In the winter of 2022, a Unity Developer at Pingle Game Studio made a “de-energized box in a sleeping area on the first floor” suitable for work and life for just 7,000 UAH. Here is his experience

De-energized box on the first floor

I found the first shelling of the energy infrastructure in my rented apartment. The substation was knocked out, the power supply was gone, the hot water was cut off, the gas was cut off. Even such a thing as cooking something simple on the electric stove was impossible. So, I had a de-energized box in my hands in the sleeping area on the first floor. Closer to the ground means cooler, so I also had to solve the nuances of heating and energy.

The realization that I needed to furnish the apartment myself came almost immediately. I just needed time to gather my thoughts and figure out what exactly I needed to have on hand. Doing research between blackouts was problematic — as you may remember, there was no blackout schedule at the beginning. I also had to figure out what kind of power I could have in a rented apartment without a balcony, and how much it would cost.

Requirements for home equipment

What suits someone or not is a personal question. Everyone has their own needs, some lead an ascetic lifestyle, some love a jacuzzi every day, but personally my requirements were as follows:

1. Communication and access to the Internet. This is both access to information about the situation in the country and the opportunity to work. I bought myself a modem with an outdoor antenna — and that solved my problem. I recommend taking a panel MIMO antenna, it significantly amplifies the signal from distant communication towers.
2. Stable battery for 4-8 hours. This became clear after the appearance of the power outage schedule. The power of the battery was chosen according to the need: to charge laptops, flashlights and phones. I stopped at two 62Ah car lead-acid batteries, a 300W car inverter, a battery charger and a 250W Step-up DC-DC converter.
   The scheme was as follows: the battery is connected to the inverter, a 3-prong extension cord is plugged into the inverter — and you charge everything you need. One battery is enough for 4 hours of active use, so it was quite convenient because it coincided with the outage schedules. If the outage was longer than 4 hours, the second battery was turned on. Later, I modified the scheme by connecting a 250W converter, which made it possible to keep the battery charged for 40 minutes longer. When one battery ran out, it was connected to the charger and restored its charge overnight.
3. 3. Food. I needed something to eat, preferably something hot. Without thinking twice, I bought a camping stove and gas cylinders for it. One cylinder was enough for a week or a half, depending on the activity of use.

How much did it cost?

• MIMO antenna — UAH 2,800.
• Two batteries. The first, a Polish noname, cost 2200 UAH, the second, a BOSCH, cost 2800 UAH.
• A 300W inverter then cost 820 UAH.
• Charger 900 UAH.
• DC/DC converter 250 UAH.

It took me two days to wait for the deliveries and set up everything I needed at home.

Not without fapping

Now let’s talk a little about fake news and unnecessary purchases.

I ordered an extra pair of crocodile clips for the battery, but they were never needed because they are not of the same capacity for home use.

In general, I survived the blackouts almost comfortably. The only minus was the lack of hot water. Everything turned out very comfortably for me with communication and electricity. If the outage schedules went beyond the limits, the second battery was turned on. At night, they gave light for 4 hours — and it calmly charged itself. Only twice during the entire winter did both batteries go to 0.

I understand that building a full-fledged 3 kV station will cost at least 20,000 UAH.

Now, for all my good, I plan to buy a stand. Maybe I’ll change the batteries, but I’m still thinking about it. There are a lot of interesting options, for example, a gravity battery. It works loudly, but for flashlights or charging a phone, it’s just what you need. And you can also pump it up a little with it.

I think this winter will not be easier than the previous one. We need to prepare for outages and plan our time. Now the air defense, at least in Kyiv, is stronger than a year ago. I think that the outage schedules will be applied if it is necessary to transfer power to other cities. Although the enemy has increased the number of attacks, as we see, our air defense can fight back. The main thing is to believe in the air defense, in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, donate and do everything possible to accelerate victory. This is much better than sitting in the dark.

Aitivets built a self-contained modular home for over $11,000. How he created it

On the topic

Aitivets built a self-contained modular home for over $11,000. How he created it

Generator sales have increased by 80%. But there is an alternative: 7 of the best powerful charging stations made in Ukraine that will definitely come in handy

On the topic

Generator sales have increased by 80%. But there is an alternative: 7 of the best powerful charging stations made in Ukraine that will definitely come in handy

Read the country’s main IT news in our Telegram

On the topic

Read the country’s main IT news in our Telegram