Recommend a UPS for UFB modem, router, switch

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#1028751 21-Apr-2014 21:35

Measured up the power connector on my ONT and it uses 1 of these plugs
http://www.molex.com/molex/products/family?key=microfit_30&channel=products&chanName=family&pageTitle=Introduction&parentKey=microfit_30153_interconnect_system
Off to Jaycar tomorrow to see if their mini molex connectors are the same. But if so the Jaycar ones only go to 6 pins. But will check if any of their ones will still fit since I only need to use 2 pins out of the 8. Have already checked the molex connectors on computer power supplies but they are a larger size.

MaxLV

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#1028781 21-Apr-2014 22:02

timmmay: I'm after a UPS for my UFB setup. The primary aim is to have internet and communications during a power outage or a natural disaster. The UPS will only power the UFB modem (or whatever it's called), router (Fritzbox probably), and perhaps a gigabit switch if I end up putting one in. Ideally it will have eight hours of run-time, so I can turn it on and off as needed. I don't know the power consumption of any of those devices so it'd be difficult for me to calculate.

I'd use it with my phone other other portable devices, not a PC. I have a separate recharging facility for those devices - a high capacity battery designed for photography, not a generator.

This will all be located in my ceiling cavity initially, which gets quite warm in summer. I realise will shorten the lifespan of all electronic equipment and batteries, I will consider how to keep things a little cooler.

Initial candidates:
- Digitus 1000VA line interactive.
- CyberPower 850VA LI.
- Perhaps an APC unit as they're meant to be good quality, but they're significantly more expensive.

I may be wrong, but most often during power outages and natural disasters, you may still have UPS power for your 'essential gadgets' most likely you wont have anything to connect to, what with power being off for everyone, including your ISP.

And then there's the question of why you would be concerned about maintaining your internet connection during during a natural disaster. Surely you'd have more important things to be concerned about during such an event????

I have an UPS for my home network, but it's only purpose is to give me time to power down the network and attached devices normally during a power cut and wait for mains power to be restored. It gives 12 - 15 minutes power to do that.

driller2000

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#1028811 21-Apr-2014 22:35

yep was glad i had an apc 500 ups feeding my (unraid) server during a power outage this week

meant the server ran for a while / then after 5 mins with no mains power (as per my setting) it did a auto powerdown (note: it can run for approx 30 mins if need be)

once power was back up rebooted server = clean start up + no errors + no data loss + no need for a long parity check = happy camper :)

well worth the $150

timmmay

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#1028888 22-Apr-2014 06:57

Aredwood: Measured up the power connector on my ONT and it uses 1 of these plugs
http://www.molex.com/molex/products/family?key=microfit_30&channel=products&chanName=family&pageTitle=Introduction&parentKey=microfit_30153_interconnect_system
Off to Jaycar tomorrow to see if their mini molex connectors are the same. But if so the Jaycar ones only go to 6 pins. But will check if any of their ones will still fit since I only need to use 2 pins out of the 8. Have already checked the molex connectors on computer power supplies but they are a larger size.

I'd love to hear what you discover. Try www.sicom.co.nz if you need a bigger range of parts.

MaxLV: I may be wrong, but most often during power outages and natural disasters, you may still have UPS power for your 'essential gadgets' most likely you wont have anything to connect to, what with power being off for everyone, including your ISP.

And then there's the question of why you would be concerned about maintaining your internet connection during during a natural disaster. Surely you'd have more important things to be concerned about during such an event????

I have an UPS for my home network, but it's only purpose is to give me time to power down the network and attached devices normally during a power cut and wait for mains power to be restored. It gives 12 - 15 minutes power to do that.

That runs my phone and internet, and sure I have cell, but I want to see if I can keep my home phone and internet if something goes wrong. UFB has battery backup, and communications are a priority in a disaster, so even if things do go out I expect they'd come back faster than residential power.

I figure it might cost $250 to have a UPS that will run all this gear. That amount of money isn't particularly significant to me, but in a disaster having communications could be. Of course I have good stocks of food, water, cooking, lighting, and power sources for our phone, so I'm more prepared than average.

PhantomNVD

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#1028897 22-Apr-2014 07:40

Interestingly, the plug in your link looks EXACTLY like the newer psu connectors for pcie graphics cards, so any old psu in the last 5-7 years would probably have one too :)

Aredwood

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#1029393 22-Apr-2014 20:19

Found the correct plugs for sale at RS components. Had to buy 5 plugs and 100 pins. So if they turn out to be the correct ones then I might as well sell the other 4 plugs and some of the pins to anyone else who needs them. I should hopefully get them before Anzac day.

