@Terabyte47 Wet cell lead acid 12V batteries only give off hydrogen if the battery potential gets over 14V. Given that the batteries are being charged at less than 1A that will not happen without another charger being connected to the battery
The UPS chargers are designed for a gel cell battery NOT a wet cell deep cycle. The UPS function will function but trying to recharge a wet cell battery of that size is definitely hard on the charger.
@Gizmologist09 it stresses the charging components more, yes. there are things you can do, see above where i mentioned using a shunt or adding a fan. you can also adjust what peak voltage is used. i've never had an issue in charging, the only issue i've ever had is when discharging for long periods of time, which is generally helped with nothing more than heatsinks and a fan.
Hi, Nice job. What are people complaining about. With every experiment you learn and improve. Can you adjust the UPS software to allow for greater than 10 min operation? In my opinion a UPS is really just to give you enough time to safely shut down your pc. I think your girl friend will be ok with the batteries as long as you get the chevy transmission out of the bath tube. Just kidding. I have an old belkin UPS I need to change the batteries on too.
what about the battery charger inside the ups small ups have a small battery charger if you put big battery , while dischager and rechargeing time ups may dammage due to low capacity battery charger, modify the circute and put external charger with cutout relay system then system will work properly
@opiated666 gas is extremely expensive compared to electricity, gas degrades over time much faster than lead-acid batteries, gas cannot be stored indoors safely (lead acid batteries, if sealed, like AGM, can), generators cannot run 24x7 waiting for your equipment to fail, generators are extremely, extremely loud.
@soulmata euh ??? from what planet are you.. the generator i have runs on diesel and the noise is lower then my pc...its a back up system that is also connected to solarpanels...for 300 dollar you have a system that could run for months...you can also connect a windmill thing to it..that generate just enough elect, to run a pc... batteries are not realy friendly for the inviroment...thats why i dont get this clip... just for a few hours back up energy..
@opiated666 I'm calling you out claiming you have a diesel-powered generator that produces less noise than a PC, can be used under a desk indoors and, oh, since you're talking about eco-friendly, burns biodiesel and produces no carbon emissions. I want to see the make, model, acoustic output, etc.
Seems like if you've got software that recognizes the computer is on backup power and will shut the computer down, then you're not gaining much by extending your backup power further. DIY is fun an all, but $300, 2 giant batteries by bed, + wires to tangle up and trip on... and hope the unit doesn't burn up from being overloaded trying to maintain the float voltage on a unit it wasn't sized for. Nice project, but if your computer staying on so long is really SO important, buy a larger unit!
I've done exactly the same, creating a portable power supply for a ren faire. (providing power to lighting, Amplifiers for stages, etc.) Mine, was a 12V version, But using a car-battery size gel cell. what made it easy, was when the faire was over, all I had to do, was put a 2nd gel cell in parallel, disconnect the 1st battery, then bring the battery over to the car, and recharge it with the car running. Smart move adding the fan! I made that mistake with a 300aH UPS. Not pretty!
There are lots of these UPS systems available for next to nothing (usually free). The typical battery life is 2-3 years and the replacement batteries are relatively expensive. As long as your load doesn't exceed the capacity of the inverter, this is a good way to recycle an otherwise useless item.,IMO. Nice job.
I wouldnt worry about your GF getting mad - worry about your insurance company declining to pay on a fire damage claim if that rigged setup catches fire. Does it work - obviously. Is it safe? Maybe, probably.
I just did the same thing for my ups, it is a pathetic apc es 350 with a 12 volt 3.4 ah battery . I've have had it for only about a day, but am kinda skeptical about how long my dual purpose deep cycle battery will last. I've got a walmart brand everstart maxx 29 125 ah battery, but looking on some review sites, people say it only lasts a couple years. I just wanted to know how your batteries are holding up and what brand are they ? I'm thinking about switching mine out for an optima battery.
Great video well done. I have been playing with batterys and inverters for years and never thought to convert one of these untill recently. I bought a used 4000w apc used online and will be doing a video on this. Question how long have you run on batterys?
Checkout my vids and look for the new one on this.
Yes it is. I added a fan later on that will kick on when the batteries come on, to keep it from overheating during an extended discharge. I also am using AGM batteries now so that I can have them indoors, and I installed a fuse between the batteries and the unit for safety.
@soulmata sure it works. i've already tried rhis thing but had problems bucouse the current needed from big batteries for charging was a lot more the one of 7amp batteries so after a couple of mounths i burnt the mosfet that rectify AC power line and there is other problem i can't solve.
