ian
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36 Indre
Posts: 42
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Post by ian on Dec 13, 2022 20:36:30 GMT 1
Every so often, I get a very brief power cut. Just a flicker of the supply, lasting less than a second. Most things just restart, but the router (livebox 4) can take several tries and ten minutes to get going.
Some form of UPS woild solve the problem, but that seems like overkill. I don't need to supply power for minutes, just a second or two.
Can anybody suggest a cheap and simple solution?
Thanks
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Aardvark
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Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Dec 13, 2022 20:43:35 GMT 1
I can't think of any cheap options. I'm guessing the hold over time is only down to battery size. The clever bit is getting the direct current converted into mains AC and delivering it within microseconds. My UPS kicked in this evening when we had too many things going at once. The microwave was the straw that broke the camel's back and the Linkey Meter said No More and cut us off.
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Post by lurcher on Dec 14, 2022 11:18:12 GMT 1
There may be a very cheap and effective solution to such brief events. Without looking at the problem in depth and assuming the router is being supplied with a low voltage, dc supply, I would connect a large electrolytic capacitors across the dc feed. There is probably already a smaller one inside the psu.
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Aardvark
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Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Dec 14, 2022 12:45:05 GMT 1
Careful selection of the capacitor would be important, and fingers crossed it would release its charge in a civilised manner so as not to fry the load it is protecting.
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Post by lurcher on Dec 14, 2022 13:28:42 GMT 1
Yes, there is a need to be careful. The delivery of current to the load (router) is likely to be self regulating and should not be a problem. What would concern me is the initial start up surge from the psu as it must now charge the new capacitor as well as deliver current to the router. A possible solution to that worry is to connect a resistor in series with the capacitor with the combination across the psu output.
The values of the two components will be governed by the equivalent load resistance of the router. Assuming the psu voltage is 5V and the steady state current drawn by the router is 100mA, I would start with 10microF and 10 ohms. (I can’t find Greek symbols on my iPad)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2022 16:02:13 GMT 1
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Post by robertarthur on Dec 14, 2022 16:21:54 GMT 1
About a Possible cheap solution.
I had a look at the external power supply of my Huawei B315 router: 12 V DC, rated at 1 amp. Supposing an idle current of about 300 mA, even a big fat electrolytic smoothing capacitor will only bridge the co called "micro coupures". These little power supplies will have a short and overload protection, testing this with the peak currents of a fully discharged capacitor of 2200 μF (or more), even with the protection of a series resistor of 10 Ω (≥ 1 watt), good idea?
What about an always on scenario: a little 12 volt lead-acid battery (mind the polarity, no current limiting!) permanently charged by a little trickle charger from the mains? It will provide however a lot of amps to such a router when switching on, not mitigated by the limits of its original tiny power supply. The introduction of halogen searchlights on board of pilot boats: these halogens were short-lived: the immense batteries burned them out because of their much lower "cold" resistance compared with the traditional incandescent light bulbs.
Back to a cheap UPS?
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ian
Member
36 Indre
Posts: 42
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Post by ian on Dec 14, 2022 16:49:04 GMT 1
Guys, thanks for all the ideas. Unfortunately, I haven't the skills to make up something from components - I was hoping for something plug-and-forget. The link that stvincent provided is the sort of thing I had in mind.
Unfortunately, my power supply says 2.5A, so I need something bigger, but now I know they exist. I'll start hunting.
Thanks again, guys.
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ian
Member
36 Indre
Posts: 42
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Post by ian on Dec 14, 2022 17:07:50 GMT 1
Sorry, I can't post a link that works, but Amazon.fr seems to have something - look for Eaton Onduleur 3S Mini.
The brochure says it's good for 3A at 12V, for up to 40 minutes.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Dec 14, 2022 17:13:45 GMT 1
Interesting. I don't feel so bad now having spent €79.99 on my 350watt mains UPS with 8 sockets and one for the incoming phone line.
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Post by robertarthur on Dec 14, 2022 17:44:19 GMT 1
How low can you go? If you have an old car battery, if you are not going for an interior design award, this one could do the job for some penny saving always on line readers of this forum, an interesting test. Out of stock here in France. I would personally prefer Aardvark's UPS, also extra 230 V outlets to charge your phone or laptop (not too long). Only twice the price of this very little Amazon mini ups, a 600 VA system made by FORTRON. |
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Post by another on Dec 14, 2022 19:17:26 GMT 1
Good to hear France hasn't improved in it's ability to keep the lights on!
Where we were (Lot) the power would trip at the merest hint of lightning and some months we could experience cuts almost on a daily basis.
Didn't help that the PoS Livebox took absolutely ages to come back to life!
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Post by houpla on Dec 14, 2022 19:55:29 GMT 1
Sorry to disappoint, Ernie, but things have got much better here over the years  |
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Post by jackie on Dec 14, 2022 20:07:05 GMT 1
Hardly ever get power cuts here compared to when we lived in the UK except For a few planned ones which we are always informed of.
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Post by pcpa on Dec 14, 2022 21:18:57 GMT 1
I had one single power cut in 16 years in Picardie and that was a programmed one so that they could bring into service the concentrateur Linky in the adjacent sub station, it went off on the hour they said to the second and was off for 20 minutes of the 30 minutes that they advised.
I had brought a generator over with me but sold it after a decade as it was deteriorating in the cave.
Ian, regarding your power supply, I very much doubt that your router draws anything like the 2.5 amperes that the power supply has as a peak rating, is the output 12 volt like my Freebox? If so then the solution is simple, wire an old car battery in parallel with the router, the PSU will charge the battery and power the router, when the power goes off the battery will take over, it does not need to be a car battery, a 1.2 ah alarm battery will do fine.
When the PSU failed on my Freebox I used my spare car battery while waiting for the replacement.
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