Exactly. And, both tend to drift over time! Look at a "new" UPS and then look at the same UPS a year or so later and you'll see WHY the batteries are bulging!
IMO, this should be configurable. Not all (utility) power has the same degree of unreliability. A user should be able to decide how much he wants to abuse his batteries vs. the risk of them not being "up to snuff".
Ditto with float voltage. Run them lower at the expense of some "up time" (when on battery) vs "cook them".
I've taken to siting one at each machine simply because I can never know where I'll be working when the lights "blink". It also gives me a convenient place to plug in the dedicated peripherals for that machine. And, an easy way to power them all on/off -- as well as isolate them from the utility wiring during storms, etc.
I've discarded two (300-500VA) units in the past few years. My diagnostic procedure is simple: replace battery (I tend to select units that use the same battery, more or less). If that doesn't fix the problem, pull *both* batteries (marking the original as "suspect") and replace the unit (after salvaging the power cord).
Given how easy they are to find at surplus, the worst thing that may happen is I replace a "black one" with a "white one", etc.
Dunno. It's a (personal) "perception" problem. I don't think twice about all that fuel "stored" in the vehicles in the garage. Yet, the idea of a (comparably sized) *container* of fuel is worrisome. Cars don't "tip over" or get bumped/punctured or suddenly start leaking (all of which have happened with 5Q containers of motor oil on0hand, here)
A friend has a 160 (?) gallon expansion tank on his truck. Right behind the cab. It would leave me equally nervous (quantity and proximity).
We don't store fuel (besides propane) as we have no need for it other than
*in* the cars. In the unlikely event of an "emergency" (gas shortage), we'd obviously only be driving ONE car and could use the other as an oversized "gas can".
Hmmm... I will keep that in mind when I accept the diesel genset. Plastic would mean we'd have to store it *indoors* (or, build a sheltered area outside to keep it out of the sun)
I never realized how "un"-mechanically inclined many people are! I watched SWMBO trying to wrestle one of the attachments off the vacuum cleaner some time ago. Then showed her how pushing this little bit of deformable plastic allowed the attachment to FALL off!
Common sense told me NOT to draw any extra attention to my "superior knowledge" of the equipment lest I find myself on vacuum duty!
Put pulley suitable for flat leather belt on generator shaft
Remove one wheel+tire from drive axle of vehicle (do not use a vehicle with limited-slip or locking drive axle)
Install wheel with no tire on drive axle of vehicle
Put flat leather belt around wheel on vehicle
Put flat leather belt around generator pulley
Tension belt somehow
Prevent other wheel+tire on same axle from rotating
Start vehicle, shift into gear
I know I've seen a photo of this actually being done in real life - using an old truck to run a sawmill, I think. I've also seen it in a movie. I can't find pictures of either, though.
The deal with double conversion is once you take the mains to DC, it is really easy to surge suppress and filter DC. So you get real surge protection. The disadvantage is it runs all the time. Eventually the fans go.
Because a double conversion UPS will actually be used (as opposed to a line switch unit that will be idle most of the time), they can't build the double conversion units as shitty as the regular UPSs.
A lot of PC power supplies don't even work well from those "modified sine" inverters.
These double conversion units are chock full of monitoring sensors. I saw that post about overcharging the battery. Well that isn't going to happen on a double conversion unit. This is pro-gear. Most models are rack mount, but Tripplite and I think APC make non-rack units for office use.
As more companies use the cloud, these double conversion units do show up on Craigslist. Basically they junk their storage servers for the cloud and get rid of the UPS as well. Very true in the SF bay area. But these things last long enough that new on Amazon is fine with me.
Not an issue in my application (at least, not the application that this thread addresses)! Recall, I'm using the UPS "manually" in lieu of (i.e., before calling into play) the genset. So, it can be *off* all of the time -- no energy losses powering a nonexistent load!
Coupled with my PV charger floating the batteries, the only time it would ever have to be powered on would be when it had REAL work to do!
I'll have to look through the RM units more closely. The form factor isn't really something that would suit my deployment. So, I've not even bothered (and, assumed they were just repackaged versions of the same "tower" units).
Add that to this week's ToDo list...
