Discussion:
[Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Fergus McMenemie
2017-01-22 22:54:16 UTC
Permalink
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.

I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.

I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.

Thanks in advance Fergus
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-01-23 10:04:58 UTC
Permalink
Hi Fergus,

Couple of things I think you may be not very knowledgeable about:

1) sizing and runtime. APC makes 3 general versions of UPSs:

Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online

A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.

XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.

Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.

To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.

2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.

3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)

4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.

5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.

6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.

Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.

Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
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Lars Täuber
2017-01-25 07:47:05 UTC
Permalink
Hello Ted,

thanks for sharing this knowledge with us!
Maybe this should be put on the web page.

Have a nice day
Lars



Mon, 23 Jan 2017 02:04:58 -0800
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
--
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Jägerstraße 22-23 10117 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 20370-352 http://www.bbaw.de
Fergus McMenemie
2017-01-26 09:38:25 UTC
Permalink
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.

The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.

I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and RETURNCHARGE
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-01-27 12:22:22 UTC
Permalink
Hi Fergus,

You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.

SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point that the
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.

There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell regardless of
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid battery
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor will
be killed by drawing down to flat.

Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells. You
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I have
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC label back
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of APC's
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they last.

Essentially the gel cells last the longest when:

1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge

They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid batteries
which are much tougher.

I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and their
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded batteries
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4 years
later that is a match.

When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the battery
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to the
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my opinion
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.


Ted

PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and RETURNCHARGE
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
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fergus mcmenemie
2017-03-14 14:36:21 UTC
Permalink
Ted, thanks for the advice. I guess the summary is:

The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)

Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on

All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is

Skip and replace the APC every three years.

I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?

Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point that the
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell regardless of
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid battery
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor will
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells. You
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I have
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC label back
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of APC's
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they last.
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid batteries
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and their
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded batteries
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4 years
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the battery
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to the
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my opinion
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and RETURNCHARGE
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Fergus McMenemie Email:***@twig.me.uk
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-03-16 11:18:17 UTC
Permalink
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with, that
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.

It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.

Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.

You want to power the network device.

Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v

This is essentially how a UPS operates.

The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of these
chips:

http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323

This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery needed.

We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.

With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.

This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.

Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just scrap the
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a UPS at
all.

Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point that the
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell regardless of
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid battery
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor will
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells. You
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I have
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC label back
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of APC's
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they last.
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid batteries
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and their
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded batteries
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4 years
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the battery
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to the
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my opinion
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and RETURNCHARGE
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
Pavel Boček
2017-03-16 14:29:29 UTC
Permalink
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on average.
I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few years before
refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5 years old in the same
state. It is partially because of the newer the unit, the worse components
you find inside.




However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The only
question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by somebody
around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than buy'n'pray it will last
reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I do not however trust
the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old ones do, they are
new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny upgrades of 2 decades old
platform), likely designed with some "warranty engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with, that
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.

It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.

Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.

You want to power the network device.

Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v

This is essentially how a UPS operates.

The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of these
chips:

http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/
1825323

This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery needed.

We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.

With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.

This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.

Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just scrap the
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a UPS at
all.

Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point that the
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell regardless of
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid battery
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor will
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells. You
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I have
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC label back
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of APC's
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they last.
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid batteries
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and their
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded batteries
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4 years
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the battery
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to the
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my opinion
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it'
s
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would
like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed
success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally
recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really
matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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+2bt/iBO+tCi9mSev4Ptts1Lw+Olr8vt3PVVvWV6jjDfHM16POfv1foUKJr0IgvS
xxY9VDup3dhy9jGew93M4pnrhtuv5o7wWyliSpalmAqrYjopof/Ge2sEu0OQLylH
oPv42gJXh2y/EYDvSvmUynM6qWTIpgf3HARTIuyhrpSNKNk8cjFsM9QVZ57/qBan
KagZAdYz5siJNVF709PeOSedDPjDoQkqMS5Odau3psofQwBcdku8WpnVvpzJLSUh
mjojzo1E/gWx4+HLgkHC
=/1sG
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
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"
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-03-19 20:34:38 UTC
Permalink
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.

Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.

But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.

And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.

With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than buy'n'pray it
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I do not
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some "warranty
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with, that
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery needed.
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just scrap the
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a UPS at
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Pavel Boček
2017-03-20 01:40:50 UTC
Permalink
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider) generation.
Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they have much shorter
average lifespan.




Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around 13.6-13.7
V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the source of that
so I have not noticed.





As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority of
SLA is AGM.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.

Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.

But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.

And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.

With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than buy'n'pray it
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I do not
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some "warranty
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this
different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with, that
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/
1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery needed.
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just scrap the
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a UPS at
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell you the
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP units
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't work. The
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM batteries.
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-03-25 13:38:05 UTC
Permalink
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.

You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.

Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.

But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.

Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.

trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with,
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
Pavel Boček
2017-03-25 14:18:17 UTC
Permalink
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.




Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.




So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you don't see it
than there is no point in further discussion.





Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired them) so I
know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on, continue making
statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.

You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.

Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.

But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.

Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.

trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with,
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/
1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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William Smith
2017-03-25 14:38:47 UTC
Permalink
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes are complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.

Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best. Unless some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root cause analysis on them, and not even APC is doing that for their older units.

IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries, have maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone wrong in the electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to get a new battery and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units (SUA1000 class) nearly always work fine with new batteries, again IME.

Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS replacements? While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS units, their batteries seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish years anyway, as they are well under 50% capacity by then. On the other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up to 95F, 32C in the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful.

Sent from my iPhone
Post by Pavel Boček
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you don't see it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired them) so I know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on, continue making statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with,
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Mihalik Máté
2017-03-25 15:22:42 UTC
Permalink
Actually both arguments have truth. Older units were made with different
preferences and marketing strategy in mind than newer ones. Now companies
do not make devices which last for two decades but that is for multiple
reasons. One is that they realized if they made so, people wouldn't be
forced to buy new devices which is not profitable in the long run. Other
reason is that new devices quickly deprecate older ones in terms of
features, so there is no point in making them last for a long time. I find
this later one less important when talking about consumer grade UPSes
though, since the concept remains the same through time: you need backup
power and pc manage features, and units had this back in the 90s already
just like they do now. So personally I find little motivation to replace my
old SU900I which will turn 23 years old this year and works just as fine as
any newer would, especially now that I replaced the old capacitors.

You cannot, however, precisely judge newer units against old ones. I've
seen compaq ups-es stored in 2016 from 1998 with their original batteries
left inside and they work well after a battery replacement. Of course this
means that despite their age, they have seen little or no use at all in the
past 18 years, whereas some of the sua750 units made in 2006 already had
2-3 battery replacements and were utilized extensively in the past 10
years. I think if you refurbish the units every 6 years and you operate
them in a controlled environment, then you will likely have a long lasting
ups no matter if new or old.
Post by William Smith
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes are
complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.
Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best. Unless
some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root cause analysis
on them, and not even APC is doing that for their older units.
IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries, have
maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone wrong in the
electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to get a new battery
and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units (SUA1000 class) nearly
always work fine with new batteries, again IME.
Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS replacements?
While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS units, their batteries
seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish years anyway, as they are well
under 50% capacity by then. On the other tentacle, they are in a warm
environment (up to 95F, 32C in the summer months) so I don't feel they are
awful.
Sent from my iPhone
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you don't see
it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired them) so I
know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on, continue making
statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
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The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with,
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-
reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021 <+44%207721%20376021>
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
<+44%201522%20810839>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
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Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
------------------------------------------------------------
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engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Apcupsd-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/apcupsd-users
Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-03-26 22:34:26 UTC
Permalink
This is one of the oldest lines of baloney out there. Back in 1984 when
I entered the High Tech workforce people were saying exactly
the same thing about how the older products were built to last and
the newer ones quickly fell apart.

Nobody deliberately designs products to fail. Instead they design
products to be built to cost a specific amount. Years ago APC sold
UPSes mostly to techs and administrators. Admins bought BackUPSes to
protect old VAX and other Unix systems that could only shutdown
with dumb signalling. They bought them to protect phone systems,
alarms and other stuff that couldn't make use of signalling at all.
They bought smartUPSes to protect servers that could use smart
signalling. The BackUPSes were cheaper than the SmartUPSes so
that's why they did it.

But today the phone systems are VoIP running on Linux and the Vax
is replaced by a Linux server that can talk smart signalling. The
alarms and such are in the server room and plugged into the big UPS
that's powering a bunch of servers. There's no need for a UPS that
just does dumb signalling.

So instead the BackUPS are being bought by the consumers who barely know
what a UPS is. Those people will walk into the store and see a cheap
Chinese cyber power UPS with the same VA rating as a more expensive APC
UPS and 90% of the time they will buy the cheap UPS because they
honestly don't know the difference. APC knows that which
is why BackUPSes to day all come in plastic cases and are cost-reduced
throwaway construction. This is why a brand new BackUPS 500 ES cannot
talk to apcupsd anymore but a model that is 7 years old can. This is
done to meet a specific price point in that market and a race to the
bottom happens in that market.

This is a different market and yes it calls for a different marketing
strategy but if I were to go to APC who was buying a certain transistor
in quantity for their BackUPS and tell them I could supply that
transistor for the same cost, but it would be twice as reliable as what
they are getting now - I'd get the business.

Ted
Post by Mihalik Máté
Actually both arguments have truth. Older units were made with different
preferences and marketing strategy in mind than newer ones. Now
companies do not make devices which last for two decades but that is for
multiple reasons. One is that they realized if they made so, people
wouldn't be forced to buy new devices which is not profitable in the
long run. Other reason is that new devices quickly deprecate older ones
in terms of features, so there is no point in making them last for a
long time. I find this later one less important when talking about
consumer grade UPSes though, since the concept remains the same through
time: you need backup power and pc manage features, and units had this
back in the 90s already just like they do now. So personally I find
little motivation to replace my old SU900I which will turn 23 years old
this year and works just as fine as any newer would, especially now that
I replaced the old capacitors.
You cannot, however, precisely judge newer units against old ones. I've
seen compaq ups-es stored in 2016 from 1998 with their original
batteries left inside and they work well after a battery replacement.
Of course this means that despite their age, they have seen little or no
use at all in the past 18 years, whereas some of the sua750 units made
in 2006 already had 2-3 battery replacements and were utilized
extensively in the past 10 years. I think if you refurbish the units
every 6 years and you operate them in a controlled environment, then you
will likely have a long lasting ups no matter if new or old.
2017. márc. 25. du. 3:41 ezt írta ("William Smith"
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes
are complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.
Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best.
Unless some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root
cause analysis on them, and not even APC is doing that for their
older units.
IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries,
have maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone
wrong in the electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to
get a new battery and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units
(SUA1000 class) nearly always work fine with new batteries, again IME.
Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS
replacements? While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS
units, their batteries seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish
years anyway, as they are well under 50% capacity by then. On the
other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up to 95F, 32C in
the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful.
Sent from my iPhone
Post by Pavel Boček
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you
don't see it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired
them) so I know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on,
continue making statements with no knowledge of the electronics…
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com <http://www.hardwareinsights.com>
(power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA
models), they
Post by Pavel Boček
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current
generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always
around
Post by Pavel Boček
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process
removes the
Post by Pavel Boček
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the
batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all.
Absoluje majority
Post by Pavel Boček
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the
garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com
<http://www.hardwareinsights.com> (power supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of
UPSes.
Post by Pavel Boček
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the
years. They
Post by Pavel Boček
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure
rate on
Post by Pavel Boček
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older
steel-enclosed
Post by Pavel Boček
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different
than the old
Post by Pavel Boček
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500
UPSes fail.
Post by Pavel Boček
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they
got older.
Post by Pavel Boček
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line
Panasonic
Post by Pavel Boček
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the
time that the
Post by Pavel Boček
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you
really are
Post by Pavel Boček
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger
voltage. Then
Post by Pavel Boček
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan
it has, on
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still
kick for a few
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer
generations 5
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years old in the same state. It is partially because of
the newer the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20
years. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it
made by
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper
plastics. I
Post by Pavel Boček
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so
long as the old
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than
constant tiny
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com
<http://www.hardwareinsights.com> (power supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report
back as
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It
does not
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this
different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured
in the last 5
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it
came with,
Post by Pavel Boček
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for
as long
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel
cells anymore.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are
AGM. Whether
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
they will last longer and thus justify their higher
expense - who the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware"
UPS. Based on
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp
and voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have
endlessly
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could
it be much
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS
really does I
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a
router. It has
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell
array that
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the
solar array
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to
an inverter
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's
power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into
one of
Post by Pavel Boček
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
<http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an
efficiency well
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the
router power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No
battery
Post by Pavel Boček
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting
wall AC power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that
might have even
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for
efficiency. A
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up
efficiency in power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is
the most
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
important, you will be more than happy to give up long
battery life
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased
to run off
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the
max battery
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
life they do not want to waste any battery power on
inverters, so
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power
everything off
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac
Mini. Well,
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely
need a
Post by Pavel Boček
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
On 27 Jan 2017, at 12:22, Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you
contact APC
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
technical support and ask a presales question they will
tell
Post by Pavel Boček
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries
the XP
Post by Pavel Boček
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the
point
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens
the lifespan
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle
batteries but
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells
today is
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping
expensive though.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I
don't think
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY
lead acid
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your
trollng motor
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid
gel cells.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR
as part of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new
UPSes but I
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel
the APC
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little
trick of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how
long they
Post by Pavel Boček
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last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell
lead-acid
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery
charger and
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their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the
batteries they use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory
loaded
Post by Pavel Boček
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batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement
battery 3 or 4
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years
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later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter
on the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then
compare it to
Post by Pavel Boček
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the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float
voltage. In my
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a
generator.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very
interesting, and as
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Couple of things I think you may be not very
1) sizing and runtime. APC makes 3 general versions
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power
outages of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC
upses are
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have
very high VA
Post by Pavel Boček
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ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can
have external
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run
continuously
Post by Pavel Boček
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these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if
there was a
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay
switching
Post by Pavel Boček
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between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I
have to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover'
they need
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict
runtime
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New
batteries can
Post by Pavel Boček
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easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and
Extended Life
Post by Pavel Boček
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models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement
battery to
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Post by Pavel Boček
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You
must add
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS
generally don't
Post by Pavel Boček
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display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp
sensor a very
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
useful
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proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around
the server.
Post by Pavel Boček
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Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a
battery
Post by Pavel Boček
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lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries
have been
Post by Pavel Boček
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installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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and allowed to completely charge. The second is about
halfway
Post by Pavel Boček
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through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run
regularly
Post by Pavel Boček
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and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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it is, you will drastically shorten battery life
(such as by
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2/3 of it's
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lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries.
However I
Post by Pavel Boček
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have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name)
battery.
Post by Pavel Boček
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Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries
over the
Post by Pavel Boček
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years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost
flat" it
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severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get
about 10
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And,
only when
Post by Pavel Boček
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it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down
flat almost
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always
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will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web
suggesting that
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I
misreading
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily
ensure they
Post by Pavel Boček
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only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is
configured to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine
when main
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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appears is an excellent way to kill the machine
because in
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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of the power outages, when power comes back on there
will be
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop
power to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting.
Basically,
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER
configure
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a
power loss.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature
of the cuts
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min
in most
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for
30-40min. That
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is
longer than
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then
the server
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of
over an hour
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the
WAKEUP and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection
against "false
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for
long periods
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled
shutdown and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another
APC UPS
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand
unit.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over
the years
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with mixed success. Especially after changing or
recalibrating the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the
apcupsd to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC
to use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status
variables
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6
- 10. 10)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
<tel:+44%207721%20376021>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44
1522 810839 <tel:+44%201522%20810839>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Post by Pavel Boček
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Trevor Roydhouse
2017-03-27 00:42:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
So instead the BackUPS are being bought by the consumers who barely
know what a UPS is. Those people will walk into the store and see a
cheap Chinese cyber power UPS with the same VA rating as a more
expensive APC UPS and 90% of the time they will buy the cheap UPS
because they honestly don't know the difference.
It is always amusing to check the size of battery used between the two
which speaks volumes :)
Pavel Boček
2017-03-29 11:07:13 UTC
Permalink
I've just finished my runtime test of the BP650IPNP. After my modifications
and using old-stock Panasonic 15Ah batt, I got 6,5 minutes at aprox. 437 W
(the voltage slightly osscilates so does the lightbulb draw, but this is
accurate measurement using True RMS wattmeter; ordinary cheap wall meters
usually burn when you hook them to these moddified square waves - see
http://www.hardwareinsights.com/wp/database-of-ups-output-waveforms/?p=6767&
page=4#APC-Schneider-Electric-other). So overloaded the unit run for more
than 6 minutes.




I've checked specs for modern adequate replacement which may be line-
interactive plastic Eaton 5E 850i. Rated at 480 W, the runtime graph however
ends at 1 minute/347 W. So from my experience I guesstimate the full-load
runtime between 5 and 30 seconds.




There is just something to the old units and you can't deny that. I will of
course charge more than double the price of the Eaton for it. Despite being
2 decades old and only having dumb serial communication, it still has like
10times the runtime AND the Panny will last at least twice as much in it.




All in all, the UPS situation is totaly tragic worldwide. The main reason
IMO is there is NO pressure on manufacturers as to my knowledge almost
nobody makes detailed reviews of these things. I think I should accelerate
things and make myself some equippment to start testing them and publish the
results in articles. I expect most of them will start hating me as already
some ATX PSU companies do, but after all, I am only the messenger, they
manufacture and sell crap

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Datum: 27. 3. 2017 0:37:30
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"This is one of the oldest lines of baloney out there. Back in 1984 when
I entered the High Tech workforce people were saying exactly
the same thing about how the older products were built to last and
the newer ones quickly fell apart.

