[plug] ups for home

[Brad Campbell]

On 09/03/13 17:43, wolfbite wrote:
> looking into ups for home, cost is always a factor
>
> problem deciding
>    1. indivual ups for each computer (and how big)
>    2. run a couple of computers off a bigger ups (couple of gaming rigs
> ) and other computers (and how big :)
>    3. toying with idea ups on plasma (and how BIG :D
>

I have 4.
- APC SmartUPS 1400 - Powers my desktop (iMac 27+Thunderbolt 
Display+Samsung 24"), modem & office switch.
- APC SmartUPS 2200 - Powers my server, granny flat switch & main switch 
PoE from granny flat switch
- APC BackUPS 650 - Powers WD Mybook world backup drive, wireless 
router. USB to wireless router with apcupsd on router.
- MGE Pulsar 2200VA - Mobile and powers whatever needs plugging in 
between when western power goes down and I get around to starting the 
Generator.

I bought the Generator 18 months ago. It has 8.5 hours on it in that 
time, and that is only pulled out when the power is out for more than 30 
minutes. I run it till all the UPS's are charged, then shut it down for 
30 mins to give the neighbours a break before repeating the cycle. Power 
was always more reliable than this before. An ex WP employee advised me 
to buy a generator 2 years ago, and I thought he was joking.

I love the APC Smart UPS's. There are schematics on the net. You can fix 
them with basic soldering and electronics tools if they break (one of 
mine blew some fets when the previous owner hooked up the battery the 
wrong way - Cheap UPS yay gumtree). They are not on-line (unlike the 
MGE) but they are built like a brick shithouse, and have long term 
reliability to match (Both of mine are ~2000 vintage).

The MGE is nice for fussy loads like the Telly and STB. Nothing like 
losing power 30 minutes into F1 qualifying at 3am when you can't start a 
loud generator.

Replace the batteries every 2 years. Use either Vision or CSB batteries 
(direct from the importer at a fraction of the retail price) and never 
worry again.

I've sized all my units for a reliable 50 minutes of run time. I have 
all sorts of other stuff in the granny flat that runs off the UPS, but 
it's all controlled via an APC PDU (thanks again gumtree) and 5 minutes 
after a power failure a shell script on the server shuts down all 
non-essential sockets.

As luck would have it, I have the three APC ups units on separate phases 
and graph and log the line voltage. We regularly see as low as 200v and 
as high as 265v, so active buck and boost or full on-line is not just 
nice to have. Thanks government solar incentives for dumping unmanaged 
and crap quality small generation capacity into an already unstable 
grid. Thank god we're not in Ellenbrook or Joondalup where home solar 
installs are more prevalent.

You'd think we are out in the sticks with those sort of power stats, but 
we're smack in the middle of Dianella.

Probably more than you wanted to know anyway.