries as found in computer ups systems, mobility scooters, alarm panels etc and loads of other places
First things first, what is your budget.
seccond, how much/often do you get mains power,
3rd what do you need to power in order of importance.
4th what other power sources do you have, like a car/truck/motorcycle/generator, or solar
5th what do you have for electricity storage.
6th what do you have for space is it secured, do you have to wory about people stealing or damaging your gear.
7th how techicaly inclined are you.
off the grid systems are fairly mature now and well studied, there is a large amount of information available. the best place to look for that would be forms where people discuss those off the grid systems.
I personally have a battery backup for my modem, router, and 1meter of led strip powered by 2 10AH SLA batteries float charged by a boost converter powered by a 12v regulated supply, there are probably more efficient ways of doing what I did, but it is what I had available. at some point I would like to do something a bit larger, but I have had no need yet.
if it were me personally? i like to go big and go cheap….
i would want to lay my hands on as many car batteries as i COULD (or deep cycle).
new, used, or… “by any means possible”.
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theres a reason why lead acid batteries have been used for “emergency lighting” for DECADES… they are comparatively cheap, easy to use, and if not over discharged last a long time.
theres not hardly any problems using them indoors for small lighting, as the discharge and charge amperages are fairly low…
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PS - from one flashaholic to another flashaholic?? you might wanna consider MOVING to another country… that whole area of the world doesnt look like it will settle down any time soon… you said you have relatives in Germany? sounds like a great place to take a “vacation” to (yeah, a “vacation” you just HAPPEN to never return from, lol)
stay out of the fighting around you if you can… and if you cant avoid it? please try to remember that “slow aimed fire” is a lot more effective than “spray and pray”.
i dont know (or care) what religion you are? but… may the blessings of allah/mohammed/god/jesus/*whoever* be upon you and keep you safe.
I’ve been shot at before in my life… and it aint no fun. good luck.
(and, i hear GERMANY is a WONDERFUL place to visit, this time of year… just sayin…)
