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Looks like I'm in the market for a new UPS. I'm replacing a RS1500 http://www.apc.com/resource/include/tech...sku=BR1500
What features should I look for? I know that there are power quality features that I don't understand, likely because i've never needed to.
I'm tempted to get an APC Back-UPS Pro 1500. The price is reasonable and I can add an additional external battery pack to increase run time. ($189)
http://www.amazon.com/APC-BR1500G-BACK-U...=de_a_smtd
there's also a cheaper model by Cyberpower. ($139)
http://www.amazon.com/Cyberpower-CP1500A..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312130291&sr=8-1
advice?
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I have the BR1500. It's great. I really like the monitoring features.
...and yes, you can turn the alarms off. 
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is pure sine important to you? probably not, but just in case it is, here is an option
http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500P...=pd_cp_e_1
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space-time wrote: is pure sine important to you?
Is there any particular reason that it would be?
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do you hook up a HiFi audio system or expensive TV to it? then I would go for a pure sine wave UPS. If not, doesn't really matter. On the other hand, the model I mentioned is the same price as the APC model you listed, same power, so why no get pure sine wave if it doesn't cost you more?
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Space,
That is _cheap_ for a pure sine wave UPS! but, I'm betting it's also an offline UPS vs an online model. I remember contacting APC about getting a 1500 VA UPS for my Mac Pro and they said due to the type of computer, that only a APC SMARTups level UPS is appropriate. A close friend was told the same thing. Apparently, the Backups Pro design wouldn't protect the computer properly. I suspect it is because of the difference between a step wave and pure sine wave UPS and, if I remember correctly, the difference between an online and offline UPS.
If I understand correctly, a pure sine wave UPS recreates as close as possible clean electricity.A nice curve, whereas a step wave, it's boxey and far less like pure juice. Pure sine wave is considered better. I'll admit, I've used UPSs with step wave output for most of my hardware over the years. I didn't switch over to a unit with pure sine wave output until I got my Mac Pro. If I remember correctly, APc SMARTups and similar models produce pure sine wave output and APC BAckups models like the ES, RS and BX series produce step wave output.
With an online UPS, your hardware is always connected to inverter output whether or not there is a power outage. It's soemthing along these lines: Juice goes into the UPS and stored into the battery. The UPS then sends the juice from the battery to your hardware. At some point, the juice is cleaned up prior to getting to your hardware. The hardware never knows whether or not there is an outage. The only time power going to it is interrupted is when there is an outage and the juice stored in the battery finally runs out. Hopefully, power is restored prior to this taking place and/or you've shut the hardware down. If I remember correctly, APC SMARTups models are online models that produce pure sine wave output.
With an offline UPS, hardware gets juice from the battery only during an outage. At the moment of an outage, there is a brief amount of time that electricity isn't being sent to the protected hardware. That is the amount of time it takes the UPS to switch from main power to battery power. Machines with AVR always clean the juice prior to sending it to the hardware whether it's working off battery power or main power. Lower-end UPSs such as the APC Backups ES series and, if I remember correctly, the RS (and BX) series are offline UPS.
I was able to get a SMARTups for a very reasonable price and since it was the recommend choice for my tower and I had the extra cash, I decided to go for it. But, did I really need to get a SMARTups for my tower? Honestly, I can't say with 100% certainty. I wonder what Apple would say on the matter. Step wave vs sine wave and online vs offline.
Robert
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If the past five years of using my RS1500 is any indication -
pure sine wave just isn't needed. (maybe for hifi equipment?)
It has AVR, but I'm uncertain if its online or offline.
thanks for the discussion, these are the issues i'm trying to understand.
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there's another RS1500 on ebay for $50 shipped. I wonder if its worth it over buying new.
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http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product...eries.html
Pure sine wave output
Line-interactive topology
Automatic voltage regulation (AVR)
GreenPower UPSTM technology
Multi-function LCD panel
HID Compliant USB port
Phone/Fax/Modem (RJ11) and Ethernet (RJ45) line protection
10 Outlets / HID compliant USB and Serial ports
Widely-spaced surge-protected outlets
PowerPanel® Personal Edition UPS Management software
Connected Equipment Guarantee
Three-Year Warranty
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Robert M wrote:
With an online UPS, your hardware is always connected to inverter output whether or not there is a power outage. It's soemthing along these lines: Juice goes into the UPS and stored into the battery. The UPS then sends the juice from the battery to your hardware. At some point, the juice is cleaned up prior to getting to your hardware. The hardware never knows whether or not there is an outage. The only time power going to it is interrupted is when there is an outage and the juice stored in the battery finally runs out. Hopefully, power is restored prior to this taking place and/or you've shut the hardware down. If I remember correctly, APC SMARTups models are online models that produce pure sine wave output.
With an offline UPS, hardware gets juice from the battery only during an outage. At the moment of an outage, there is a brief amount of time that electricity isn't being sent to the protected hardware. That is the amount of time it takes the UPS to switch from main power to battery power. Machines with AVR always clean the juice prior to sending it to the hardware whether it's working off battery power or main power. Lower-end UPSs such as the APC Backups ES series and, if I remember correctly, the RS (and BX) series are offline UPS.
Online UPSs don't suck off the battery all the time as you suggest. The AC power is fed into an inverter which simultaneously is used to top off the battery and to feed to a second inverter which cleans up the power going to the jacks. Because the signal is actively being cleaned up in this process, an online UPS is actually less likely to hit the battery to cover a brief power-fluctuation than other kinds of UPSs.
APC's AVR tech is an online UPS design. It uses a transformer to moderate the AC output. During ordinary trim and boost operations the a UPS with AVR should never hit the battery.
...
The shape of the sine wave is generally only of concern if you're running motors (power tools, refrigerators, laundry machines) or charging batteries with a very old (or cheap Chinese knockoff) charger off of your UPS. Don't worry about a "pure sine wave" if you're just using it with computer gear.
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