Power Station Requirements

[Philpug]

Attending tradeshows we want to have a 43" television as a monitor to be able to show people what SkiTalk is all about. We will attach it to a laptop which will also need power. How powerful of a portable power station will we need to run it for 8 -10 hours? Links to suggested models for bonus points.

 

[dbostedo]

Attending tradeshows we want to have a 43" television as a monitor to be able to show people what SkiTalk is all about. We will attach it to a laptop which will also need power. How powerful of a portable power station will we need to run it for 8 -10 hours? Links to suggested models for bonus points.

I can't answer your question, but I've been part of trade show setups for work with multiple monitors and PCs... and we were always able to be provided power by the trade show venue. Is that not an option for you guys? Have you asked? At times they've run long heavy duty power cables along behind the booths.

 

[Philpug]

We did this am and actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, a 10x20 rug was almost $1k! But, I still would be intereded in what it would run.

 

[Jwrags]

A TV that size uses about 75 watts/hour while a laptop uses 50-100, so call it 75 watts/hour. Combined, with nothing else plugged in ,you will use approximately 150 watt/hour. For 10 hours that makes a 1500 watt-hour power pack. They will run around $1/watt and a pack that size will weigh in close to 40 pounds. Also, you will need to drive to the trade shows as you won’t be taking it on a plane.

 

[cantunamunch]

I would spec 2000Wh actual just for peace of mind. Yes I know they are almost $1 per Wh

 

[raytseng]

2000wh of storage seems right with those assumptions. It really depends on the efficiency of your devices, but I would assume for a show, you'd need to have the screen really bright.

From a sizing perspective though you only need the 200w of instanteous power at a time which is modest.
So you aren't necessarily beholden to 1 massive unit. You could also use 2 x 1000W (1000Wh) units and swap at halftime, (and recharge the other one). There are some pros/cons of using 2units vs 1unit for your task.

One key spec on is you want to check recharge times, the more modern have fast recharge and can recharge at least 1000w+ from wall AC, or in about 2hrs.

I've had some experience with the jackery units especially if you stay within their ecosystem if you want to do solar, or simple setups. I've heard a little about ecoflow and seen it at costco, but no personal experience. These are probably the 2 big popular consumer brands. Goalzero is also well respected, but the patagonia of power stations.

Jackery is on sale and hints that additional special Black Friday deals will pop up Nov17.

Jackery Black Friday Encore Sale | Up to $1600 Off

Discounts so good we had to put ‘em up again! Get up to $1600 off our Black Friday Encore Sale!

www.jackery.com

2199-540=$1659 for the 2000Plus

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station

Get up to $1,589.7 in rebates. Click for information Expandable for Versatile Scenarios: 2-24 kWh of expandable capacity Leaping Performance: Powers Heavy-duty Devices up to 6000W Ultra Fast Solar Charging: Advanced IBC Technology, Fast Solar Charge in 2 Hours Long-lasting Reliability...

www.jackery.com

1899-300=$1599 for the 2000Pro

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro portable power station is ideal for off-grid living & home emergencies. With a 2160Wh charging capacity, it can power all appliances.

www.jackery.com

Note: the 2000Pro is their older model, that doesn't have their latest features and upgrades-the 2000Plus expandable battery function and LiFePO4 chemistry. But It covers all your needs, is significantly smaller and lighter (43lbs vs 61lbs), and likely to have the bigger black friday deal

 

[Philpug]

2000wh of storage seems right with those assumptions. It really depends on the efficiency of your devices, but I would assume for a show, you'd need to have the screen really bright.
From a sizing perspective though you only need the 200w of instanteous power at a time which is modest.

So you aren't necessarily beholden to 1 massive unit. You could also use 2 x 1000W (1000Wh) units and swap at halftime, (and recharge the other one). There are some pros/cons of using 2units vs 1unit for your intended usage.

One key spec on is you want to check recharge times, the more modern have fast recharge and can recharge at 1000w+ from wall AC, and in about 2hrs.

I've had some experience with the jackery units especially if you stay within their ecosystem if you want to do solar, or simple setups.

They are on sale and suggestion special Black Friday deals will pop up Nov17.

Jackery Black Friday Encore Sale | Up to $1600 Off

Discounts so good we had to put ‘em up again! Get up to $1600 off our Black Friday Encore Sale!

www.jackery.com

2199-540=$1659 for the 2000Plus

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station

Get up to $1,589.7 in rebates. Click for information Expandable for Versatile Scenarios: 2-24 kWh of expandable capacity Leaping Performance: Powers Heavy-duty Devices up to 6000W Ultra Fast Solar Charging: Advanced IBC Technology, Fast Solar Charge in 2 Hours Long-lasting Reliability...

www.jackery.com

1899-300=$1599 for the 2000Pro

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro portable power station is ideal for off-grid living & home emergencies. With a 2160Wh charging capacity, it can power all appliances.

www.jackery.com

Note: the 2000Pro is their older model, that doesn't have their latest features and upgrades-the 2000Plus expandable battery function and LiFePO4 chemistry. But It covers all your needs, is significantly smaller and lighter (43lbs vs 61lbs), and likely to have the additional bigger black friday deal

Uh, yeah... thats not happening.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

We did this am and actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, a 10x20 rug was almost $1k! But, I still would be intereded in what it would run.

Are you needing a specific kind of rug? That seems far too expensive for what you would would need to cover a cord.

 

[raytseng]

Uh, yeah... thats not happening.

