[PLUG] LiFePO4 UPS?

[Tony Schlemmer]

I bought an APC 1400 back in the summer of 2014. Worked fine but the last power outage before I replaced the UPS battery my cable modem and router lasted about 20 minutes. It was fine for short outages but not few hours one. I installed a new Lead Gel battery in October of 2022. Now it lasts over 3 hours.

But whatever keep the coax up offsite the battery dies so the out cable modem goes down.  What I do if my wife other people are online I make my smartphone a wifi hotspot and goes through the cellular network instead. I only tried it when only a few neighborhoods were affected. If we have huge power outage we may get cell calls and SMS only.

> On Jan 5, 2023, at 13:22, Keith Lofstrom <keithl at kl-ic.com> wrote:
> 
> I have an ancient Tripplite 700VA UPS, which is briefly
> triggered maybe twice a year, and needs a new sealed lead
> acid (SLA) battery maybe every two years.  Oh boy, more
> toxic waste, and shopping trips, and disposal trips. 
> 
> Theoretically, it can provide a signal that tells my
> computers to prepare for shutdown, but it doesn't seem
> to play nice with Linux.  Most of the outages have been
> less than 30 seconds, so triggered shutdown is not a
> "must have".  However, extra bonus points if the UPS 
> /does/ behave well with more than one Linux machine.
> 
> The load is two computers (250W) and perhaps one of two
> screens (another 60W?).  Note that 700VA actually means
> something like 400W continuously delivered - perhaps 
> the VA number covers the peak impulse power at computer
> startup, or during a power line excursion.
> 
> New technology LiFePO4 batteries last much longer and are
> environmentally cleaner than an SLA, and are shape and
> terminal compatible, but they charge differently. 
> I tried one and failed.
> 
> Perhaps there is a warranty-voiding retrofit hack for the
> Tripplite, but for safety's sake I prefer to purchase an
> Uninterruptable Power Supply designed for LiFePO4.  
> 
> Searching on Amazon reveals some $1K units (and a crap-ton
> of SLA in response to "Lithium"), more power than I need
> and way more dollars than I wish to spend.  I don't mind
> spending 2X, but not 5X.
> 
> Suggestions? 
> 
> Keith
> 
> -- 
> Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com