Cali Kid Corals

Battery Backup Opinion

reefjedi

reefjedi

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My power company (Alameda Municipal Power) told me today:

On Friday evening, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) declared a Stage 3 power emergency as extreme heat across the state drove up electricity use. When a Stage 3 emergency is declared, it means that the statewide electrical grid is not meeting demand and rotating power outages may be necessary.

I scrambled to get a backup for my tank. AC didn't have the Ecotech battery backup in stock so I went to Harbor Freight and Home Depot and picked up a trickle charger, 12v 5ah lead acid battery, inline fuse holder, a pack of fuses, wires, etc. to build my own. I just realized that it would've been a lot easier to get a UPS to get a few hours of backup.

I was looking into the Ecotech Battery Backup (18 amp hour) and Jebao/Coral Box Battery Backup (4.4 amp hour) and saw this:

TalentCell Mini UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply 27000mAh 98Wh Lithium ion Backup Battery with DC 12V/9V/5V Output

This is 27 amp hours, lithium ion, and 65% less than the Ecotech.

Do you guys think this will work? Pros/cons?

One con I can think of is I'm not sure if the battery can be replaced easily like I would be able to on my trickle charger or the Ecotech. Does anyone know if the lithium ion will last much longer than a few sets of the lead acid batteries and be more cost effective in the long run?

I think I'd have to use this to plug into the Vortech controllers:
Besmelody 10-Pack DC Power Converter Plug, 5.5mm x 2.1mm to 3.5mm x 1.35mm Tip Size AC/DC Adapter Barrel Plug Connector for Wall Chargers

Does this make sense?
 
Looks like there’s a 5amp fuse in the cable connecting the battery to the vortech too.

I have most of the parts already for the diy approach but I do want to see if the lithium battery UPS works. I’ll test it out when it comes on Monday. It’s more plug and play and could be helpful for those who are hesitant to do wiring.
 
The talentcell mini UPS works!

It plugs into the Vortech controllers as a battery backup (using the barrel jack adapters linked above). It has about 45% of watt hours of the ecotech battery backup. The ecotech has 216 watt hours vs the talentcell at 98 (My initial assessment looking at amp hours was wrong... you have to look at watt hours which takes into account voltage). It's about 40% of the cost so it's kind of a wash.

But -- if it lasts more than 2-3 years since it's lithium and not lead acid, then it could save you in the long run.

I think if you're in a pinch and you need something right away, you want it shipped to you via Amazon, and you don't want to build anything, this is a solid plug and play solution.

Especially if you don't have vortechs, Also, if you don't have vortechs, you could plug your other 12v powerheads into this.

This is a better deal than the coralbox (105 watt hours) and the icecap (60 watt hours??).

The form factor is very slim, but not waterproof. Not sure of the other ones are waterproof.

Best bang for the buck though is building your own, which I did also. But order your batteries online -- 12v lead acids cost a lot more in brick and mortar stores.
 
Could you plug the powerhead into this and then plug the battery into an outlet for security while away? Ive been looking for an option that would work if I was away
 
I would not trust the Ecotech backup to be waterproof.
Unsure on the Icecap one as I haven’t looked at the seams on the plastic case.
The connectors are not waterproof in any case.
All options I expect would survive more mist than they really should see anyways.
 
reefjedi said:
Looks like there’s a 5amp fuse in the cable connecting the battery to the vortech too.
Click to expand...
FYI the fuse came later, probably due to not getting UL approval without it or one too many cords melted *shrug*, either way it'll work without a fuse it's simply a precaution due to the wire being small and the voltages being relatively small.
 
max_nano said:
Could you plug the powerhead into this and then plug the battery into an outlet for security while away? Ive been looking for an option that would work if I was away
Click to expand...

Yes that’s exactly how it works.

In the case of Vortechs the switchover happens when the controller loses power and goes from 24v to 12v to conserve energy.

I just checked my Jebao OW power heads and they’re 24v so it doesn’t work out of the box.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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