Digital voice and power cuts.

[globe1nh]

@Keith_Beddoe 

Hi Keith,

For info I recently tried to oder another IP2100-12G for a colleague from the manufacturer, but they were out of stock.  I just got a notification that they're back in stock, but noticed that they didn't reference the additional adapter tip set that my first one came with - I checked with the supplier and they no longer provide the adapter tip set..  The UPS DC lead is fitted with a 5.5mm o/d, 2.1mm pin male plug.  The standard power supply for the BT Smart Hub 2 also uses a 5.5mm o/d plug, but the pin size is larger, hence the need for an adapter.  On my set-up the adapter that works with the BT Smart Hub 2 is a 6.2mm o/d 3mm pin male plug, which still fits the socket (just) and accommodates the larger pin - but no-one seems to stock them.  I believe the correct adapter would probably be 5.5mm o/d 2.5mm pin.  Do you have the correct dimension for the o/d and pin diameter for the BT Smart Hub 2 plug? 

[Keith_Beddoe]

@globe1nh 

Sorry, I cannot help, as I do not use a BT Home hub.

[globe1nh]

@Keith_Beddoe 

Thanks - no problem.  I just gauged it and It looks like it's 5.5mm o/d and 3mm pin (which doesn't seem to exist outside BT 🙄.  Hopefully I can get hold of the 6.2mm o/d 3mm pin adapter when they come back into stock...

[Keith_Beddoe]

@globe1nh 

Perhaps the company needs to be aware of the possible market for BT customers, and make a power unit suitable?

[globe1nh]

@Keith_Beddoe 

I agree - I have pointed it out to them.  I think the issue is that their standard 5.5mm od/2.1mm pin seems to be pretty standard for"3rd Party" 12v chargers and UPSs; there are plenty of suppliers of sets of multiple adapter tips (anything from 8 to 30+ tips) but only a limited number include a tip that's compatible with the BT Smart Hub.  I guess the UPS/PS manufacturers don't find it practical to try to keep up with more and more different tips.  My colleague has decided to go for a set of tips that includes one for the BT Smart Hub, but it's an expensive solution fore one tip.

When they do come back into stock as single items, maybe I'll buy in bulk and sell them on...

[grahamm1]

The Digital Voice change-over will be a nightmare for many elderly and less able telephone users.
Try explaining all this to an elderly couple with dementia who phone for assistance every time a blown bulb causes their circuit breaker to trip, cutting power to the whole house.
They will HAVE to purchase a back-up system. Why should they have to fork out for it? Who is going to test/check the UPS on occasion to ensure the batteries are OK?
I hope Openreach, BT and other providers are liaising with social services and charities so that the appropriate support can be given? The charity I spoke to today had no idea digital voice was happening and what it might entail.

ALSO: Why don't hubs and routers have built-in back-up batteries? Surely, that would be easier than having to purchase separate UPS/standby power systems?

[JB2016]

More on the elusive power connector for the Smart Hub 2:  https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Devices/Smart-Hub-2-DC-plug/td-p/2161511

[FTT]

That specific UPS style claiming to be designed for BT 12v equipment is a terrible idea because what happens when the unit (UPS) fails after a few years (as it surely will when the 19th century lead acid technology battery gives up the ghost) or there's a new SmartHub socket style? It's essentially forcing people into a proprietary system which is not needed. We're going down the 'gold' SCART cable route.

The whole idea of the UPS is it's needed immediately  so messing around looking for an exact replacement -or not- is silly.

Just buy a standard UPS it's dirt cheap and totally universal to any 13AMP style plug (OK, you might need to add a fly lead but it'll be OK for the next 100 years).

Good alternatives:

CyberPower BR1200ELCD-UK

Or the style where you'd need a fly lead:

APC by Schneider Electric Back-UPS BX500CI

...and you'll need:

[JB2016]

Manufacturers' literature for the two UPS units described above show that they both use sealed lead-acid batteries.

The CyberPower unit's runtime chart extends down to a load of 60 Watts, for which a runtime of 80 minutes is claimed.   How much longer it would run with the much lighter load imposed by a Smart Hub2 (about 9 Watts when idling) remains to be seen.

[Keith_Beddoe]

At lower power levels, I would expect that the internal circuitry of the UPS would be using more power than the home hub, so there may not be much increase in runtime.