[Hidden-tech] Uninterruptable Power Supply

[Chris Hoogendyk]

I would second the previous recommendation for APC as a brand. You can 
get them at Staples or just about any of the brick and mortar or online 
stores that sell computer gear.

When you say it doesn't work anymore, and reference a spike and 
thunderstorms, that doesn't sound like you are talking about a battery 
issue. The battery would be an issue if you unplugged it from the wall 
and your computer lost power. Cheaper UPS's don't provide very much 
beyond that kind of protection.

APC has more of a home variety line called BackUPS. They have more of a 
business/IT quality line called SmartUPS. If you really want protection 
against spikes, you want the SmartUPS, and they cost a bit more. They 
can be worth the price in terms of saving you trouble and hassle. 
Technically, the BackUPS with their protection policy would pay for your 
equipment if it is damaged, but the hassle would be way more trouble 
than it is worth in my opinion. Think of your lost time getting the 
equipment replaced, recovering your data, etc. -- I would just buy a 
SmartUPS.

As an example, we had some really nasty, sustained over voltages fired 
into our building a couple of summers ago due to a contractor error. 
Equipment that people had behind a BackUPS was fried right along with 
the UPS. They all had to be replaced. The equipment we had behind 
SmartUPS's was undamaged, and the SmartUPS's themselves went through an 
emergency shut down when they weren't able to regulate the sustained 
over voltage. None of the SmartUPS's were damaged, and none of the 
equipment behind them was damaged.


---------------

Chris Hoogendyk

-
   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
 (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

--------------- 

Erdös 4




Jan Werner wrote:
> If it is not holding a charge, you probably need a new battery. You 
> can get replacement batteries for most major brands from the 
> manufacturer or third party batteries (just as good in my experience) 
> for much less from a number of online vendors.
>
> If you want a new or better UPS, I suggest getting one with Automatic 
> Voltage Regulation (AVR) because it will provide far better protection 
> from spikes and brown-outs than a plain UPS. AVR UPS systems cost 
> more, but are well worth it, IMHO, particularly if you are located in 
> a rural area. where power levels can fluctuate a lot.
>
>
> Susanna Opper wrote:
>> I need a new UPS! The one I have doesn’t work anymore. A slight spike 
>> crashed my system today and thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow.
>>
>> Please let me know the least expensive, best brand I can get and what 
>> features I need to be safe without spending a fortune.