Shopping for Another UPS

[upstatemike]

I need to replace an old UPS so I am researching again. I am focusing on APC and something in the 1500VA range. First I looked at the BX1500LCD sold in the retail stores but it seemed that it was supposed to be inferior to the BL1500LCD you can get online for the same price (but then on closer examination it really isn't). But then both units are said to have a problem of giving off a very bad smell for the first few weeks until the varnish on the PCB gets done cooking.

So then I moved to the Smartups 1500 and was sticker shocked by having the price double; probably due to it being a true sine wave unit. And the Smartups 1500XL adds another $100 more for a slightly larger battery and the ability to plug in external battery packs for extended run time.

So now I have jumped from a $200 UPS with an odor problem to a $400 or $500 model with a nicer waveform (that my PC won't care about) and a slightly larger battery.

Should I be looking at something other than APC? Can't I get a solid, basic, odor-free 1500VA UPS without breaking the bank? If I am in the price range of the Smartups units I might as well go all the way to the APC S15!

 

[Stinger]

I need to replace an old UPS so I am researching again. I am focusing on APC and something in the 1500VA range. First I looked at the BX1500LCD sold in the retail stores but it seemed that it was supposed to be inferior to the BL1500LCD you can get online for the same price (but then on closer examination it really isn't). But then both units are said to have a problem of giving off a very bad smell for the first few weeks until the varnish on the PCB gets done cooking.

So then I moved to the Smartups 1500 and was sticker shocked by having the price double; probably due to it being a true sine wave unit. And the Smartups 1500XL adds another $100 more for a slightly larger battery and the ability to plug in external battery packs for extended run time.

So now I have jumped from a $200 UPS with an odor problem to a $400 or $500 model with a nicer waveform (that my PC won't care about) and a slightly larger battery.

Should I be looking at something other than APC? Can't I get a solid, basic, odor-free 1500VA UPS without breaking the bank? If I am in the price range of the Smartups units I might as well go all the way to the APC S15!

Hey there.. Good to see the locals are still into Home automation.. it's been a while since I've been here, but I am using the APC SmartUPSes, and outside of the monitoring you get, I'd go with a cheaper model without the bells and whistles. I would definitely shop around. It's unfortunate that these UPSes don't make very good purchases for online, but there have been a few deals here and there online if you wait.

 

[Sacedog]

So then I moved to the Smartups 1500 and was sticker shocked by having the price double; probably due to it being a true sine wave unit.

APC makes good units, but you are paying a lot for a name. The APC SmartUPS does some noise filtering, but the only way to get a perfect 60hz power supply from a battery, is if the battery is a dual-conversion unit. In other words, incoming AC into the UPS is converted to DC, then back to AC on the output. So there is a lot of marketing involved with "true sine wave". Honestly, due to the weight, you are best buying one locally, and Sams and Costco usually have good deals on both APC and TrippLite units. Although, you may have a tough time finding a 1500Va one from them. If you have Frys in NY, I would give them a try, as their prices are pretty good.

 

[gatchel]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Sams usually has good prices. Maybe you can buy 2 1000va units instead of a 1500.

 

[Prefect]

I have bought many refurbished APC UPSes from http://www.refurbups.com/ for work and have had great luck. In my opinion, a refurbed higher-end APC unit is going to last longer (due to better design, higher spec components, etc) and be more robust than the commodity, cheaper units. That's probably more of a reason to pick the higher end stuff over the lower end stuff. Their units are refurbs as I mentioned, but they ship with brand new batteries.

 

[upstatemike]

I have bought many refurbished APC UPSes from http://www.refurbups.com/ for work and have had great luck. In my opinion, a refurbed higher-end APC unit is going to last longer (due to better design, higher spec components, etc) and be more robust than the commodity, cheaper units. That's probably more of a reason to pick the higher end stuff over the lower end stuff. Their units are refurbs as I mentioned, but they ship with brand new batteries.

Their prices look good but what are their shipping rates like? I have to balance refurb prices + NYS tax + shipping against discounted new items from out of state vendors that ship for free.

How terrible is something like this Belkin unit? At $129 with no tax or shipping it seems more affordable than even a refurbished SmartUps.

 

[upstatemike]

Since there doesn't seem to be any negative feedback on the $129 Belkin unit, I think I'll give it a try.

 

[garylm]

Suppose I have an HP TouchSmart IQ775 on my kitchen counter, how would I go about hiding the UPS? If I hide the UPS inside a kitchen cabinet, what is the cleanest, safest way to route the power from an AC outlet to the UPS and from the UPS to the counter top?

PS: How about Liebert?

 

[fcwilt]

Hi,

Check the equipment you want to connect to the UPS to be sure it can accept other then a sine wave. I recently built a computer from scratch and the power supply I used clearly stated to ONLY use a UPS having a sine wave output.

Just FYI.

Regards, FrederickC. Wilt

 

[jlehnert]

Since there doesn't seem to be any negative feedback on the $129 Belkin unit, I think I'll give it a try.

Whoops. A day late and a dollar short. Well, maybe your dollar.

Had Belkin a few years ago. It went around 3 months past the warrenty expiration, then it went south. The battery was still good, but the contgrol board was bad. Won't buy another.

I've also had good luck with APCs. I bought a couple 3k units off of eBay that were still running, but the "replace" dates on the batteries had passed. I got three years out of one and 4 out of the other, using the batteries they came with. With new packs, they are still running down in the basement, coming up on 8 years total.

 

[upstatemike]

Since there doesn't seem to be any negative feedback on the $129 Belkin unit, I think I'll give it a try.

Whoops. A day late and a dollar short. Well, maybe your dollar.

Had Belkin a few years ago. It went around 3 months past the warrenty expiration, then it went south. The battery was still good, but the contgrol board was bad. Won't buy another.

I've also had good luck with APCs. I bought a couple 3k units off of eBay that were still running, but the "replace" dates on the batteries had passed. I got three years out of one and 4 out of the other, using the batteries they came with. With new packs, they are still running down in the basement, coming up on 8 years total.

Too late, I ordered 1 today. I figure at $129 with free shipping for a 1,200 VA unit, that it was worth the risk to try one. I can always put it on the "guest" PC if it turns out to be a bad choice.

If the Belkin doesn't work out, I will probably start using refurbished APC Smartups units but they are a lot more expensive and the form factor is much harder to work with.

 

[electron]

I am looking for one as well. I am trying to find either an APC unit or a CyberPower unit (great warranty!), around 1300-1500VA and has to support AVR. $130 seems to be the average price for a 1200VA unit, but I have seen better deals (just wasn't ready to buy one then), so I am waiting until I find one of those great deals again. If anyone spots a good deal, don't hesitate to post!

 

[upstatemike]

I had bad luck with some CyberPower units a few years back so I didn't really look at them. The warranty may be good but that is sort of an "after it fails" recourse. I would rather get one that is unlikely to fail when I need it. My other Belkin units have been pretty reliable. According to the tracking info I should get the new Belkin unit today so we will see if it is a bargain or a piece of junk.

 

[bfisher]

My current CyberPower units have been great so far... but their software sucks. About once every 3 or 4 times I reboot (thankfully not very often), their software crashes. I've upgraded the software a few times, but still happens (just less often). otherwise, I have no complaints with them.

 

[electron]

Well it's not just the warranty, they have really good reviews on newegg etc, and are much better priced. As for software, I don't plan on using it, will come up with a custom network based solution, so all pc's can react to power changes.