Battery backup report - real use

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Well, a little less than a year after hooking up my homemade CPAP UPS system, it finally got a workout last night.

We had a dry line move through with some monstrously high winds along the leading edge - that was about 20:30~ish. Lights all went out. In my county, the news was reporting over 70,000 homes without power. I pulled out a battery and hooked up a homemade 12V table lamp to it an pulled out the portable FM/AM/SW to listen to the news for a while. I got sleepy and went to be around 21:30. Still had the humidifier filled up, just turned the heat to the "0" position, put the mask on, and cranked up the machine. No noticeable departure from my typical normal state. At around 01:00 this morning, the power came back on and the unit automatically switched back over to the AC source and then began recharging the battery while I slept through it. So tonight, the battery is again topped off and all is well. I could have done that for at least three or maybe four more nights before changing out batteries.

Now before in this situation, I would have unhooked the AC source, pulled out a battery, hooked it up and just gone to bed on the battery all night. Then I would have to reverse the process again this morning. And that would have been OK - I would have had CPAP with power out - but this was so so much more betterer.

As it turned out, it just could not have worked any better.

OMMOHY

[JWR]

Sure is nice to hear that your backup system worked with out a hitch Thanks for posting your Excellent experience

[archangle]

Well, a little less than a year after hooking up my homemade CPAP UPS system, it finally got a workout last night.

How about a description of your system, or a link to a previous post?

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Well, a little less than a year after hooking up my homemade CPAP UPS system, it finally got a workout last night.

How about a description of your system, or a link to a previous post?

I've included description before, but for simplicity sake, here it is again.

This recipe takes a very tiny amount of electrical and mechanical aptitude if one wishes to make up some of the components, however, all parts can be readily purchased already assembled and just plugged together if not so inclined. The Anderson PowerPole system makes it really easy and pretty much foolproof. The PowerPole is really just another name for a type of plug. It has become a standard in the ham radio world for DC power distribution because of its simplicity and ease of configuration/assembly/dis-assembly. Also, short assemblies can easily be connected together with an extension cord plugged between them. The website for Powerwerx is where I got started several years back; they have pretty much all assemblies mentioned, except for the battery and smaller DC power supply (the assemblies can get expensive). Some online outlets for ham radio supplies that I have found which would carry power supplies, and maybe the Super PWRgate and PowerPole assemblies include Ham Radio Outlet, Gigaparts, DX Engineering, Universal Radio, etc.)

Ingredients:
* One 35 AH SLA/AGM Battery (which is the size I chose as the best balance between ease of handling and sufficient power capacity for my needs - YMMV. I selected either CSB or Powersonic batteries)
* One Super PWRgate PG40S made by West Mountain Radio (automatically switches from AC to DC supply as needed, but also serves as a four stage smart charger, like the Deltran Battery Tenders)
* One small 12V DC power supply, typically used for ham radio (I chose the Astron SS-12 @ 12 A, with voltage adjusted up from the standard 13.8 to 14.5 for charging AGM batteries per PWRgate manual)
* One 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter for whichever CPAP machine you use
* One Female cigar lighter cable, terminated with Anderson PowerPole connectors (which connect to the Super PWRgate)
* One fused wiring assembly (I think I run mine with 10A fuses) with terminal rings at one end to attach to battery and Anderson PowerPole connectors at the other end (these attach to the PWRgate)
* Extension cord to allow you to position the battery in an out of the way location, again terminated with Anderson PowerPole connectors
* Cord to attach the power supply to the PWRgate, terminated in Anderson PowerPoles on one end and whatever your power supply takes on the other, maybe rings or banana plugs or even bare wire if it has screw-down terminals or spring-clip terminals)

Instructions:
Detailed instructions for configuring and attaching the SuperPWRgate to a battery and power supply are included the user manual. Review and follow those instructions. This is a brief summary to show the basic simplicity of the process - with changes for connecting a CPAP instead of a radio:

* Configure the fuses on the top of the Super PWRgate per instructions in the manual for the size battery you have (p. 10) - this controls the charge amperage; I have mine configured for 7 amp charging so I remove the left fuse, leaving the fuse on the right.
* Connect the power supply to the "PS" PowerPole connector on the Super PWRgate.
* Connect the battery to the "BAT" PowerPole connector on the SuperPWRgate.
* Connect the cigar lighter plug to the "OUT" PowerPole connector on the SuperPWRgate.
* Plug the CPAP's 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter into the cigar plug.
* Plug the CPAP's 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter into the CPAP.
* Turn on the power supply.
* Turn on the CPAP.
* Sleep.

