Super-small UPS

[nitrogen]

Heck I'd like to know where you got a 350va UPS. I have a hard time finding anything under 500.

[dicion]

*Looks at the 1500VA he has his DSL modem and related networking equipment plugged into...

... I still had internet access 3 days after Ike because of that thing! Sure, I had to use my laptop, but still!

I don't do anything small, for me, it's go big, or go home

[sheffd]

One thing to consider when making your decision on size of UPS. Some of the larger ones, in the 500 watt range, have line filtering. Line filtering will help better and keep a consistent voltage to your equipment. While the UPS will give you back up power, the smaller ones will not 'clean' the incoming voltage. You will still have the spikes and drop-outs that may have caused your equipment failure.

Just something to consider. I would pay the extra 20-40 bucks for the line filtering, even if it meant getting a bigger than needed unit. (you can always find stuff to plug into it)

Just my $.02. ymmv

[jimlongley]

*Looks at the 1500VA he has his DSL modem and related networking equipment plugged into...

... I still had internet access 3 days after Ike because of that thing! Sure, I had to use my laptop, but still!

I don't do anything small, for me, it's go big, or go home

I look at the three different UPS I have in my house and wonder how you could live with anything as small as 350VA, I've been considering a couple of upgrades.

Not to mention my backup UPS, charged regularly but on standby.

[sheffd]

The uninterruptable power supply (UPS) is a battery backed-up unit. Most smaller units do nothing more than monitor the incoming voltage. Typically, when the voltage gets down into the 92-95 volt range is when the trip point takes over and goes on battery. Most smaller units are what are actually termed as EPS or emergency power supply. This states that the equipment you are powering actually runs on line votage until it drops to the trip point and then switches over to battery power.

A true UPS works just the opposite. Your equipment, ie. computer, etc., runs off the baterry while the line votage keeps the battery charged. Thus, the filtered or 'clean' voltage to your equipment. When line voltage drops, your equipment does not see any type of blip in incoming power. The EPS's have an ever so slight 'blip' when the power shifts. Electronics have made this 'blip' extremely minimal. But, if you look closely enough you could possibly see the change over. Some equipment today has power supplies that help even out this 'blip', but if it is too long, that is when the damage can get done.

Look on the boxes of the items that you are looking to purchase and they will state on there whether they are 'line conditioning' or 'line filtering' or something of that nature.

[Keith B]

If size is really the issue you could do a Rube Goldberg version by putting something like this together:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=42292" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; $10



http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/batteries.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; $22



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002F6 ... B001MK75KA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; $15



However, you can buy a commercial 350 VA UPS now for about $40, so why mess with piecing it together unless you already have a component or two just laying around (like the inverter or battery.)

Edited to add: APC used to make a 200VA model, but have discontinued it and the 350 is the smallest they make now. Price and size difference were so minimal it didn't make sense to sell the 200VA model when for about $5 more you could have 150VA more.

[dicion]

*Looks at the 1500VA he has his DSL modem and related networking equipment plugged into...

... I still had internet access 3 days after Ike because of that thing! Sure, I had to use my laptop, but still!

I don't do anything small, for me, it's go big, or go home

I look at the three different UPS I have in my house and wonder how you could live with anything as small as 350VA, I've been considering a couple of upgrades.

Not to mention my backup UPS, charged regularly but on standby.

That's only for my networking equipment :)
My DVR Box has it's own 500, my computer is on a 1750, the wife's computer is on a 1500.

When the power in my house does go out... the beeping from all the UPS'es is mildly annoying, to say the least :)

[chamberc]

*Looks at the 1500VA he has his DSL modem and related networking equipment plugged into...

... I still had internet access 3 days after Ike because of that thing! Sure, I had to use my laptop, but still!

I don't do anything small, for me, it's go big, or go home

I look at the three different UPS I have in my house and wonder how you could live with anything as small as 350VA, I've been considering a couple of upgrades.

Not to mention my backup UPS, charged regularly but on standby.

That's only for my networking equipment :)
My DVR Box has it's own 500, my computer is on a 1750, the wife's computer is on a 1500.

When the power in my house does go out... the beeping from all the UPS'es is mildly annoying, to say the least :)

Same situation here... only my large office UPS has a way to silence the beep. All mine in the bedroom and closet's beep away without a way to mute it.

[kd5zex]

Same situation here... only my large office UPS has a way to silence the beep. All mine in the bedroom and closet's beep away without a way to mute it.

There is always a way to mute a speaker...

[chamberc]

Same situation here... only my large office UPS has a way to silence the beep. All mine in the bedroom and closet's beep away without a way to mute it.

There is always a way to mute a speaker...

While I've done that to my kid's annoying toys, and even replaced the batteries in my big UPS, accessing the speaker, or even seeing it has been more than difficult in my small units.