Are there any small portable batteries backups I can use for an external hard drives?

O

oxband

Well-known member
I am about to go do some filming on the road. While traveling, I want to be able to edit some footage I have on these external hard drives. I usually only use these externals when they are plugged into a backup battery so that I dont need to worry about the power cutting out and the externals shutting off. I use this item. I'm wondering, however, if there are any small, more portable battery backups I could purchase. My APC backup is big and kind of bulky, and i don't need eight inputs. I just need 2-3 for the externals I'll be running.

So.....quickly put.....are there any super small portable battery backup options I can carry around with me or are they all routinely over ten pounds?
 
external drives are rated between 500mA - 1A, to be safe let's say 1A.
look for "battery" on ebay and you can find cheap lipo case with 5V usb output up to 50A.
That means you can power a disk at least 40 hours before recharging.
On the other hand you should also consider that if you need to power the disk, you will probably need
to power the other devices (laptop, camera) as long.
 
110v inverter with cigarette lighter adaptor? That is, if you can operate the drives from your car.
Ken
 
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so you are looking for an inline UPS.
They are cheap (but not light), and you can use a small 300W to power a laptop. the laptop can power the disks or you can use a transformer for disks.

this kind of UPS is not designed to power equipement a long time (just few minutes to allow clean shutdown).

APC is a brand you can find everywhere.
 
So I own one of those APC devices. I'm just wondering if they sell one that's around 5 pounds and fits easily in a carry on bag. any such thing exist?
 
the problem is not the device, it is the energy. Energy is packed in batteries and batteries are heavy, bulky and if you take the most powerful ones (Lipo technology)
you are limited by law on the size allowed on airplanes.
So if you can get some satisfaction with a small battery (and small autonomy) , yes , you can easily find a small and light UPS.
first set your power needs (in watts or VA) , then the maximum time you will run on battery and then calculate the size of the converter required and the size of batteries. Inverter for laptops (about 120W) are very small and a 120W battery under 12V is 10A. You can use these new li-ion battery made to replace motorcycles lead batteries (Shorai is a well know brand). These batteries weight a third of original lead batteries and react better to discharge.
you can probably stay under 8 pounds.
 
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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=smallest+ups#

http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-INTERNETOFFICE300-Desktop-Battery/dp/B000065CEW

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1XASAPNQT6JXGMNRWT7F

http://www.astonenergy.it/ups_eng/ups.php

if you simply need a backup for 5V (or 12V) you can also use a battery and its charger.
Power the device (disk) with the battery while at same time charing it with the wall charger.
if main power goes down, the battery will continue to provide the energy.

I use this for 5V devices.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-12000mA...e_Batteries&hash=item3f2409c136#ht_1857wt_934
you just need to make sure 1) there is a different socket for charge and ouput 2) the output is able to give the necessary current.(Amps)
 
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I'm aware of the APC. I own it. the point is i want something lighter and more portable. The Tripp Lite seems promising....although the reviews have scared me away....
 
Here:
APC Back-UPS Pro 500 Lithium Ion UPS
4.9 lbs.

As far as I can tell it's the only off-the-shelf Li-Ion UPS in the market, so it was worth updating this thread. Using a battery device that has "3-prong AC outlets" will always include some inefficiencies compared to direct DC powering. You're converting DC to AC, and then the devices does the reverse. (To be honest, I'm still not sure how the numbers add up - based on specs, the loss should be fairly small, while in reality, UPSs are huge and heavy compared to 'bare' DC battery systems. I do get the desire to stick with them, though - you get the simplicity, ability to use OEM power adapters, versatility for different devices, and surge protection.
 
I ended up buying this product and I have been very, very happy with it. It's light, easy to pack into a bag, and it gets the job done.
 
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