APC - 750VA Battery Back-Up System

Foxbat

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A lot of the UPS units will test for valid wiring and may refuse to operate if an unsafe condition like your ungrounded outlet is detected.

I have an APC 750 VA unit powering my HT as well as one powering the DSL modem & WiFi router. They have worked great whenever we've lost power in the past couple of years.
 

lacubs

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My parents have a cheap Cyberpower UPS that is connected to a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter that lights up the wiring fault LED but works fine. I am seriously considering upgrading to a 850 VA Cyberpower UPS that is the cheapest pure sine wave output UPS available. It is only a few dollars more than the APC unit you were looking at. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00429N18S/?tag=satell01-20
i did order this, is it set up?
 

jevans64

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Should just be a matter of plugging it up and then plugging your computer(s) into it. I have had no luck with either CyberPower's or APC's " cheap " UPS systems, so I stick with either Cyber's " PR " line or APC's " SmartUPS " line. These units are easily 3 to 10 times the cost of their basic units though. One thing to consider is that the runtime on battery power will be a lot lower than their expensive units, which usually have twice the number of battery cells. I wouldn't expect the battery to last more than three years for any UPS. My rule-of-thumb is no more than a 60-70% load on the UPS. In your case with an 810 watt UPS, I would not have a PC on it that would consume more than about 550 watts at full load. Not many PC's would hit that, unless it was something like a 2600K/3770K with a pair of GTX 670/680 or comparable AMD system.
 

primestar31

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I've got the 1500 model of this UPS for 3 years now on my HTPC and equipment, and it's worked flawlessly in that time through many power outages. I get around 40 minutes to 1 hour of running time for an Olevia 37" tv set, and Dish VIP622 dvr. Though I really have it to keep the power clean so my electronics don't fry. I paid around $154 for it with free shipping. It's really cool with the lcd monitor that's built in, and it shows how clean the power is that my diesel generator puts out if the outage is long enough that I finally have to power that up.

One of the best purchases I ever made.
 

JerseyMatt

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Sep 17, 2010
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I'm not sure about that particular UPS, but I would never buy one without a USB port and software to automatically shut the computer down when the battery runs low.

No matter which one you get, a safe and code-accepted way around the 2 prong outlet situation is to replace the outlet with a GFCI (like you should have in your bathroom and kitchen). It gives you ground protection and will not trigger any "wiring fault" alarms or protection in the UPS. Just make sure you attach the "No Equipment Ground" labels that come with the GFCI to the wall plate.
 

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