Quote:
Originally Posted by stomachmonkey
I think he is thinking a pass through.
With some UPS's, usually you find in data centers or whole building where clean power is critical, you are always running off the UPS which is providing clean conditioned power on the output side and the utility side keeps the batteries topped off.
One day I will regale you with the tale of a corporate HQ that had a bus size UPS which fed the building and how a worker took a ceiling tile down and placed it on top of the cooling fan which would have the obvious effect of causing it to overheat which in itself would not have been terrible had someone not forgotten to plug the UPS's modem line in preventing it from sending status alerts to the IT staff until it eventually gave up at 3 am and tripped itself to prevent it from burning itself up bringing down everything including the global WAN.
Fun times
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I could tell you the tale of the start of a Micro-vax in India on Indian Line Current, with only a refrigerator type power conditioning unit.
I was a 23 year old, still wet behind the ear Field Engineer starting up a Heat Recovery addition to a power plant in a chemical refinery in India.
My customer was in a hurry because they had scheduled the people from DEC to be on site, and this was about a week or so before I arrived. The UPS was not working so they decided to bypass the UPS. Needless to say at the time, Indian line current was pretty unstable. Most appliances were designed to work with 90VAC to 400VAC. I never saw it any worse than about 150VAC to 300VAC.
They fired it up and fried the main CPU unit. That was about $10K worth of computer part at the time (1988). Never let the magic smoke out. Never.
I arrived on site and of course, it didn't work. DEC diagnosed it Main CPU board. No, there is not a replacement in India. And the customer did not buy the spare parts package. Of course. And all of the software for the power plant's DCS (Distributed Control System) could only be uploaded from the Micro-Vax. (I Later figured a way around that, but that is another story).
The project staff in Schenectady were able to get a Main CPU card from DEC, but there was no way to get it to India. This needed to be a "hand carry", part, meaning someone is given a Business Class Ticket and this is the luggage. Unfortunately, no one was going to India.
I get back to the hotel and there is a message waiting that they have the card. The Project Manager is coming to India, but he would not wait for the card. The guy on the phone said he was going to Cario. He asked me if I could meet him there. Hmmm. Maybe. I think about it and ask him where he is transiting through Europe. Paris. OK, I'll meet him in Paris.
Next morning, I fly to Bombay (it wasn't Mumbai back then). France was being France and I needed a VISA to go to France. Yes, they were pissed off at the USA visa requirements and they put up a Visa requirement for the USA. That screwed the tourist industry, so they later dropped it.
I drive to the consulate. "Sorry, the Consul has gone home with his mistress and is not expected back today". Yes, the guy said mistress. So, no visa. Screw it. I'll see if I can get a Visa at the Airport in Paris.
I fly on Gulf Air and we stop at almost every airport on the Persian Gulf. Great stewardesses. They loved me! They were all English and I was one of the few non-Arabs on the flight. And they gave me a complimentary upgrade to First Class on the leg to Paris.
ANYWAY...I get into Paris. The guy I'm meeting has the card. But he took it out of the box? Why? To fit it in his briefcase. I don't have one. I look around duty free and buy one. 140 Francs, at 7 to 1, OK? $20 for the briefcase. Got it. All set.
Now to go to Paris. Nope. "Sir, you do not have a Visa?" "No. I tried in Bombay, but the Consul went home early with his mistress." That got me a smile, but no entry into Paris. I walked to the Pan-Am Clipper Club and discovered that the English language sounds best when spoken by a beautiful Parisian woman. Chills.
I booked a flight to London (screw you French) and spent the weekend with my Aunt and Uncle. Flew back to Bombay on Monday (On Pan-Am!). And then traveled back to site.
They did get the UPS working and we installed the CPU card. All good. Until....
Remember the briefcase? The 140 Franc briefcase? Yeah, well it was 1400 Francs...I had to enter an expense account for a $200 briefcase. It was "Duty Free" so, at least no sales tax...
All that money and time spent because someone skipped the power conditioning.
Round Trip tickets were about $1400. Hotel in London about $200/night. I ate at my aunt's, so almost no meal expenses. $400 briefcase. About $2000 in 1988. And about 5 days of my time.