On Mon, 2007-12-03 at 19:31 +0200, Geoff Shang wrote: > 1. I'm guessing that there are two issues when it comes to UPSs - power > output and how long that power can be delivered before draining the > bateries. How much power will I need and is there a target length of time > I should aim for? Does one factor influence price more than the other?
Actually, UPSes are rated in terms of volt-amper rather than power (in watts). This is because UPSes need to deliver also reactive power (which happens when voltage and current are not in phase). I would aim at 200 volt*amper per PC to be protected. UPSes generally deliver only few minutes' power. At the time I looked for an UPS which can power a FAX machine (much lower standby power consumption than PCs) for hours - but in vain. To deliver more power, you may need a generator powered by motor. This time should be enough for orderly power-down of the computers. > 3. What are typical prices for UPSs in Israel? I saw an ad for some > products today but I don't know how well they compare to prices generally > (no brands mentioned, which was interesting in itself). When I was in the market for UPSes, they had 3-digit cost in US$. > 4. The ad mentioned above also mentioned surge protection. Is this a > typical UPS feature? Depends. For full protection, you would need on-line type of UPSes (a bit more expensive). > That's probably enough questions for anyone who wants to answer. I've > never laid hands on a UPS so am not sure what to expect when I get one, but > I'm guessing that there's a UPS howto out there somewhere which should at > least tell me what to expect on the LInux side of things. There used to be an UPS HOWTO, written by Harvey Stein (remembered by the Linux-IL oldtimers). But it was several years ago. You can also expect an UPS to be heavy - it usually contains lead-acid batteries. --- Omer (who has two UPSes, one powers his FAX machine, and the other - his computers) -- One does not make peace with enemies. One makes peace with former enemies. My own blog is at http://www.zak.co.il/tddpirate/ My opinions, as expressed in this E-mail message, are mine alone. They do not represent the official policy of any organization with which I may be affiliated in any way. WARNING TO SPAMMERS: at http://www.zak.co.il/spamwarning.html ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]