Yes
APC still the go to for UPS?
- Thread starter Fordiesel69
- Start date
I have seriously thought about building my own with the decline in price of LFP batteries. Couple of 150ah batteries and an inverter ought to work real nice.
APC isn't quite what they used to be, but I'll use theirs still as I've not had luck with others. I had great service experience with APC too when I needed it once.
I’ve bought this (Amazon link). $417.
If it lives 10 years I think it’s a better value for my use case.
DJI Power 1000 Portable Power Station, 1024Wh LiFePO4 Battery, 2200W (Peak 2600W) AC/140W USB-C Output, 23db Ultra-Silent, Solar Generator For Home Backup.
A lot more energy than an UPS. Should keep the refrigerator, the network, and a fan running maybe 12 hours.If it lives 10 years I think it’s a better value for my use case.
But not an uninterruptible power supply and cannot switch power seamlessly.
It’s going to switch from city power to inverter power in a max of 20ms. I can live with that.
I’ve owned an autotransformer before and know how inefficient those are.
I also have owned a few SmartUPS 1500. The ones I’ve owned have all operated in line interactive mode and I don’t have any issues.
I don’t want the extra expense of a double-conversion UPS. There may be dirty power use cases for those but my power is clean. It just goes out 2-3 times per year. I used to say it’s either stifling hot or cold and wet when I lose power, but the last few years I’ve lost power on perfect spring mornings.
I’ve owned an autotransformer before and know how inefficient those are.
I also have owned a few SmartUPS 1500. The ones I’ve owned have all operated in line interactive mode and I don’t have any issues.
I don’t want the extra expense of a double-conversion UPS. There may be dirty power use cases for those but my power is clean. It just goes out 2-3 times per year. I used to say it’s either stifling hot or cold and wet when I lose power, but the last few years I’ve lost power on perfect spring mornings.
We just had an Eaton unit fail at work. I don't recall the model number, but a decent sized unit (for a large industrial electrical cabinet). We took a brand-new unit out of the box and installed it. After a few minutes, it tripped two breakers in the cabinet. Long story short, as soon as it warmed up inside, something shorted out.
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1kWh for 12 hours? Must be some low draw appliances! My computer, according to my Smart-UPS, drew 5.81kWh in the last 24hrs (so it draws ~242W on average):
My fridge is low 200W running, but much less than 100% duty cycle. Modem, router, an amp with only idle power, an iPad Pro and an iPad.
The plan is to use the power center until it’s at 20%, then fast recharge it with a gen set. If the power center lasts 12 hours, the gen set would run 1 to 1.5 hrs.
The other side of the house is where servers and a workstation is, on a SmartUPS. It’ll shut down within 30 minutes.
The big benefit is I don’t have to fully wake up, drag out all the extension cords, twin up the Honda 1000s, crack a window and thread the cord through the slat. Then get back to sleep, probably both cold and wet. The power may not be out for 12 hours. I’d sure enjoy running 1 cord 10 feet to the kitchen, and a 26dB fan noise from the power center (or so I think).
The plan is to use the power center until it’s at 20%, then fast recharge it with a gen set. If the power center lasts 12 hours, the gen set would run 1 to 1.5 hrs.
The other side of the house is where servers and a workstation is, on a SmartUPS. It’ll shut down within 30 minutes.
The big benefit is I don’t have to fully wake up, drag out all the extension cords, twin up the Honda 1000s, crack a window and thread the cord through the slat. Then get back to sleep, probably both cold and wet. The power may not be out for 12 hours. I’d sure enjoy running 1 cord 10 feet to the kitchen, and a 26dB fan noise from the power center (or so I think).
Vertiv and Eaton blow APC out of the water
However, APC is cheapest on the used market, so thats generally what I end up with
However, APC is cheapest on the used market, so thats generally what I end up with
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$100 Site Donor 2021
Yes, I'm quite familiar with that (awful) process, which is why I now have a Generlink. It's still a PITA, but much less of one than the extension cord bonanza. My network gear (modem/router/switch) draws about 115W, so I'm guessing more than yours.
Yes, 115W is more than my bedroom stuff. It wouldn't be that much of an increase in price to get the 2048Wh one, but I do have a tendency to buy twice and cry twice.
There was this LiFePO4 UPS I was watching,
GOLDENMATE 1500VA/1000W Lithium UPS Battery Backup and Surge Protector, Backup Battery Power Supply with LiFePO4 Batteries(296Wh), AVR, Line Interactive Sinewave UPS System, 8 Outlets, LCD Display
But it's 296Wh (says 51.2V 5.8Ah), and my thinking is I could bump to 1024Wh for $20 more and get something that I think is enough of a UPS that I can live with it.
SLA batteries are certainly known to be safer, but are heavier and less energy dense. I'd like my next "UPS"-like device to use LiFePO4.
The power center prices are coming down. The LiFePO4 UPS prices, for the energy, seem excessive. If the Goldenmate came with a 1024Wh battery I would have gone with it instead.
There was this LiFePO4 UPS I was watching,
GOLDENMATE 1500VA/1000W Lithium UPS Battery Backup and Surge Protector, Backup Battery Power Supply with LiFePO4 Batteries(296Wh), AVR, Line Interactive Sinewave UPS System, 8 Outlets, LCD Display
But it's 296Wh (says 51.2V 5.8Ah), and my thinking is I could bump to 1024Wh for $20 more and get something that I think is enough of a UPS that I can live with it.
SLA batteries are certainly known to be safer, but are heavier and less energy dense. I'd like my next "UPS"-like device to use LiFePO4.
The power center prices are coming down. The LiFePO4 UPS prices, for the energy, seem excessive. If the Goldenmate came with a 1024Wh battery I would have gone with it instead.
This is the brand new unit that lasted all of about two minutes until something shorted out internally.
Eaton 5P 650i
I remember my small UPS. Don't recall if it was APC or CyberPower, but when the power cut out I was really, really annoyed with the power out warning. I think mine was really only sufficient to power down my desktop, especially since it had a CRT.
I don't ever think I found it all that useful except the one time I used it to open/close the garage door (before one with a battery backup built-in) during a power outage. Also used it to power a DSL modem and WAP (but not my laptop), where I booked a place to stay in Tahoe since I wasn't sure how long the power would be out.
I don't ever think I found it all that useful except the one time I used it to open/close the garage door (before one with a battery backup built-in) during a power outage. Also used it to power a DSL modem and WAP (but not my laptop), where I booked a place to stay in Tahoe since I wasn't sure how long the power would be out.
Anker claims that their AC portable power supplies can be used in place of UPS.
https://www.ankersolix.com/blogs/solar/what-is-uninterruptible-power-supply-difference-from-pps
https://www.ankersolix.com/blogs/solar/what-is-uninterruptible-power-supply-difference-from-pps
Eh, they don't specifically say it can be used in place of a UPS, just the differences of the two since the Anker stuff isn't uninterruptible.
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