[geeks] Q: Need some new batteries for UPSs

[Kris Kirby]

On Mon, 17 Sep 2001, Greg A. Woods wrote:
> Up here APC's battery prices are almost twice what you can get good
> third party batteries of identical specifications for.

seconded.

> The exchange program doesn't cover the cost of shipping the dead ones
> back to them either -- that additional postage.

shipping batteries == bad

> >     I can't seem to find a local battery dealer - any ideas what I might be
> >     missing (did usual search of my phone book, nothing under Battery*)?
>
> Ah, that's too bad -- we've got many good dealers here, and there's even
> a little retail store about a half mile from where I live that sells
> every and any kind of battery you can imagine.  It's their retail price
> that was so much less than APC's price.  I'm sure they've got a 40%
> markup too!  ;-)

Find out how the local mechanics get thier batteries from. You'll probably
wind up in a store that carries loads of batteries and in different sizes.
The local store here (The Battery Store) carries damn near everything --
from large dry cells to UPS batteries of all sizes, and I think they have
a dealership on forklift batteries. The 12V 7AH UPS batteries (APC
SmartUPS 600 uses two in series) are $18.20; the 12V 11AH UPS batteries my
Deltec 600s are $28.70.

> >     And finally, is it possible/advisable to "upgrade" capacity when replacing
> >     the batteries? Nothing major, but maybe take a 400 VA UPS to something
> >     like 600 va (well, yeah, that's a 50% increase, how about a 1250 va UPS
> >     to 1400)?
>
> No, definitelly not....  If the firmware in the unit is smart enough you
> might be able to extend the run time, but that's about it.  Any
> half-decent UPS will simply shut down when you draw too much power
> through it.

In order to increase the capacity, you'd have to upgrade the inverter
itself. I've done a few "interesting" things to UPSes to make it easier to
handle higher duty cycles (such as soldering a fan across the battery
leads) as well as adding additional battery backup (I'm awful -- I've got
two 33AH batteries instead of the 7AH cells connected to one UPS).

-----
Kris Kirby, KE4AHR          | TGIFreeBSD... 'Nuff said.
<kris at nospam.catonic.net>   |
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"Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony."