routing

I've always been impressed with the APC ones. Used to run these ourselves (Smart range) and supplied loads to customers on our machines. Aside from the usual dead batteries after a few years, only ever had one that cause a problem and APC were *excellent* in after-sales support - very quick replacement with a brand new unit no questions asked, I just gave them the serial number.

Matt.

P.S. Don't ever buy replacement batteries from APC - we used to service ours with batteries from RS - exactly the same manufacturer and type but 1/4 of the price!

On or around Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:31:31 +1200, EMB enlightened us thusly:

Result!

These MGE ones seem to be line interactive, which I think means it is a "cut in jobby". I have a Liebert interactive and I blame it for corrupting a hard drive.

I too would like a 2000VA ups, the mains in -> float battery -> reform sinewave type but I assume there is a big efficincy trade off??

AJH

You'r thinking of a "standby" UPS, they supply straight mains through a transfer switch which flips over to battery supply when the mains fails.

A "Line Interactive" UPS has a combined inverter and charger which will take power from either the battery or the mains. The inverter/charger is running all the time, and there's no explicit switch-over to battery, the inverer/charger just sort of takes whatever it can get, sort of like in a vehicle where you have an alternator and an engine, if the alternator can't supply enough then the battery power is used, but if the alternator is supplying enough then the battery recharges. There's no charge/discharge relays.

An "Online" UPS runs on battery all the time, with the battery being charged by the mains while also supplying power to the load. They tend to get hot due to energy wasted in the AC->DC->AC cycle so chances are it'll have a fan running full-time.

Harrumph, while trying to get some specifics on Delta types, I found a decent wikipedia page which says it all better than me, so a waste of typing..

Do you have any idea where I can get servicing info for APC UPS "Smart

-UPS 2200 " perchance ?

Thanks

Steve

Try the following line in a google search;

"Smart UPS 2200" filetype:pdf

A few promising links but I don't know exactly what you have, they do change the gear from time to time while keeping the name the same.

Note that if it's not working after a long time of not being used, try taking the batteries out and recharging them. Some of them power the intelligence from the batteries, so if the batteries are flat they won't power the relays up to engage the charger.

Yep, but being in NZ it's prolly not a lot of use to you.

'Twas. And today they improved the reult by deciding they'll pick up the tab for my mobile phone too. I can feel calls to afl members being made in the near future.

Either that our they are dead! Sometimes you'll struggle to get them out because they have expanded so much! Best to keep a regular check on the internals if you are sensible - better to find out it's fubar before you actually have to rely on the unit for real!

Matt

Hell, if all else fails...

Steve

How the heck is a mormal user, without access to the right gear supposed to do that ?

Steve

The batteries are user-changeable, and are normally (in all the cases I've seen) 12 volt batteries that can be recharged sufficiently using a standard car charger on trickle charge. Sometimes they are joined together with a fused link to make a 24 volt pack, but you just unplug the link and charge each cell individually.

Well obviously... Most UPSes (all the ones I have) do a regular self-test which runs the load on batteries for a few seconds, but with a line interactive UPS, if the batteries fail then the load does not get powered off. The UPS then starts shouting at you and you can often change the battery pack without powering off the load.

Recommended battery life is 3 years, cheap to replace if you don't buy from the manufacturer!

Would you like a job? Always got room for a customer facing tech with those negotiating skills :)

In addition to the splendid post from Ian, there's this site:

I blame Telecity/RedBus - you don't want to know how much we pay them for "un-interruptible" power that failed three times in quick succession last Friday. I'm still dealing with the hangover.

Online UPSs - generate a lot of heat making the conversions

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 23:30:57 +0100, Matthew Maddock scribbled the following nonsense:

i've got an APC Smart BackUPS 500, bought about 8 years ago, battery still works, and stills gives me time to save my work and shut the PC down when there is a power outage. Seems to even out the spikes too, as it beeps on a spike. Bought it when I was at uni, as the power had a habit of tripping out easily due to some very sensitive trip switches in the halls of residence......

You don't want me - I'm rude, arrogant and don't suffer fools gladly so I'm not really the most customer friendly animal to have on your staff.

We could however work out a deal for you to employ SMWBO - she's a lot more customer friendly than I am and it would be a bloody good result if I could export her 12000 miles away. :-)

perfect - you'll fit right in :)

naughty