# Which UPS?



## lib13 (Apr 15, 2022)

Hi,

I need to buy a new UPS for my small home server, up to 100 EUR (ca. 100 USD).
Something supported in FreeBSD arm64, so that a shutdown is triggered when there's power loss for longer than one minute or so.
Which UPSs to you recommend?


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## jbo (Apr 15, 2022)

I can't really comment on the 100.- EUR/USD requirement but: I made very good experiences with UPS' from APC (formerly Schneider Electric).
I use their "Backup-UPS Pro 900" on workstations (both privately and in our office). I've also one of those powering my small home server. In total, I have like 6 of them. The first one I got about 10 years ago. They have yet to disappoint in any meaningful way.
You might do with a smaller model. I like to go overboard: My setups run +30min including the workstation, tripple monitors, network switch and so from the battery.
At our office we use some APC UPS SRT3000RMXLI-NC 3000 VA / 2700 W for our rack-mount servers (also a bit overkill for what we have running).

There is sysutils/apcupsd to interface them. Haven't used it on arm64 but it certainly works well on amd64. According to freshports.org, there are arm64 ports available.


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## sko (Apr 15, 2022)

Altough there will be a lot of APC recommendations, in my experience they eat through batteries like crazy and are insanely overpriced, especially considering the quality of the converters they use, especially in their smaller/cheaper units.

We needed to replace the batteries in our APC UPSes at least every ~2 years - and those batteries are indeed completely dead and gone after that time! pufeed up, with melted and smored connectors and all - it's absolutely crazy what we pulled out of the APCs even without many (or any) actual power outages/transfers to battery during that time.
We therefore have been replacing the APCs with cyberpower for a while now, and they are MUCH kinder to the batteries (as well as much more economical in initial pricing). I've replaced the batteries of the main UPS in our head office rack last year after a little over 3 years (despite them still being reported as healthy) and most of them are still running in smaller UPSes for clients or e.g. branch network cabinets. This won't be possible with any battery I've pulled from one of our APCs over the last ~10 years.


The price tag of ~100EUR is VERY low (too low) for a UPS for a server - you should really consider setting that bar a bit higher to get someting that's really usable to bridge a few minutes (depending on what kind of outages you are facing) and/or depending on what load you want to put on it. Remember that a shutdown can easily double the normal load of a server (e.g. when shutting down a few VMs), so you should always add plenty of headroom to the average power draw of the system when sizing a UPS, or it will just cut power due to an overload condition (i.e. you've only thrown out money for delaying the outage a few seconds)

In the low-budget range I'd go with something like Blue-/Powerwalker which has relatively decent hardware, considering the price, and they are using standard, off-the-shelf batteries, which are broadly and cheaply available. Of course this only holds true for the "block" type UPSes, not those tiny power strips which are completely useless for anything but a radio clock anyways...

I myself am using a small(ish) Powerwalker VI 1500 RT HID at home for my rack, which I recently upgraded with an external battery pack. I'm living at a rather old farmhouse and we had overhead power lines to the village until ~2 years ago, so power outages/surges during thunderstorms were frequent and due to the ageing cabling and voltages dropping below 210V rather frequently, I'm usually facing at least ~1-2 transfers to boost-mode a week; so the UPS is really working here and the batteries are barely ageing.
If you are fine with some brick on the floor, you can also shed off some bucks, as rackmount usually comes with a premium price, but 100EUR still is quite tough. You also won't get anything with a network interface in this price range, so have a look at sysutils/nut to shutdown the system(s) you connect to that UPS. It can read out serial/usb as well as informing other hosts via network about the status of the power supply/UPS status.


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

I just built a PicoUPS-100 rig for my Hummingboard2. I wanted Arm to Go. So I used this.
Battery=12V-3.4AH SLA.





						picoUPS-100 12V DC micro UPS system / battery backup system
					

picoUPS-100 12V DC micro UPS system / battery backup system for 12V automotive environments is a small yet powerful UPS (uninterruptible power supply) solution



					www.mini-box.com
				



I could have went to the max battery 12V-7ah but I am trying to keep my case compact.

