UPS
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Posted by Skeleton Man on June 7, 2008, 8:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options I was looking at the APC website and spotted a 1500VA UPS for a little over $200 (CDN). I looked at the specs and I couldn't believe it.. full load (800W I think) had a runtime of about 10 minutes! Who in the hell is going to fork out $200 to keep their PC on for 10 minutes during a blackout ? I was expecting it to be like 60 - 90 minutes! Why can a laptop battery that's a fraction of the size last 3 - 5 hours, yet a UPS can only last a few minutes ? I wanted something to enable me to continue working during a blackout - anywhere from 1 to 6 hours, but I'd have to fork out like $10,000 for a big enough UPS. Uninteruptable Power Supply is bullshit - when most of them are little more than a line conditioner (and some don't even do that!). Are there better indoor solutions for this ? emphises on indoors.. you can't run a diesel generator in your living room. Chris | |||||||||||||
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Posted by larry moe 'n curly on June 7, 2008, 10:41 pm
Please log in for more thread options Skeleton Man wrote: Replace the regular battery in the UPS with a automobile or marine deep-cycle battery, preferrably a sealed one so nasty acid fumes won't slowly corrode your computer, furniture, carpet, etc. If you don't get a sealed battery, get a maintenance-free one (plates made only of lead-calcium alloy), not a low-maintenance one (at least some plates made of lead-antimony) because the latter won't charge like the original UPS battery. | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Skeleton Man on June 8, 2008, 2:33 am
Please log in for more thread options >Replace the regular battery in the UPS with a automobile or marine
>deep-cycle battery, preferrably a sealed one so nasty acid fumes won't >slowly corrode your computer, furniture, carpet, etc. If you don't >get a sealed battery, get a maintenance-free one (plates made only of >lead-calcium alloy), not a low-maintenance one (at least some plates >made of lead-antimony) because the latter won't charge like the >original UPS battery. What about the physical size ? Wouldn't they be too big to fit ? I like the idea though. Just a thought, but why not design all ATX supplies with a DC-12V in connector and UPS's with a matching output ? Would it not be magnitudes more effecient to run a DC-DC convertor than DC-AC-DC ? Chris | |||||||||||||
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Posted by VanguardLH on June 8, 2008, 3:44 am
Please log in for more thread options "Skeleton Man" wrote in
>>Replace the regular battery in the UPS with a automobile or marine
>>deep-cycle battery, preferrably a sealed one so nasty acid fumes won't >>slowly corrode your computer, furniture, carpet, etc. If you don't >>get a sealed battery, get a maintenance-free one (plates made only of >>lead-calcium alloy), not a low-maintenance one (at least some plates >>made of lead-antimony) because the latter won't charge like the >>original UPS battery. >
> What about the physical size ? Wouldn't they be too big to fit ? I like the > idea though. > > Just a thought, but why not design all ATX supplies with a DC-12V in > connector and UPS's with a matching output ? Would it not be magnitudes more > effecient to run a DC-DC convertor than DC-AC-DC ? > > Chris Computer power supplies are built to withstand surges that are either not suppressed in uninterruptible power supplies (of which are actually standby power supplies) or that the UPS couldn't withstand. While a UPS may advertise that it includes surge protection, it is rarely more than what you get in a power strip or even less. A UPS that separates input and output sides using a 60-pound isolation transformer and generate a 60Hz sinusoidal output wave (which isn't really needed for a computer PSU but is required if you use the output for other electronics due to excessive heat in the input regulators on a square or stepped power waveform) is very pricey. What you purpose would simply move the PSU outside the computer case and then add a backup backup to it. You forget that the 12V line inside your computer must be regulated DOWN to that voltage. If you feed in 12 volts than you cannot regulated it to 12 volts. You could step it up to then step it down to regulate it and convert back to DC but then you obviate your suggestion. You would be relying on the regulation from the UPS (AC to DC) and in effect simply combining your PSU into the UPS. A decent PSU and equivalent UPS for the full-load of your computer would be pretty pricey, especially the vast majority of consumers never get a UPS for their computer. There are computer cases that will handle 2 PSUs within them and there are PSUs that include battery backup so the whole power system with backup power is inside the case, and again very pricey and only seeked by a much narrower consumer market. Also, if you do consider getting a UPS that includes end-point surge protection, you want the surge shunted as much as possible and as often as possible outside the computer case, not inside it. | |||||||||||||
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Posted by kony on June 8, 2008, 7:10 am
Please log in for more thread options On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 02:33:56 -0400, "Skeleton Man"
>>Replace the regular battery in the UPS with a automobile or marine
>>deep-cycle battery, preferrably a sealed one so nasty acid fumes won't >>slowly corrode your computer, furniture, carpet, etc. If you don't >>get a sealed battery, get a maintenance-free one (plates made only of >>lead-calcium alloy), not a low-maintenance one (at least some plates >>made of lead-antimony) because the latter won't charge like the >>original UPS battery. >
>What about the physical size ? Wouldn't they be too big to fit ? I like the >idea though. Yes it's too large to fit in original case, and you'd have to monitor heat levels, some UPS designs are based on a closed system where heat limits are based on what the original battery plus circuit could cause. >
>Just a thought, but why not design all ATX supplies with a DC-12V in >connector and UPS's with a matching output ? Would it not be magnitudes more >effecient to run a DC-DC convertor than DC-AC-DC ? 12V in would still have to be regulated. Better 13V or more in, but it would increase costs of a PSU a lot. A total solution incorporating an UPS could cost less if it were a mass produced, mass adopted product but it isn't. It might be more efficient, actually it definitely would be to run DC-DC, but efficiency is not a primary priority in marketing, rather capacity per dollar is. | |||||||||||||
> $200 (CDN). I looked at the specs and I couldn't believe it.. full load
> (800W I think) had a runtime of about 10 minutes!
>
> Who in the hell is going to fork out $200 to keep their PC on for 10 minutes
> during a blackout ? I was expecting it to be like 60 - 90 minutes!