@djtonyxxx5 there are a few things you can do to improve quality. a shunt for the the batteries so charging stops when they are at 85%-90% will help, as well as lowering voltage and doing a slower trickle charge over time. it's not unusual to see a few days of recharge time if you have a large battery set. also, a fan especially helps, for components like the transformer. also, i have found if you run on battery for long periods, the inverter components will also get very hot.
I've been thinking about doing this as well but taking it to what I consider the next level by using wind or solar power to help the little UPS recharge the huge batteries.
I have a smart-ups 1500 and I'm thinking of adding two 110Ah deep cycle batteries externally instead of the 2 17Ah which are kaput.. I am concerned about the extra workload on the charger. Did your charger charge your extra capacity batteries ok?
Few years ago i've tried something similar and it worked until the batteries were depleted, the ups then failed to recharge the batteries and it did not work.
I have heard of people using this type of thing (set-up) when trying to have emergency power run special aquariums like those little reef set-ups. I wonder how long the pumps and the filter would run on something like this ? If it kept valuable fish alive during a power failure it seems to me it would be worth it. Soulmata isn't the point of larger batteries simply to extend a given run time depending on the load ? Bigger batteries means longer run time right ?
First, you should really watch the temps on that UPS. Those cheap, passively cooled ones tend to overheat really, really easily. My little 420W almost overheats during the runtime on stock battery.
Second, the UPS won't charge the batteries fast enough for them to emit much gas. To create any danger, you need about 4% hydrogen gas in the air, which would require you to basically boil away the whole batteries. Which won't happen at the 1A current the UPS charges with ;)
I installed a little 80mm fan in my 750W UPS, which has a similar mod (2x55Ah over 2x7Ah stock), as it would overheat during the first half hour of 60-70% load, and that's a UPS that's designed for extended runs.
soulmata will that UPS box keep beeping like that when its running off the car batteries, that will get annoying fast lol but its a hint to shut down or you'll lose files
Hm? Does the UPS charge those batteries as well? I did the same thing today and it did not work for me so I looked on youtube and found that clip. My UPS unit has just one 12 volt btry, when I connected one larger btry the same way you did in the video I got overload light on and that is where I stopped. What do you think? I also have solar panel but in Chicago area it is useless :)
Those looks like 2 12AH I'm not sure but i'm assuming cause it looks like those battery from other UPS that are removeable anyway's great project and i may do one with mine onece it breaks down.
The entire point is to ride out short outages when I may not be at my computer, giving me enough time to get home from work or whatever and still have plenty of time to power down... or ride out entirely a outage lasting a few hours. I also have a 4000W generator and solar panels on the ready that I plan to integrate into a more seamless system. Battery recharge time is really not an issue at all.
Nope these are regular marine/RV deep-cycle batteries. They are spillable and DO produce gas when discharging, so they need to be ventilated or kept outside. The next unit I am doing will be using sealed batteries. Sealed are much more expensive, 2-3x the cost.
I recommend, since the new bats are higher current capacity, that you install an inline fuse at the batteries. otherwise, if something happens with the wiring, charge or inverter circuits then a nice fire could ensue.... In addition note that the longevity is increased, but not the Volt-Amp capacity.
Yeah that's a good idea, and in fact I am going to do exactly that. I am going to put a 30A fuse close to the batteries. I calculated a peak continuous current of around 20A, which is also the suggested load for 10Ga wire, so I figure 30A will be more than enough.
How do you figure sports fan? The current across the UPS to the batteries is no different than it was with the stock units, and peak voltage is the same as well. It's been running swell for quite some time.
I moved the batteries outside and ran the cable through the same hole my CAT5 to the roof is run through. This is just a precaution since these batteries are standard lead-acid and should be ventilated. You can do this safely indoors if you get sealed batteries, which are a little more expensive and harder to come by.
HEY (beep) YOUR (beep) BACKUP (beep) IS (beep) ANNOYING (beep)!
TheMrpanda54 1 month ago
thats pretty badass i would have done the same thing if i had one im thinking about actually getting one
m35a2lover 1 month ago
don't forget about that pure hydrogen gas those batteries are making while charging/being used. hope ya don't smoke.
Terabyte47 3 months ago
@Terabyte47 Wet cell lead acid 12V batteries only give off hydrogen if the battery potential gets over 14V. Given that the batteries are being charged at less than 1A that will not happen without another charger being connected to the battery
randacnam7321 1 month ago
The UPS chargers are designed for a gel cell battery NOT a wet cell deep cycle. The UPS function will function but trying to recharge a wet cell battery of that size is definitely hard on the charger.
