New Battery or UPS?

[Will Rickards]

My APC Back-UPS Pro 650 just (about 5 minutes ago) started beeping and the bad battery light is now constantly on.
So the question is what should I do, new battery or new UPS.
Recommendations welcome.
I'll be trying to keep costs down hopefully to under $100.

What it has to support:
17" Monitor (hope to switch to one of them nice Dell 2001FPs soon)
P3 667Mhz with maybe a 250W power supply
Printer (oki laser)
Various USB devices (hard drive, scanner).
Cable modem.
I'd prefer USB interface as I'd eventually like to go legacy free.
Right now I think I have 6 outlets and rj-45 passthrough and I use them all.

I've seen lately that Opti and APC are both recommended.
So maybe some specific models?

 

[Pradeep]

I can recommend the APC BackUPS XS 1500, got it for $199 at CompUSA. I think the RS version has the RJ-45 protection. 6 battery, and 2 surge outlets, USB connection for monitoring/shutdown.

 

[Howell]

You do not want the printer on the UPS because the power draw of a laser printer is exhorbitant. I also don't have my monitor on UPS for the same reason.

 

[Santilli]

Costco has APC 1050's for 89.00 in Concord, and might have them on the web...

s

 

[sechs]

$80 + shipping for a 1.2kVA UPS directly from Belkin... they're usually cheaper from retailers....

 

[Will Rickards]

You do not want the printer on the UPS because the power draw of a laser printer is exhorbitant. I also don't have my monitor on UPS for the same reason.

Well I don't actually plug it into the ups but to another surge strip.
But what would be the problem plugging it into one of the surge only outlets?
You are saying that turning it on would sag the power level too low on the other devices hooked up to the UPS? I was hoping to get rid of some surge strips.

 

[Computer Generated Baby]

...I also don't have my monitor on UPS for the same reason.

So I gather that you have no reason to be able to see the monitor during a blackout? You might suddenly find yourself scrambling to plug your monitor into the UPS if you needed to operate your computer. Otherwise, if it's a CRT monitor, and its green mode has kicked in, its power requirement is quite low.

 

[Will Rickards]

The Opti ES550C-USB looks good. Any opinions?

And where can I take my battery?
I remember Circuit City used to have a box at the counter where you could recycle batteries but probably not lead acid batteries correct? I guess I'll just contact my township to see about recycling/disposal of the old battery/ups.

 

[jtr1962]

I have the exact same UPS and had the exact same problem. You can get a brand new battery right here on eBay for only $23.95 shipped. Much better than the $35 to $40 most places charge just for the battery. I bought one, it fits fine, and it works well. I think it's normal for the battery to need replacement every three or so years.

 

[Bozo]

I exchange our UPS batteries at Battery world. Maybe a couple of dollars more than EBay, but they dispose of them. (properly I hope)

 

[Will Rickards]

I just bought a replacement battery, $24 dollars didn't sound bad and there should be nothing wrong with the UPS itself. The cost of recycling was like $89 cents per pound plus shipping. Maybe another $20 dollars.

 

[LOST6200]

I also prefer replacing the batteries. Batteries Plu is popular in the area, and they take the old batteries for proper disposal.

 

[jtr1962]

I'm keeping my old battery as a paperweight/doorstop. Very handy sometimes actually.

 

[Will Rickards]

I ordered one of the batteries and asked them if they recycle old ones.
They don't. I'll definitely be getting rid of my old battery. There is enough clutter in my house already.

 

[Fushigi]

My wife's 650VA Belkin started giving the battery warning. A quick trip to Batteries+ and $27 later it seems to be fine.

 

[iGary]

• American Power Conversion Corp. is bringing fuel-cell technology to its InfraStruXure data center enclosure. The West Kingston, R.I., company on Monday is introducing the Proton Exchange Membrane, or PEM, Fuel Cell as a green alternative to generators and batteries, which use lead and acid...
  
  InfraStruXure is a rack-optimized data center enclosure that integrates power, cooling and environmental management. The hydrogen fuel cells in the PEM technology are offered in 10-kilowatt modules, said Gary Rumsey, director of business development for emerging technologies at APC...

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1827325,00.asp

 

[sechs]

These are the folks with a mobile data center....

 

[Santilli]

What's the best way to store your laptop battery? In the machine, out of the machine, while you are using it on the power supply?

If it's out of the machine, should the battery be fully charged, or discharged, or. whatever???

Thanks

GS

 

[Pradeep]

What's the best way to store your laptop battery? In the machine, out of the machine, while you are using it on the power supply?

If it's out of the machine, should the battery be fully charged, or discharged, or. whatever???

Thanks

GS

If the battery is out, and the power goes out, you are as screwed as if you were using a desktop. Most machines nowadays use LiIon batteries, and the chargers are smart enough to charge only when required. If storing outside the machine, remove when fully charged, then top off every few weeks/months (you will prob lose ~2% of charge per day).

 

[LOST6200]

Li Ion cells should not be overcharged. Many devices such as notebooks do not let the cells charge until they have discharged to 90 or 95% for this reason. The charge cycle is basically constant current and then voltage limited, shutting down when the current drops. Unused Li Ion battery packs should be stored at 40% charge level in a refrigerator for maximum life. I have a old notebook that is on a UPS with the battery in the refrigerator. After one year there was stilll some charge remaining, but one might want to recharge the battery to ~40% every six months.

 

[LOST6200]

I have a old notebook that is on a UPS with the battery in the refrigerator.

Yikes! I meant that the Li Ion battery is stored in a refrigerator.

 

[iGary]

...Unused Li Ion battery packs should be stored at 40% charge level in a refrigerator for maximum life...

Yes. I've heard for a while now that ideal long-term storage conditions for Lithium Ion batteries is to store them at half charge (i.e. -- approximately 50%). However, I must've missed the refrigerator part.


Long-term Ni-Cad battery storage is virtually the same as I recall. I do remember that Ni-Cad should be stored at something like 5°C, but I don't recall if that's half-charged or fully-discharged. But, then again, I might be getting the procedures mixed up for eliminating Ni-Cad charging "memories" versus Ni-Cad long-term storage. Grrrrr! I never did like Ni-Cad batteries. :evil:

 

[Santilli]

OK. I was wondering where the magic number came from.

refrig, or freezer?

s

 

[iGary]

Refrigerator, not freezer.

The mechanical dimensions of things tend to shrink too much in the freezer, maybe to the point of destruction.