From: muratlanne@gmail.com   
      
   "Johny B Good"  wrote in message   
   news:op.v18u4so9kd9x7s@fred...   
   > On Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:57:21 +0100, Jim Wilkins    
   > wrote:   
   >> "Johny B Good"  wrote in message   
   >>> On Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:31:15 +0100, Jim Wilkins wrote:   
   >>> ...   
   >>   
   >> The UPS in question is a Tripplite 1050 I bought second-hand with   
   >> apparently bad batteries, which recovered nearly their full capacity   
   >> after a few  test cycles.   
   >>   
   >> I thought its initial power demand was ~60W but noticed a brief peak of   
   >> 100W after posting that. I had seen ~130W   
   >>  with a laptop plugged in and  booting.   
   >> Now it makes sense.   
   >   
   >  One would hope that the 100W represents a battery re-charging demand (and   
   > ditto for the 60W reading). One might reasonably expect a 1KVA (700W) UPS   
   > to have a maintenance demand when the battery pack is fully charged no   
   > higher than 30W (on a par with the SmartUPS 700's 20W maintenance   
   > consumption compared to the VA level of protection in each case).   
   > Actually, with a modern design of UPS one might reasonably expect a   
   > maintenance consumption of 5W or less.   
      
   AFAIK it was an initial inrush surge. This morning a P4460 gave one 75W   
   reading and dropped to ~65W.   
      
   > The point I'm making here is that you might want to allow that TrippLite   
   > plenty of time to fully charge its battery and test its consumption with   
   > nothing powered from its outlets. ...   
   >   
   >  Any noticeable drop in consumption when disconnecting the battery should   
   > be taken as a warning of impending battery failure. ...   
   >   
   >  The annoying thing with that tripplight unit is its use of three 6v 10AH   
   > batteries rather than the more usual pair of 12v 7AH batteries which are   
   > far more widely available on account of their use in home burglar alarm   
   > control panels. The WH ratings are very similar, 180 and 168 watt hours   
   > respectively.   
      
   Agreed, but I paid less than 10% of retail for it and the "dead" batteries   
   have recovered to nearly the rated Watt-Hour capacity.   
      
   >  This is yet another UPS manufacturer who fails to reveal the maintenance   
   > consumption figure for its product. ...   
      
   The fully charged Tripplite's idle power is about 17W.  The batteries hold a   
   charge well when unplugged for months. I won't know the DC power to recharge   
   them until I finish the laptop data logger, -after- I fix the hydraulic pump   
   on my tractor and do some excavating. KAW measurements include the charger's   
   or lab supply's overhead.   
      
   I left it "off" (blinking) and unplugged for a week and measured 0.36 KWH   
   ($0.05) to recharge it. I'll probably add a switch to disconnect the   
   batteries without removing them, and test points to measure & recharge the   
   batteries from a lab supply. The batteries and wires are such a tight fit   
   that cramming them in bent a connector tab at some point.   
      
   >   
   >  I'm using an ancient Emerson 30, my very first UPS from about 20 years   
   > ago, to protect the Cable modem wireless router powered from a normal   
   > mains outlet. The maintenance consumption on this is only around the 7 to   
   > 8 watt mark. Strange to say, this was the only UPS that ever got used in   
   > anger to cover a 3 or 4 hour outage shortly after its acquisition.   
   > ....   
      
   >  Aside from a period of sub one second dropouts a few years back when the   
   > local substation contactor gear was in need of an overhaul, we've never   
   > had any other outages. Here in the UK, suburban mains supplies are very   
   > reliable (most of the UK population lives in the 'burbs) so the desire to   
   > protect against a once per generation outage event might seem a little bit   
   > over the top but it's my computer kit I'm protecting. The market for UPSes   
   > is very tiny indeed in the UK. However, there's every possibility that   
   > this may change in the not so distant future.   
      
   In New England power suffers from tropical hurricanes, arctic ice storms and   
   idiotic traffic accidents. I've twice lost it for a week, both in midwinter.   
      
   > Is that using the truck battery to directly power the laptop through its   
   > charger socket?   
   > Regards JB Good   
      
   There isn't much difference between a 12V auto/air adapter which inverts to   
   18V or a small 120V inverter plus the mains power supply. I haven't measured   
   it precisely because the computer's draw isn't steady, and I don't own a DC   
   current probe for the scope. The only number that matters is run time, which   
   is too sensitive to hard drive activity and processor + fan speed to   
   characterize accurately. There's no point testing it with the computer   
   inactive because I wouldn't waste battery power that way during a blackout.   
      
   jsw   
      
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