jacktheexcynic
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/12 15:11:01
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that was a nice deal to be sure - once you start getting into the serious class of UPSes you can save yourself a lot of trouble. it usually boils down to how much that is going to cost - sounds like you got a steal.
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Russell.Whaley
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/12 22:55:10
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ORIGINAL: Beagle
I have a related question and I hope Susan doesn't mind my semi-hijacking her thread...
How many of you who use battery back up units use the software and connection (either USB or Serial) with it? I have an APC which connects to the computer via USB, but I disconnected the USB cable and disabled the software in the start up apps because I thought it was causing problems during recording/mixing when it was communicating with the unit. I don't know how often it "polled" the unit, but I had no control over it and thought it best to disable it. so my backup runs in manual mode only.
I used APC's software briefly and also the native power management that comes with Windows, with my first UPS. The main effect I noticed was that the back-and-forth communication between PC and UPS seemed to be interrupting disk writes on occasion, that kind of stuff. I uninstalled everything, and haven't missed it. I'm in the boonies, too, power-wise - outages once in a while, but very likely to have brown-outs. The UPS I'm using (APC's XS-1200) has held things nice and steady more than once, and I haven't lost a thing since I moved to this model.
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mwd
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/13 09:53:32
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ORIGINAL: Russell.Whaley ~ ...but very likely to have brown-outs. Brown outs fry more gear than anything followed by the power surge resulting from power being restored.
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losguy
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/13 14:56:45
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For brownouts, a line conditioner like this can really help stabilize your power: http://www.provantage.com/tripp-lc1800~7TRPC004.htm Put it ahead of the UPS in the line, and it can help prevent false power-out trips on the UPS unit. (Not affiliated with Tripp-Lite, nor a tool for TL, just a happy customer.)
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mwd
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/13 21:29:53
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That looks like a sweet deal for an 1800 watt unit.
Any noise into your signal chain?
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losguy
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/13 21:38:51
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Probably less. It has RFI/EMI noise filtering built in. You're likely to have more noise from ground loops (another topic) than from this.
AC Line > Line Conditioner > UPS > ISO BAR
is how I'd go in an area with both brown outs and black outs.
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scook
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 08:06:24
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ORIGINAL: losguy
Wow, no UPS fires here (knock on wood!). Something that may help is to test your UPS more or less regularly (say, once a month). Just pull the UPS plug from the wall / turn off the outlet, and let it do its thing. If it works and it's not getting warm, then it's probably OK. If not, then it's time to replace the battery and/or the whole UPS.
Some units self test. Is it recommended to run a UPS disconnected from the wall? Somehow I got the idea that the unit and whatever is connected to should be grounded.
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jacktheexcynic
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 09:13:16
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well from my limited knowledge of electronics, the purpose of a ground is to send over-voltages into the ground rather than into the device or the person operating it. if you are running off batteries that is not an issue, since the battery is unlikely to produce an over-voltage. but again, that's just a guess.
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losguy
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 09:39:48
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For absolute safety, yeah, it's probably better to put a switch or power strip somewhere between the AC line and the UPS. Then you can test it just by flipping the switch temporarily OFF.
Of course, if the UPS has a self-test feature, then by all means use that.
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jacktheexcynic
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 10:21:15
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actually having a powerstrip before the UPS can cause it to fail, at least with APCs. that's happened plenty of times where i work so we finally had a general training not to do that. they work just fine unplugged, i've done that several times for various reasons.
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losguy
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 12:18:28
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It would have to have been a surge-protecting power strip? Probably, the MOV's in the surge protector part were interacting with the input circuitry in the UPS. (That alone smacks of bad design, but it's not a huge deal in practice because the UPS usually has surge suppression built in, so why the need to add another one, right? Still, I'm curious if a better-designed surge protector like the Tripp-Lite one would trigger UPS failures. Possibly not.)
OTOH, a simple non-surge power strip with just a switch and outlet taps should surely be OK, shouldn't it? I mean, it's basically just a multi-tap extension cord with a switch... wires and plugs, and no other circuitry.
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jacktheexcynic
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 12:23:11
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yes it was a surge-protecting strip, not a basic one. i guess you were talking about a generic power strip? i would expect a generic strip to act like an extension cord and not mess with the UPS. it may also be APC's design - i've never really used tripp-lite but i suspect it's like a dell workstation vs. an ADK or studiocat DAW - one is adequate, the other is professional-grade. 
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losguy
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RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2008/07/14 12:51:09
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Interesting analogy, Mr. Jack!
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Mena
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Re: RE: OT: Recommended UPS/backup unit?
2017/12/18 03:52:47
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my friends said that APC and Tripe Lite are both good brands of UPS. For good spike suppression, I haven't used a UPS before and have two bestek surge protectors. But I'm going to get a UPS for my new home theater this time to protect my expensive devices from damages. For my PC and other mobile electronics, I still use my two surge protectors.
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