UPS for the computer
 

is making a horrible whining nose, much as if it had been PARFed, so I called up APC for a trade-in...

APC wanted $53

a new one on Amazon is $49

therefore, I explained to the phone-droid (not to be confused with a droid phone) that I would just buy a new one - he seemed unhappy for some reason

Last time this happened I went to batteries R us or someplace and just got a new battery for it - BUT I notice that battery went belly up a LOT quicker than the original battery (suggesting some cheapo construction in the replacement battery)

I don't know if there is a question or if this is just miscellaneous postings. For $4 more, I go with new which probably has a superior battery and some warranty.

The new is 4 less.... Not sure what the question is... Just buy new from amazon....

$4 less, yeah.

Most likely what you got was a for hire warranty call center and the $4 + a couple more was the phone-droids spiff so yeah he was annoyed that he spent time with you for nothing.

Oh well, the crumbling cookie and all that......

There is a new fancy UPS out there with a digital readout... shows you the actual voltage at the plug... in the event of a power outage it displays a countdown to shutoff.

Does your UPS have a USB connection that automatically shuts down the PC before the battery cuts out?

I need to revisit one for my 50 gallon aquarium. Last I looked, I think they would only power the filters and heater for a few hours. I need days in case of a power loss due to earthquakes, and I can't get home for a week. Yeah, I'd spend a few hundred to save about $40 in fish.

Hmmmm... don't think a UPS circuit would be too coplicated to DIY... then adapt it to some car batteries... hmmm...

I'm off to google DIY UPS

Hook up a natural gas gererator.

Here ya go Hugh:

The DIY (or, if you must, "Ghetto") UPS

yes, most likely

no question - just file under "rants" (we don't have enuff here!) or observations or information

it DOES have that USB facility, but I stopped using it - should probably crawl under there & connect it I guess - not sure I trust it, being a techno-Luddite & all...

They all tell you what the voltage is, just hook up the USB to the computer and install the software.

Per DIY UPS - why not just connect the car batteries to a UPS with the original battery removed? I wonder if that would work correctly.

Same scam as ink cartridges. You can rebuild the battery yourself with a little bit of time and a soldering iron..

Thanks, I've been thinking about something like that with a solar cell and a digital timer so that the filter (oxygen replenishment via falling water) cycles a few hours on and then off. The fish don't need oxygen generation 24/7.

you mean "replace" or rebuild??

see above re battery replacement & possible quality issues

If you don't want to deal with those pesky batteries, I can hook you up with a 240kW flywheel UPS for ~$130k. I guess it would run your typical desktop computer for about two hours.

I would imagine the larger batteries would draw more current, not sure the old circuit could handle it.

Bottom line the modern UPS is a disposable device, we have researched it here at work, even if you buy replacement batteries and solder them in yourself it is not cost effective.

Rebuild yourself. They are normally lead acid so you can open them and clean the cells then add acid from the autoparts store. The other thing to do is to get a generic battery and solder/splicer your connector on to it. They range from $10 $30 depending on the amp hours. This all depends on how motivated you are, I'm very, very motivated when it comes to reusing batteries.

The other thing you can do is to convert the lead acid battery pack to LiON using Tenergy cells or some other manufacturer.

I'm getting really good and rebuilding batteries thanks to my damned solar setup.

I've got a $1000 saltwater reef tank with corals.............yet procrastination doesnt' allow me to wire this up........:rolleyes:


For fish tanks, I'll explain it but I'm too lazy to google it.


A 12VDC output trickle charger plugs into your wall, both charging a 12 volt deep cycle auto battery, and holding in a double pull double throw, or quad pull double throw relay/contactor. Through the relay (while engaged) contacts, (10-15-20 amp or more contact rating) sends 120VAC powers (sourced from the wall power) for a multi-outlet power strip (or strips) that powers your fish tank.

Oooops Oh No, the House power goes out and you're not home................ the AC trickle charger plugged into the wall goes off line, and so does the contactor coil and thus the contacts feeding the wall power to the power strips. BUT on that double throw relay contactor, in the non-engaged contacts position, is now engaged the output of a 120 VAC output Inverter ( say 1000-1200 watts) to power FishTank cirulation/air pumps, that is now powered off of the battery, giving you 120 VAC to the tank


so in a nut shell, an Fish Tank power source:

A or B circuit..... 120VAC power from the Wall, or the Inverter, that is auto switched by a relay/contactor that is held in or disenguaged from the Wall Wart trickle charger, that not only holds in the relay when Wall Power is present, but also charges the car battery while Wall Sourced 120VAC power is present.

But when house wall power isn't present, the contactor switches over to A/C inverter output to power to the fish tank.


Class, any questions? :rolleyes:


Gads, I should of just googled it, but to a Sparky Wiring guy with a soldering iron, that "should" make sense.

it's somewhere on here.

Reef Central Online Community

Reef Frontiers - Welcome to Reef Frontiers


Meanwhile when I'm away for weeks on a scuba vacation, a neighbor just comes over and turns on my 2000 watt Honda Generator ( that runs for like 8 hours on a gallon of gas at ubber quiet 58 dB) to power my 135 gallon reef tank. :D

Dave, thanks. I'll ponder your idea. Maybe I'm missing something , but, My idea is a little simpler, I plug the filter and heater into an inverter which is hooked to a deep cycle marine duty battery which is hooked to a solar cell and a 12 V charger. Power goes off, the 12V charger goes off line and the battery and inverter continues to work.

I'm so lost here, I thought UPS was the delivery company.

I'm at least to the point that the "PS' stands for power supply. A little help?

Uninterrupted Power Supply

Than ks, Sid. The thread makes sense to me now.

I agree with the disposable nature of UPSs. But it is SERIOUSLY IRRITATING to have power blips & not have one on the computer while you are working. Just pay the toll & buy a new one.

And thankfully, Toronto is a low Zombie Impact Zone, so a household UPS is not necessary. Even Zombies think that the world ends in a grey zone north of the US . . .

Ian

I'm with you Zeke. I thought it might help me find out what happened to the four wheels UPS just lost in the ten miles between Bellingham and Point Roberts WA. They have been "On the truck for delivery today" for six days now. :confused:

Sorry, back to regular programming...http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat5.gif

that is why I didn't just write UPS for the thread title, but carefully, painstakingly grunted hard and pecked out the "for the computer" part AND... a space to separate it off from UPS

the "U" stands for Uninterruptible

The nice thing about having a laptop as more of a portable desktop (always plugged in) is that the power can go out for quite a while and nothing happens to my computer. :) The modem, on the other hand, resets or turns off. :(

Lies!
A Gererator does not need natural gas, it will run indefinitely after having been started with a simple push. Ask Weino767, he has all the info on this.

Sorry Hugh, there is no free lunch.


to run your fishtank as you last describe, you're going to be charging that battery at a constant 25 amps 12 VDC, as thats what a ASSUMED 300 watt load at 120VAC output of the inverter, is going to draw out of the battery.


~25AMP X 12 VDC = 300 watt load at 120 VAC



so no free lunch..........and Mr Battery is going to get boiled dry fast at a constant 20-25 amp charging rate

web links:

Inverter Realities - SailNet Community

http://redarc.com.au/handy-hints/tech-tips/inverter-current-draw

Thanks Dave

is the fish tank a "wet-ware" hyper-computer?

Zombies just HATE long underwear and scarfs!

here is the PC board - more complicated than expected

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334177298.jpg