Shopping for a UPS battery back up....

I think the title says it all.... I'm not looking for a top-of-the-line unit that will power 10 servers for 24 hours. I just need a basic home model for one PC, one 20" LCD, and possibly the broadband modem. We seldom have power outages that last more than 10 minutes, but we do have frequent 'dips' where the power drops out for maybe 5 or 10 seconds due to high winds. So, I'd just need something to help the PC stay on during the dips, and have it keep the PC on long enough for me to properly shut it down in the event of a full outage, so I'd only need maybe 5 minutes of actual 'on time' from the UPS unit. I'm looking to spend maybe $50-$60 (less if I can get away with it . I've been looking at these:
http://www.commplex.net/TOW-600-Maruson-Technology-TOW-600-600VA-300W-Towe-p/tow-600.htm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101220&Tpk=F6H375-USB
http://www.dealsonic.com/matepo4010wu.html
http://www.dealsonic.com/matepo6012wu.html (a bit better than the one right above)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842111007&Tpk=INTERNET350SER
I could keep listing different models for days, but I think you get the idea; I'm in the market for a good, basic, home UPS unit. I'm just looking for some feedback from some folks that own a UPS, the make/model, and the opinions of it.

Thanks a million! :-D

[dlb]

 

I've got 2 at home.
Belkin F6C120-UNV replaced battery at about 5 year mark. Did it's job. It runs my 8 year old folding POS now.
APC Back-UPS XS 1200 3 years old and still running strong.
(Both of those are a bit bigger than you want but the better half works from home 3-4 days a week and is VPNed into work alot so reliability was needed.)
Both of these models have AVR.

Have 3 Belkin F6H350 (I think) at work and they do their job also, running standard Dell workstations about 3 - 4 years old. Have started to replace batteries in them. You might need a little bit bigger than these with a 20" monitor. We have 17"ers.

Hope this helps.

 

Yeah, it totally helps! Thanks for your input, complete with model numbers and life expectancies.... you get an "A"

Anyone else care to share their UPS experiences?

 

I'm curious to see how this thread turns out. I've no experience with UPS batteries, the ones I deal with are Li-Ion, so this could be interesting.

 

Hello all,

My UPS is an OPTI VS375C (VS = Value Series), it will be 2 years old at the end of next month. I have not had to touch it to date. With the AUD to USD conversion rates my cost was in excess of what your looking to spend.

Off the UPS I run, a 500gb external HD, a router and a desktop unit with a 19" screen. Gives a few minutes to shutdown properly incase of complete power failure.
I do not run the monitoring program included with the product.


If I've done this right, this link should take you to the USA version of my UPS. :-D
http://www.opti-ups.com/ups_detail.phtml?product_id=47

paramonks

 

I have an APC LS 700 I like. I do have to replace the batteries every year and a half or so, but I get a lot of brownouts.

I also have a borg up on an APC ES 500, batteries are still good in it after a few years. The LS 700 has line conditioning, which I like. Sometimes you can find good deals on APC's refurb units. http://buy.apc.com/commerce/storefr...StorefrontCode=apcfo&CountryCode=us&tsk=z181x

E

 

Yeah.... this is shaping up nicely.... thanks for all the input so far everybody. Good stuff here.... I'll probably be making the purchase after the weekend, maybe Monday or Tuesday so any more input between now and then will be considered and greatly appreciated. If anyone has any links to some UPS reviews, please post 'em. You know, like at Big Bruin or Hardware Secrets or Tom's or Benchmark Reviews or whatever.....

THANKS!
http://www.seedmore.org/pic/smilies/mbounce.gif

 

A friend has had something like this Belkin / Home Office 550VA / 300 Watt / UPS for over a year and his power is very iffy.
and he loves it.

I have had an Ultra 1000VA
for 3 years now through many close lightning strikes, brown-outs and outages and it performs like a champ! Only thing I don't like is the annoying beeps in the middle of the night but it's a small price to pay. However, double the watts and you double the price.

 

Thanks for the info aug.... anyone else???

 

I've been reading some reviews on various UPS units at Newegg, tigerdirect, and other places, and I keep coming across references to a smell.... that's right, I said it, a smell!!! Here's a quote from newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101219 (the last review)
I read another review (I don't remember where) and one dude said that the smell was so bad he had to return it!!! Now, I have never owned my own UPS but I have handled MANY new units and I have NEVER, EVER had one smell!! Well, maybe a tiny bit of new plastic smell once or twice but it was no worse than 'new motherboard' smell and I only could smell it for only a second or two and only right when it was removed from the original packaging. But the way these people talk about it in the reviews, it seems like it's some kind of well-known issue with UPS units and that it is something to actually be considered and taken into account when buying a UPS. Is this completely ridiculous or what?!?!?! Is there any truth to the myth of the 'stinky' UPS????

 

The only smells I have gotten are just new hardware smell. A pleasant plastic smell mixed with light ozone... I love the smell of new hardware in the morning. :major

Don't know what those people are talking about.

E

 

The second comment in that newegg link is a bit more serious, 'and it burst into flames'. I have never smelled anything out of the box or after unplugging it for half an hour under load nor recharging it. However, I've only talked to a handful of people who have UPS's.