LOL If we're downsizing, another option is to hope for the best that your devices are more efficient and go for like a 1000Wh unit. You can expect maybe 5hrs, but maybe it will stretch out and perform better than that.
The pricing still is mostly linear, with Black Friday deals this still puts you in the $750 range for most brands.

Down the line you could add a 2nd unit if you need more runtime, you won't lose your investment since you don't have a true high power need, you are only paying twice for just a few of the components.

 

[cantunamunch]

Uh, yeah... thats not happening.

Hehe, that was pretty predictable

 

[pchewn]

A TV that size uses about 75 watts/hour while a laptop uses 50-100, so call it 75 watts/hour. Combined, with nothing else plugged in ,you will use approximately 150 watt/hour. For 10 hours that makes a 1500 watt-hour power pack. They will run around $1/watt and a pack that size will weigh in close to 40 pounds. Also, you will need to drive to the trade shows as you won’t be taking it on a plane.

Here's a link to LG TV's average power per model. Most are in the 30 to 40 W range.

https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model-power-consumption/ae681e9

Here's another way to do this:

1. You are going to need about 40W for the TV, and about 50W for the laptop. Let's call it 100W to be safe.
2. You will be running 8 hours, so that's 800 W-h of total energy needed.
3. You can buy an inverter like this: INVERTER-AMAZON
4. You can bring your own car battery, which typically have 600 W-h of energy storage. You will need 2 batteries throughout the day.

I know you are a reasonably competent car guy and can handle a screwdriver. Find a way to get 2 charged car batteries to the show floor, connect the inverter, and power your laptop and TV for the duration. At low cost.

PS: Not to pick on you @Jwrags, but there is no Watts/hr Watts is already a rate measurement. Like this:
Energy: Watt-h
Rate of energy (power): Watt

 

[Rich McP]

I do about 10 trade shows per year of varying sizes. I can't imagine a show where power isn't provided or at least offered. That said, if you are talking about a ski demo type event that is outdoors, then I'd suggest a small gas generator. They are only a couple of hundred dollars, quiet, and capable of running your display and laptop...and you're outside. I know we all hate burning gas but that would be your best option in an outdoor cold environment. Don't forget that outside in the winter you will lose a great deal of your battery capacity.

 

[Jwrags]

Here's a link to LG TV's average power per model. Most are in the 30 to 40 W range.

https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model-power-consumption/ae681e9

Here's another way to do this:

1. You are going to need about 40W for the TV, and about 50W for the laptop. Let's call it 100W to be safe.
2. You will be running 8 hours, so that's 800 W-h of total energy needed.
3. You can buy an inverter like this: INVERTER-AMAZON
4. You can bring your own car battery, which typically have 600 W-h of energy storage. You will need 2 batteries throughout the day.

I know you are a reasonably competent car guy and can handle a screwdriver. Find a way to get 2 charged car batteries to the show floor, connect the inverter, and power your laptop and TV for the duration. At low cost.

PS: Not to pick on you @Jwrags, but there is no Watts/hr Watts is already a rate measurement. Like this:
Energy: Watt-h
Rate of energy (power): Watt

There is a reason why I am a surgeon and not an engineer

 

[Rich McP]

There is a reason why I am a surgeon and not an engineer

Don’t worry, a lot of people aren’t engineers…and there are a lot of engineers that don’t understand kiliwiggles anyway.

 

[crgildart]

Rent the power supply locally?

 

[Tom K.]

How about one of what I'll call a "booster cart" that shops use to jump dead cars.

Basically a couple of batteries on a hand truck, gussied up a bit.

Probably not enough power capacity?

 

[cantunamunch]

Probably not enough power capacity?

Also heavy and not much change from $900; everything about them from current collector geometry to adsorbed glass mat is designed for high current output, not long-term steady.

If OP lived in a boating town, he could combine @pchewn's idea with a marine house battery grade LiFePO4 -that would be a sweet little hack. And, to @raytseng 's point, reducing charging time and equalizing a hack pack is the big challenge.

 

[cantunamunch]

What no one has mentioned yet is the modular buy-in option. For example, get 2-3 of these and run them part-time, optionally recharging them at a remote plug.

Westinghouse 600-Watt Pure Sine Wave Lithium-Ion Portable Power Inverter, LED Display, & Flashlight iGen300s - The Home Depot

The Westinghouse iGen300s provides 296-Watt hours of power with 300 continuous watts and 600 peak watts to handle your portable power needs. Engineered with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the iGen300s

www.homedepot.com

Significantly more work, 600Wh net, figure up to 1000Wh effective if you have a charging spot, and lower buy-in cost.

 

[pchewn]

The solution that works will be influenced more by other factors than the wattage of the laptop and the TV.

These factors will guide your solution path:

1. What is the cost budget?
2. Is this for a 1-time use, multiple times per year, monthly, or weekly ?
3. What is the environment of the tradeshow? (Indoor, outdoor, duration, available power sources, etc)
4. What transportation and storage will be used? (e.g. Airline travel will significantly alter the solution space). Driving your own vehicle to the trade show will open up lots of solutions.
5. How handy is the user? Can the user cobble together some low-cost components, or does the user need a plug-and-play solution?

 

[johnnyvw]

Having been involved with many trade shows all over the country, I would check into what the venues allow. They may have restrictions to more or less force you to use supplied power. Most of the time we've had at least a basic booth package, which included a limited amperage 120v supply, to which we added a few extension cords and power strips.
Goodness, I hope you have carpeting the the booth...my feet ache just thinking about multiple days without that! lol

Over the years, we went to displays that were easier to transport, set up, and take down.

These are the two biggest ones we were involved with:

https://www.semiconwest.org/

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