Nobody deliberately designs products to fail. Instead they design
products to be built to cost a specific amount. Years ago APC sold
UPSes mostly to techs and administrators. Admins bought BackUPSes to
protect old VAX and other Unix systems that could only shutdown
with dumb signalling. They bought them to protect phone systems,
alarms and other stuff that couldn't make use of signalling at all.
They bought smartUPSes to protect servers that could use smart
signalling. The BackUPSes were cheaper than the SmartUPSes so
that's why they did it.

But today the phone systems are VoIP running on Linux and the Vax
is replaced by a Linux server that can talk smart signalling. The
alarms and such are in the server room and plugged into the big UPS
that's powering a bunch of servers. There's no need for a UPS that
just does dumb signalling.

So instead the BackUPS are being bought by the consumers who barely know
what a UPS is. Those people will walk into the store and see a cheap
Chinese cyber power UPS with the same VA rating as a more expensive APC
UPS and 90% of the time they will buy the cheap UPS because they
honestly don't know the difference. APC knows that which
is why BackUPSes to day all come in plastic cases and are cost-reduced
throwaway construction. This is why a brand new BackUPS 500 ES cannot
talk to apcupsd anymore but a model that is 7 years old can. This is
done to meet a specific price point in that market and a race to the
bottom happens in that market.

This is a different market and yes it calls for a different marketing
strategy but if I were to go to APC who was buying a certain transistor
in quantity for their BackUPS and tell them I could supply that
transistor for the same cost, but it would be twice as reliable as what
they are getting now - I'd get the business.

Ted
Post by Mihalik Máté
Actually both arguments have truth. Older units were made with different
preferences and marketing strategy in mind than newer ones. Now
companies do not make devices which last for two decades but that is for
multiple reasons. One is that they realized if they made so, people
wouldn't be forced to buy new devices which is not profitable in the
long run. Other reason is that new devices quickly deprecate older ones
in terms of features, so there is no point in making them last for a
long time. I find this later one less important when talking about
consumer grade UPSes though, since the concept remains the same through
time: you need backup power and pc manage features, and units had this
back in the 90s already just like they do now. So personally I find
little motivation to replace my old SU900I which will turn 23 years old
this year and works just as fine as any newer would, especially now that
I replaced the old capacitors.
You cannot, however, precisely judge newer units against old ones. I've
seen compaq ups-es stored in 2016 from 1998 with their original
batteries left inside and they work well after a battery replacement.
Of course this means that despite their age, they have seen little or no
use at all in the past 18 years, whereas some of the sua750 units made
in 2006 already had 2-3 battery replacements and were utilized
extensively in the past 10 years. I think if you refurbish the units
every 6 years and you operate them in a controlled environment, then you
will likely have a long lasting ups no matter if new or old.
2017. márc. 25. du. 3:41 ezt írta ("William Smith"
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes
are complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.
Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best.
Unless some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root
cause analysis on them, and not even APC is doing that for their
older units.
IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries,
have maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone
wrong in the electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to
get a new battery and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units
(SUA1000 class) nearly always work fine with new batteries, again IME.
Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS
replacements? While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS
units, their batteries seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish
years anyway, as they are well under 50% capacity by then. On the
other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up to 95F, 32C in
the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful.
Sent from my iPhone
Post by Pavel Boček
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you
don't see it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired
them) so I know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on,
continue making statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com <http://www.hardwareinsights.com>
(power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA
models), they
Post by Pavel Boček
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS
manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then
it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1
year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current
generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the
failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are
overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always
around
Post by Pavel Boček
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process
removes the
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source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the
batteries last.
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As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all.
Absoluje majority
Post by Pavel Boček
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they
are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the
garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years
maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the
battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood
the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the
average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a
premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com
<http://www.hardwareinsights.com> (power supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of
UPSes.
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Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the
years. They
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used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure
rate on
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the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older
steel-enclosed
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SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different
than the old
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SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500
UPSes fail.
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And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery
charger voltage
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has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they
got older.
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It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery
charger voltage
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down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line
Panasonic
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lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the
time that the
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cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you
really are
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absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger
voltage. Then
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they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
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It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan
it has, on
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average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still
kick for a few
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years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer
generations 5
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years old in the same state. It is partially because of
the newer the
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unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20
years. The
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only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it
made by
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somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
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will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper
plastics. I
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do not
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however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so
long as the old
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ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than
constant tiny
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upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
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engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151 <tel:+420%20739%20190%20151>
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com
<http://www.hardwareinsights.com> (power supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
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The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report
back as
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close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It
does not
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mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured
in the last 5
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years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it
came with,
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that
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are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for
as long
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as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel
cells anymore.
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Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are
AGM. Whether
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they will last longer and thus justify their higher
expense - who the
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heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware"
UPS. Based on
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modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp
and voltage
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sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have
endlessly
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support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could
it be much
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worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS
really does I
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think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a
router. It has
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a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell
array that
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on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the
solar array
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to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to
an inverter
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that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's
power
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supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into
one of
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these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/
dp/1825323
Post by Mihalik Máté
Post by Pavel Boček
<http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/
dp/1825323>
Post by Mihalik Máté
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This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an
efficiency well
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above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the
router power
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supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No
battery
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needed.
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We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting
wall AC power
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to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that
might have even
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been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for
efficiency. A
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UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up
efficiency in power
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savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is
the most
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important, you will be more than happy to give up long
battery life
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since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased
to run off
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48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the
max battery
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life they do not want to waste any battery power on
inverters, so
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they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power
everything off
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the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac
Mini. Well,
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what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
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Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely
need a
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UPS at
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all.
Ted
Fergus.
On 27 Jan 2017, at 12:22, Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you
contact APC
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technical support and ask a presales question they will
tell
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you the
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same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries
the XP
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units
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just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
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components in their battery charger have drifted to the
point
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that the
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battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens
the lifespan
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quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle
batteries but
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I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells
today is
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probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping
expensive though.
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There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
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what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
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That would have to be done with a custom cable since I
don't think
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they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY
lead acid
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battery
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even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your
trollng motor
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will
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be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid
gel cells.
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You
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must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR
as part of
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their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new
UPSes but I
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have
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seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel
the APC
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label back
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and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little
trick of
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APC's
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to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how
long they
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last.
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1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell
lead-acid
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batteries
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which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery
charger and
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their
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UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the
batteries they use
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in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory
loaded
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batteries
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last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement
battery 3 or 4
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years
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later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter
on the
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battery
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terminals and measure the float charge voltage then
compare it to
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the
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battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float
voltage. In my
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opinion
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this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a
generator.
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Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very
interesting, and as
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usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Couple of things I think you may be not very
1) sizing and runtime. APC makes 3 general versions
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power
outages of
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less than 10
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minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC
upses are
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this
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way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have
very high VA
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ratings
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and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can
have external
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battery
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packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run
continuously
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these are
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best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if
there was a
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momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay
switching
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between the
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main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I
have to
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replace the
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batteries every three or four years. We 'discover'
they need
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replaced in
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that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
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batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict
runtime
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or capacity.
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The protected device is a single macmini. New
batteries can
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easily keep
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it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and
Extended Life
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models will
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be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement
battery to
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the APC model?
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2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You
must add
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probes
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to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS
generally don't
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display
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any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp
sensor a very
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useful
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proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around
the server.
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Wouldn't
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do without it.
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3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a
battery
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lifetime.
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The first is about a day or so after the batteries
have been
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installed
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and allowed to completely charge. The second is about
halfway
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through
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the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run
regularly
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and if
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it is, you will drastically shorten battery life
(such as by
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2/3 of it's
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lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries.
However I
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have NEVER
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successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name)
battery.
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Hence the real
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reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
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works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries
over the
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years.
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4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost
flat" it
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severely
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shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get
about 10
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"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And,
only when
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it's new.
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Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down
flat almost
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always
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will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web
suggesting that
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Yuasa NP?
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batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I
misreading
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the info.
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However if I could calibrate them I would happily
ensure they
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only got
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50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is
configured to
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discharge
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to 80%. But given calibration fails...
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5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
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6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine
when main
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power
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appears is an excellent way to kill the machine
because in
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there
will be
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop
power to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting.
Basically,
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER
configure
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a
power loss.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature
of the cuts
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min
in most
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for
30-40min. That
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is
longer than
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then
the server
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of
over an hour
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the
WAKEUP and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection
against "false
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for
long periods
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled
shutdown and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another
APC UPS
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand
unit.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over
the years
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with mixed success. Especially after changing or
recalibrating the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the
apcupsd to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC
to use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status
variables
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6
- 10. 10)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
<tel:+44%207721%20376021>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44
1522 810839 <tel:+44%201522%20810839>
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Post by Pavel Boček
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mjojzo1E/gWx4+HLgkHC
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Post by Mihalik Máté
Post by Pavel Boček
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's
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Pavel Boček
2017-03-25 15:54:06 UTC
Permalink
Back-UPS ES (CyberFort II) suffer from the same problem as Smart-UPS
actually, though on much higher scale. There are also few more problems like
exploded transistors as the units are much dumber (and do not have so
advanced protections like the Smart-UPS) plus they are not so much overspec'
d as the Smarts. I have not yet seen any Smart with blown semiconductors so
while they may exist, this shows how robust the platform was.