@PhantomNVD I have already checked the plugs on computer power supply’s including the plugs that connects to PCIE video cards. Although they look the same in a picture. The PSU plugs have 4mm pin spacing and the Chorus ONTs use plugs with 3mm pin spacing.

timmmay

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#1029396 22-Apr-2014 20:25

Aredwood: Found the correct plugs for sale at RS components. Had to buy 5 plugs and 100 pins. So if they turn out to be the correct ones then I might as well sell the other 4 plugs and some of the pins to anyone else who needs them. I should hopefully get them before Anzac day.

@PhantomNVD I have already checked the plugs on computer power supply’s including the plugs that connects to PCIE video cards. Although they look the same in a picture. The PSU plugs have 4mm pin spacing and the Chorus ONTs use plugs with 3mm pin spacing.

Me. Once they arrive and you verify they fit I'll take a couple or all of them, depending on the cost. I like to have spares.

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timmmay

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#1029407 22-Apr-2014 20:47

Anyone have any thoughts on my question yesterday? Reply 1028645 on pg2. Just around the DC UPS I linked to, battery size, case, and extra bits.

ubergeeknz

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#1029409 22-Apr-2014 20:54

MaxLV:
I may be wrong, but most often during power outages and natural disasters, you may still have UPS power for your 'essential gadgets' most likely you wont have anything to connect to, what with power being off for everyone, including your ISP.

Any gear hosted in an exchange or data centre has (significant) battery backup (telco grade gear is generally run DC power so while there is power conditioning there is no UPS as such) and often there is generator backup as well...

In short, the chances of your ISP's gear going down during a power outage is actually quite small. Now as for major disasters, there are bigger problems, cables and fibers tend to get broken, sometimes buildings collapse etc. Not much to be done about that (although the Telecom exchanges are some pretty sturdy buildings).

timmmay

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#1029533 23-Apr-2014 07:50

How would I go about finding an appropriate case for this DC UPS? Just something to hold the board, the battery can stand alone.

Aredwood

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#1030046 23-Apr-2014 19:28

timmmay: Anyone have any thoughts on my question yesterday? Reply 1028645 on pg2. Just around the DC UPS I linked to, battery size, case, and extra bits.

Anything in particular you are wanting to achieve with that power supply? Reason I ask is AFAIK when the mains is available it will pass through the input to it's output pins. This means the 15 to 18V input will be direct connected to your loads. Will they handle those voltages? You might have to put another regulator on the output of that UPS unit. What ware you going to use for your mains to low voltage DC stepdown? What will its exact output be? And is it regulated?

I can't see any benefit to using that UPS compared to making a simple circuit using an adjustable regulated supply and some high current diodes scavenged from old computer power supplies.

timmmay

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#1030067 23-Apr-2014 20:00

Yep, you're totally right - it says 12V output but it's really just a switch. I think I'll have to use the much more expensive OpenUPS. All I need to add is a box, connectors, a battery, and cables to each of the devices.

I'd like to have two batteries, one small one acting as an always on UPS for small dropouts, the other larger one constantly being charged but not powering equipment until I switch a manual switch. I want it that way so the power doesn't all drain if we're not at home when the power goes out - eg if it takes 4 hours to get home from work and the battery only gives 3 hours of power. I imagine a diode and a switch would do that (in parallel I guess), but I'm so long out of university electronics that I have no idea of the details. Anyone able to help?

timmmay

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#1030105 23-Apr-2014 20:59

Or, given I want a DR solution not really a UPS, a battery, a charger, and cables that work connect to my electronics is probably all I need. Duh.

(I almost wrote "a cable to connect to my equipment", hehe)

Aredwood

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#1030146 23-Apr-2014 21:30

timmmay: Or, given I want a DR solution not really a UPS, a battery, a charger, and cables that work connect to my electronics is probably all I need. Duh.

(I almost wrote "a cable to connect to my equipment", hehe)

Tell me what you are intending to use for your mains to low voltage supply and I can easily design you a simple circuit to do what you want.

timmmay

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#1030246 24-Apr-2014 06:55

Aredwood: Tell me what you are intending to use for your mains to low voltage supply and I can easily design you a simple circuit to do what you want.

I want to be able to power my ONT (fiber modem) and router in the event of a power cut or emergency - I figure telecom infrastructure will be battery backed up so should keep working. This is the main reason I switched from cable to fiber.

I've realised my primary requirement is DR, not a UPS, so I may just go with a battery, a junction box, and a cable.

However a DC UPS sounds like an interesting project. I'll probably have to use OpenUPS or similar, because the cheaper ones don't regulate the output voltage. If I go this way I'd like to have two batteries being charged by the UPS, one small, one large. The small battery will be "always on" as a UPS, the larger battery would require a manual switch to power the UPS and the equipment - this is to avoid having the big battery run flat accidentally.

I guess a diode in parallel with a switch in the path of the larger battery would work, but I have no idea of the details of the diode to use.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice :)

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