iOS developer Vyacheslav Gudzenko shared how he works during blackouts thanks to a charging station. In the comments, Aitovites share their equipment setups and experience working without electricity.
iOS developer Vyacheslav Gudzenko shared how he works during blackouts thanks to a charging station. In the comments, Aitovites share their equipment setups and experience working without electricity.
«How long can you work without light on EcoFlow? My own experience on EcoFlow River 2 Pro,» the IT expert titled his post on LinkedIn.
He believes that without electricity, unfortunately, we will have to work and live. «The neighbors are annoying. So I decided that it was time to get a charging station,» he said.
Vyacheslav’s goal is to be able to work for at least 4 hours. Among his devices are a Mac mini 4, a 22-inch monitor, and LED lighting for the desk, so that it’s not sad to sit in the dark. «Of course, fast charging and so that everything is safe for the devices. And for me too, because sometimes there are news stories about charging stations exploding. The funds are plus or minus 20,000 UAH,» he says in his request.
Aitivets said that he was choosing between two brands — EcoFlow and Bluetti, because that’s what his friends in the military use. «But I still lean more towards EcoFlow, so I took the River 2 Pro with a power of 800 and a capacity of 760 watt hours. I roughly calculated the power of the computer, monitor and backlight, I should have enough for 5-6 hours,» he explains the choice.
According to Vyacheslav, the reality turned out to be… much better. «Because my setup consumes 30 watts per hour, less than an incandescent bulb. And that’s enough for 14 hours of work. I can work for two full working days, even if the blackout happens again. To say that I was satisfied is an understatement,» the specialist said.
He asked the community what stations they use. The Aitivka residents are willing to share their experiences.
«I called Bluety for 2400 for 50,000 UAH and they powered everything in the apartment that can be powered. And this is a gas boiler (now both heat and hot water), a refrigerator, a router, a TV, a laptop. When all this works at the same time, it is enough for at least 10 hours of work. It even pulls a hairdryer. And considering that the stove is gas + there are autonomous light sources, what kind of shutdown is there. It’s just a pity that the elevator in the building is not powered. But nothing, the 11th floor is even useful. I have never sat down more than 50%, so I won’t say the real charging speed from 0, but the book says — 1.5-2 hours,» says Talent Acquisition Specialist Andriy Khomenko .
Junior UX/UI Designer Maksym Klodchyk shared that he got a small Ecoglow station last year. «There was no screen, no backlight, it was enough for 4-5 hours, it was enough for me. Two weeks ago I got more, 8-10 hours on the big one, everything works smoothly. I use the small one to charge my phone and a desk lamp so I don’t trip over the cat in the dark,» he noted.
Oleksandr Menzerov, Software Test Automation Engineer at EPAM, said that during the first severe winter, he ordered two Bluetti EB3A units from the manufacturer’s website.
«For the same money, there was one station with twice the capacity (i.e., the same in total), but I decided that it would be better to have two smaller ones — they will charge faster when the light was provided for literally half an hour — an hour, and the atomicity is always a plus. I am satisfied. The only minus: when I activate the 12V DC network and PD in parallel with it — the wireless charging of smartphones always works, which, without charging anything, steals the charge a little. It is a pity that there is no separate switch for this,» he said.
Maksym Volkov, Senior Full Stack Developer, says that Ecoflow and other ready-made stations are very convenient and reliable, but their price, especially now, is often unreasonably high. «If you have basic skills in electronics, you can assemble a much more budget-friendly and efficient option,» he is convinced.
The developer shared that he put together a LiFePO4 24V 40Ah assembly with BMS and a fast charging module. «It’s enough for me for a whole working day with a laptop and light, and there’s still time to even play after work! And such a system charges completely in just two or three hours,» the IT guy shared.
And Yevhen Skubytsky, QA Engineer, ordered a station from AliExpress. «My parents got the same one, and my mother-in-law. And my friend, in turn, advised me.
It feeds pointwise, I haven’t connected it to the network yet. It calmly takes out powerful consumers. For example, a computer (ryzen 5 5600 and rtx 3070) with a gaming steering wheel (50-150W depending on the intensity of feedback) with a limit of 60fps works for a little over 5 hours, without a limit of fps — a little over 4. If you use it purely to power a work laptop and an additional monitor, then it should be enough for a couple of full working days. It charges in about an hour and a half from a column charge,» he said and showed the station.
Oleksandr Levitsky, Android developer, uses the smallest Ecoflow station: «I think 250 — hours for 4 laptops + router… If the lights aren’t on — I turn on the generator for an hour, work and charge the Ecoflow, and then start over. But I’m really thinking about an inverter+controller+battery system with the ability to charge from the generator or the sun as needed.
Aitev Dmytro Kapinos recommends AFERIY AF-P010 800W 160000mAh. «I bought it in the spring of 2024 for 21,000 UAH. This spring it cost 9,500 UAH, now it’s about 17,000 UAH. Emergency lighting in 3-4 rooms, communication, laptop + 32» monitor and even a small refrigerator (when it works, it takes 90 watts) for up to 5 hours. If you don’t have a refrigerator, monitor, and laptop for some time from the battery, I think 16 hours will be enough,» he said.
«I have a Macbook air M3 + 27 ampere-hour power supply. It’s more than enough for work. Well, as long as the Internet holds up,» says Android Developer Yevgeny Maslak .
Anton Ryltsov, Front-end Developer, installed a 1 kW Ecoflow Delta 2 and powered the entire house with it. «It’s very convenient in combination with an automatic transfer switch. We don’t even feel the 3/1 shutdown,» he says.
More life hacks from IT people on how to work without light, here.