OFC this is not a huge statistic. However, as companies throw away thousands
of these newer Smart-UPS series, replacing them with brand new units
don't
you think they have a reason for that, like, they are not reliable? I mean
if 5 units out of 100 go bad, for most corporations it is better to just
throw all 100 away and get new ones. So yes, only few % may be bad, but they
get ird of all because of them.




I already have couple dozen units on stock which need refurbishing and the
guy I take them from confirms firms throw them away in huge numbers. He's in
the electro-waste business so he has first-hand experience






For me it actually does not matter how old it is, the problem is the same in
ALL the units and I refurbish ALL of them anway before they go to sale. But
I always check them so I can also pretty much see what is their current
condition and make some guess how long would they work if I have not
processed them. It is pretty much guaranteed the problem will appear, it is
only a matter of time.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: William Smith <***@compusmiths.com>
Komu: Apcupsd Discussion List <apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net>
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 15:42:38
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"

Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes are
complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis. 




Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best. Unless
some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root cause analysis
on them, and not even APC is doing that for their older units. 




IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries, have maybe
50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone wrong in the
electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to get a new battery and
re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units (SUA1000 class) nearly always
work fine with new batteries, again IME. 




Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS replacements?  While
I've had issues with their refurbished UPS units, their batteries seem OK.
I tend to swap them out after 3-ish years anyway, as they are well under 50%
capacity by then. On the other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up
to 95F, 32C in the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful. 




Sent from my iPhone




On Mar 25, 2017, at 10:18 AM, Pavel Boček <***@post.cz
(mailto:***@post.cz)> wrote:


"

I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going bad about now.




Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.




So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you don't see it
than there is no point in further discussion.





Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired them) so I
know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on, continue making
statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz(mailto:***@jabber.cz)
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz(http://www.hwworld.cz) (kondenzátory, akumulátory,
baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com(http://www.hardwareinsights.com) (power
supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us(mailto:***@mittelstaedt.us)>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
(mailto:apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net)
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC (non-Schneider)
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA models), they
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.

You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the failure rates
are comparable.

Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is always around
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process removes the
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all. Absoluje majority
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.

But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.

Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay a premium
for them.

trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz(http://www.hwworld.cz) (kondenzátory, akumulátory,
baterie aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com(http://www.hardwareinsights.com) (power
supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series of UPSes.
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the years. They
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure rate on
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older steel-enclosed
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different than the old
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500 UPSes fail.
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery charger voltage
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when they got older.
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery charger voltage
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The top-of-the-line Panasonic
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the time that the
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you really are
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger voltage. Then
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan it has, on
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still kick for a few
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer generations 5
years old in the same state. It is partially because of the newer the
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next 20 years. The
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it made by
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper plastics. I
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so long as the old
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than constant tiny
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed with some
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz(http://www.hwworld.cz) (kondenzátory, akumulátory,
baterie
Post by Pavel Boček
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com(http://www.hardwareinsights.com) (power
supply reviews and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to report back as
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It does not
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance with this different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured in the last 5
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it came with,
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and for as long as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel cells anymore.
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are AGM. Whether
they will last longer and thus justify their higher expense - who the
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware" UPS. Based on
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp and voltage
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have endlessly
support different shutdown and restart scenarios. Could it be much
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS really does I
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a horrendously
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a router. It has
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar cell array that
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the solar array
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power to an inverter
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the router's power
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it into one of
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/
1825323
(http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an efficiency well
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the router power
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No battery
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting wall AC power
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that might have even
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for efficiency. A
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up efficiency in power
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience is the most
important, you will be more than happy to give up long battery life
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining bank of
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be purchased to run off
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get the max battery
life they do not want to waste any battery power on inverters, so
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power everything off
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a Mac Mini. Well,
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't? Just
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't likely need a
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you contact APC
technical support and ask a presales question they will tell
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of batteries the XP
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days don't
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to the point
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That shortens the lifespan
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle batteries but
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel cells today is
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping expensive though.
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since I don't think
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY lead acid
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your trollng motor
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead acid gel cells.
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an HR as part of
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new UPSes but I
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel the APC
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a little trick of
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of how long they
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell lead-acid
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery charger and
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the batteries they use
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory loaded
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement battery 3 or 4
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a multimeter on the
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then compare it to
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float voltage. In my
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries - overcharging.
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need a generator.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server.
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery.
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically,
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection against "false
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years
with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44 1522 810839
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org(http://slashdot.org)! http://sdm.
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Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org(http://slashdot.org)! http://sdm.link/
slashdot(http://sdm.link/slashdot)
Post by Pavel Boček
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Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org(http://slashdot.org)! http://sdm.link/
slashdot(http://sdm.link/slashdot)
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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slashdot(http://sdm.link/slashdot)
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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"
""
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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Ted Mittelstaedt
2017-03-26 22:02:03 UTC
Permalink
Yes, for large corporations they will throw away working devices. This
is not news. In my city we have Intel and they throw away tons of 3
year old computers. But they don't actually toss them, they palletize
them and have the "electro-waste" people AKA scroungers, bid on them
with the high bidder getting to haul away the pallets.

Big companies do this for 2 reasons. First, they usually pay IT staff
trash wages so most IT staff that works for the Intels of the world
are greenhorns right out of the local community college and wouldn't be
able to troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. When they get good
they quit and get paid higher at smaller companies.

Second, they mostly outsource and the IT staffers working for the
outsource company are micro-managed like the dickens because every hour
of theirs has to be billed to the customer.

It is cheaper for Intel to buy 200 UPSes direct from Intel then when
their warranty runs out just scrap them and replace them with new ones.
They are buying in volume, and are large enough to buy direct from
APC so they are paying less than 1/4 of what you and I pay to buy the
same UPS. To do a battery change would mean buying pallets of lead
acid batteries which are hazmat and the IT outsourcer would probably
charge twice as much per hour to handle them. Then the IT staff would
bill out at least 1/2 hour per UPS battery swap since they would need
to test the batteries out in the UPS, and might have to pry out bulging
batteries that had hit thermal runaway.

As for older electronics I've seen my share, I've done board-level
repairs at the component level myself in the past. I know my way around
a soldering iron. 90% o the failures I have seen in OLDER electronic
gear is blown electrolytic capacitors and anyone who is familiar with
electronics knows all about this. Back a few years ago when display
panels were super expensive I would actually go to the trouble of
ordering replacement caps (the decent expensive ones) and repairing
them with about a 70% success rate. But today most of that gear is
too cheap to bother with it.

If you have a waste stream of dozens or hundreds of the SAME devices
that you can refurbish, more power to you. It will take you 4 hours to
do the very first one then 20 minutes to do the next one and then you
can probably knock the other 90 of them out in 5 minutes. But most
people don't have that and so even if they know how to fix the stuff
(like I do) it's not profitable to do it.

And in many cases the labor to actually test it is far in excess of what
it's worth. I have right here (I'm typing on it) a HP ProBook 6475b
that ever since January would randomly blue screen. It did it about 6
times in January and February. I finally decided to troubleshoot it and
ran diagnostics all weekend on it with nothing. So as a last ditch I
pulled one of the SODIMMS. a week later it blue screened. I then
exchanged that SODIMM with the other one in the system and since then it
hasn't blue-screened. However, I will have to run it for probably
another month before being absolutely sure that I got the problem
licked. I cannot imagine a customer handing me a flaky laptop and
letting me hang on to it for 2 months just to fix a problem - and do it
on blind luck.

I have another HP laptop that blue-screens randomly about once a
month. How long do you think it would take for me to troubleshoot it
by parts substitution to be sure it was good?

Lastly, the current BackUPS ES are cost-reduced devices that are sold
to people who buy them to slide under the desks of cube farm workers
to prevent them from losing 6 hours of work when the power dies and
they have a spreadsheet open that they haven't saved all day long.
They are essentially morale-boosters. When you have a large cube farm
you do things for your employees that make their lives easier purely
to help fend off negativity. You take a cube farm with 50 employees
in it, you get a power flicker and 50 machines reboot, and 1 guy loses
4 hours of work and he's going to spend the rest of the day pissed off
that he didn't save, and his negativity will affect everyone else and
by the time he works out his anger in his system by peeing in everyone's
ear, you have lost at least 50-60 hours of productivity.

Someone like Intel buys these cheap UPSes by the palletload and
hands them out like candy. It is cheaper for them to just throw them
away after their warranty runs out and buy another. So why are you
faulting APC for building the BackUPS that way? It's what their
customers want.

