For this week’s tech column, I want to share a cautionary tale from my recent experience with a portable power station* that marketed itself as having an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) feature. At first glance, it seemed like the perfect solution—affordable, powerful, and compact enough for daily use with my home office and workstation. (*A portable power station is designed for flexible energy storage and long runtime but lacks the instant switchover and always-on reliability of a true UPS. In contrast, a real uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is built specifically to deliver immediate backup during outages, ensuring zero power interruption for connected devices.)
However, within days of integrating it into my 24/7 desktop setup, I discovered an unexpected flaw: the unit shuts off entirely when the battery hits 100% while charging. It doesn’t just stop charging—it kills power output, leaving whatever’s connected suddenly without electricity. Imagine your PC running critical processes, and then boom—total blackout.
Naturally, I assumed it was a settings issue or user error. But after checking forums, Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and online reviews, it became apparent that this isn’t an isolated incident. Many users have reported the exact same issue, especially those using the device as a live UPS for servers or PCs. The problem is compounded by the fact that once it turns off at 100%, it won’t turn itself back on. You need to physically power-cycle the unit.
So I started experimenting. First, I performed a full battery calibration—draining the unit to 0% and charging it up to full again. It worked for a while, but the auto-shutoff problem returned within a day. Then I set up a smart digital timer to cut the AC charging input before the battery reached 100%, hoping to keep it in the “sweet spot” range of 30% to 95%. That bought me some time. But again, it wasn’t a true fix—it was a workaround that required babysitting and constant monitoring.
This brings me to a bigger point. Many power stations advertise UPS functionality, but they are fundamentally designed as power banks or emergency backups—not true line-interactive or online UPS systems. Their firmware and power management behavior are optimized for solar input, RV setups, and portable use—not for continuous, sensitive loads like desktop computers, modems, or NAS devices.
In hindsight, I should’ve been more cautious about trusting marketing claims. But this also highlights a gap in the market. There’s a growing number of work-from-home professionals, freelancers, and digital nomads who need uninterrupted power without shelling out for enterprise-grade UPS systems. Affordable hybrid solutions are great in theory, but not when they shut off at full charge, or have other issues that could have been easily missed due to research oversight or not carefully thought of expectations.
The takeaway? Always check user reviews, especially those related to 24/7 operation. UPS functionality isn’t just about switching over when power is lost—it’s about being consistently on, without interruption, under load. If a product can’t guarantee that, then it shouldn’t be marketed as a UPS.
In the meantime, I’ve gone back to using a conventional AVR + smart UPS combo, which, while bulkier and less elegant, at least provides the consistency I need. The portable station, on the other hand, now serves as a glorified power bank for charging phones and emergency use. Today the power station stopped working altogether. The power drained to 0% last night and this morning I couldn’t even get it to charge anymore let alone provide any power to the desktop PC connected to it.
To my fellow techies and remote workers: be cautious with off-grid-style power stations marketed as UPS units. They may work fine in some use cases, but for mission-critical desktop setups, there’s no substitute for a real UPS that doesn’t randomly power down.
Sometimes, convenience and affordability is a compromise—just make sure it’s not one that leaves your system in the dark.
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Rafael “Raffy” Gutierrez is a veteran Technology Trainer with over 25 years of experience in networking, systems design, and diverse computer technologies.
