UPS for digital desk

[parky58]

I have been using A&H digital desks (GLD and QU16) for about 5 years and just bought an SQ5. These are used with a n AR2412 and AR84. On a couple of occasions I have suffered (I think) from momentary mains drop-out or spikes which has made the desk/stagebox reboot. I was wondering about buying one or more cost effective UPS's, preferably 1U rack mount, but not essentially. I would welcome recommendations bearing in mind 500VA would be sufficient and only needs to provide mains continuity for up to 5 mins.

[bruce]

At that end of the market, APC is probably a good bet. What’s the total load?

 

Remember, any decent UPS is going to be heavy.

 

For portable stuff, I’ve used these before http://www.apc.com/shop/uk/en/products/APC-Power-Saving-Back-UPS-700VA-230V-BS1363/P-BE700G-UK - lightweight, and the output is on 13A sockets rather than the more usual IEC. But they’re rated at 400W (700VA) and at full load they’ll only run for about 4 mins. Fine for cleaning up a supply and overcoming small glitches.

 

 

 

 

I generally work at the opposite end of the scale - the last UPS I specced was rated at several hundred kVA and needed the floor to be reinforced - a couple of tons of batteries. But that’s for data centre work.

[parky58]

For portable stuff, I've used these before http://www.apc.com/s...363/P-BE700G-UK - lightweight, and the output is on 13A sockets rather than the more usual IEC. But they're rated at 400W (700VA) and at full load they'll only run for about 4 mins. Fine for cleaning up a supply and overcoming small glitches.

Thanks for this. It looks ideal for what I want.

[bruce]

But check that it has the capacity to power your rig, with a bit of headroom.

[parky58]

1517322195[/url]' post='559245']

But check that it has the capacity to power your rig, with a bit of headroom.

 

I only need it for the desk (75W), lighting desk (50W) and another for the stage box. This is just to avoid glitches.

[electronicsuk]

As has already been said, APC are one of the market leaders and generally their stuff is good. Eaton (used to be MGE) and Riello are also market leaders, although personally I would avoid Riello as my experiences with their products have not been great. Tripp Lite may also be worth a look, they seem to be quite a big player in the American market although I have one of their 1U rack mount units fitted to some networking kit at my parents' house and it has run 24/7 for the last 5+ years with nothing but a battery change. Funnily enough, I only didn't buy an APC because they didn't do a low-depth 1U rack mount unit at the time.

 

P.S. You will probably want to buy an 'on-line' UPS. Cheaper units tend to be standby or, more commonly these days, line interactive. Both of the latter usually rely on a mechanical relay to switch between mains and UPS modes, and the momentary 'blip' as that changeover happens may be just enough to upset more sensitive kit.

[matt c]

Another +1 for APC.

 

I bought a Smartups SC450 RM 12 years ago. Still made, I think...

 

http://www.apc.com/shop/id/en/products/APC-Smart-UPS-SC-450VA-230V-1U-Rackmount-Tower/P-SC450RMI1U#options

 

The original batteries have just died in it. It's been used to provide backup to my home NAS and (more recently) a Linux server too. Fortnightly self tests, and annual (at least) full runtime tests.

[adam2]

Another vote for APC, I have had one in use for d0m3stic standby purposes for about 8 years with only a battery change.

 

It supplies essential lighting, internet router, cordless phone base unit, fridge and freezer and TV set. At 2,400 VA it is very oversized relative to the load, but was selected so as meet the inrush or starting current of a fridge or freezer.

 

 

 

[Jivemaster]

All the vendors I've ever seen get great power to weight ratios by massaging the run time figures and the power factor of the assumed load. Be generous to yourself and buy one that is big enough to really work for long enough. Make sure that you understand how to turn the UPS off for transit or the battery will be flat. Many a UPS runs for 5 - 10 minutes but needs 24 hours to recharge. Without care you will get one that only just allows immediate organised shut down of a single PC.

[matt c]

Without care you will get one that only just allows immediate organised shut down of a single PC.

 

I can vouch for my UPS in this regard. It's running a NAS, a server, and an ethernet switch (reports around 40% load), and from full battery capacity, it runs for about 15 minutes. Just the NAS box on its own was about 35 minutes IIRC.

[Jivemaster]

For which the significant part is that you say it's used at 40% load.

 

Used at rated power a UPS can have a hold up time of 3 minutes and a battery life of 10 years or 3 full discharges.

[parky58]

Thanks for all the help and advice. I bought an APC floor UPS http://www.apc.com/shop/uk/en/products/APC-Power-Saving-Back-UPS-700VA-230V-BS1363/P-BE700G-UK

Used it on saturday and had no problems. It gave me confidence that a brief power outage or surge wasn't going to upset my SQ5 (tried to make it hiccup but worked well).

[nickb12345]

I appreciate this is for a different console but for the record for others finding this post in the future:

 

I used an X32 with a couple of stage boxes on a tour a while ago and used an APC UPS at FOH for the console with power supply for the UPS sources locally from venue sound power at FOH and the stage boxes powered from venue sound power on stage.

 

On two occasions in two different venues the X32 and the S16s dropped their Sync (like completely - not a blip - dropped and wouldn’t come back until everything was restarted) mid show. Show stops both times. After restarting all worked fine until the end of the show.

 

Since then I dropped the UPS and ran a 16a with the cat 5 from stage and have never had that issue again (6 tours later). Exactly the same setup. Same console, stage boxes and cat 5 cable.

 

And yes it was screened cable and ethercon connectors.

 

I expect a single UPS on stage and the FOH power taken from the UPS and run with the cat 5 - so the UPS is powering the stage boxes and the console would be fine. I can’t say for sure if this was because of the UPS or the fact FOH was powered from a different source (on both occasions the venues said they never had any issues in the past and it was ‘clean sound power’.

 

Take from that what you will. But I have never had an issue since and had two show stops with a UPS. I also appreciate other desks probably handle these things better than an X32 (get what you pay for and all).

 

Nick

[S&L]

using the x32 I tend not to take a ups in to theatres, little point since the power is always stable. I DO take a ups in to more iffy venues and for outdoor work (particularly village festivals on mains power). in such circumstances I tend to use analogue multicore as it's one less issue in an already far from ideal environment - at the price of multis 2nd hand these days, I can have a few laying around until I get around to cleaning the mud off them!.

On a few occasions I have watched the voltage incoming before the ups at the x32. even a cheap ups has made sure that the x32 kept on going - even when power was cut elsewhere and on one occasion last year I watch as the whole village my incomer included dropped to 170v

"..oh that happens a bit here"

"...so when I specified stable voltage, you didn't think this would be an issue?... "

"..erm..."

eventually the power amps went down on stage but the x32 never missed a beat. I wouldn't do a gig without having a ups on the van, but I would tend not to take stage boxes into hostile environments.

No. I'm not out on tour - just workaday hit and runs. but I must have done a 40 or 50 shows with a ups over the last 3 years, maybe at least a dozen had voltage that fluctuated badly (the point of putting a ups on) and had no issue at all. no one.

[timsabre]

I think the x32 has a universal power supply 90-240v.