Thankfully replacing the batteries in the Uninterruptible Power Supply was really straightforward and nowhere near as expensive as I feared.

⚡ UPS Autopsy: What Killed My CyberPower CP1500EPFCLCD in a Russian Village ⚡

Greetings from off-grid Russia! My "pure sine wave" UPS died a slow, painful death after months of fighting Soviet-era electrical infrastructure. Here's the full autopsy report:

🔍 The Death Symptoms:

· Constant relay clicking (every 2-5 minutes)
· Rapid on/off cycling without load
· Event logs: 500 → 441 → 442 → 444 → 447 → 448 → 449 → 450 → 453 → 455 → 457 → 459 → 462
· Final diagnosis: Thermal system failure (overheated to death)

🔌 The Murderer: Soviet-Era Electrical Infrastructure

1. Antiquated Soviet screw-in breakers (YAN UAP-16, E27 base)
2. Village power grid with wild voltage swings (90V-250V)
3. No main disconnect in house (utility pole only)
4. 30+ year old aluminum wiring

💀 How the UPS Was Slowly Killed:

Phase 1: Overwork

· Village voltage fluctuates constantly
· UPS AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) works overtime
· Each correction = relay click = heat
· Pure sine wave generation creates additional heat

Phase 2: Thermal Breakdown

· Internal cooling fan failed (Event 443)
· Components overheated (Events 441/442)
· Temperature sensor fried (Event 444)
· Calibration data corrupted (Events 449/450)

Phase 3: Systemic Collapse

· Internal communications failed (Event 453)
· Factory test mode entered (Event 455)
· Factory test failed (Event 457)
· Power supply failed (Event 459)
· Permanent failure declared (Event 462)

🔥 The Root Cause Discovery:
While troubleshooting, I found the real problem:

· Soviet breakers had GLOWING CONTACTS (500-800°C!)
· High resistance connections causing voltage drops
· Arcing and sparking creating power spikes
· The UPS was trying to correct power that was fundamentally broken at the source

💡 Lessons Learned for Off-Grid Russia:

1. UPS ≠ Voltage Stabilizer
· Consumer UPS not designed for daily voltage correction
· AVR systems overheat with constant use
2. Isolation is Key
· Switched to WATTICO Camp 600 portable power station
· Complete isolation from grid = clean power
· Battery-first approach for sensitive electronics
3. Fix Infrastructure First
· Replacing 30-year-old Soviet breakers (ПАР-16 E27)
· Adding 3680J surge protection
· Installing power monitoring
4. The Canary in the Coal Mine
· The UPS didn't fail randomly
· It was warning of dangerous electrical conditions
· Could have prevented a potential house fire

🛠️ The Fix in Progress:

· Ordering new automatic E27 breakers (ПАР-16)
· Adding surge protection (3680J)
· Installing power monitor/wattmeter
· Using WATTICO for complete isolation
· Petitioning electricity company for safe disconnect to replace breakers

📊 The Cost of "Soviet Reliability":

· Dead UPS: $250 value
· New breakers & protection: ~3,500₽ ($35)
· Lesson learned: Priceless

🎯 Moral of the Story:
In Russian villages with Soviet infrastructure, your UPS isn't protecting your equipment—it's sacrificing itself trying. Fix the root electrical problems first, or any protection equipment will die prematurely.

t.me/OffGridInRussia

Winter strips life back to essentials.

Firewood, cold nights, an old house that creaks and hums when something needs attention. Living off-grid doesn’t allow drift or neglect. You notice everything — the heat, the silence, your own limits, and your own rhythm.

This winter has been hard, physical, and quietly transformative. The house is being repaired system by system, and so am I.

The full reflection and Hi Rez video are now live on Substack.

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Moscow ground to a halt and it doesn't show signs of stopping...

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Доброе утро!

If you weren't awake already, you are now!

Time to dig some snow! 💪

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I have to say, I am LOVING the white wall tyre look on the Buhanka 😍! What do you think?

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Quick check-in from Narnia.

We’ve got a second snow cyclone forecast for Moscow and Tver oblast, and everything is properly buried again. The Buhanka has disappeared under a thick white layer, so most of my time has been spent clearing paths just to move around properly.

The well is freezing over about every two days now, so it’s become part of the routine — drop the bucket in, smash through the ice, keep the water flowing.
Nights have been cold enough that I’ve had to run both fires at times, and since I last updated you I’ve burned through roughly 2 to 2.5 tons of wood out of the original 4 to 4.5.

For now, it’s the same steady rhythm until spring properly arrives. It’s getting closer, and I’m definitely ready for it.

If you value these honest updates from off-grid life in Russia and want to help keep the project going through the winter, your support genuinely makes a difference — especially with firewood, maintenance, and keeping everything running.

💳 revolut.me/mikejonesru
🏦 T-Bank card: 2200700885021005
🌐 offgridinrussia.com

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