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First you have to work out how much power your kit pulls - which means a meter.
Now, I've got a standard multimeter, but for safety I buy a clamp meter.
Which doesn't tell me anything until I realise I'm using it wrong...make an adapter cable.
OK: so about 0.75A @ 240 VAC for the kit I want to protect.
Try and find a calculator that tells you how long a UPS will last.
Oh boy. Loads of different equations, most of which don't have values that make any sense.
End up with "guesses" between 4 minutes and 40 minutes from the various calculators and comments online.
And all the units I can find have only one USB out to shut down - so NAS or PC, but not both.
Then the type: on-line, line-interactive, or standby? Yikes! Line-interactive, standby are expensive!
OK, decide on the one I want. Done!
Then a wrinkle: stepped output UPSes don't work with APFC PSUs. They tend to shut down when they switch to battery which kinda defeats the whole point of a UPS.
Do I have an APFC PSU? Root out the box in came in, check the website, rummage, ... yes. Contact manufacturer...and then realise the NAS might be as well.
Is this a pure sine wave UPS? No.
Damn.
Start again.
That's my weekend gone already!
Anyone here got experience with the lower end UPSes?
I'm budgeting around the £200 mark (it's going to be Herself's Christmas present to me)so if you've any experience with them - good or bad - I'd love to know about it!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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This is what I ended up with UPS-XS-1500/P-BX1500G .
[^]
This a 110 volt model though. so far my only real complaint with this is the way the the battery inserts, the cover is not close enough to keep it tightly in place.
I once had an alarm going off and it turnd out gravity and something dislogged the battery enough so it would no function properly.
Other than that it has done its job.
The software that came with it was crappy.
I used there online calculator but still didn't trust it's results,
I ended up just getting the biggest I could find in my price range at the store. I'm pretty sure this was less than 200 USD at the time.
I also have more power than I needed.
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How long does it last once the power goes out?
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I have the pro version of the APC 1500: BR1500G. We have two desktops, 4 monitors and a router connected. Typical power draw is 230 Watts with all items turned on. Estimated battery time is 22 minutes.
I will not buy any make other than APC. This brand has never disappointed me.
Keep in mind my figures are for the USA (120 V incoming power).
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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I'm getting very similar power numbers for mine when I adjust them for the VAC - slightly less because I'm running one desktop, two monitors, a NAS, and a router. (180VA total)
So the 22 minutes is excellent!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I've had 2 very similar to this model for some 6 years and had excellent results. I run PC and 2 monitors @ 200W and get around 20 minutes also.
New version: WinHeist Version 2.2.2 Beta I told my psychiatrist that I was hearing voices in my head. He said you don't have a psychiatrist!
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For what I have plugged into this ,Tower 4 HD's Higher end (older) graphics card and a router.(several case fans 1200 watt power supply)
This should hold out at least 30 minuets.
I have it mainly for those quick blinks or few minut outges.
We have alot of those here.
otherwise i just shut the system down.
I have never tested just how long it will hold out.
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I'm surprised the output isn't pure sine wave. Most DC - AC inverters that I've seen are. This one[^] handles 1000W continuous!
Marc
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The cheaper ones either produce a PWM Square wave or a "stepped" sine - neither of which make APFC PSUs very happy apparently!
The one you show say's is pure sine wave - which means it's the more expensive end.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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OriginalGriff wrote: First you have to work out how much power your kit pulls - which means a meter.
I use my existing UPS for that. 
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It's UPSes all the way down! 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I used a much simpler algorithm.
Set family rule: when power goes out start shutting things down.
Thus: UPS will get you through power blinks, otherwise, save your data and wait things out.
In case you're curious, in theory, the system, w/450 VA UPS, would last 15 minutes)
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I've done quite some UPS's in previous jobs, and the best advise I can give you is to avoid the cheap ones.
Most of the basic setups are just meant to allow you to shut down gracefully, so in general you can count on five minutes on full power. The chemical efficiency in the batteries (lead-acid) are generally quite bad at full power, so you can count on quite a bit more than ten minutes at half power. But there are also units with larger battery packs or extra battery pack as addons.
The most important part of the system is to install a networked control program on all connected units, to make sure you gracefully shut down all connected units, in the right order.
They are generally done having one controller connected to the UPS, and all others are clients connected over the network. This is also where you start noticing a bigger difference between the brands.
My personal preference is Eaton Powerware, they don't charge extra for the control program, which in any case is better than APC's.
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So I'm curious, after googling some UPS's, I can't find any specs on actual amp-hours. Now, in the solar world, all the batteries specify amp-hours, usually assumed with a 20hr rating for usable power (usually that means a voltage of > 10.4V)
Given some of the comments here, like 15 minutes of reserve power, I can only imagine that the amp-hours of these UPS's are really low. Is that the case?
Marc
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Marc Clifton wrote: I can only imagine that the amp-hours of these UPS's are really low. Is that the case?
Usually yes. Cheapo UPS's usually have a couple of pretty much standard 12V/7.2Ah sealed leadacid batteries giving you 170Wh on the paper, but i reality closer to 120Wh
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It's difficult to tell - you get all sorts of different numbers depending on whose site you visit and what bizarre equations they seem to use. And none that I have seen appear to show how you get from "2 * 12V 10Ah batteries" to 2000VA or 1400W let alone how long that would last.
The closest I've come is this:
((Battery Voltage * AH Rating * number of batteries * Efficiency) / VA you need) * 60 = Estimated Run Time in Minutes
How to Select a Battery Backup for Your Computer[^]
But that doesn't explain why two units from the same manufacturer (and using the same batteries) should be rated at different maximum VA or watts since that isn't even included in the equation.
Then you get to the "real world" and a unit the manufacturer says will last 5 minutes is giving some people best part of an hour apparently!
This whole thing makes my head hurt...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I like the hidden part of the maintenance message of CP... Better than the visible...
Quote: Our In-house Deployment and Installation Operation Technicians, with support
from a bunch of Management, Upgrade, Planning and Provider Efficiency
Technologists will get this sorted out proto.
Hardware And Managed System Technicians (Enterprise Ready)
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
modified 25-Sep-16 12:20pm.
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Awesome!!
@Chris, Is it intentional??
Life is a computer program and everyone is the programmer of his own life.
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Just one of those freaky coincidences 
cheers
Chris Maunder
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Chris Maunder wrote: Just one of those freaky coincidences
Sounds like your planning a career in politics.
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Quote: Our In-house Deployment and Installation Operation Technicians, with support
from a bunch of Management, Upgrade, Planning and Provider Efficiency
Technologists will get this sorted out proto.
Hardware And Managed System Technicians (Enterprise Ready)
I think you better report this to Homeland, Kornfeld.
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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I have no problem with some managers gone... Actually today I would do it myself 
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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I have 1kg of best neck of lamb to cook tonight.
How?
veni bibi saltavi
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Slowly.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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