For system monitoring you would need to look at the USB version.





						DCDC-USB, Intelligent DC-DC converter with USB interface
					

DCDC-USB is a high power buck-boost microcontroller DC-DC converter, accepting any input ranging from 6-34V



					www.mini-box.com


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

I use alot of 12V gear from modem to embedded boxes. So I focus on DC power.
These cheap used Belkins are littering ebay. Dumb boxes with no feedback.
I guess they come with Fiber Internet service in some areas..
Been meaning to pick up a few to test.


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

sko said:


> replacing the APCs with cyberpower


I have some of those cheap Cyberpower UPS. One with fancy display. One old school APC clone.
Both have had many batteries. 12v-7ah with good life.

I think finding a quality battery is paramount. Enersys is what I use. They are hard to find.


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## gpw928 (Apr 15, 2022)

I have a Cyber Power 900W CP1500EPFCLCD.  I'm not recommending it, because it's outside your price guide, and at 900W powers a small office (with capacity to spare).  I'm also struggling to get it to behave as I want with the vendor's Linux-centric proprietary software (on Linux) -- but have yet to test it with third party control software like sysutils/nut.

However, I'll pose some questions that are worth considering:

Do you want a pure sine wave UPS for your electronics?
How many watts do you need to start up your device(s) (maximum power)?
How long do you want to run after a powerfail (battery size)?
Is your chosen UPS supported by any of the common UPS tools such as sysutils/apcupsd or sysutils/nut?
Very short outages are common where I live.  My ideal UPS would issue a "shutdown assertion" 5 minutes into an enduring power fail, or when the battery dropped to below 50% capacity.  I would tailor these figures so that the "5 minutes" is NOT going to run the battery down below 50%.

Beware the algorithms you choose, because an empty battery may need to be charged for some time before it's reached the capacity required to
operate without the UPS software wanting to go into "shutdown mode" because of a "battery low" condition.  i.e. if the battery is flat, your reboot may have to be delayed by manual intervention while the battery charges up above the nominal 50% mentioned above.


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

I have found the ups daemons hard to setup and just generally difficult.
This goes all the way back to PowerChute on Windows and its quirky licenses.
I had trouble with multiple apcupsd.conf files.
apcupsd50.conf, apcupsd51.conf apcupsd52.conf
I could get one instance working. Multiple seemed to fail.
It can get complex. I have like 6 APC +.


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

I still have mostly beige APC gear which is old. I think that the build quality is superb.
The cheezy APC detachable faceplates can get brittle teeth so be careful of those.

What APC brings to the table is SmartSlot. Do you want network monitoring or are serial communications OK.
Serial Comms then Cyberpower OK.

If you want networking PLUS Environmental than APC is worth it. Rope sensors, Beacons, Dry Contacts.
Check. AP9617 basic and AP9631 for sensors.


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## Phishfry (Apr 15, 2022)

> The included PowerPanel Management Software automatically saves and closes open files and then shuts down the computer system in an intelligent and orderly manner


I am guessing this is the CyberPower software you refer to?


gpw928 said:


> I'm also struggling to get it to behave as I want with the vendor's Linux-centric proprietary software (on Linux)


This is mine. CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD. Very similar to yours.
I did not know they had software.


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## jbo (Apr 15, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> I did not know they had software.


What do you mean?
How do you gracefully power down your system when the UPS battery level reaches low/critical levels?


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## gpw928 (Apr 15, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> I am guessing this is the CyberPower software you refer to?


Yes, google: "cyberpower linux software download".
I get power failures often, and want my entire home office shut down gracefully when it happens.
I would also like to be able to auto-boot when the power comes back.


Phishfry said:


> This is mine. CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD. Very similar to yours.
> I did not know they had software.


Command and control is from a Linux host to the UPS via a USB cable.
Their proprietary daemon runs on the Linux host.
The software they provide has a sensible set of options and is easy to configure.
There's a separate shell script for most "actions", and you can modify them, as required.
I have never been able to get it to work properly.

However, I am entirely optimistic that sysutils/nut will do the job I need, but just have to find the time to do the research and the work.