I have little sympathy for people who go out and buy BackUPSes and
attempt to run servers on them. At one time APC produced BackUPS
UPSes that were suitable for mission-critical uses, but today the only
UPS they make that should ever be in a serer room is a SmartUPS.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
Back-UPS ES (CyberFort II) suffer from the same problem as Smart-UPS
actually, though on much higher scale. There are also few more problems
like exploded transistors as the units are much dumber (and do not have
so advanced protections like the Smart-UPS) plus they are not so much
overspec'd as the Smarts. I have not yet seen any Smart with blown
semiconductors so while they may exist, this shows how robust the
platform was.
OFC this is not a huge statistic. However, as companies throw away
thousands of these newer Smart-UPS series, replacing them with brand new
units…don't you think they have a reason for that, like, they are not
reliable? I mean if 5 units out of 100 go bad, for most corporations it
is better to just throw all 100 away and get new ones. So yes, only few
% may be bad, but they get ird of all because of them.
I already have couple dozen units on stock which need refurbishing and
the guy I take them from confirms firms throw them away in huge numbers.
He's in the electro-waste business so he has first-hand experience…
For me it actually does not matter how old it is, the problem is the
same in ALL the units and I refurbish ALL of them anway before they go
to sale. But I always check them so I can also pretty much see what is
their current condition and make some guess how long would they work if
I have not processed them. It is pretty much guaranteed the problem will
appear, it is only a matter of time.
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 15:42:38
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible
apc to buy?
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes
are complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.
Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best.
Unless some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root
cause analysis on them, and not even APC is doing that for their
older units.
IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries,
have maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone
wrong in the electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to
get a new battery and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units
(SUA1000 class) nearly always work fine with new batteries, again IME.
Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS
replacements? While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS
units, their batteries seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish
years anyway, as they are well under 50% capacity by then. On the
other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up to 95F, 32C in
the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful.
Sent from my iPhone
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going
bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you
don't see it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired
them) so I know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on,
continue making statements with no knowledge of the electronics…
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC
(non-Schneider)
Post by Pavel Boček
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA
models), they
Post by Pavel Boček
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS
manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going
then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1 year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the
failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is
always around
Post by Pavel Boček
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process
removes the
Post by Pavel Boček
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the
batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all.
Absoluje majority
Post by Pavel Boček
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they
are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being
better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the
garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years
maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are
still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers
flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of
the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay
a premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and
more)
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series
of UPSes.
Post by Pavel Boček
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the
years. They
Post by Pavel Boček
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure
rate on
Post by Pavel Boček
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older
steel-enclosed
Post by Pavel Boček
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different
than the old
Post by Pavel Boček
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500
UPSes fail.
Post by Pavel Boček
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when
they got older.
Post by Pavel Boček
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The
top-of-the-line Panasonic
Post by Pavel Boček
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the
time that the
Post by Pavel Boček
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you
really are
Post by Pavel Boček
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger
voltage. Then
Post by Pavel Boček
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan
it has, on
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average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still
kick for a few
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years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer
generations 5
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years old in the same state. It is partially because of
the newer the
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unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next
20 years. The
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only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it
made by
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somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper
plastics. I
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do not
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however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so
long as the old
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ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than
constant tiny
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upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed
with some
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"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivým pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews
and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO
apcupsd compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
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The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to
report back as
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close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It
does not
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mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance
with this
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different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured
in the last 5
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years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it
came with,
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that
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are high quality, then it will likely work as well and
for as long
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as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel
cells anymore.
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Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are
AGM. Whether
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they will last longer and thus justify their higher
expense - who the
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heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware"
UPS. Based on
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modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp
and voltage
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sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have
endlessly
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support different shutdown and restart scenarios.
Could it be much
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worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS
really does I
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think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a
horrendously
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inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a
router. It has
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a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar
cell array that
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on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the
solar array
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to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power
to an inverter
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that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the
router's power
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supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it
into one of
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these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/1825323
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This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an
efficiency well
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above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the
router power
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supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No
battery
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needed.
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We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting
wall AC power
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to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that
might have even
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been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for
efficiency. A
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UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up
efficiency in power
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savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience
is the most
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important, you will be more than happy to give up long
battery life
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since you don't want to screw around with maintaining
bank of
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wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be
purchased to run off
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48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get
the max battery
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life they do not want to waste any battery power on
inverters, so
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they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power
everything off
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the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a
Mac Mini. Well,
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what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't?
Just
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scrap the
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Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't
likely need a
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UPS at
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all.
Ted
Fergus.
On 27 Jan 2017, at 12:22, Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you
contact APC
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
technical support and ask a presales question they
will tell
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you the
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of
batteries the XP
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units
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just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days
don't
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work. The
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to
the point
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that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That
shortens the lifespan
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quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle
batteries but
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I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel
cells today is
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping
expensive though.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since
I don't think
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they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY
lead acid
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battery
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even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your
trollng motor
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will
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be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead
acid gel cells.
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You
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must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an
HR as part of
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their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new
UPSes but I
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have
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seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel
the APC
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label back
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and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a
little trick of
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APC's
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to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of
how long they
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last.
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1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell
lead-acid
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batteries
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which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery
charger and
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their
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UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the
batteries they use
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in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory
loaded
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batteries
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last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement
battery 3 or 4
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years
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later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a
multimeter on the
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battery
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terminals and measure the float charge voltage then
compare it to
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the
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battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float
voltage. In my
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opinion
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this is one of the killers to ups batteries -
overcharging.
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Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need
a generator.
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Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very
interesting, and as
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Couple of things I think you may be not very
1) sizing and runtime. APC makes 3 general versions
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power
outages of
Post by Pavel Boček
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less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end"
APC upses are
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this
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way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have
very high VA
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ratings
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and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can
have external
Post by Pavel Boček
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battery
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packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run
continuously
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these are
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best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if
there was a
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay
switching
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between the
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main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I
have to
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replace the
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batteries every three or four years. We 'discover'
they need
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replaced in
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that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
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batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant
predict runtime
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or capacity.
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The protected device is a single macmini. New
batteries can
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easily keep
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it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and
Extended Life
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models will
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be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement
battery to
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the APC model?
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2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp.
You must add
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probes
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to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS
generally don't
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display
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any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp
sensor a very
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useful
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proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around
the server.
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Wouldn't
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do without it.
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3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during
a battery
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lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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The first is about a day or so after the batteries
have been
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installed
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and allowed to completely charge. The second is
about halfway
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through
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the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run
regularly
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and if
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it is, you will drastically shorten battery life
(such as by
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2/3 of it's
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lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new
batteries. However I
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have NEVER
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successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name)
battery.
Post by Pavel Boček
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Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries
over the
Post by Pavel Boček
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years.
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4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost
flat" it
Post by Pavel Boček
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severely
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shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can
get about 10
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"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And,
only when
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it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down
flat almost
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always
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will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web
suggesting that
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Post by Pavel Boček
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I
misreading
Post by Pavel Boček
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the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily
ensure they
Post by Pavel Boček
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only got
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50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is
configured to
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discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the
machine when main
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power
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appears is an excellent way to kill the machine
because in
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probably 50%
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of the power outages, when power comes back on
there will be
Post by Pavel Boček
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about 2-3
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minutes of power then there will be a couple of
momentary
Post by Pavel Boček
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drops. Since
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the UPS will be discharged at that time it will
drop power to
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the load
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and that's right during the time the PC is booting.
Basically,
Post by Pavel Boček
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if the
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machine is within driving distance - you should
NEVER configure
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it to
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automatically startup when power comes back after a
power loss.
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Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature
of the cuts
Post by Pavel Boček
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we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around
10min in most
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cases, hence
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my goal of trying to keep the server going for
30-40min. That
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normally
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see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is
longer than
Post by Pavel Boček
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an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year),
then the server
Post by Pavel Boček
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can
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be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of
over an hour
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we see
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it is generally reliable. However I do configure the
WAKEUP and
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RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection
against "false
Post by Pavel Boček
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starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for
long periods
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
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For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled
shutdown and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy
another APC UPS
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second
hand unit.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over
the years
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with mixed success. Especially after changing or
recalibrating the
Post by Pavel Boček
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batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes
the apcupsd to
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misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible
APC to use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC
status variables
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos
10.6 - 10. 10)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44
1522 810839
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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+2bt/iBO+tCi9mSev4Ptts1Lw+Olr8vt3PVVvWV6jjDfHM16POfv1foUKJr0IgvS
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KagZAdYz5siJNVF709PeOSedDPjDoQkqMS5Odau3psofQwBcdku8WpnVvpzJLSUh
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
mjojzo1E/gWx4+HLgkHC
=/1sG
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Pavel Boček
2017-03-26 22:27:31 UTC
Permalink
Small and medium companies hardly get 1/4 the end price but they do it the
very same way, besides absolute minimum number of them who get it
refurbished with quality stuff which means several times longer lifespan
than original. The work and Panasonic batteries are together still cheaper
than the "genuine" APC Long's, by the way, well at least I charge it so it
is.




