[CLUE-Tech] UPS Recommendations?
Cyberclops
Cyberclops at hawaii.rr.com
Fri Jul 27 23:02:19 MDT 2001
Basically you would open it up and see what kind of battery is inside it. For example is
it a 12 volt DC or 6 volt DC at so many ampere hours rating. It could have a single 12
volt battery or two 6 volt batteries wired in series to make 12 volts or it could have two
12 volts wired in parallel for 12 volts and higher amp hours or it could be two 12 volts
wired in series to make 24 volts and so on. You really wouldn't know unless you open it
up and look at it. Usually this information is stamped on the side of battery. A
specification plate on the UPS might also give a clue. If there is just a single battery,
you are in luck and don't have much to worry about. If there are two or more, you have to
examine the wiring to see if the batteries are wired in series or parallel. All batteries
are DC as far as I know, so there is some sort of electronic circuit that converts this DC
power source (the battery) to AC. That's why UPS's don't run very long. At any rate,
once you find out the specifications of the battery inside the thing, you call up some
place like Hensley Battery and as them if they have a similar battery in stock. They
might have the actual replacement battery. If they don't, you will have to physically
measure the battery with a tape measure and tell them the physical size and then they
will have to give you the closest thing they have that matches the voltage and the Amp
Hour Rating. You can go with more Amp Hours or even a bit less, but the voltage must be
the same. More Amp Hours would generally be better, but you also have to factor in cost.
If more Amp Hours costs a lot more than it might not be worth it.
So lets say they have something that they think is a close match. Then you have to go
down there and look at it and see if you can figure a way to get it in the case.
Obviously if the battery is a bit smaller in physical size it doesn't represent much of a
problem. You could just shove in some styrofoam shims to keep it for rattling around. If
it's a bit too large then you might be able to shave away on the case or cut away part of
the case to make it fit. That's what I did, because I saved $40.00, and it did work. It
just depends on the circumstances. A lot of companies like to make something that nothing
else standard will fit in so they can gouge you for an over priced battery. Basically
batteries are batteries and all that counts is the voltage and some similar Amp Hour
rating. Most likely your present batteries are some sort of Gel Pack type. Usually any
place that deals in batteries would be able to tell what you have, but they too might want
to screw you on an over priced battery so you have to ask for the cheapest solution that
would actually work, not for the exact replacement item.
If you don't understand what I'm talking about it would probably be best to bite the
bullet and send it in. If you've had a little experience with batteries and are willing
to give it a look, do it. You can save a lot of money, but it just depends on the
particular circumstances which of course would be different in every case.
ian wrote:
> That is SO far outside my realm of knowledge. I wouldn't know where to
> begin there. Sooo.. I stick to the send it back via RMA.
>
> If you know how to do it and what battery I should get and what I need
> to modify I'd be willing to give it a shot.
>
> ian
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 27, 2001 at 08:54:00AM -0600, Cyberclops wrote:
> > Did you open them up and see if you could get a substitute battery locally that would
> > work? I had a similar problem with a Ryobi weedeater. The official battery was
> > $65.00, but I got a similar replacement that actually worked better for $17.00. I
> > did have to modify the battery box a bit with a Dremel tool and change the wiring a
> > bit but it works and works better, plus now I have a standard replacement.
> >
> > ian wrote:
> >
> > > *nod* Get the protection. The key thought about all this in my mind is the
> > > fact that you get what you pay for usually. APC tends to be mega expensive
> > > compared to some of the other models out there. However APC is still in
> > > business and the batteries are replacable rather simply. I purchased a
> > > couple of CyberPowers a couple of years ago and they have done wonders for
> > > me. However now that all 3 batteries have died I need to ship the units
> > > back to CyberPower to replace the battery. They pretty much consider my
> > > UPSes to be "faulty??" and gave me an RMA.
> > >
> > > Now batteries do go bad after time and do need to be replaced usually
> > > on the order of every 18 months or so. FYI
> > >
> > > ian
> > >
> > > On Thu, Jul 26, 2001 at 03:39:53PM +0000, jimintriglia at americanisp.net wrote:
> > > > Hi-
> > > >
> > > > Let me throw in my .02 cents in here as well. I've had an APC Back-UPS Pro 650
> > > > for a number of years now, and it's save my butt (and equipment) more times than
> > > > I can count. I'm on my second battery which I purchased via the APC web site.
> > > > They sent a postage-paid label to return the old battery in, which was great!
> > > >
> > > > We have frequent power outages, surges and God knows what else up here in
> > > > Conifer, and anybody who lives in this area doesn't think twice about a UPS. (If
> > > > they do, the lesson is fast in coming ;-).
