[NBLUG/talk] UPS for brownouts

[Bob Blick]

Interesting to note that he is talking about their UPSes rated up to
800VA - the one I recommended is 900 :)

There's a certain minimum amount of parts that go into a decent UPS -
$39 just isn't going to cut it. But customers demand them, and APC wants
market share - I wouldn't buy any brand UPS in the lowest range, unless
it was just for my DSL modem, irrigation timer or answering machine.

The thing about most UPSes that I never see written about(until now, so
pay attention!) is the charge controller. Sealed lead-acid batteries,
like all batteries, are sensitive to how they are charged. If handled
properly, the battery can have a service life up to about 6 years. But
most UPSes kill their batteries in two to three years.

Most APC UPSes do a proper job charging their batteries. Best Power
Technologies also understood charge controllers. Now only doing
commercial power systems, unfortunately. APC targeted them by price and
they left the consumer market.

Tripp-lite, on the other end of the spectrum, can barely keep a battery
living past the first year.

Cheerful regards,

Bob

Roger House wrote:
> See the link below for what Robert Bruce Thompson (author of Building the
> Perfect PC) has to say about APC UPSs.  He used to recommend them only,
> but he's now worried that their quality has declined.  His current 
> favority is
> Falcon Electric.