recommendation for battery backup for satellite TV?

THE TEST!!! On my way to Florida. This little campsite decided to "string" Christmas lights on the ground. It is raining. So suddenly this morning all the lights go out... except for my TV/dish receiver which was plugged into the battery backup. I get outside to find that a string of lights runs right under a water tap and there is a guy filling up some jugs with much splashing down onto the string. DUH. So I unplug the Xmas lights and hit the reset. I finally get the water filler to leave the breakers alone.


THANKS TO EVERYONE, and a very HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I use an APS uninterruptible power supply at home. We have frequent power outages, so the DirecTV receiver gets plugged into the UPS. The TV boots back up in seconds, as the OP mentioned the satellite receiver takes minutes to reboot. When the power hiccups, no more problems.

Well, I got the battery backup and so far, so good. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

RoyB wrote:
Just keep in mind that INVERTERS are very DC POWER hungry.
I think you are saying this would be your truck start battery with your NO BATTERY BANK statement. Rule number one in my case is 'NEVER EVER' mess with truck start battery system. This is how we get home hehe...

What you want is a CAMPER battery setup that is kept charged up by an on-board converter/charger unit. The shore power connection will keep this battery all charged up for you...
When you are off the power grid then you have to have enough battery power to run the things you want to be using from your CAMPER BATTERY and then also have a way to re-charge this system like using a 2KW Honda type generator a few hours each day when allowed to run a generator.
Looking at what you have installed already you are almost to the standard items for a 30AMP trailer system. Roy Ken

I run one strip off the van battery which we use only when driving. It powers the tablet with GPS, cell charger and laptop. I have "Priority Start) installed on my van battery and it has saved me numerous times since I have had a vampire electrical bleed off and on since I got the alarm system installed (which I also love so it isnt going to be removed!).

I have not yet overloaded a 15 amp camp service, but I have blown "regular" house service while visiting friends/relatives. I have learned to turn off heat or AC while making coffee or using microwave. I have a beautiful Yamaha EF2000iS tri-fuel generator but we dont boondock (yet). I dont have anyplace convenient to put the generator and propane tank much less batteries. sigh.

drsolo wrote:
. But often they are just power "blips" during storms, etc.

Then take the inverter advice. No more blips.

2oldman wrote:

drsolo wrote:
Then somebody accidentally disconnects the electrical,

How does this happen?

DH has his own bedroom/office (a little teardrop) with its own electrical while I have the rest of the Rvan on my own electrical. DH starts fooling around with the electrical plugs. This morning we shared an electrical tower with a big rig and he pulled ours out try to get his out (then lied about it). But often they are just power "blips" during storms, etc.

Just keep in mind that INVERTERS are very DC POWER hungry. A 400WATT PSW Inverter could draw as much a 35 or more DC AMPS from your 12VDC battery. I think you are saying this would be your truck start battery with your NO BATTERY BANK statement.

Rule number one in my case is 'NEVER EVER' mess with truck start battery system. This is how we get home hehe...

What you want is a CAMPER battery setup that is kept charged up by an on-board converter/charger unit. The shore power connection will keep this battery all charged up for you...

When you are off the power grid then you have to have enough battery power to run the things you want to be using from your CAMPER BATTERY and then also have a way to re-charge this system like using a 2KW Honda type generator a few hours each day when allowed to run a generator.

As usual adding one thing always requires something else to work right...

Looking at what you have installed already you are almost to the standard items for a 30AMP trailer system



Just things to think about...

Roy Ken

I am not sure an APC would be the way you want to go. I have hundreds of them installed at 50 sites I manage and we replace about a dozen a year, almost always sites out in the county that are prone to frequent power outages. The batteries will last 3-5 years if never used, but you would be lucky to last a year if you drain it completely once. All you have to do is forget to turn off the APC once when hitting the road and let the battery run dry and all you now have is an expensive power bar. Also you may find in some campgrounds where you have poor power, every time there is a brownout it will beep. If it beeps a few times in a single night, you will want to throw it out the window.

We power ours (and our tv) through an inverter for that reason and the fact that we trust our inverter and battery power more than campground power. We use a 400W pure sine inverter.

We have been in campgrounds with intermittent power outages, bad breakers, bad power, etc. We already lost one tv...

drsolo wrote:
Then somebody accidentally disconnects the electrical,

How does this happen?