Gizmologist09 5 months ago
@Gizmologist09 it stresses the charging components more, yes. there are things you can do, see above where i mentioned using a shunt or adding a fan. you can also adjust what peak voltage is used. i've never had an issue in charging, the only issue i've ever had is when discharging for long periods of time, which is generally helped with nothing more than heatsinks and a fan.
soulmata 5 months ago
4 drives in RAID0?! You really hate your data, don't you?
hellterminator 5 months ago 2
@hellterminator Yea, one would think raid 5 or 10 for four drives
MorningsideTV 2 weeks ago
Hi, Nice job. What are people complaining about. With every experiment you learn and improve. Can you adjust the UPS software to allow for greater than 10 min operation? In my opinion a UPS is really just to give you enough time to safely shut down your pc. I think your girl friend will be ok with the batteries as long as you get the chevy transmission out of the bath tube. Just kidding. I have an old belkin UPS I need to change the batteries on too.
NewEnglandgardening 6 months ago
Some UPS may have problem charging larger batteries (cannot keep it fully charged).
Also may have problem with calibration.
lambition 6 months ago
what about the battery charger inside the ups small ups have a small battery charger if you put big battery , while dischager and rechargeing time ups may dammage due to low capacity battery charger, modify the circute and put external charger with cutout relay system then system will work properly
ubaidameen 6 months ago
Are there any problems with battery charging?
milesbennet 6 months ago
im going to do the same thing! thx for telling us what to do dude
Chill1000returns 8 months ago
maybe you should just use a generator? cost 55 euro gas is 1.8 euro a ltr...
and run you computer for days?????
opiated666 8 months ago
@opiated666 gas is extremely expensive compared to electricity, gas degrades over time much faster than lead-acid batteries, gas cannot be stored indoors safely (lead acid batteries, if sealed, like AGM, can), generators cannot run 24x7 waiting for your equipment to fail, generators are extremely, extremely loud.
soulmata 8 months ago
@soulmata euh ??? from what planet are you.. the generator i have runs on diesel and the noise is lower then my pc...its a back up system that is also connected to solarpanels...for 300 dollar you have a system that could run for months...you can also connect a windmill thing to it..that generate just enough elect, to run a pc... batteries are not realy friendly for the inviroment...thats why i dont get this clip... just for a few hours back up energy..
there are so many ways to get electr
opiated666 8 months ago
@opiated666 I'm calling you out claiming you have a diesel-powered generator that produces less noise than a PC, can be used under a desk indoors and, oh, since you're talking about eco-friendly, burns biodiesel and produces no carbon emissions. I want to see the make, model, acoustic output, etc.
soulmata 8 months ago
can i use dry cell car battery
nazifdaniel 9 months ago
you shouldn't charge batteries indoors because harmful gases. the best place to charge batteries in garage with ventilation
tommyreddog08 9 months ago
Just wondering.
Does the UPS have enough output to charge the battery *without* the extra charger?
angelface22322 9 months ago
More Ampere-a(Ah), more time to work! :)
king11nitro 10 months ago
You have the same one I have. lol just mine is the newer mole
5445252 10 months ago
Comment removed
5445252 10 months ago
Seems like if you've got software that recognizes the computer is on backup power and will shut the computer down, then you're not gaining much by extending your backup power further. DIY is fun an all, but $300, 2 giant batteries by bed, + wires to tangle up and trip on... and hope the unit doesn't burn up from being overloaded trying to maintain the float voltage on a unit it wasn't sized for. Nice project, but if your computer staying on so long is really SO important, buy a larger unit!
SaviourSole 1 year ago
I've done exactly the same, creating a portable power supply for a ren faire. (providing power to lighting, Amplifiers for stages, etc.) Mine, was a 12V version, But using a car-battery size gel cell. what made it easy, was when the faire was over, all I had to do, was put a 2nd gel cell in parallel, disconnect the 1st battery, then bring the battery over to the car, and recharge it with the car running. Smart move adding the fan! I made that mistake with a 300aH UPS. Not pretty!
gelfling6 1 year ago
IM SMELLY? :o
Digadogup 1 year ago
You might want to charge those... 12.4 volts each is not a good charge. You really want to see between 12.6 to 12.8 each on a full charge.
NETWizzJbirk 1 year ago
I tried this with a 50AH battery and the UPS got so hot.
