[Discuss] UPSes

[David Bronaugh]

R. McFarlane wrote:
> On 12/11/06 5:42 PM, David Bronaugh wrote:
>
>> Hi people,
>>
>> At work here, we just had our APC SmartUPS 700 fail; so I'm in the 
>> market for a replacement.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a good UPS in the 600-1000 VA range for a small 
>> server system that:
>> - Won't light the office on fire;
>> - Won't display undocumented failure modes or reduce uptime below 
>> that of line power
>> - And doesn't cost limbs plus your firstborn child
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>> David
>
>
>     Fail? Double check that. Typically, the batteries die, but those 
> are easily replaced through an electronics store like Queale.
The reason I am suspicious that it is not simply a battery failure is 
that the unit's front panel display went into a mode where all of the 
lights on the front panel started blinking and power to the devices 
connected to the UPS was disconnected. This mode is not discussed in 
either their paper or their online manual for this UPS. The dead battery 
light was never lit.

That kind of behaviour screams either "piece of crap" or "equipment 
fault" -- either of which I'm not particularly impressed with. UPSes 
that decrease uptime are generally considered a "bad thing".

David Bronaugh