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## trev (Apr 16, 2022)

I have a bunch of APC SmartUPS 1400s and 1500s (beige and black) and the batteries last 4+ years in very hostile conditions (summer temperatures in the 40-45C range). I only use Panasonic batteries which are nearly twice the price of the cheaper alternatives. Quality batteries are key.

I use apcupsd on a 2011 Mac mini (running FreeBSD 12-STABLE) to control four of them connected via serial (UPS) to USB (Mac mini) via a Lindy serial-USB converted (using FTDI chips). Never had an issue.


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## lib13 (Apr 16, 2022)

Considering all that have been said and my research thereafter, it seems to me that I need to stretch my budget some 60% more to buy a  PowerWalker VI 1000 CSW ups.  
It's a line interactive ups and pure sine wave output.  Batteries are also replaceable.

Thank you all for your inputs.


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## Jose (Apr 16, 2022)

I take it you're in Europe? Where are you going to purchase the UPS if you don't mind telling? I can't find many retailers online.


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## Sub4sub (Apr 16, 2022)

UPS Ever Eco 500 LCD, or Eco Ever 800LCD. I have both for a ridiculous money, one to the computer the other one to the router.


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## Phishfry (Apr 16, 2022)

jbodenmann said:


> What do you mean?


Serial Port only are dumb to me with Network UPS in use. I use the dumb ones as a second layer mostly.
For instance I have a SU1500 networked in my utility room. Behind it I have a dumb UPS for a Cisco router and cable modem in addition to embedded shelf units. The embedded units get their shutdown orders via apcupsd on network. While Cisco/Modem runs until battery dead in second layer.



lib13 said:


> to buy a PowerWalker


I like the USB Charging jacks on these. Those are nice for running Arm boards.


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## lib13 (Apr 17, 2022)

Jose said:


> I take it you're in Europe? Where are you going to purchase the UPS if you don't mind telling? I can't find many retailers online.


You can find them in this store.
What I did to find them was to search for the brand in a comparison site of my country and got some stores that sell the devices.

It's said by BlueWalker that they sell almost to all countries in Europe.


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## gpw928 (Apr 17, 2022)

lib13 said:


> I need to buy a new UPS for my small home server, up to 100 EUR (ca. 100 USD).





lib13 said:


> I need to stretch my budget some 60% more to buy a  PowerWalker VI 1000 CSW ups.


1000 Watts is a LOT of power for a "small home server"...

My UPS pulls less than 300 Watts continuous for:

a MythTV server with two spinning disks;
a KVM server with two spinning disks and two SSDs;
a ZFS server with 8 resident spinning disks, two SSDs, and three hot-swap 3.5" bays (usually empty);
a raspberry pi;
three switches, including one with Wi-Fi; 
an itinerant notebook;
two HD Homerun TV tuners;
a large monitor...
I don't use any power greedy video or GPU devices.


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## Phishfry (Apr 17, 2022)

trev said:


> I have a bunch of APC SmartUPS 1400s and 1500s (beige and black)


I am up there with trev.
2 SU1500RM in tandem mounted in rack feeding tandem PDU with 12V-2S deep cycle external batteries(was quad).
1 SU1500 In Utility Room
1 SU1000RM for Security DVR ect.
1 SU1400RM for Media/TV
New addition SMT1500. Black one and takes newer Smart Slot cards.

Dummies:
APC SU700 No Smart Slot
Two Cyber Power


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## Phishfry (Apr 17, 2022)

Despite all that gear I had no protection on my POE cameras and lost some upstream router ports due to lightning rendering the gear useless.

 So you need to consider 'outside' factors as well as inside.


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## ralphbsz (Apr 17, 2022)

Cheap small APC here, model is called "ES550". About 15 years old or so, I think. Goes through a new battery every 2 years; I try to get batteries that are decent (not the cheapest Chinese-made), but also not super-expensive (not Panasonic or Yuasa brand). Connects via UPS to the FreeBSD server, using the apcupsd package, absolutely no problem.


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## Phishfry (Apr 17, 2022)

2 years is probably a good schedule for reliability.

