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)
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