Wisdom of battery replacement with a UPS (battery back-up)

Tonto Yoder · « **on:** 21 Apr 2004, 07:28 am »

My APC UPS has started beeping to tell me my battery needs replaced: looking at websites, it seems one can buy a whole new UPS for not much more than the price of the official batteries. Have UPS units become disposable????

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 02:09 pm »

Tonto,

Like any battery, they have a lifespan. The bigger/more expensive UPS's have hot swappable batteries (no downtime when you replace them as there is redundant back-up battery within) and generally have larger, longer life ones, too.

You can get a lot of back-up for little cash these days, for sure, in buying new.

The CyberPower stuff, sold at Best Buy, seems like great value. It's got UPS AND Voltage Regulation(

). I use one 1500AVR-HO ($169.99) on my computer gear (improved colors on screen and protected now from brownouts, short duration blackouts, line surges, etc)...the better quality of monitor images was an added extra.

I use another one on my (modest) video system - improved the picture dramatically. Combines with a $199.00 Monster Power Bar, I have better line conditioning than I probably have on my 2 channel set up not....and pleasing audio, to boot.

Carlman · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 03:11 pm »

I have a 3-yr-old APC 650VA in black that cost me about $300 new. I bought a mack-daddy cyber power to replace it. It's got more than double the power at 1500VA, is rack mountable, etc.. for $255 online. I can get a replacement battery for my APC for about $40 shipped. Here's a place that sells them. I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

The APC is quieter and much much smaller. I decided to use the Cyber thing on my HT setup. I noticed no difference in anything other than now I hear a hum and a fan that switches on every once in a while. Glad I'm not a critical listener to HT.

I'd recommend the one the Chair guy bought over mine. I bought the one up and can't remember the model number. The humming is louder than some old OneAC's I had. I still don't understand why some transformers hum and others don't.

Anyway, I think I'll just order the new battery to have the UPS. I liked it better than anything else I"ve tried in my 2-channel system.

-C

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 05:58 pm »

Carlman,

No hum or fan on the $169.99 model I got (nothing in fact, it's stone silent from 4 inches away)...but I really did see some positive changes to the picture after hooking it up. Also, my lower-end model is smaller (like a very large oven baked bread loaf) and weighs a lot less at 30 lbs (you have 4 hot swappable batteries in yours, only 2 fixed batteries in this one)

Minimal changes to audio in either big 2 channel rig or video set-up , tho. The difference it provides is video, primarily, it seems. Somebody explained to me that cathode ray tubes (CRT's aka a standard front view TV) are very voltage dependent - more so than other audio/video devices. Also, by keeping voltage more constant, you may get longer life from TV.

Carlman · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 06:17 pm »

Mr. Chair... the noise issue with mine is why I recommended yours over mine... the big one I have is really designed for a server rack where noise is the norm.

I have a RPTV so that may be why I didn't see any difference. I feel certain the equipment will last longer and look better longer with a regulated supply, though. So, I'm happy to have it.

Also, if I'm watching 'the big game' and at the crucial moment the lights go out, it'll be nice to see those last few seconds!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 06:47 pm »

Quote from: Carlman

Mr. Chair... the noise issue with mine is why I recommended yours over mine... the big one I have is really designed for a server rack where noise is the norm.

I have a RPTV so that may be why I didn't see any difference. I feel certain the equipment will last longer and look better longer with a regulated supply, though. So, I'm happy to have it.

Also, if I'm watching 'the big game' and at the crucial moment the lights go out, it'll be nice to see those last few seconds!

The noise makes sense...yours is built for heavier duty needs than the average office. In fact, the name of my model is 1500AVR - HO (Home Office).

Could be on rear projection - I don't profess to be anywhere near expert level in video vocab, so unless we can get one of more technically oriented gear geeks explaining why this may be...we'll have to leave it that the voltage regulation does more for front projection than rear projection due to inherent internal differences.