As most of these things are "toys", to me, (I *really* don't need a big UPS for power outages. Nor do I *need* the genset. I could just sit in the dark like the rest of my neighbors. OTOH, I'm not keen on spending money if I don't have to :-/ By contrast, I have no aversion to throwing LOTS of money at something I *need*! (it's heart-breaking to think of the money I spent on the things I've been discarding! (sigh) :< )
I think most SUV's are owned/operated by soccer-mom types. Likewise, most pickup trucks are just "half cars" and often not used as "trucks". So, questionable whether or not the car manufacturers would want to address that sort of thing. More profitable to put silly electronic toys in the vehicle that "wow" their owners.
The neighbor's car has a peltier cooler in the console to keep drinks cool... ("*Really*? How long are you planning on staying in the car *nursing* that beverage? A beverage container with *ice* has worked well for me -- and YOU, previously -- for the past 20 years, here..."). Of course, they spend more on (dealer) car maintenance in a year than we spend on *gas*! :-/
[We keep half-bottles of water -- frozen while "lying down" -- in the freezer to which we can add water for "long" trips (e.g., shopping days)]
Not the sort of thing I am likely to attend! :-/
As an aside, I'd looked at getting a license but the disclosure issues turned me off to it. I can always *listen* (or XMIT, illegally!) in the event of a natural disaster. I have no desire (read: time) to tinker with it, otherwise...
NOPe, not in my experience. They are set at "screw-it-fast" from day one.
Should. But that adds a dollar or two to the price.
I have some expensive (well, $24K when new) test gear that uses an internal pack of Gates Cyclon cells. These products have a reputation for screwing battery packs every couple of years. One look at the charger design explains why. (It is a simple current-limited constant voltage type, which of itself is quite OK for lead-acid batteries. Now the BUT - they use a too-high voltage, then unnecessarily limit the max recharge current ). The workaround is a very simple fix. US-built, solid as a brick outhouse, great design everywhere EXCEPT the battery charger setup ...
My first UPS lasted many years on the first set of batteries. So, when it complained that the battery needed replacement, I didn't "feel bad" (I got my money's worth out of that).
The second battery died *really* fast -- prompting me to pull the UPS apart to see what was happening to the battery. The float voltage had increased to almost 2.5V/cell!
"WTF? That's not possible given how long the first battery lasted!"
Some of the bigger UPS's have interfaces that allow you to (clumsily) alter these parameters. But, it shouldn't need to be hidden or clumsy.
Look at (legacy, wet-cell) emergency lighting systems to see how they eek longevity out of their cells.
Yep, a ham license means being in a federal database, though you can use a PO Box. Celebrities seem to be able to use a fake name. This is Priscilla Presley, though now expired. It wouldn't surprise me if she used her lawyers office.
BEAULIEU, LOU LOU PO Box 2841 BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90213 Joe Walsh uses his real name and the address comes back to a house, though I have no idea if it is his house. [I'm not the type to do drive bys of celebrities.]
These Hollywood types own boats and planes, making them more likely than you think to have a ham ticket. The musicians need something to do on the tour bus, well besides screwing groupies and doing drugs.
While I'm not obsessed with staying "under the radar", adding my name and *any* address (plus call sign, etc.) to yet another database plus paying a license fee for something I don't plan on using (except for "preparedness" in a disaster) just is a non-starter. Keep the kit on hand, know the rules governing its use, *listening* is free and, if the shit is hitting the proverbial fan, using it to XMIT is probably not going to add considerably to the challenges I'd be facing at *that* time! (finding food/shelter, staying alive, getting reliable news, etc.)
The problem with ham gear is you don't learn how to use it by just listening. There are parameters to program. You need to know what repeaters work in different locations, etc.
You'd be surprised what can be found out about you, regardless of having a ham license. Some states sell your driver's license data, including the photo. Some counties have names attached to on line real estate documents, though you can hide behind trusts to avoid that. I've had some background checks, so the government has me seven ways to Sunday.
I had a situation where it was necessary to determine that I am who I am over the phone. The caller had some pretty specific details that it was unlikely anyone else would know.