The pricing is actually funny because when I asked for reseller prices from
"official" distributors I got worse quote than what I can buy the APC units
from random e-shops for. That's for their pricing.




You see my problem with this attitude is not that long time ago pretty much
all the units vere much better built. I still run into as long as two
decades old units and even the cheapest plastic ones (first Cyberfort
generation) are often OK. Everything which comes new from fab today is
garbage withhout knowing when it dies on you, the only question is when. I
mean, by the end of 90s you could still buy quality stuff when you payed
more. Since than everybody started competing with the Chinese, cutting every
possible corner. So you often can not buy quality because they just don't
offer it anymore! Yet it is not really that much cheaper, Smart-UPS units
are about 10-20 % more expensive on our market EACH YEAR. One would expect
some quality when 1500VA units cost almost as much as some old cars
I agree
that Smart-UPS is the best to get, but I see that all the time - "it's too
expensive I only want to give so much" so they buy some plastic crap, no
matter if Back-UPS ES, CS or RS (BRx000G), it's pretty much the same shit.




Laptops usually have problems with chipsets, lately with SoC the main
processors themselves so if you want to be sure, replace those. Not reflow,
replace. Most likely it is only a temporary improvement in stability now.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,

Pavel Boček
Jabber: ***@jabber.cz
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and
more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)


---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Od: Ted Mittelstaedt <***@mittelstaedt.us>
Komu: apcupsd-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Datum: 27. 3. 2017 0:06:48
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to
buy?

"
Yes, for large corporations they will throw away working devices. This
is not news. In my city we have Intel and they throw away tons of 3
year old computers. But they don't actually toss them, they palletize
them and have the "electro-waste" people AKA scroungers, bid on them
with the high bidder getting to haul away the pallets.

Big companies do this for 2 reasons. First, they usually pay IT staff
trash wages so most IT staff that works for the Intels of the world
are greenhorns right out of the local community college and wouldn't be
able to troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. When they get good
they quit and get paid higher at smaller companies.

Second, they mostly outsource and the IT staffers working for the
outsource company are micro-managed like the dickens because every hour
of theirs has to be billed to the customer.

It is cheaper for Intel to buy 200 UPSes direct from Intel then when
their warranty runs out just scrap them and replace them with new ones.
They are buying in volume, and are large enough to buy direct from
APC so they are paying less than 1/4 of what you and I pay to buy the
same UPS. To do a battery change would mean buying pallets of lead
acid batteries which are hazmat and the IT outsourcer would probably
charge twice as much per hour to handle them. Then the IT staff would
bill out at least 1/2 hour per UPS battery swap since they would need
to test the batteries out in the UPS, and might have to pry out bulging
batteries that had hit thermal runaway.

As for older electronics I've seen my share, I've done board-level
repairs at the component level myself in the past. I know my way around
a soldering iron. 90% o the failures I have seen in OLDER electronic
gear is blown electrolytic capacitors and anyone who is familiar with
electronics knows all about this. Back a few years ago when display
panels were super expensive I would actually go to the trouble of
ordering replacement caps (the decent expensive ones) and repairing
them with about a 70% success rate. But today most of that gear is
too cheap to bother with it.

If you have a waste stream of dozens or hundreds of the SAME devices
that you can refurbish, more power to you. It will take you 4 hours to
do the very first one then 20 minutes to do the next one and then you
can probably knock the other 90 of them out in 5 minutes. But most
people don't have that and so even if they know how to fix the stuff
(like I do) it's not profitable to do it.

And in many cases the labor to actually test it is far in excess of what
it's worth. I have right here (I'm typing on it) a HP ProBook 6475b
that ever since January would randomly blue screen. It did it about 6
times in January and February. I finally decided to troubleshoot it and
ran diagnostics all weekend on it with nothing. So as a last ditch I
pulled one of the SODIMMS. a week later it blue screened. I then
exchanged that SODIMM with the other one in the system and since then it
hasn't blue-screened. However, I will have to run it for probably
another month before being absolutely sure that I got the problem
licked. I cannot imagine a customer handing me a flaky laptop and
letting me hang on to it for 2 months just to fix a problem - and do it
on blind luck.

I have another HP laptop that blue-screens randomly about once a
month. How long do you think it would take for me to troubleshoot it
by parts substitution to be sure it was good?

Lastly, the current BackUPS ES are cost-reduced devices that are sold
to people who buy them to slide under the desks of cube farm workers
to prevent them from losing 6 hours of work when the power dies and
they have a spreadsheet open that they haven't saved all day long.
They are essentially morale-boosters. When you have a large cube farm
you do things for your employees that make their lives easier purely
to help fend off negativity. You take a cube farm with 50 employees
in it, you get a power flicker and 50 machines reboot, and 1 guy loses
4 hours of work and he's going to spend the rest of the day pissed off
that he didn't save, and his negativity will affect everyone else and
by the time he works out his anger in his system by peeing in everyone's
ear, you have lost at least 50-60 hours of productivity.

Someone like Intel buys these cheap UPSes by the palletload and
hands them out like candy. It is cheaper for them to just throw them
away after their warranty runs out and buy another. So why are you
faulting APC for building the BackUPS that way? It's what their
customers want.

I have little sympathy for people who go out and buy BackUPSes and
attempt to run servers on them. At one time APC produced BackUPS
UPSes that were suitable for mission-critical uses, but today the only
UPS they make that should ever be in a serer room is a SmartUPS.

Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
Back-UPS ES (CyberFort II) suffer from the same problem as Smart-UPS
actually, though on much higher scale. There are also few more problems
like exploded transistors as the units are much dumber (and do not have
so advanced protections like the Smart-UPS) plus they are not so much
overspec'd as the Smarts. I have not yet seen any Smart with blown
semiconductors so while they may exist, this shows how robust the
platform was.
OFC this is not a huge statistic. However, as companies throw away
thousands of these newer Smart-UPS series, replacing them with brand new
units
don't you think they have a reason for that, like, they are not
reliable? I mean if 5 units out of 100 go bad, for most corporations it
is better to just throw all 100 away and get new ones. So yes, only few
% may be bad, but they get ird of all because of them.
I already have couple dozen units on stock which need refurbishing and
the guy I take them from confirms firms throw them away in huge numbers.
He's in the electro-waste business so he has first-hand experience

For me it actually does not matter how old it is, the problem is the
same in ALL the units and I refurbish ALL of them anway before they go
to sale. But I always check them so I can also pretty much see what is
their current condition and make some guess how long would they work if
I have not processed them. It is pretty much guaranteed the problem will
appear, it is only a matter of time.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 15:42:38
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Oh, c'mon guys, be nice. We all know that failure rates and modes
are complex and require good statistical inputs and analysis.
Everyone here is seeing (essentially) anecdotal evidence at best.
Unless some of us have seen thousands of failed UPSen and done root
cause analysis on them, and not even APC is doing that for their
older units.
IME the cheaper units (BE550, etc), when they need new batteries,
have maybe 50% chance of needing a new UPS, as something's gone
wrong in the electronics. Only in rare circumstances do I bother to
get a new battery and re-qualify the used unit. Higher-end units
(SUA1000 class) nearly always work fine with new batteries, again IME.
Speaking of batteries, how do people like the RefurbUPS
replacements? While I've had issues with their refurbished UPS
units, their batteries seem OK. I tend to swap them out after 3-ish
years anyway, as they are well under 50% capacity by then. On the
other tentacle, they are in a warm environment (up to 95F, 32C in
the summer months) so I don't feel they are awful.
Sent from my iPhone
I very well could. The point is, units made in 1998 are going
bad about now.
Units made in 2010 are also going bad about now, surprise.
So the first worked for 19 years, the other for 6 years. If you
don't see it than there is no point in further discussion.
Besides, I have seen most of them from the inside (and repaired
them) so I know WHAT and WHY is going bad in there. But go on,
continue making statements with no knowledge of the electronics