West Mountain included the following illustration in the SuperPWR Gate PG40S user manual. It is a simplified version of what I am talking about - just substitute a CPAP machine for the radio transceiver.

   

And for quick reference, the Cigar plug with Power Pole connection from Powerwerx's site -

   

(The PWRgate is the heart of this system; you can google it to get a real good, detailed idea of what this system is and how it is put together by reviewing the user manual.)

[Luvmyzzz]

Well, a little less than a year after hooking up my homemade CPAP UPS system, it finally got a workout last night.

How about a description of your system, or a link to a previous post?

I've included description before, but for simplicity sake, here it is again.

This recipe takes a very tiny amount of electrical and mechanical aptitude if one wishes to make up some of the components, however, all parts can be readily purchased already assembled and just plugged together if not so inclined. The Anderson PowerPole system makes it really easy and pretty much foolproof. The PowerPole is really just another name for a type of plug. It has become a standard in the ham radio world for DC power distribution because of its simplicity and ease of configuration/assembly/dis-assembly. Also, short assemblies can easily be connected together with an extension cord plugged between them. The website for Powerwerx is where I got started several years back; they have pretty much all assemblies mentioned, except for the battery and smaller DC power supply (the assemblies can get expensive). Some online outlets for ham radio supplies that I have found which would carry power supplies, and maybe the Super PWRgate and PowerPole assemblies include Ham Radio Outlet, Gigaparts, DX Engineering, Universal Radio, etc.)

Ingredients:
* One 35 AH SLA/AGM Battery (which is the size I chose as the best balance between ease of handling and sufficient power capacity for my needs - YMMV. I selected either CSB or Powersonic batteries)
* One Super PWRgate PG40S made by West Mountain Radio (automatically switches from AC to DC supply as needed, but also serves as a four stage smart charger, like the Deltran Battery Tenders)
* One small 12V DC power supply, typically used for ham radio (I chose the Astron SS-12 @ 12 A, with voltage adjusted up from the standard 13.8 to 14.5 for charging AGM batteries per PWRgate manual)
* One 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter for whichever CPAP machine you use
* One Female cigar lighter cable, terminated with Anderson PowerPole connectors (which connect to the Super PWRgate)
* One fused wiring assembly (I think I run mine with 10A fuses) with terminal rings at one end to attach to battery and Anderson PowerPole connectors at the other end (these attach to the PWRgate)
* Extension cord to allow you to position the battery in an out of the way location, again terminated with Anderson PowerPole connectors
* Cord to attach the power supply to the PWRgate, terminated in Anderson PowerPoles on one end and whatever your power supply takes on the other, maybe rings or banana plugs or even bare wire if it has screw-down terminals or spring-clip terminals)

Instructions:
Detailed instructions for configuring and attaching the SuperPWRgate to a battery and power supply are included the user manual. Review and follow those instructions. This is a brief summary to show the basic simplicity of the process - with changes for connecting a CPAP instead of a radio:

* Configure the fuses on the top of the Super PWRgate per instructions in the manual for the size battery you have (p. 10) - this controls the charge amperage; I have mine configured for 7 amp charging so I remove the left fuse, leaving the fuse on the right.
* Connect the power supply to the "PS" PowerPole connector on the Super PWRgate.
* Connect the battery to the "BAT" PowerPole connector on the SuperPWRgate.
* Connect the cigar lighter plug to the "OUT" PowerPole connector on the SuperPWRgate.
* Plug the CPAP's 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter into the cigar plug.
* Plug the CPAP's 12 V DC power cable/supply/converter into the CPAP.
* Turn on the power supply.
* Turn on the CPAP.
* Sleep.

