But here’s the problem - while power was out, no data was saved so I missed the most important part. Product literature assured me that data would be saved during internet outages but it says nothing about power outages. Do I need to install battery backup in the hub? Here’s an image of the disappointing graphs of air pressure and wind speed I saw when power was restored. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I think you can see why I’m a little disappointed. It’s not every day (thank God) I get to look into the eye of a hurricane.
I have my hubs on a battery backup unit. I found that this unit, https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FDBZCXG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 will power the hub just fine. The only issue I had with them is that I also wanted them to power a Raspberry Pi but they would “forget” to keep the battery charged with that much current draw but seem to power the very light load that the hubs have. I have two of them each powering one hub and have been working flawlessly in that capacity since about February 2019.
The AIR & SKY will store several hours of data if they can’t connect to the Hub for any reason. If your internet was only down for a short period it would have back-filled.
The Hub will store several days of data if the Internet connection is down, but it does need a backup power source if your power fails.
I see. So I need a backup power source. Product lit says data is stored during internet outages but that rarely happens without a power outage, especially during storms… And storms are the reason I bought this device. So what do you suggest? How much UPS capacity would I need?
I did a test with my battery backup Battery power supply/portable UPS ideas for hub & a tablet I and found that it ran the hub for nearly 4 days. I’d expect the 3800mAh battery in the unit I linked above to run the hub for ~36 hours or so but you can add a second battery of any size you want provided it is the same chemistry as the existing one.
Thanks. I think I’ll look into something that can power the modem as well, and maybe the security camera too while I’m at it. If the phone lines don’t go down that should keep me up and running.
Thank you @gizmoev
We would like to be able to provide a general recommendation to customers asking about an external power bank.
The hub requires a minimum 5 Watt (1 Amp @ 5 volts) power supply. Make sure the power bank you select has pass through charging ability, meaning it will charge itself (from the wall) at the same time it powers the Hub. For reference, a 10,000mAh battery capacity can power the Hub for over 72 hours.
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Thank you. Exactly what I needed to know.
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IMHO just get a regular UPS. Small ones can be had for about $35 and would power the hub for a long time.
Reportedly many of the Amazon brand gear does ‘not’ have this, or didn’t the last time I looked into it a year+ ago. Lots of unhappy people who bought the wrong thing thinking they were saving a bit of money…
+1 on the larger size. The modem needs power too.
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Note that the Amazon link I posted is for a USB UPS, not a portable battery bank like most people get. It appears to charge the battery when it drops a few percent. The input and output are on separate voltage/charge controllers.
I have a small "always on " battery pack in series with the wall plug. It should be good for 36 hours or so. $29 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLNI49S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I didn’t need much since I have a whole house generator. I just wanted continuous data during short outages.
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I hadn’t thought of the always-on feature. Good point.
My current thinking is something like this pass-through power bank for the USB-powered weather hub, and maybe a small trolling motor battery in parallel with the 12v power supplies for modem and cameras, possibly with a “battery tender” charger to keep it topped off… But I’m a water engineer, not an electrician, so what do I know. Is that a feasible idea?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CGGGQBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PH8EDbNJWKSAR
This may be the solution I’ve been looking for. It uses a sealed lead acid battery (an additional $15-20) for backup during power outages and has enough 12v circuits to host my modem, cameras, DVR and maybe a security system as well. With addition of a 12v USB charger, it should also keep my WxFlow hub running without a USB power bank.
For the connections, these pigtails should work with my 12v devices.
Here’s a simpler approach that might work for just the Weatherflow hub and modem, at least for a brief outage.
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“This battery backup requires a minimum current draw of 75mA”
The Hub is so energy efficient that this becomes a factor. Mine draws about 50mA if I believe my cheap USB meter. If a device isn’t drawing the minimum, a USB power supply thinks that it is attached to a phone that has completed charging…and turns the output power off…
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Using that hybrid device to power hub and router at the same time might solve that problem