The only thing I don't get about the scenario Check Pilot is describing is that the OP mentioned being at his (or her) computer desk when the power went off and seeing his (or her) monitor flashing off and on.
If the 24V were due to a backup power supply back-feeding the supply transformer, wouldn't there be a time delay between the power outage and the appearance of the low voltage responsible for the monitor's erratic behavior? The DIY'er who so ingeniously discovered how to re-supply his house with home-made electricity would surely need several minutes, at least, to acknowledge the power outage and fire up the generator.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the wording, but didn't the monitor's weird actions begin at the moment of power loss?