West Mountain included the following illustration in the SuperPWR Gate PG40S user manual. It is a simplified version of what I am talking about - just substitute a CPAP machine for the radio transceiver.



And for quick reference, the Cigar plug with Power Pole connection from Powerwerx's site -



(The PWRgate is the heart of this system; you can google it to get a real good, detailed idea of what this system is and how it is put together by reviewing the user manual.)

OMMOHY, you are such a sweet heart for sharing this information! Bless your heart!!

[Evpraxia]

Marvelous!!

[OMyMyOHellYes]

OK folks - a couple of days ago I talked about a weird adapter failure. I got the plug adapter and rehooked up my battery backup this afternoon so should be good to go.

Some folks have asked about the setup. Others have asked about the aesthetics. Well, when I hooked it up this afternoon, I took advantage of the opportunity and pulled up the bed skirt and was down on the floor vacuuming under the nightstand and bed, areas which require the use of a canister vac and normally escape the supplication of the Dyson vac during weekly cleanings.

While I had the bed skirt pulled up I thought to myslef, "Self, you got that battery sitting out in the room to the right side of that there nightstand. Some folks on the Apneaboard have said the womens in their lives would object to such a thing." Then I thought, as usual, "Self, once again you is right. I bet you could squeeze that battery between the bed and the nightstand and that would hide it some." And then when the third half of my brain kicked in, I thought to myself, "Self, I bet there's room on the other side of the bedpost pretty much up under the headboard for that battery and when you drop the bedskirt back down, nobody ever gonna see it." And then I had to agree with myself again. So, that's what I did. I re-po-sitioned the battery up under the headboard. Now, given that it is a SLA/AGM type battery, I could even lay it on its side if it didn't have room to clear, but as I had plenty of room I didn't mess with that. (the battery is about five inches deep and the brown bed frame has seven inches of clearance under it. The brown steel frame and the box springs you see are "fake" - my bed is real high and I use them to drape a bed skirt over covering the cavernous area actually under the bed and to keep a very large dog out from under there).

So ...... I said to myself again, "Self, them folks looking at that picture you is about to attach may wonder what all of it is." The parts is all described in detail up above. I took some shortcuts and made some of my own wires. OK, all but one wire which is the main wire from the outlet to the Astron power supply. I did not use cigar lighter plugs in this setup - everything is straight PowerPole connectors.

* Battery over on the left peeking out from behind the bedpost (grey with a blue top, red boot covering the pos battery terminal, sitting in a little melamine tray because I didn't want to put it on the carpet).
* Astron 12 A DC power supply on the lower shelf of the nightstand
* West Mountain Super PWRgate on top of the power supply (turned around backward to better match where all the wires come from to the position of their sources)
* Wiring: (as shown - remember the PWRgate is backwards here in relation to the picture in my above system "recipe")
==> Line from the battery to the PWRgate comes from behind the bedpost and plugs in the PowerPole on the left - that's about a 2 foot long line IIRC
==> Line from the power supply to the PWRgate runs to the right side PowerPole plug - that's about an 10 inch long wire.
==> Line from the PWRgate up to the unit itself is the black cord plugged into the middle PowerPole - that is three feet long and loops down behind the setup and then goes straight up.
==> You can't see the line from the wall socket to the power supply - it comes up from the bottom along the baseboard.
==> The little diagonal line in the upper right is a USB cord for phone charging and is not part of the system.

So, there it is.

OMMOHY



   

[Evpraxia]

Well now, I'd say you are pretty dang smart. Grin!

Seriously, I like the setup. Our bed is also high, which is great for me since I put a 2x4 sheet of plywood on the bed to act as a support for my cutting board for fabric.