I was having some weird power fluctuations in the house and low and behold.
Red light on SU1000. No battery at all.
Next day it was feeding-back into house circuit so bad I had to take it offline.

I knew it was needing batteries and I thought I could stretch it longer....
Pair of 12V12AH should be the last of my rotation.
Now I have Dec 2020 as oldest.

Do yourself a favor and label the date of battery on case and type if known.


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## Phishfry (Apr 17, 2022)

Just like data backups you need to test your UPS. 
Sure the UPS monitor tells you 1.5 hours....
Just like most battery meters it is pretty worthless.

Just yank the cord and give it 10 minutes. That is the ultimate test.
You just need to withstand that annoying beeping.


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## lib13 (Apr 17, 2022)

gpw928 said:


> 1000 Watts is a LOT of power for a "small home server"...


1000 is about the model.    Then we can choose from different wattages.  I chose the 600w.


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## Reaperzx (May 13, 2022)

sko said:


> Altough there will be a lot of APC recommendations, in my experience they eat through batteries like crazy and are insanely overpriced, especially considering the quality of the converters they use, especially in their smaller/cheaper units.
> 
> We needed to replace the batteries in our APC UPSes at least every ~2 years - and those batteries are indeed completely dead and gone after that time! pufeed up, with melted and smored connectors and all - it's absolutely crazy what we pulled out of the APCs even without many (or any) actual power outages/transfers to battery during that time.



I agree, have replaced APC UPS batteries at home like every 3 years. About 100 EUR every time. Quite costly over the years.

Also, new APC ups model (upgraded from 1000VA to 1500VA) was disappointment, it has network connection, but does not support monitoring with apcupsd nor SNMP! Only via some kind of APC cloud!


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## Jose (May 13, 2022)

This is my experience with APC UPSes too. Dead battery and acid leaked all over the place after two years.


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## Phishfry (May 13, 2022)

Batteries have to be replace every 2-3 years on any UPS, If you want to be protected.
I swear by Enersys and have never had a leak. I have bought cheap APC UPS with acid damage in tray.
Nothing some baking soda and toothbrush can't retard.
I really don't understand how a sealed battery can leak. Obviously bad batteries.
APC RBC replacment battery packs are a rip off. Not like they use quality batteries. Yuasa seems to be what they use..


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## Jose (May 13, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> I really don't understand how a sealed battery can leak. Obviously bad batteries.


The case cracked because the battery was overheating from being overcharged. Really no excuse for that. Keeping a reasonable float charge on a lead-acid battery is the sort of basic functionality you expect from a UPS.


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## Phishfry (May 13, 2022)

Is that the old BackUPS in beige or the black ones?
My newest SMT1500 has a plastic feel.


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## Jose (May 13, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> Is that the old BackUPS in beige or the black ones?


One of each. Both exhibited the same behavior.


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## Phishfry (May 13, 2022)

I have a mix too but more beige than black.
I do batteries every other Christmas.

My only gripe is the SU1400RMXL has an annoying fan that kicks in every 15min or so. It is not quiet.
I have 3 of those. All used and over 15 years old probably. Only one with acid damage. Got it for dirt cheap.
Why have the batteries not exploded for me? There is more to this story... Maybe too much heat in rack. I dunno.
Maybe somebody let the bad batteries sit and corrode. Just like any battery would with age.
Guess I have been lucky. I think when you find a good one it just works. Just add batteries every 24 months.


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## Reaperzx (May 13, 2022)

My worst experience:

Battery temp from monitoring graph was 60C+. Room was full of sulfur smell. And batteries looked like that:

*Batteries*

Granted this happened only once in like 15+ years, using 3pcs of APC Smart-UPS 1000VA in different locations. Still really unpleasant. Good thing did not start a fire.


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## Phishfry (May 13, 2022)

Jose said:


> Keeping a reasonable float charge on a lead-acid battery is the sort of basic functionality you expect from a UPS.


Yea but they use battery packs. No feedback on individual batteries. Just yam 24v at them. No temp feedback loop either.
So I am back to suspecting bad batteries. Charger is just pushing. If one battery has higher resistance there is going to be problems.

