After Hurricane Sally, I'd like to expand the number of power sources I have. As those of you who read my previous thread know, the generator failed to start, contrary to expectation. Fortunately I got through fine with my other options, but I think I should have more for future needs. If you guys have ideas or product recommendations, I'm all ears.

Right now I'm looking at:

1. A power "station" -- basically a big rechargeable battery with outlets. You have to charge it before the event. The benefit of something like this is you're ready to power something, but once the battery is drained, it's done.

2. A solar power generator. The main problem for me is that my area gets power outages from storms and hurricanes -- not very sunny. It seems that people can still charge their phone on a cloudy day over the course of six hours or so. So this is not a great solution, but may be still useful, especially once the sky clears.

3. It seems that some power tools brands sell an inverter for their batteries. Alas, since there is no standard among these batteries, I can't get just an inverter for all the power tool batteries I have. The inverters are surprisingly expensive. They probably want to price them so they're just a bit cheaper than power "stations."

Thanks!

Bummer about the generator! In regards to the three things you're looking at:
1. What all are you looking to power with batteries? (Smartphone? Fridge? WiFi router & computers?)

2. What sort of budget do you have?

-Blast

I can't quite give a final answer for 1 & 2 because I'm still finding out the balance between what I can get vs. what I can pay. Since I move around a lot, I am looking for portable options. So no house generator + barrels of gas.

I definitely would like to power a phone for a minimum of a week. Preferably two weeks. So that's 7 charges at a minimum.

Powering a router would be nice, but if there is widespread blackout, will I have internet? I have DSL if that matters. During this last blackout, I had mobile data prior to Sally's arrival. After she(? it?) made landfall, I lost mobile data. I still don't have it a few days later. I suspect if I want to keep the router on 24/7, it may suck up more power than I have to spare.

Occasionally I may need to use my laptop (let's say 30 minutes a day). Currently I have no plans to try to get work done (which requires extended use of a computer). It's a good idea not to let employers think disaster time = more work time.

I don't plan to power a fridge. I think that will require a gas generator.

I have no chainsaw currently. So we don't have to worry about that.

How about some portable power station?

This video is just an example of what I´m thinkin of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDt62sQl8SA

If you have a car, you hve another electrical source. Fortunately Mrs. Hikermor drives a Prius....

In sunny SoCal, where I am primarily concerned with earthquakes, (LA had one last night) solar power is quite viable. I am gathering lots of different power banks, hopefully enough to keep the phone and some lights going.

Portable panels are sufficient for my needs at present.

I got through this time using my car and an inverter. But then I saw that cars are less protected than things you can keep inside the house. Neighbors lost cars to trees. So that's another reason I'd like to have more options -- the emergency may cause you to lose some of your options!

couple of comments... after the 2004 hurricane season in Florida where we were overrun with storms, I started standardizing my area and task LED lights, and weather radios with Eneloop AA...then looked into some alternative power projects

my first AA charger was DC auto battery (cigarette plug) as well as AC chargable...I purchased a 7W Goal Zero panel to look into solar power, and am able to charge 4 AAs in about 3.5 hours.. at the time my flip phone was not able to be charged with the 7W system

a 12V deep charge trolling motor battery was fitted with a cigarette plug female socket, and put on a float charger...
unfortunately I did not perform adequate routine maintenance , and after a couple of years, found a dead cell just before an approaching storm

my best addition was the purchase of a HF Predator 2200W inverter generator to back up my 3500W Honda... it is light weight and relatively quiet... both generators run off a squeeze bulb siphon system... the Honda directly into the carburetor (requires the fuel tank to be higher than the carb)... the 2200 has a fuel pump,so I plumbed a fuel line T between the fuel shut off valve and the fuel pump... an external fitting can be attached to the squeeze bulb system, or plugged if running off the internal tank.. the fuel supply as water proofed with a couple of 1/2" 90degree elbows, and a couple of short 2 1/2" sections of PVC, not glued, so you and feed the 5/16 fuel line through..one elbow fits over the spout of the fuel can with the drop tube adjusted for the can's height, the other sections fit to form a downward elbow to prevent rain from entering... there is enough room that a separate vent hole is not needed

I supplied power to three homes during Irma by placing the 3500 in the utility trailer and pulled it with the lawn mower (hitch ball) that way they could supply fuel from their own cans

the small inverter generators IMHO are the way to go... immediately after Irma, I picked up a couple spare spark plugs and required socket and cable tied one of them to the handle via plastic bag.... Mobil 1 synthetic

Les

A wind turbine might be an additional option. A Savonius rotor is relative easy and cheap to build, can be design a take down and looses efficiency with higher wind speeds. This is a good thing as it will not get into a runaway state.

One obvious question is have you figured out why the generator didn't start? Assuming it is a reasonable quality generator, it should be possible to locate the problem and fix it?

Like any other tool, a generator requires some routine maintenance. Some years back we pick up a virtually new Craftsman 3KW generator on Craigslist, from someone who was leaving the state. Every fall I take it out and fire it up and run a bit of gas through it. I've only really needed it once, but that time it kept our fridge and freezer, and the next door neighbor's, going until the power came back on.

If you opt for a small solar set up to keep phones and laptops charged, you might want to check out the Outdoor Gear Lab review of Best Portable Solar Panel of 2020.

Regarding routers, note that during the fires in the Pacific Northwest, one member of my clan found that line power and cell service went out, but internet via DSL continued to work. Best to keep all your options available. You never know what will work and what won't.

What do you have to do to maintain a battery or a power station?

Also, I understand that batteries have a lifespan. My lawn tool batteries are supposed to last around six years. That makes me wonder how often I will have to replace the power station.