[Luvmyzzz]

OK folks - a couple of days ago I talked about a weird adapter failure. I got the plug adapter and rehooked up my battery backup this afternoon so should be good to go.

Some folks have asked about the setup. Others have asked about the aesthetics. Well, when I hooked it up this afternoon, I took advantage of the opportunity and pulled up the bed skirt and was down on the floor vacuuming under the nightstand and bed, areas which require the use of a canister vac and normally escape the supplication of the Dyson vac during weekly cleanings.

While I had the bed skirt pulled up I thought to myslef, "Self, you got that battery sitting out in the room to the right side of that there nightstand. Some folks on the Apneaboard have said the womens in their lives would object to such a thing." Then I thought, as usual, "Self, once again you is right. I bet you could squeeze that battery between the bed and the nightstand and that would hide it some." And then when the third half of my brain kicked in, I thought to myself, "Self, I bet there's room on the other side of the bedpost pretty much up under the headboard for that battery and when you drop the bedskirt back down, nobody ever gonna see it." And then I had to agree with myself again. So, that's what I did. I re-po-sitioned the battery up under the headboard. Now, given that it is a SLA/AGM type battery, I could even lay it on its side if it didn't have room to clear, but as I had plenty of room I didn't mess with that. (the battery is about five inches deep and the brown bed frame has seven inches of clearance under it. The brown steel frame and the box springs you see are "fake" - my bed is real high and I use them to drape a bed skirt over covering the cavernous area actually under the bed and to keep a very large dog out from under there).

So ...... I said to myself again, "Self, them folks looking at that picture you is about to attach may wonder what all of it is." The parts is all described in detail up above. I took some shortcuts and made some of my own wires. OK, all but one wire which is the main wire from the outlet to the Astron power supply. I did not use cigar lighter plugs in this setup - everything is straight PowerPole connectors.

* Battery over on the left peeking out from behind the bedpost (grey with a blue top, red boot covering the pos battery terminal, sitting in a little melamine tray because I didn't want to put it on the carpet).
* Astron 12 A DC power supply on the lower shelf of the nightstand
* West Mountain Super PWRgate on top of the power supply (turned around backward to better match where all the wires come from to the position of their sources)
* Wiring: (as shown - remember the PWRgate is backwards here in relation to the picture in my above system "recipe")
==> Line from the battery to the PWRgate comes from behind the bedpost and plugs in the PowerPole on the left - that's about a 2 foot long line IIRC
==> Line from the power supply to the PWRgate runs to the right side PowerPole plug - that's about an 10 inch long wire.
==> Line from the PWRgate up to the unit itself is the black cord plugged into the middle PowerPole - that is three feet long and loops down behind the setup and then goes straight up.
==> You can't see the line from the wall socket to the power supply - it comes up from the bottom along the baseboard.
==> The little diagonal line in the upper right is a USB cord for phone charging and is not part of the system.

So, there it is.

OMMOHY

That is an awesome set up OMMOHY! Would you care to share how much time & $$ you have in this, and have you used it yet?

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Yes - I use it every night . The whole thread started as a report of it working real time during a storm a few weeks back one night when we lost power for several hours.

The PWRgate (switch and smart charger) runs about $135. The 35 AH battery will run between $60 and 80. The power supply is an Astron, which is kind of the "Cadillac" brand of ham power supplies you can get for around $90. You could easily substitute a Jetstream or MFJ 14-15 A supply for $50-60. You don't really need much amperage - a 10A supply would likely do if this is all you have set up on it. That won't power much radio, so the smaller units can be harder to find. I made my own cables so their cost was minimal. Maybe took 30 minutes max? If you buy cables and connectors, you can spend some money (seems like they want around $10 for each cable, a little more if you go the cigar lighter plug option, plus whatever the cable and blasted power brick is from ResMed for your S-9 (you're kind of stuck with the DC converter from ResMed - that is one reason I like the last generation 60 series machines from Respironics - it uses any cable attached straight to a 12V battery). If you bought premade cables, it is pricer, but it should go together in like less than 10 minutes.

OMMOHY