I am messing with Lipo 18650 packs and charging boards. They have feedback on every cell.


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## Phishfry (May 13, 2022)

I don't mean to discount anyones experience with APC. I guess I am a fanboy.  I have Emerson, Eaton and TrippLite too.
APC has a consistent web interface for 20 years for the whole line. From PDU to Netbotz. SNMP support too.
I drank the koolaide.



> About UPS Model:Smart-UPS 1400 RM XLSerial Number:QS034611xxFirmware Revision:73.14.DManufacture Date:11/10/03


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## _al (May 16, 2022)

I am using EATON Powerware 9130 for many years.
How I setup it on FreeBSD (I use it locally):

`pkg install nut`

Then , create group 'nut', create user 'upsmon', add user 'upsmon' in groups 'operator', 'nut'

`sudo chgrp nut /usr/local/etc/nut/`


```
cd /usr/local/etc/nut
[lanin@freebsd /usr/local/etc/nut]$ ls -l
total 180
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut  13860  6 апр.  01:47 cmdvartab
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut  77732  6 апр.  01:47 driver.list
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   1544 10 апр.  15:17 nut.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   1538  6 апр.  01:47 nut.conf.sample
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   4589 10 апр.  16:04 ups.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   4618  6 апр.  01:47 ups.conf.sample
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   4576 10 апр.  15:21 upsd.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   4578  6 апр.  01:47 upsd.conf.sample
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   2145 10 апр.  15:26 upsd.users
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   2131  6 апр.  01:47 upsd.users.sample
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut  15396 10 апр.  20:09 upsmon.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut  15329  6 апр.  01:47 upsmon.conf.sample
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   3895  6 апр.  01:47 upssched.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  nut   3895  6 апр.  01:47 upssched.conf.sample
```

Check the usb port it connected to:

```
[lanin@freebsd /usr/local/etc/nut]$ dmesg | grep 9130
ugen0.2: <EATON Powerware 9130> at usbus0
```

Looking for "Eaton 9130" in driver.list in order to know what the driver must be set for it in   ups.conf   (usually 'usbhid-ups').

Edit config files:

 nut.conf 

```
MODE=standalone
```
ups.conf

```
[pw9130]
driver=usbhid-ups
port=/dev/ugen0.2
desc="Eaton Powerware 9130"
```
upsd.conf

```
LISTEN 127.0.0.1 3493
```

upsd.users

```
[upsmon]
password=1111
upsmon master
actions=SET
instcmds=ALL
```
upsmon.conf

```
RUN_AS_USER upsmon
MONITOR pw9130@localhost 1 upsmon 1111 master
SHUTDOWNCMD "/sbin/shutdown -p now"
```

upssched.conf

```
CMDSCRIPT /usr/local/bin/upssched-cmd
```

/etc/rc.conf

```
nut_enable="YES"
nut_upslog_enable="YES"
nut_upsmon_enable="YES"
nut_upslog_ups="pw9130@localhost"
```
Next, I reboot my machine
`shutdown -r now`

Check ups:

```
[lanin@freebsd /usr/local/etc/nut]$ sudo service nut status
nut is running as pid 1433.
```


```
[lanin@freebsd /usr/local/etc/nut]$ upsc pw9130@localhost
battery.charge: 100
battery.runtime: 1966
battery.type: PbAc
device.mfr: EATON Powerware
device.model: 9130  1000VA-T
device.serial: PL342A5660
device.type: ups
driver.name: usbhid-ups
driver.parameter.pollfreq: 30
driver.parameter.pollinterval: 2
driver.parameter.port: /dev/ugen0.2
driver.parameter.synchronous: no
driver.version: 2.7.4
driver.version.data: MGE HID 1.39
driver.version.internal: 0.41
input.frequency: 49.9
input.transfer.high: 276
input.transfer.low: 140
input.voltage: 221.0
input.voltage.nominal: 220
outlet.1.delay.shutdown: 65535
outlet.1.delay.start: 0
outlet.1.desc: PowerShare Outlet 1
outlet.1.id: 2
outlet.1.status: on
outlet.1.switchable: yes
outlet.2.delay.shutdown: 65535
outlet.2.delay.start: 0
outlet.2.desc: PowerShare Outlet 2
outlet.2.id: 3
outlet.2.status: on
outlet.2.switchable: yes
output.current: 1.20
output.frequency: 49.9
output.frequency.nominal: 50
output.voltage: 219.0
output.voltage.nominal: 220
ups.beeper.status: enabled
ups.delay.shutdown: 20
ups.delay.start: 30
ups.firmware: 0130
ups.load: 26
ups.load.high: 102
ups.mfr: EATON Powerware
ups.model: 9130  1000VA-T
ups.power: 263
ups.power.nominal: 1000
ups.productid: ffff
ups.realpower: 233
ups.serial: PL342A5660
ups.status: OL
ups.temperature: 23.9
ups.test.result: Done and passed
ups.timer.shutdown: 0
ups.timer.start: 0
ups.vendorid: 0463
```

