On 11/11/13 18:40, Ben Whyall wrote:
Thanks
Supplementary question, how can I work out how much power I need to keep stuff going as I ideally want to keep my desktop from dying spontaneously along with the drive bay.
Ben
I think they explain that somewhere on the APC website.
I have an APC Smartups 700 and it keeps an old PC (with monitor off), external drive, wireless router and cordless phone going for about half an hour.
The lower the load, the longer the battery life. The higher the VA rating, the longer the battery life.
I brought a reconditioned APC UPS from ebay. It works well, but replace the batteries regularly - e.g. every 2 years - depending on the quality of the batteries.
Use APCUPSD (APC UPS Daemon) to monitor the UPS. This means that when the UPS detects power loss, you can configure what to do. The sensible thing to do is run either for a set time, or until say, 10% power remaining, then trigger a system shutdown. Configure your BIOS to power on on mains power returning, and Bob's your uncle. (You also need to configure the UPS and / or APCUPSD.)
This way, you can't ride out a long power cut, but you get controlled shutdown while you still have power, and smooth reboot when power returns. Data loss should be minimal - only any apps that are running with unsaved data on an unattended PC. Disk integrity should be preserved.
I suggest using an APC UPS because of the compatibility with APCUPSD.
Look at the APCUPSD website for UPSes to avoid. http://www.apcupsd.com/
Different UPSes use different cables to talk to the host PC. Look at the website for info. I'd suggest that a UPS that uses an RS232 to communicate to the host PC is too old - USB ones should work well.
Beware - you may need a custom USB or RS232 cable to put between the UPS and the PC. Check that the UPS comes with one if buying second hand, or be prepared to make one (see apcupsd website manual for info)
I got a 4 way extension cable, and a Kettle lead plug from Maplins, and replaced the standard plug on the extension lead, with the Kettle plug. That meant that I can run things with standard plugs via the USB. However, I am VERY VERY careful with it. I only plug in computer peripherals that are essential to the running of the PC and must be on while it is, and I make VERY VERY sure I don't overload it.
Hope that helps.
Steve