<html><head></head><body>Hi Mike,<br>
<br>
Gulp. I was afraid someone would mention this.<br>
<br>
Actually, thanks for the information and the links. I'll certainly consider that. However, I'm not quite sure I'm willing to pony up ~ $1000+ to solve this particular problem. Then there's also the issue of replacing the batteries every 5 years or so.<br>
<br>
Even if I was willing to do that, do you believe these type of units have enough surge protection to run during a strong lightning storm? From a technology point of view, I think it would be really cool to have a UPS like the ones you described on my home system.<br>
<br>
I was thinking more in the range of $ 300. Maybe a $ 150 synchronous motor connected to a $ 150 generator with a $ 10 belt and sitting on a piece of plywood. That wouldn't solve the problem of running for hours with the main power off, but it would provide complete electrical isolation between the house power system and the computers which could survive all but the most severe surges, ie, those that burn out the motor. My existing UPS could absorb several blackouts and brownouts under a minute in length.<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
<br>
Ron<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.<br>
Please excuse my potential brevity.<br>
<br>
(To whom it may concern. My email address has changed. Replying to former<br>
messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong<br>
address. Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)<br>
<br>
(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to<br>
call on the phone. I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy<br>
mailing lists and such. I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)<br>
<br>
Ron Frazier<br>
770-205-9422 (O) Leave a message.<br>
linuxdude AT <a href="http://techstarship.com">techstarship.com</a><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">Mike Harrison <cluon@geeklabs.com> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap:break-word; font-family: sans-serif">On Mon, 21 May 2012, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:<br /><br />> Hi guys,<br />><br />> I need some electrical power advice. It's possible you will give me the <br />> answer and I won't be able to afford it, but I'd like to know what you <br />> think.<br /><br />Your power bill probably reflects your need to have everything running all <br />the time. But that's another issue.<br /><br />Buy a real UPS. Not a home or prosumer APC, but a real one.<br />I think the trip-lite online ones are a great value.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=937">http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=937</a><br /><br />These and many others should be easy to monitor via SNMP,<br />and shut down nicely as they hit low battery capacity.<br /><br />Two examples of SNMP monitoring a UPS in a minimal fashion:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.geeklabs.com/index.php?mode=articles&submode=comments&uniq=26">http://www.geeklabs.com/index.php?mode=articles&submode=comments&uniq=26</a><br /><a href="http://www.geeklabs.com/index.php?mode=articles&submode=comments&uniq=17">http://www.geeklabs.com/index.php?mode=articles&submode=comments&uniq=17</a><br /><br /><br /><hr /><br />Ale mailing list<br />Ale@ale.org<br /><a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br />See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br /><a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br /></pre></blockquote></div></body></html>