Batteries work 5 years (approximately).
Its flaw is - it is noisy.


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## rootbert (May 16, 2022)

I can recommend Eaton ... just look at the hardware compatibility list of sysutils/nut ;-)


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## LVLouisCyphre (May 27, 2022)

The length of life on batteries will vary with the battery and UPS maker and your environment.   UPS batteries, like vehicle batteries, or any battery for that matter will have a varying lifespan.  I'm in the desert, a UPS battery in a non-climate controlled environment may last 2 - 3 years like vehicle batteries or pretty much any other battery and that also will vary with the battery technology.  The issue you need to look at with UPSes is how it communicates with the OS.  I use strictly APC SmartUPSes and have communication via IP with serial or USB as a backup.  APC is pretty much the gold standard with respect to power and UPS monitoring.


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## Phishfry (May 29, 2022)

LVLouisCyphre said:


> APC is pretty much the gold standard with respect to power and UPS monitoring.


Agreed. I have been a longtime fan.
Here is my second UPS that I bought new. Still in faithful service. AP9617 added for network monitoring.


```
Model:     Smart-UPS 700
Serial Number:     ws9751445348
Firmware Revision:     50.9.D
Manufacture Date:     12/17/97
```

My first was a Back-UPS 500 with rocker switch. Lightning took out the modem protection jack so I upgraded.


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## jbo (May 29, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> Lightning took out the modem protection jack so I upgraded.


Those are usually pretty simple to repair (as far as electronics go). Do you still have the unit around?


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## Phishfry (May 29, 2022)

jbodenmann said:


> Do you still have the unit around?


No I traded it for a bar tab.
My favorite watering hole had lost power in a storm to their credit card swiper and was looking for a solution.
The 500 was good for that little terminal. Not much else for more than 10 minutes.
Back then CRT monitors were a huge power drain. I was a desktop user and hard disks were more fragile.

Plus I had discovered Smart Slot. All others were rubbish after I discovered the versatility.
I even have the external chassis for smart slot cards somewhere in a tote.

Like I said. I drank the koolaide and it tasted good.
I doubt I have anything around that has been running since 1997.


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## LVLouisCyphre (May 29, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> Agreed. I have been a longtime fan.
> Here is my second UPS that I bought new. Still in faithful service. AP9617 added for network monitoring.
> 
> 
> ...


You majorly traded up.  I'm not a fan of the BackUPSes and only use serial or USB monitoring as a backup.  Granted if you're on a budget and find one cheap, it's a starting point to get some protection.  I had a Dell tower get fried during a brown out in 2018.  Lesson learned, get a UPS for anything you don't want to replace.   Emphasis here people, get a UPS.  A UPS is an investment in protecting your hardware especially if you run ZFS.

GET A UPS.  Take it from bad experience from me and have a fried Dell tower PC I threw a bit of money into that was going to be my multiheaded desktop for my home office.  GET A UPS.  GET TWO OR THREE UPSes.  It'll hurt at first in the wallet and in your back, neck and shoulders dealing with the heavy equipment.  UPSes will save you time and money replacing fried hardware especially if you're into eBay deal diving for hardware which is what I do.