--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie aj./capacitors and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and more)
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 25. 3. 2017 14:41:43
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd compatible apc to buy?
Post by Pavel Boček
1500VA SU/SUA are are already of the newest APC
(non-Schneider)
Post by Pavel Boček
generation. Compared to the previous generations (1400VA
models), they
Post by Pavel Boček
have much shorter average lifespan.
That has not been my experience. And in any case a UPS
manufactured in
2016 cannot be compared to a UPS manufactured in 1998 in
terms of
lifespan. If the UPS manufactured in 1998 is still going
then it has
lasted 19 years. If the
UPS manufactured in 2016 is still going then it has lasted 1
year.
Thus, the UPS made in 1998 has a longer lifespan. Q.E.D.
You cannot make this kind of judgement on the current
generation of
UPSes until another decade or so in the future. All you can
do now
is compare failure rates. And my experience is that the
failure rates
are comparable.
Battery life is NOT the fault of APC - unless they are
overcharging
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Haven't noticed any problem with charger ever, it is
always around
Post by Pavel Boček
13.6-13.7 V. May be it is because by refurbishing process
removes the
Post by Pavel Boček
source of that so I have not noticed.
You can tell by looking at the condition of the batteries
when you
remove them when they have worn out, and how long the
batteries last.
Post by Pavel Boček
As for SLA, gel technology is almost not used at all.
Absoluje majority
Post by Pavel Boček
of SLA is AGM.
Wrong. Most batteries RETAILERS are pushing AGM because they
are more
expensive. Thus the retailer can make more money selling a more
expensive item. Because AGM is new it's touted as being
better and so
when people are buying 4 batteries they are buying AGM. This is
compounded by the battery retailers who stock the
garbage-grade cheapest
lead-acid gel cells they can find. So the consumer walks into
the store and buys the cheaper gel cell and it lasts 2 years
maximum
then they go back to the battery store and complain and the
battery
retailer tells them the more expensive AGM is better.
But people who buy large quantities of SLA batteries are
still buying
gel cells because the good quality gel cells are cheaper
than the
good quality AGM. That's why when you buy a cheap BackUPS 350va
you will find gel cells not AGM in them.
Once the AGM patents expire and the Asian manufacturers
flood the market
with the garbage grade AGM batteries, the service life of
the average
AGM will drop to 2 years and then people will no longer pay
a premium
for them.
trash is trash, whether it's gel cell or AGM. We just have a lot
more gel cell trash out there so gel cells have gotten a bad
name.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews and
more)
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 19. 3. 2017 21:40:13
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO apcupsd
compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
I have not experienced the same issue with the SMT series
of UPSes.
Post by Pavel Boček
Yes, the BackUPS units have been cost-reduced over the
years. They
Post by Pavel Boček
used to come in steel boxes. Then plastic. And my failure
rate on
Post by Pavel Boček
the plastic BackUPSes is much higher than the older
steel-enclosed
Post by Pavel Boček
SmartUPSes.
But my failure rate on the new SmartUPSes is no different
than the old
Post by Pavel Boček
SMartUPSes. I have had a new SMT 2200 fail and old 1500
UPSes fail.
Post by Pavel Boček
And I will say with absolute certainty that the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
has drifted high on EVERY beige SmartUPS I've had when
they got older.
Post by Pavel Boček
It's imperative with these units to adjust the battery
charger voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
down just a hair or they WILL destroy your batteries.
With batteries you get what you pay for. The
top-of-the-line Panasonic
Post by Pavel Boček
lead acid gel-cell batteries will last almost triple the
time that the
Post by Pavel Boček
cheaper UB battery lead acid gel-cells last - unless you
really are
Post by Pavel Boček
absolutely spot on the mark with the battery charger
voltage. Then
Post by Pavel Boček
they will last almost as long as the Panasonics last.
Ted
Post by Pavel Boček
It is true that the newer the unit, the shorter lifespan
it has, on
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
average. I have units 15-20 years old which would still
kick for a few
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years before refurbish would be inevitable, and newer
generations 5
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years old in the same state. It is partially because of
the newer the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
unit, the worse components you find inside.
However, I trust my refurbished units to work for next
20 years. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
only question is if you can make it yourself (or have it
made by
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
somebody around). If not, than yeah, no other choice than
buy'n'pray it
Post by Pavel Boček
will last reasonable time, especially all the cheaper
plastics. I
Post by Pavel Boček
do not
Post by Pavel Boček
however trust the new Smart-UPS series to work even so
long as the old
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
ones do, they are new Schneider design (rather than
constant tiny
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
upgrades of 2 decades old platform), likely designed
with some
Post by Pavel Boček
"warranty
Post by Pavel Boček
engineering" in mind.
--
S uctivÃœm pozdravem/best regards,
Pavel Boček
+420 739 190 151
http://www.hwworld.cz (kondenzátory, akumulátory, baterie
aj./capacitors
Post by Pavel Boček
and more)
http://www.hardwareinsights.com (power supply reviews
and more)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
---------- Původní zpráva ----------
Datum: 16. 3. 2017 12:23:15
Předmět: Re: [Apcupsd-users] What is the best SOHO
apcupsd compatible
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
apc to buy?
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
The batteries cannot be deep cycled (below 20%)
NOT regularly. A few times during the life of the UPS, yes.
Recalibrating replacement batteries just isnt on
"recalibration" in the UPS means getting the UPS to
report back as
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
close as possible the amount of time left on battery. It
does not
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
mean "change the way the UPS functions in accordance
with this
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
different
kind of battery I want to use"
All in all very disheartening, the only way forward is
Skip and replace the APC every three years.
Not exactly. If you buy an APC UPS that was manufactured
in the last 5
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years or so, put in fresh batteries of the type that it
came with,
Post by Pavel Boček
that
Post by Pavel Boček
are high quality, then it will likely work as well and
for as long
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
as it
did when new.
It is just not easy to find high quality lead acid gel
cells anymore.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Now the higher quality batteries of that form factor are
AGM. Whether
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
they will last longer and thus justify their higher
expense - who the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
heck, knows.
I was wondering if it is time for an "open hardware"
UPS. Based on
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
modern micro inverter technology, lots of 1-wire temp
and voltage
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
sensors and a raspberry pi zero? It could easily have
endlessly
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
support different shutdown and restart scenarios.
Could it be much
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
worse than APC?
There seems to be some misunderstanding as to what a UPS
really does I
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
think. A UPS does not create power. It is also a
horrendously
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
inefficient way of storing power.
Look at it this way. You have a network device like a
router. It has
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
a motherboard that runs on 5 volts. You have a solar
cell array that
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
on a good day produces 20v on a bad day produces 4v.
You want to power the network device.
Well you can do it 2 ways. The first way is to use the
solar array
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
to charge a battery. Then the battery supplies DC power
to an inverter
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
that converts it to 120v ac. That is fed into the
router's power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
supply which converts it back down to 5v
This is essentially how a UPS operates.
The second way is to take the solar array and plug it
into one of
Post by Pavel Boček
these
http://uk.farnell.com/diodes-inc/ap1509-50sg-13/ic-buck-reg-5v-2a-8sop/dp/
1825323
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
This part is a dc-to-dc regulator converter with an
efficiency well
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
above 90% You take the 5v output from this, discard the
router power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
supply and feed the 5v right into the circuit board. No
battery
Post by Pavel Boček
needed.
Post by Pavel Boček
We do it the first way for CONVENIENCE only. Converting
wall AC power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
to DC then back to AC then back to DC. Wall power that
might have even
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
been created with a solar array. But it's INEFFICIENT.
With electrical power, you can trade convenience for
efficiency. A
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
UPS is the ultimate in convenience. So you give up
efficiency in power
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
savings and the UPS designer figures since convenience
is the most
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
important, you will be more than happy to give up long
battery life
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
since you don't want to screw around with maintaining
bank of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
wet cells.
This is why honest-to-God telco equipment can be
purchased to run off
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
48v power. Telcos want long battery life, so they accept the
inconvenience of maintaining the batteries, and to get
the max battery
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
life they do not want to waste any battery power on
inverters, so
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
they just leave the UPS out of the picture and power
everything off
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the 48v power.
Now here's my advice. You are doing all of this for a
Mac Mini. Well,
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
what does a Mac Mini have that a Mac Power Book doesn't?
Just
Post by Pavel Boček
scrap the
Post by Pavel Boček
Mini and replace it with a PowerBook and you won't
likely need a
Post by Pavel Boček
UPS at
Post by Pavel Boček
all.
Ted
Fergus.
On 27 Jan 2017, at 12:22, Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
You need an XL with an external battery pack. If you
contact APC
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
technical support and ask a presales question they
will tell
Post by Pavel Boček
you the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
same thing. there's no difference in types of
batteries the XP
Post by Pavel Boček
units
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
just have more batteries that's all.
SmartUPSes that are Beige in color mostly these days
don't
Post by Pavel Boček
work. The
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
components in their battery charger have drifted to
the point
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
that the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery charger overcharges the battery. That
shortens the lifespan
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
quite a bit Yuasa might be well known for motorcycle
batteries but
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
I think the top of the line name in lead acid gel
cells today is
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
probably Panasonic or Trojan. They are flipping
expensive though.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
There's no such thing as a deep cycle lead acid gel cell
regardless of
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
what the manufacturer says. You might experiment with AGM
batteries.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
That would have to be done with a custom cable since
I don't think
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
they make AGMs in the form factor you need. But ANY
lead acid
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
even deep cycle wet cell marine batteries for your
trollng motor
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be killed by drawing down to flat.
Calibration is highly inaccurate on standard lead
acid gel cells.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
You
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
must use High Rate gel cells They generally have an
HR as part of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
their part number. APC ships HR batteries in all new
UPSes but I
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
have
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
seen the batteries are often mis-marked (if you peel
the APC
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
label back
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and read the battery specs) I suspect this is a
little trick of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
APC's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to make their UPS batteries look better in terms of
how long they
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
last.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
1) kept cool
2) low drawdown currents
3) don't draw past 20% remaining
4) not fast-recharged
5) Not undercharged
6) not overcharged
7) kept on continual trickle/topping charge
They are really fragile batteries. Unlike wet cell
lead-acid
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
which are much tougher.
I also believe that APC calibrates their UPS battery
charger and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
their
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
UPS sense circuits to the drawdown curves of the
batteries they use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
in their UPSes. That's another reason why the factory
loaded
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
last the longest. It's hard to find a replacement
battery 3 or 4
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
later that is a match.
When replacing the battery after a day put a
multimeter on the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
terminals and measure the float charge voltage then
compare it to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
battery-manufacturer-specified recommended float
voltage. In my
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
opinion
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
this is one of the killers to ups batteries -
overcharging.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
PS all of this does not change the fact that you need
a generator.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very
interesting, and as
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Couple of things I think you may be not very
1) sizing and runtime. APC makes 3 general versions
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power
outages of
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
less than 10
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end"
APC upses are
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
this
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have
very high VA
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
ratings
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can
have external
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
battery
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run
continuously
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
these are
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if
there was a
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay
switching
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
between the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your
intended use is.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I
have to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
replace the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover'
they need
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
replaced in
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few
seconds. Replaced
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant
predict runtime
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
or capacity.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The protected device is a single macmini. New
batteries can
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
easily keep
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and
Extended Life
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
models will
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement
battery to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp.
You must add
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
probes
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS
generally don't
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
display
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp
sensor a very
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
useful
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around
the server.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Wouldn't
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during
a battery
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
lifetime.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
The first is about a day or so after the batteries
have been
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
installed
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and allowed to completely charge. The second is
about halfway
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
through
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run
regularly
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
and if
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life
(such as by
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
2/3 of it's
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new
batteries. However I
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
have NEVER
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name)
battery.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Hence the real
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with
calibration that
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries
over the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost
flat" it
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
severely
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can
get about 10
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And,
only when
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
it's new.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down
flat almost
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
always
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web
suggesting that
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Yuasa NP?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I
misreading
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the info.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However if I could calibrate them I would happily
ensure they
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
only got
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is
configured to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
discharge
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the
machine when main
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
power
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine
because in
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
probably 50%
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
of the power outages, when power comes back on
there will be
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
about 2-3
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
minutes of power then there will be a couple of
momentary
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
drops. Since
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will
drop power to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
the load
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
and that's right during the time the PC is booting.
Basically,
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
if the
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
machine is within driving distance - you should
NEVER configure
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
it to
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
automatically startup when power comes back after a
power loss.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature
of the cuts
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
However the period of flakey power lasts around
10min in most
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
cases, hence
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
my goal of trying to keep the server going for
30-40min. That
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
normally
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is
longer than
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
an hour
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year),
then the server
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
can
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of
over an hour
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
we see
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the
WAKEUP and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
RETURNCHARGE
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
values which I thought provided some protection
against "false
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for
long periods
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
of time.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled
shutdown and
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy
another APC UPS
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
and would like a recommendation for a new or I second
hand unit.
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over
the years
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with mixed success. Especially after changing or
recalibrating the
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes
the apcupsd to
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
misbehave when it really matters.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
I was wondering what is the best most compatible
APC to use
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
with apcupsd.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC
status variables
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos
10.6 - 10. 10)
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Post by Fergus McMenemie
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Software Limited, Phone: (UK) +44 7721 376021
Old Stables, Far End, Boothby Graffoe, Home: (UK) +44
1522 810839
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Lincoln, LN5 0LG, England Skype: fergusmcmenemie (rare)
======================================================================
Post by Pavel Boček
Post by Pavel Boček
Unix/Mac/Intranets/WWW/Perl Analyst Programmer
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Uwe Z.
2017-01-27 16:49:56 UTC
Permalink
Hello!

