# Battery backup.



## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Any recommendations for a battery backup unit? Though they are rare I'm still tired of the times the electricity flashes off and back on just long enough to shut down the computer and make me reset clocks. It happened last night when I was trying to stay on top of the weather for storms nearby. 

Since our outages are generally short wouldn't one of the ones with less battery capacity suffice, i.e. less expensive as well?

Thanks


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

I've used a number of brands & models. Some have features that others don't have, but as far as the basic functions they all seem satisfactory.

You don't need huge runtime capacity. Just get one large enough to hold you for 15 minutes or so. That way it will protect you from lightning strikes, and also give you some time for a graceful shutdown after a power failure. It helps to use the data cable to do a graceful shutdown if you aren't around.

I try to find a UPS locally because they are heavy, so shipping can be significant. But here are a few that are inexpensive.

This is one without a data cable for $37.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SMART700SER-R&cat=UPS

Here's one for $65 with data cable.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SMART750XLA-PB-R&cat=UPS


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

What he said. I normally tend to stick with APC or Tripp Lite because they've been around a while; and if you aren't always around (or don't plan on being around) if power goes out, having a data cable is nice because then the software can execute a proper shutdown for you.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

As above. In situations like this, you want to run ALL peripherals through the same box, and if you have a phone connection, it should go through it as well. If you have a spike or transient that hits an unprotected peripheral there can be damage to your protected equipment. A lot of the units use a standard 7ah gel cell battery. Smaller and cheaper ones are OK, you just may have to replace them sooner.

For real spike and surge protection, the Tripplite Isobars and Isotels are even better (IMO) than a UPS. They have protected equipment I installed even when the main electrical entrance to the building was directly struck by one of those rare positive lightning strikes. The entire main breaker box was fused and melted, but the equipment fired right back up once the entrance was replaced.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Great information. I wouldn't have thought about connecting the peripherals too. Thanks for the advice about the cable shutdown.

Great tip about heavy shipping because of the battery. I like to give my local store a shot at a sale in order to keep them open since we are a smaller community so will start there and proceed to others as needed. 

Thanks!


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## TroyT (Jun 24, 2008)

Well you don't really need to plug all your peripherals into the UPS (Uninterpretable Power Supply), some will do just fine with surge suppressors. What's important is that the CPU, and any network devices, like routers, hubs and NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices are attached to the UPS. The reason being is that most UPSs can tell the computer to shut down if the power fails, which is pretty neat. The problem is if someone has a file open on your system over the network, and the power goes out and takes the router or hub with it, the file could be corrupted. 

You should also consider that most brick type UPSs, only have 3 or 4 to the plugs attached to the battery the other 3 or 4 are just surge suppressors. 

You should also consider the cost of a replacement battery. They don't last for ever and eventually they will stop taking a charge and will need to be replaced. The odd thing is with APCs anyway, is that the 350 watt battery costs more that the 500 watt battery. So you may want to look at that when you're shopping. BTW: Staples seems to have them on sale about every other week.

On more thing.. Some computers today have the ability to stay turned off after a power failure. This setting is generally in the BIOS. If your power goes out a lot, like it does for me. You may want to turn this option on, as it's easier on the hardware, unless you need your computer to come back up when the power is restored.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

TroyT said:


> Well you don't really need to plug all your peripherals into the UPS (Uninterpretable Power Supply), some will do just fine with surge suppressors.


Well.....I will have to disagree here, and here's why.

Often times, the 'surge suppression' feature in a surge suppressor is nothing more than a single capacitor; it uses its natural 'five time constants' thing to stop a momentary burp in voltage from getting through.

HOWEVER...there's also a level called the breakdown voltage, and that's the voltage level at which the dielectric (the material separating the two 'leads' of a capacitor) becomes conductive.

And if you live somewhere like AR or MO where stray lightning strikes on various parts of your house are commonplace, all it takes is ONE of those to blow everything.

True story - I once did a troublecall for a guy who lived out on Lake Norfork. Guy had everything BUT his phone line running through an UPS; and the phone line ran through a glorified surge suppressor.

Well, lightning struck...and it went down his phone line, THROUGH the surge suppressor (blowing the capacitor), into his computer (blowing the motherboard), and blew EVERYTHING else connected to the computer - screen, speakers, printer, scanner, you name it, it blew.

He ALSO had the same setup with his TV, DVR, stereo system, etc. When all was said and done, he suffered more than $12K of damage....all because he didn't plug his phone lines into an UPS as well.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Boy do I agree with that. The Phone line is one of the MOST important things to run into a UPS. Or if not for goodness sakes if you are going to be gone and a storm maybe coming. At the Very Least Unplug the Phone Line~!


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks Kung. Sometimes I feel like the bad guy having to always say "No, that isn't right."

_Really really really_ grounding should all be to a single point source. The closest many people can get, due to living in apartments, condos, whatever, is to run all equipment through a device that simulates that point source ground.

Before wireless networking, and back during those days of RS-232, you wouldn't believe the stories from people with networks that spanned a couple of buildings.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Get a used Clary off eBay. The one below is too big for your needs. But I've seen the smaller ones show up much cheaper. Apparently no one knows what they are. I've never seen one sell on eBay. BTW, Clary doesn't sell retail. They market for server setups, critical medical usage and to the military. Clarys will withstand a lightening strike. Depending on the size you can continue working on your computer for a couple of hours. Since the unit generates the output sine wave from the DC battery voltage, it also eliminates utility electrical quality issues. They are very heavy. I've always considered them the Mack truck of UPS units. The one shown is a bit larger than one of the old large tower model computers.

Years ago they sold Clarys rebranded as Zeniths. Some of them were the size of a regular mailbox with the next size being the size of a large rural mail box. If you find one of those, you could probably get a good deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170642373828


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Those are good. I used to be a dealer for "Best Power" which was decent. However... the price for that one on eBay is high for a used unit.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

I did wind up purchasing locally instead of having a unit shipped in. I expect the slightly higher cost offset the shipping charge.

I did buy an APC brand of unit. Router, modem, CPU, monitor, powered speakers, and printers will all be protected with the unit I chose. It has the shut down feature aforementioned.

Thanks everyone for the information and advice.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

I'm well aware of who Clary is; I will admit, however, that I didn't realize they sold smaller UPS units. They are indeed worthwhile.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

The article I read years ago by Dvorik (sp), early 90s, convinced me at that time that I'd never buy anything but a Clary. His house was hit by lightening and everything connected to an outlet, electrical and telephone, was fried including the Clary. 

All of the computers connected to the Clary escaped harm. The Clary functioned as the ultimate surge suppressor. Back then computers were much higher dollar than now. Clary pulled an Ampex and got out of the retail market. I think the unit on eBay unit costs over a thousand dollars new. I agree the starting price is way too high considering what it would cost to replace the batteries.

Not too long ago there were problems with Chinese made surge supressors (not sure about UPS) because of faulty components that failed under normal circumsances and started fires. Has anyone heard anything recently?


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

That's kind of what I'm alluding to, although it's not just (as I mentioned) because what are sold as 'surge suppressors' are woefully underdesigned. It's also because of what you said - Chinese-manufactured electronics aren't all that robust, IMHO.

I'd love to have a Clary, but bluntly put, the APCs I've purchased have worked fine (although the ones I purchase aren't the standard Wally World variety).


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