> > > >
> > > > One thing to note - ensure you get phone jack protection (if you have dialup
> > > > access) and run the lines to the UPS then two your computer. Lost two systems a
> > > > year back due to lightning-induced surge on the phone line. If you go cable
> > > > modem or two-way Satellite, be sure to protect the feed into your systems.
> > > >
> > > > APC also has Linux drivers/software available to support real-time UPS
> > > > status/power reporting as well as auto-shutdown.
> > > >
> > > > HTH
> > > >
> > > > JimI.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ** hello, jed - -
> > > > >
> > > > > i use the apc smartups 700. i'm
> > > > > no electrical engineer (good GOD no)
> > > > > but the manual asserts
> > > > >
> > > > > on battery low distortion
> > > > > waveshape sine wave
> > > > >
> > > > > i don't remember what it cost me (have
> > > > > had it 3 or 4 yrs) but it can't have
> > > > > been all that much, or i wouldn't have
> > > > > paid it.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > couple of other things i like:
> > > > >
> > > > > a few weeks ago i noticed a red light
> > > > > on the front panel along with the various
> > > > > greens.
> > > > >
> > > > > checking out the manual i found that it
> > > > > was the "replace battery" light.
> > > > >
> > > > > reading further i found the 800 number
> > > > > for t.s. calling it and making selections
> > > > > from the menus i found myself connected to
> > > > > a company called insight which asserts
> > > > > it is the official replacement-battery
> > > > > vendor for apc. they were happy to sell
> > > > > me a set of replacement batteries for about
> > > > > $80.
> > > > >
> > > > > when they got here i was able to open up
> > > > > the box [had never done this before] and
> > > > > replace the batteries with little trouble.
> > > > >
> > > > > after a few hours with no computer while
> > > > > the new batteries charged, i am again
> > > > > humming along smoothly.
> > > > >
> > > > > did a google search on smartups .
> > > > > got about 6,100 hits (some of which,
> > > > > however, appear to be in Old Finnish ).
> > > > >
> > > > > some are articles. some are willing to
> > > > > sell you a smartups right on the spot.
> > > > > some mention suse and debian , so
> > > > > presumably the "smart" feature (tells
> > > > > the computer to shut itself down if there's
> > > > > a prolonged power outage and the batteries
> > > > > are in danger of running out of gas) is
> > > > > linux-aware.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > h t h,
> > > > >
> > > > > bill
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- "Jed S. Baer" <thag at frii.com> wrote:
> > > > > > After two power outages in a week, one of which
> > > > > > cost me a motherboard,
> > > > > > I've decided I need an UPS. Does anyone have
> > > > > > any particular
> > > > > > recommendations? The UPS-HOWTO seems hopelessly
> > > > > > out-of-date for web
> > > > > > links, anyway. And I suspect for capabilities
> > > > > > of powerd as well. (Yeah,
> > > > > > I'll read the powerd man page too. ;-)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Seems if I want true sinusoidal output, it's
> > > > > > gonna really cost me. I
> > > > > > don't suppose that's a necessity.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > A few of places I've looked so far:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.4ups.com/ (refurbed Deltec, unknown
> > > > > > VA rating)
> > > > > >
> > > > > http://www.fentonups.com/Products/PowerPal/powerpal.html
> > > > > > http://www.jetta-tech.com/Products_main.htm
> > > > > >
> > > > > http://www.baber.com/baber/products/powersupplies.htm
> > > > > > (Optiquest?)
> > > > > > http://www.tripplite.com/
> > > > > > http://www.bestpower.com/ (Useless website,
> > > > > > AFAICT)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > One thing I find curious is the extreme
> > > > > > variance in the "recommended"
> > > > > > units given by 3 different web-based estimation
> > > > > > programs -- in terms of
> > > > > > the VA rating. My (admittedly lots of headroom
> > > > > > here) PC has a 300W power
> > > > > > supply. I haven't stuck my head behind my
> > > > > > moniter yet to see what it
> > > > > > wants (it's a 19" Sony). I'd like to put my
> > > > > > alarm clock on it as well.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > According to the UPS-HOWTO, APC and TrippLite
> > > > > > aren't Free-Software
> > > > > > friendly. Anyone know if this is still true?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > TIA.
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > jed
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering
> > > > > > if they've made a
> > > > > > difference. Free Software developers don't
> > > > > > have that problem."
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > __________________________________________________
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> > > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Jim Intriglia
> > > > IT Systems and Software Developer
> > > > www.JimIntriglia.com
> > > >
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