MrDomyong 1 year ago
"Big-ass fuckin car batteries" lol
PureFormSolutions 1 year ago
There are lots of these UPS systems available for next to nothing (usually free). The typical battery life is 2-3 years and the replacement batteries are relatively expensive. As long as your load doesn't exceed the capacity of the inverter, this is a good way to recycle an otherwise useless item.,IMO. Nice job.
chickcoop 1 year ago
Hey... I got one of those Ultra UPS units.
FoamPackingPeanuts 1 year ago
that fuckin beeping would drive me crazy..
FordsRule351 1 year ago
I wouldnt worry about your GF getting mad - worry about your insurance company declining to pay on a fire damage claim if that rigged setup catches fire. Does it work - obviously. Is it safe? Maybe, probably.
rhblakeman 1 year ago
So you just got bigger batteries! - it's about 1min video! Max 3 sentences.
''Awesome'' hack.
TheSliekaStyle 1 year ago
I just did the same thing for my ups, it is a pathetic apc es 350 with a 12 volt 3.4 ah battery . I've have had it for only about a day, but am kinda skeptical about how long my dual purpose deep cycle battery will last. I've got a walmart brand everstart maxx 29 125 ah battery, but looking on some review sites, people say it only lasts a couple years. I just wanted to know how your batteries are holding up and what brand are they ? I'm thinking about switching mine out for an optima battery.
sirmasterpimp 2 years ago
Great video well done. I have been playing with batterys and inverters for years and never thought to convert one of these untill recently. I bought a used 4000w apc used online and will be doing a video on this. Question how long have you run on batterys?
Checkout my vids and look for the new one on this.
Once again well thought out and done.
Kevin OBX NC
OBXSOLWIND 2 years ago
still working??
davidrrrd 2 years ago
Yes it is. I added a fan later on that will kick on when the batteries come on, to keep it from overheating during an extended discharge. I also am using AGM batteries now so that I can have them indoors, and I installed a fuse between the batteries and the unit for safety.
soulmata 2 years ago
@soulmata sure it works. i've already tried rhis thing but had problems bucouse the current needed from big batteries for charging was a lot more the one of 7amp batteries so after a couple of mounths i burnt the mosfet that rectify AC power line and there is other problem i can't solve.
djtonyxxx5 5 months ago
@djtonyxxx5 there are a few things you can do to improve quality. a shunt for the the batteries so charging stops when they are at 85%-90% will help, as well as lowering voltage and doing a slower trickle charge over time. it's not unusual to see a few days of recharge time if you have a large battery set. also, a fan especially helps, for components like the transformer. also, i have found if you run on battery for long periods, the inverter components will also get very hot.
soulmata 5 months ago
Isn't the beep very annoying? Is one beep not enough?
sijmenjan 2 years ago
Good job!
I've been thinking about doing this as well but taking it to what I consider the next level by using wind or solar power to help the little UPS recharge the huge batteries.
froshmasta 2 years ago
I have a smart-ups 1500 and I'm thinking of adding two 110Ah deep cycle batteries externally instead of the 2 17Ah which are kaput.. I am concerned about the extra workload on the charger. Did your charger charge your extra capacity batteries ok?
brekaman 2 years ago
The charging circuit is current-limited, so it shouldn't be a problem. It will just take a long time to charge the batteries.
TehMG 2 years ago
Few years ago i've tried something similar and it worked until the batteries were depleted, the ups then failed to recharge the batteries and it did not work.
RrahimStruja 3 years ago
I have heard of people using this type of thing (set-up) when trying to have emergency power run special aquariums like those little reef set-ups. I wonder how long the pumps and the filter would run on something like this ? If it kept valuable fish alive during a power failure it seems to me it would be worth it. Soulmata isn't the point of larger batteries simply to extend a given run time depending on the load ? Bigger batteries means longer run time right ?
Somethinzfishy 3 years ago
A couple of things:
First, you should really watch the temps on that UPS. Those cheap, passively cooled ones tend to overheat really, really easily. My little 420W almost overheats during the runtime on stock battery.
Second, the UPS won't charge the batteries fast enough for them to emit much gas. To create any danger, you need about 4% hydrogen gas in the air, which would require you to basically boil away the whole batteries. Which won't happen at the 1A current the UPS charges with ;)
Freezer7Pro 3 years ago 5
(This is part 2)
I installed a little 80mm fan in my 750W UPS, which has a similar mod (2x55Ah over 2x7Ah stock), as it would overheat during the first half hour of 60-70% load, and that's a UPS that's designed for extended runs.