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## LVLouisCyphre (May 29, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> No I traded it for a bar tab.
> ...


Sounds like a fair trade to me.  It's not a bad way to get in the door to do some support work for your local watering hole.  Seems like you and I would be good drinking buddies discussing tavern code with system and net admin.


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## Phishfry (May 29, 2022)

I do remember being pissed that I had to buy PowerChute Pro for NT4 or maybe Win2K. It was not cheap.
They included some free version just to wet your whistle.


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## Phishfry (May 29, 2022)

I hope to travel west again one day.
I have been on an embedded boxes DC Power backup kick lately.

This is my latest project for 18650's








						DC12V Dual Power Supply Automatic Transfer UPS Switches Controller Module Max 8A  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DC12V Dual Power Supply Automatic Transfer UPS Switches Controller Module Max 8A at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				



Similar to the Y-PWR switcher for much cheaper.

Been messing with the SLA too. 12V 2.8ah





						picoUPS-100 12V DC micro UPS system / battery backup system
					

picoUPS-100 12V DC micro UPS system / battery backup system for 12V automotive environments is a small yet powerful UPS (uninterruptible power supply) solution



					www.mini-box.com


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## LVLouisCyphre (May 30, 2022)

Powerchute was a software scam.  Now everything is pretty much standard and open source with UPS monitoring.  I think the standard NT on upwards does whatever the de facto serial and USB port monitoring is.  If you run an APC SmartUPS with the appropriate Smart card, you're good on all of the open source UPS monitoring ports.  Just be prepared for the routine 2-3 year chore of changing batteries.  Have your battery supply source lined up before the batteries need changing and check battery availability especially with C-19 supply chain issues.

Also be sure to properly have them properly recycled.  I'm getting ready to buy a pair of APC SmartUPSes new.  Ideal for when you need to move your equipment.  They should rack nicely in my portable MDF.  I use mobile racks on casters that DJs use for their sound equipment to transport to their gigs.  I guess you could call me an NJ (network jockey).  We play a different keyboard via serial and SSH connections.

Cheers!


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## ralphbsz (Jun 21, 2022)

My APC UPS failed this morning. It's at least 10 years old, perhaps 15. Don't know yet what's wrong: it beeps continuously, and the indicator light is solid red. Power cycled it once, and at least the outputs turned back on. Will have to diagnose it tonight, but I suspect the reason is battery way too old and completely failed. I don't think I monitor the battery life at all, maybe I should start doing that.

EDIT: Update, took the battery out, charged it for a few hours. Can't even hold 12V when loaded with a small lightbulb. Drops down to 10V right away. One cell must be dead, time to replace. The battery in there is a no-name brand Chinese-made cheap one, which lasted for 5.5 years: bought January 2017.


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## Phishfry (Jun 22, 2022)

They do let you know when they need batteries with obnoxious noises and leds.
Yueasa battery or Enersys is a good replacment.. Or break out the big bucks for an APC RBC.
Found at your better battery dealers:





						Genesis NP
					






					www.enersys.com
				




In the 12v7ah size their price is really competitive.








						12V 7Ah Battery for Mighty Mule NP7-12 12V 7.0Ah By Enersys  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 12V 7Ah Battery for Mighty Mule NP7-12 12V 7.0Ah By Enersys at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				



They make a flame retardant version for not much more:








						Authentic Enersys Genesis NP7-12TFR 12V 7AH Flame Retardant Replacement Battery 646444767842 | eBay
					

Chemistry: Sealed Lead Acid. Weight: 5.72 lbs(2.59 kgs).



					www.ebay.com


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## ralphbsz (Jun 22, 2022)

Phishfry said:


> They do let you know when they need batteries with obnoxious *noises* and leds.


I can confirm that. Found out at 6am. It is now 10:30 at night, so I'm tired and crabby.

The Enersys looks good and affordable. Yuasa is terribly expensive. I know a good battery distributor (they mostly deal in car batteries, but also stock industrial, electronics, forklift, motorcycle, ... stuff). I'll call them in the morning, and see whether I can pick one up locally on the way to work. The idea of taking something this heavy and shipping it seems inefficient.


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