Fergus, in addition to what Ted said a few words from me.

I'm currently using a SUA1500I as well (230V version, black case)
which has to sustain a load between 12% and up to 25% (everything
powered on). My batteries usually last around 5 years, but we rarely
have power outages here and most of the equipment on the UPS shuts
down very quickly to lighten the load on the batteries.

Additionally I checked the charge voltage after each battery exchange
as Ted said. For the black models there is a way to calibrate the
charging voltage.

Most of the time I use CSB Battery replacements, for one UPS (an Eaton
OEM model) even the longlife version. Usually no issues here.

Like Ted said ambient temp of the battery is one part of battery life.
It shortens heavily when it's over 25°C for a longer period of time in
my experience.

You said you've never successfully calibrated the UPS after
exchanging the battery. Which color does your UPS have (black or
beige) and how did you try to calibrate?

Best regards
Uwe
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Ted, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very interesting, and as
usual I learnt a bit more about this stuff.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Hi Fergus,
Regular
Extended Length (indicated by the X)
Online
A regular UPS is really intended for short power outages of less than 10
minutes. Most APC upses and ALL of the "low-end" APC upses are this
way. That is why you can find APC UPSes that have very high VA ratings
and quite small batteries.
XL upses are intended for longer runtimes and can have external battery
packs added.
Online UPSes are ones where the inverter is run continuously these are
best for really sensitive gear that might reboot if there was a
momentary surge caused by a power transfer relay switching between the
main power and inverter power.
To answer your queston #1 you need to tell us what your intended use is.
XL I guess, I have several SUA1500I UPSs and find I have to replace the
batteries every three or four years. We 'discover' they need replaced in
that they wont keep the server going for more than a few seconds. Replaced
batteries never calibrate meaning the UPS cant predict runtime or capacity.
The protected device is a single macmini. New batteries can easily keep
it going for about an hour.
I guess the key difference between an Regular and Extended Life models will
be the battery type. Is it to match the replacement battery to the APC model?
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
2) All smart UPSes display internal battery temp. You must add probes
to get them to measure external temp. Back-UPS generally don't display
any temps.
Over the years I have found the internal APC temp sensor a very useful
proxy for all kinds of weird things going on around the server. Wouldn't
do without it.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
3) Recalibrating batteries only works twice during a battery lifetime.
The first is about a day or so after the batteries have been installed
and allowed to completely charge. The second is about halfway through
the battery's lifespan. It isn't intended to be run regularly and if
it is, you will drastically shorten battery life (such as by 2/3 of it's
lifespan)
Understood and I only really try it on new batteries. However I have NEVER
successfully calibrated a new (Yuasa NP or non-name) battery. Hence the real
reason for posting the question. I need a SmartUPS with calibration that
works. I have tried this on 5-6 set of new batteries over the years.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
4) If a lead acid gel cell is drawn down to "almost flat" it severely
shortens it's lifespan. I think you probably can get about 10
"flat drawdowns" out of one before it's junk. And, only when it's new.
Drawing a 2 to 3 year old lead acid gel cell down flat almost always
will kill it.
Ok, this is news to me. I see info on the web suggesting that Yuasa NP?
batteries can be deep cycled lots of times. I am I misreading the info.
However if I could calibrate them I would happily ensure they only got
50% down. Currently by "almost flat" my apcupsd is configured to discharge
to 80%. But given calibration fails...
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
5) killpower has nothing to do with the UPS.
Agreed, but it still something I need to work :-)
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
6) Reapplying power in an unmanned way to the machine when main power
appears is an excellent way to kill the machine because in probably 50%
of the power outages, when power comes back on there will be about 2-3
minutes of power then there will be a couple of momentary drops. Since
the UPS will be discharged at that time it will drop power to the load
and that's right during the time the PC is booting. Basically, if the
machine is within driving distance - you should NEVER configure it to
automatically startup when power comes back after a power loss.
Yes. You are correct, and that is exactly the nature of the cuts we see.
However the period of flakey power lasts around 10min in most cases, hence
my goal of trying to keep the server going for 30-40min. That normally
see us past most flakey power periods. If the cut is longer than an hour
(we see cuts of 5-6 multihour hour cuts a year), then the server can
be shutdown. When power is reapplied after a cut of over an hour we see
it is generally reliable. However I do configure the WAKEUP and RETURNCHARGE
values which I thought provided some protection against "false starts".
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Lastly, UPSes are NOT intended to supply power for long periods of time.
For that you need a generator.
An hour is good enough. Followed by a controlled shutdown and killpower.
Post by Ted Mittelstaedt
Ted
Post by Fergus McMenemie
THis is a resend, but I am intending to buy another APC UPS and would like a recommendation for a new or I second hand unit.
I have used apcupsd with different APC units over the years with mixed success. Especially after changing or recalibrating the batteries. Generally recalibrating fails which causes the apcupsd to misbehave when it really matters.
I was wondering what is the best most compatible APC to use with apcupsd.
-) 1000 or 1500 VA models
-) logs temperature along with the other APC status variables
-) lets me replace and recalibrating batteries
-) allows me to maintain power till APC is almost flat
-) allows killpower to do its thing (on a macos 10.6 - 10. 10)
-) reapplies output power when mains reappears.
Thanks in advance Fergus
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