Re: [PRODIG] Battery Back Up

[Frank S.]

>Can anyone recommend some type of battery back up system that will kick in >should this happen again and prevent the crash. I can strongly recommend a UPS system. Just over 3 years ago we were having frequent blackouts and brownouts (voltage drops- big Fridges and Air Conditioners are notorious). A brushtail possum plague (I am in Australia. These creatures are the size of a large cat and live in trees and are cute and furry, except when they take up residence in your ceiling) in the area led to large numbers of them being "barbequed" on suburban power poles in my area. Always at night, when I was pushing deadlines. As with you some were just flickers, but anything longer than half a second or so caused a crash. Most of my power problems lasted only for a few minutes or so. This is when my hair started to go grey. If only I had got my beloved UPS sooner! I can now work with impunity and a smug satisfaction when all around me is dark and gloomy, the bright glow of my monitor warming all around me.   I have a unit made locally by a company called SOLA/Best and can recommend it. It's a "SOLA ups 305", 650VA. They have an Agency in Hampshire England, plus lots in other countries. Website: www.solaaust.com.au   Think carefully about the size of your UPS, both the Watt rating (how much gear you can plug into it) and also the VA rating (How big the battery in it is). With both, the bigger the better. The usual ratings manufacturors supply is for 5min at a given wattage, which should be the bare minimum. Don't forget that as the batteries age their capacities drop, smaller batts need to be replaced more often as a larger batt. with only a 50% of capacity can still be quite usable. I checked the UPS capacity at 3 years of age and its the same as new, so the batteries have a reasonable life.   On my original system a 650VA unit could power a 233Mhz/PC system and 15in monitor for around 15mins before a low power warning comes on, then another 3 mins or so before the UPS shut down. . My current system 1.4Mhz/PC system and 17in monitor, with modem connected and a 20W flouro running goes for around 8mins before a low power warning comes on, then another 2 mins or so before the UPS shut down. This equated to a drain of around 250Watts. I checked the wattage capacities by running the UPS with various Tungsten globes attached.   Another thing to consider is CD or DVD burning. I have managed to finish burning CD's flawlessly several  times on UPS when a brown out or blackout interrupted. Regards Frank Styevko