Best UPS for DV?

Sorry to bring this topic backup... Grandparents are having DV installed this week, which should work with their existing BT handset & answerphone base.

Vodafone won't provide any vulnerable customer assistance, so will need to shell out for a UPS i believe. Does anyone recommend a service to use? This would just need to run the phone base station / router and ONT

I've found a Cyber one that does about an 1hr, but would preferably like something a bit more chunky.

I think a SmartHub2 consumes approx. 13W on steady state and the ONT will about 1-2W. Not sure about the answer machine - but is that a necessary thing to stand up in the event of a power outage?

Personally I'd look at small direct DC-type solutions like the Eaton 3S Mini DC UPS. Or maybe two...

I'm guessing the "answer machine" is the base station for the phone handsets so if that isn't powered then they will have no phone available (unless they connect a dect phone direct to the SH2 which is a possibility but would still potentially need the charge base to be powered otherwise the phone will eventually die.

If it's only for power fail scenarios could also consider having an analogue wired handset connected in parallel at the SH2 voice port (together with any DECT//answering etc base). So even if the DECT is out with the power, there is a fixed line phone there. Less stuff to stand-up too in the vent of a power fault.

In reply to a post by ian72:

I'm guessing the "answer machine" is the base station for the phone handsets so if that isn't powered then they will have no phone available (unless they connect a dect phone direct to the SH2 which is a possibility but would still potentially need the charge base to be powered otherwise the phone will eventually die.

Yeah this is the ticket- the Answerphone acts as the wireless base station so if that goes, no phone. They do have a corded phone upstairs but i think that will be redundant once the PTSN switches off this week with the DV move.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

If it's only for power fail scenarios could also consider having an analogue wired handset connected in parallel at the SH2 voice port (together with any DECT//answering etc base). So even if the DECT is out with the power, there is a fixed line phone there. Less stuff to stand-up too in the vent of a power fault.

Is this an easy thing to do? I.e. is there an adaptor that lets you run both off one of the ports?

The other thing to consider (not necessarily for the OP with older grandparents who may not be so inclined) but as long as you stand up the ONT and router/with WiFi - a household with third party / indy VoIP can still make calls using a WiFi connected devices such as a smart-phone with VoIP soft phone app. In the case where mobile service is also out or poor signal area etc.

Sure. Just a parallel BT socket type double adapter - akin to having extension wiring - just in a plug, so you can connect more than a single handset. The REN of the SH2 will be fine to run both.

Example:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casoter-Double-Socket-Adapt...

Edited by Pheasant (Mon 14-Aug-23 16:10:16)

As has beeen mentioned in various previous topics regular AC UPS are inefficient, and you loose even more power with the conversion from the UPS batteries to 230VAC and then back again to DC for the ONT, router, etc.

There are a number of DC UPS which provide 12V (typically), or USB 'charge banks' which can be used with step-up converters or USB-PD adapters for those which support that standard.

Thinkbroadband themselves put together a handy guide https://www.thinkbroadband.com/guides/how-to-stay-on...

In reply to a post by tdw42:

As has beeen mentioned in various previous topics regular AC UPS are inefficient, and you loose even more power with the conversion from the UPS batteries to 230VAC and then back again to DC for the ONT, router, etc.

Ain't that the truth. I have a 700VA unit from APC. It can power my router, my mail server and my VDSL modem for nearly 15 minutes. And the mail server will shutdown after 10 minutes when the UPS signals low power.

To be fair that's been enough to get the system through the handful of power cuts I've experienced over the last decade (battery changed twice in that time) but it's hardly going to see me through a serious power cut.

What about a mobile phone with a PAYG sim that does not need a monthly top up, such as 1pMobile or Giffgaff?

I've been considering a EcoFlow, whilst not a true UPS they will switch over in such a short time it's near enough, and will power phone/ont/router for hours.

EcoFlow’s are great indeed. I use a Delta2 with an extra battery for off-grid stuff and the app etc is all very good. I run it for days on end. One of them will standup a typical home broadband setup for many, many days. Eons better than a a typical standby AC UPS.

However they aren’t cheap at all. So they won’t suit everyone’s budget, especially just to standup a broadband connection which may only have a power fault event very rarely.

I use and am happy with my Cyberpower 700

In reply to a post by Andrue:

but it's hardly going to see me through a serious power cut.

Consumer-type UPS's are meant to give you time to shut down gracefully, not to keep you going through an extended loss of power. You need some serious batteries (or a motor-generator set) to do that.

Not sure if you could hang a few vehicle-type lead-acid accumulators on that sort of UPS, but better solutions have been suggested here.

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by Andrue:

but it's hardly going to see me through a serious power cut.

Consumer-type UPS's are meant to give you time to shut down gracefully, not to keep you going through an extended loss of power.

Indeed and is not just chap consumer AC type UPS either. Commercial “on-line” UPS’s costing from hundreds to many hundreds of thousands, all operate on the same principle - they are short term (typically less than 30 minutes) duration reserves of power designed either for the mains to come back in that time - or an alternative - like standby diesel to come on steam and take up the load.

By and large AC type UPS are designed around this “short and sharp” standup philosophy.

The fallacy that many folks fall into is that they look at the full load runtimes and divide it by (the very modest) load requirements of say broadband kit and arrive at monster theoretical up times. Typically they don’t work that way as the lead acid battery at the heart of the unit, has a working voltage range/operating window which is quite narrow and the UPS shuts down relatively early to avoid deep discharge of the pack.

I'm using this type which is designed for CCTV I think.

http://i.imgur.com/iSSU8zT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QAyxMOp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bDqLRGd.jpg

It runs my router and ONT for approx. 1 hr.

I also have an APC 700VA unit which gives mains out and last for approx. 15 mins.

In reply to a post by smouty:

I'm using this type which is designed for CCTV I think.

http://i.imgur.com/iSSU8zT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QAyxMOp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bDqLRGd.jpg

It runs my router and ONT for approx. 1 hr.

I also have an APC 700VA unit which gives mains out and last for approx. 15 mins.

Thank you for this - appreciate you sharing. I shall investigate!