Freezer7Pro 3 years ago
soulmata will that UPS box keep beeping like that when its running off the car batteries, that will get annoying fast lol but its a hint to shut down or you'll lose files
coondogtheman1234 3 years ago
will that keep beeping untill the power turnes on
minicoppergpiscool 3 years ago
no.
baricade1993 3 years ago
Hm? Does the UPS charge those batteries as well? I did the same thing today and it did not work for me so I looked on youtube and found that clip. My UPS unit has just one 12 volt btry, when I connected one larger btry the same way you did in the video I got overload light on and that is where I stopped. What do you think? I also have solar panel but in Chicago area it is useless :)
kocmoctube 3 years ago
Your UPS is a 12V input unit. You need to put your batteries in parallel or only put a single battery on... then it will work.
soulmata 3 years ago
Those looks like 2 12AH I'm not sure but i'm assuming cause it looks like those battery from other UPS that are removeable anyway's great project and i may do one with mine onece it breaks down.
tech33012 3 years ago
Sure your computer will run for a long time without AC, but it also means it will take a VERY long time to recharge.
bfeely 4 years ago
The entire point is to ride out short outages when I may not be at my computer, giving me enough time to get home from work or whatever and still have plenty of time to power down... or ride out entirely a outage lasting a few hours. I also have a 4000W generator and solar panels on the ready that I plan to integrate into a more seamless system. Battery recharge time is really not an issue at all.
soulmata 4 years ago
I've seen a ups system that uses full size car batteries.
callmewilson 4 years ago
These are "full size".
soulmata 4 years ago
I LOL at your "mOK" after reading the warning sticker.
quantumbits 4 years ago 4
Nope these are regular marine/RV deep-cycle batteries. They are spillable and DO produce gas when discharging, so they need to be ventilated or kept outside. The next unit I am doing will be using sealed batteries. Sealed are much more expensive, 2-3x the cost.
soulmata 4 years ago
Neatly and smartly done.
quantumbits 4 years ago
I recommend, since the new bats are higher current capacity, that you install an inline fuse at the batteries. otherwise, if something happens with the wiring, charge or inverter circuits then a nice fire could ensue.... In addition note that the longevity is increased, but not the Volt-Amp capacity.
quantumbits 4 years ago
Yeah that's a good idea, and in fact I am going to do exactly that. I am going to put a 30A fuse close to the batteries. I calculated a peak continuous current of around 20A, which is also the suggested load for 10Ga wire, so I figure 30A will be more than enough.
soulmata 4 years ago
Of course the idea is to limit the current rating of the fuse to the max the wire and circuits can handle.....
quantumbits 4 years ago
"I'm estimating it will give me at least 2 hours of uptime on my machine with no power supplied."
True, but i cant stand that fucking beeping for 2 hours....
commiekiller1989 4 years ago
Me too! So I like to snip snip the piezos on these.
quantumbits 4 years ago
I hope you people know that you can hit the front button once to disable the buzzer. I have the same UPS but just with a lower capacity.
Justinmp91 3 years ago
That's good. But, I love sleep and just hate waking up to do that!
quantumbits 3 years ago
Yeah but... I would want to wake up if the power went out ... lol. I would think most people feel the same
Justinmp91 3 years ago
Yup, the beeping is aggravating, so on the next unit I am doing, I have planned to remove the piezo buzzer.
soulmata 4 years ago
god damn your desktop needs some help.
blizz3010 4 years ago
No kidding! :)
mitteeestlane 4 years ago
are you not worried about the UPS exploding?
you just modified the charger part of the UPS into a bomb
Nozlaf69 4 years ago
How do you figure sports fan? The current across the UPS to the batteries is no different than it was with the stock units, and peak voltage is the same as well. It's been running swell for quite some time.
soulmata 4 years ago
Im sure your pretty lady will think its sexy with bigass car batteries by the bed, wait... or is that just me being wierd? :s
anyway, I loved this, and I actually understood the stuff I normally wouldent :D
stephlethorpe 4 years ago
soulmata: lord and master of homebrew technology
SandmanCCL 4 years ago
Follow up:
I moved the batteries outside and ran the cable through the same hole my CAT5 to the roof is run through. This is just a precaution since these batteries are standard lead-acid and should be ventilated. You can do this safely indoors if you get sealed batteries, which are a little more expensive and harder to come by.
soulmata 4 years ago
...what about the junk laying all over? :)
mitteeestlane 4 years ago
We're techs. We like junk laying all over....
quantumbits 4 years ago