We need a UPS to prevent damage to our disk drives when power spikes. We have been getting APC Smart UPS for ~$500, but I have noticed that the APC BackUPS is about $200. If we don't care about the USB interface, or the LCD monitor, or the "hang time", is there a reason to prefer the Smart UPS? I notice in the spces that it delivers "sinewave power" rather than "step function approximation". Is that important for the 10 minutes/year the system will be providing power?
Both systems are "line-interactive". Does that even provide any protection from brief high voltage? I worry that the only protection from spikes they provide is in the mosfet, and that the batteries are not relevant. We don't try to keep the systems up during a power outage, just shut them down as quickly as possible. We are in Cambridge and we used to lose a drive or two after every power failure. I believe that the UPSs have reduced that rate, but it is hard to tell. Daniel Feenberg _______________________________________________ bblisa mailing list [email protected] http://www.bblisa.org/mailman/listinfo/bblisa