I wouldn't be interested in anything other than getting a "mayday" out to "anyone who can hear". As I said, I'm not interested in playing with this sort of stuff. OTOH, having it on hand "just in case" doesn't cost anything (and, if everything has gone to hell inside it while in storage, then I'm no worse off than if I didn't have it!)
E.g., I also keep a set of handheld FRS/GMRS and CB's (assuming cell phones may not work in those scenarios): "I'll scout around and see what's up ahead; keep in touch!"
[In addition to the "normal" things for a bug-out-bag]
Ha! No, I wouldn't. In the 70's, one of our assignments was to take the professor's credit card receipts from a summer trip he had taken. A week later, we were to tell him what he had done, where he had gone, anything we could infer about his family, what they did/saw, etc. ("Sociologic and Economic Implications of Computer Systems"... or something like that).
It was surprisingly easy! (and, scarey!)
"Ah, but you can't get access to someone's charge records..."
(actually, this does NOT require a warrant. And, if you're willing to bend the rules, there is a LOT you can get, e.g., social engineering)
I was able to identify when and where my (ex) BinL was having his "trysts" by examining his phone logs. Determine which days he had "left for work" in the morning, yet his phone had gone in an entirely different direction. (does the word "metadata" ring a bell? :>)
UPS, banks, stores, etc. One reason I keep separate email, snail-mail and phone contacts "off-line" so they don't creep into databases.
[Trivia: you can *list* your phone number under another name -- even a fictitious one (but don't let on that this is the case!) -- for no charge. Unlisting carries a monthly charge. This allows people that you *want* to be able to find you to locate you easily. And, any incoming calls for "Fibber McGee" you *know* originate from a directory search!]
Yup. But, that doesn't mean I'm keen on adding to that dataset -- especially for something I'm not planning on using (and, hopefully, never *needing*... i.e., disaster preparedness).
I've been a big advocate of cash for decades (e.g., even paying my tuition in cash -- though in the 70's, $4K wasn't a big deal). I can live off a set of "starter checks" for *ages*! :>
Banks are notorious for sharing information. I've stumbled on many of my father's accounts just due to mixups that the guy on the other end of the phone wasn't quick enough to recognize ("oops! you shouldn't have told me that!").
And, there are rather loose controls in many institutions regarding who can look at what. Impossible for them to screen all of these accesses. And, even more impossible for someone to know that their information has been accessed without cause.
Most HTs are programmed with CTCSS or DCS. You won't be heard. You would be better of using an aviation radio and talking on whatever you hear. I have an aviation HT to really really dire situations.
Yep, I read 2600. Or at least when that track was mentioned.
I've got a ~40W 2m transceiver, a few CB's (I figure folks like truckers will have far-reaching eyes), FRS/GMRS handhelds (for "between us"), etc. I'm not keen on talking/listening to "the authorities" (whom you know will just be encouraging everyone to shelter in place -- to make *their* job easier) but, rather, other folks (to "see" what they are seeing) and amongst ourselves.
I have different BoB's based on the nature of the response. E.g., shelter in place I can access *everything* -- cuz it's here! Drive out? Take these. Walk out? That those. etc. Shelf in the store room...
[Neighbor had a shack as a "retirement hobby". So, the kit I have was free.]
Goal is to have "eyes" beyond what I can see with my own -- esp if The Media is unavailable (or, as useless as they tend to be in these sorts of events). Sure don't want to struggle to move in one direction only to discover that was exactly the *wrong* way (into trouble instead of away from it) to go! :> Or, sit still only to later realize we should have started moving earlier!
[I am amazed at how little preparedness I see in folks around me. As if expecting someone to always be there to take care of them! :-/ ]
My approach is to have things ready and hope never to need them -- instead of needing them and not having them! At the same time, I'm not keen on spending a lot of money (or storage space) on stuff that I never expect to need/use. (e.g., storing large quantities of food, fuel, etc.)
TAP? I haven't seen that for decades! (since the days when the annual "CC codes" publication was the highlight issue :> )
I put 50AH batteries on a APC 1200VA SmartUPS. It would run for a day+ with no hassle. Note it had fan cooling.
And if it took 3-5 days to recharge, I didn't care.
-- A host is a host from coast to snipped-for-privacy@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close.......................... Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.