New UPS

[DougBob]

Well all I got me a new UPS from APC. I had a 400VA and 500VA to protect my wife and I's computers but the batteries had finally lost charging capability. So I used APC trade up program and got the 1500VA BR1500LCD. Man this thing is sweet. I have my desktop gaming machine and laptop, the wifes laptop and desktop, both 22" LCD monitors, Network equipment(1 VOIP router, 1 cable modem, 1 wireless/wired cable modem router and 1 1GB-switch) and 1 set of 5.1 speakers and 1 set of 2.1 speakers. With all that on it I have a 50% load with an estimated 9 minutes worth of power.
This is a great UPS for around 250 bucks. I highly recommend it.

[WalkinTarget]

I just replaced batteries on two of my UPS units. I just hate to toss them and buy new, simply because I feel its adding nothing good to the local dump to have that tossed in there.
Cost me $88 for three batteries, but that was cheaper than buying two new UPS units too.
The only UPS still ticking on its original batteries is the one attached to my PC, but I bet within 6 months I will need to replace them as well.

[{CLR}geneSW]

I've currently got a 700VA UPS and a 1000VA UPS. the 700 feeds the wifey's computer, and monitor, where at the 1000 feeds my computer, monitor, router, modem, and a little desktop light, Oh, and my 2.1 Altec Lansing speakers when I have them hooked up. With everybody running I have about 5 min of power, unless I exit out of whatever game i'm playing, and turn down the fan speed oin my 8800, then I get about 7 min out of the 1000.

Oh, I also have a small 350va in the bedroom to power a light, and the two alarmclocks.

[DougBob]

I just replaced batteries on two of my UPS units. I just hate to toss them and buy new, simply because I feel its adding nothing good to the local dump to have that tossed in there.
Cost me $88 for three batteries, but that was cheaper than buying two new UPS units too.
The only UPS still ticking on its original batteries is the one attached to my PC, but I bet within 6 months I will need to replace them as well.

What kind UPS you have? APC seems to be trying but the battery going out can be a cost issue. I'll be glad when they perfect the slow discharge capacitors or some other new tech that'll revolutionize routable power

[WalkinTarget]

UPS units in place:

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Univers.../dp/B00006BBAX - This powers my bench rig, and also my Windows Home Server, plus I have it taking care of any customer PCs or a spare parts rig on the other side of the bench that I have hooked into a KVM to bounce between the workbench rig and customer PC to fix things.

http://www.amazon.com/Cyberpower-CP5...0866179&sr=1-7 - This one powers my main rig, and its soon due for batteries I would guess due to its age and the load that I put on it on a daily basis.

http://www.energizerups.com/product.asp?productID=7 - Last, this small unit keeps my wife's PC going in case we get any quick brownouts. I just replaced the battery two weeks ago, so I am glad that is running properly at this point.

None are a seriously juiced UPS units, but most are completely adequate in doing what they advertise to do - keeping your PC up during a quick brownout and also (importantly) keeping the voltage spikes and ripple from affecting your hardware in the long run. Power conditioning is just as important as battery backup to me.

[Rand{CLR}]

Maybe I should get one of these things. I don't lose power as often as the areas in my community with overhead wires, but it goes out more than it should, to the crashing detriment of my CPU.

And I'm going to move my whole setup to the basement when I get around to finishing the room down there. It's at-grade with my water heater and home water main (though it'll be through a new door and 20 feet or more away) so I'm already going to elevate my CPU about eight inches from the ground in case of emergency failure. May as well power condition and protect it while I'm going through extra steps.

-Rand

[Dead...Again]

I have a 500VA UPS by APC for my comp. I think I probably should have gotten a bigger one. According to the app that runs in WIndows, I'll only get ~1 minute before it has to shut down...

[DougBob]

Power conditioning is just as important as battery backup to me.

Agree 100% WT. Now if I can get my shutdown script to work on the PC the UPS is connected to via USB, I'll be a happy camper

I'm going to attempt to assign a .cmd file to the shutdown scripts section in the local GPO on a XP Pro machine and try to get it shutdown the other computers when the UPS signals the monitoring computer to shutdown. The only issue I anticipate is the network getting the plug pulled on it before the shutdown command can send out the request to the other machines. I think I can resolve this thru using a 30 second wait switch on another shutdown command for the local computer which I believe will over ride the shutdown request from the UPS.

[WalkinTarget]

DB, does the APC software not run a shutdown process given specific parameters ? I just tested my CyberPower unit and it allows me to set a certain battery level point at which it will power down my PC for me.

Good news with that, as I hadn't tested it in 3 months and its still showing 100% battery and a runtime of 21 minutes ... all on my OC'd quad core which sucks power like a politician accepting lobbyist funds.

[DougBob]

sucks power like a politician accepting lobbyist funds.

ROFL, that's a good one right dar

DB, does the APC software not run a shutdown process given specific parameters ?

Yeah, I'm sure they do and I'm trying to figure out what the name of the file is. If I can find it and it's not a exe or com file I can replace it.

[mapes]

I run this on my network rack and for my linux server



and this for my desktop