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hapoo
08-01-2006, 02:08 AM
The power in my apartment complex went out like 30 min ago for an unknown reason. Usually the power comes back on within a couple minutes but this ones takin' its sweet time. I have a server which runs 24/7 and luckly the UPS took over without a hitch. I turned off the server and now I just have my laptop, my modem and my router running. I also think I should get another one for my fish tank, I'm kinda worried. Normally I'd go back to bed, but the ups is beeping every 30 seconds and driving me up the wall.

Which reminds me, with all these people switching to VOIP, I don't think half of them realize that if the power is ever cut off, unless they have a ups, they're out of phone service.
DarkFury
08-01-2006, 05:43 AM
Which reminds me, with all these people switching to VOIP, I don't think half of them realize that if the power is ever cut off, unless they have a ups, they're out of phone service.
Yup... that is a big downside to that technology.

I even have a UPS on my cordless phone base unit and my DVR/VCR to keep them up and running when the power goes out.
gwilks98
08-01-2006, 07:55 AM
I feel your pain with the power outage. We had this hit about 10 days ago:
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=100618
"529,000 without power" when the temp was 98-100. BLACH!
It took almost a week to get my parents' power back.
Markel
08-01-2006, 09:03 AM
Which reminds me, with all these people switching to VOIP, I don't think half of them realize that if the power is ever cut off, unless they have a ups, they're out of phone service.
I've had Comcast Digital Phone for probably 5 years now. They install a small UPS along with their system. This Friday, I'm switching over to Comcast Digital Voice, which is their newer service - sounds about the same, except this one requires the cable modem (which I have for my internet service). Digital Voice includes a bunch of extra features (voicemail, caller id blocking, unlimited long distance to name a few). They say that the battery backup they provide should last 6-8 hours.
DarkFury
08-01-2006, 09:03 AM
I feel your pain with the power outage. We had this hit about 10 days ago:
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=100618
"529,000 without power" when the temp was 98-100. BLACH!
It took almost a week to get my parents' power back.

That's when it is time to bust out the gas powered electric generator. :eek:
gwilks98
08-01-2006, 10:51 AM
That's when it is time to bust out the gas powered electric generator. :eek:

didn't have one, couldn't afford one, and every hardware store in the city was either without power or out of stock. It was bad here.
DarkFury
08-01-2006, 01:39 PM
didn't have one, couldn't afford one, and every hardware store in the city was either without power or out of stock. It was bad here.
Stuff like that you have to have BEFORE you need it. Such as my folks down in Florida found out when Ivan hit them.
welfareloser
08-01-2006, 03:17 PM
didn't have one, couldn't afford one, and every hardware store in the city was either without power or out of stock. It was bad here.

yeah, what a mess. glad i missed that. my parents were luckily on the side of town that got the power back within a day... and of course, the last customers to get their power back were the poorest neighborhoods :shrug:

but yeah, that's one reason i haven't switched to VOIP... one of my close friends uses vonage, and his service is better now that he's moved to a real city, but when he lived here in the boonies, the cable modem service had so many outages it about drove me nuts trying to get a hold of the guy sometimes...
gwilks98
08-02-2006, 09:35 AM
and of course, the last customers to get their power back were the poorest neighborhoods :shrug:


That's actually not true. They started first in St. Louis city, in the poorest neighborhoods, of course, once they had fixed the critical places like fire houses and hospitals.

They didn't all come back on first. I know several richer areas that did and didn't get power back quickly.

It really seemed like a crap shoot as to who had power. Those that did housed their friends and family.

Edit: I'll revise my statement. Ameren told the media they were starting first in the poorest neighborhoods...it doesn't mean they did.
chrissy
08-02-2006, 08:06 PM
My Aunt Pam got hers back that Saturday... I think...or sunday. I don't remember exactly. She lives in Bethalto, IL. She lived in her camper that they parked at her inlaws that had power.

We were up near Shipman, IL. My uncle owns some land up there and we were camping in my parent's 5th wheel. We had trees down and some branches fell on the camper and damaged it. We/They were lucky.