1.21 Gigawatts and The Double Conversion UPS

[SteveB]

Hey yall--anyone using a double conversion UPS to supply their audio system or know of anyone who is?

 It aint got no OFC or pixie dust but might be a good way to get clean solid power  and give you a chance to shut down your system when the storms move through (or keep on listening if you have a robust backup) And they provide clean regulated sine wave power.

You figure you got  $$$$ worth of equipment or more at the mercy of ready killowatt. What is protecting it besides a power strip with a $2 MOV? Power conditioning a la balanced power is not power protection.

I know you can buy kilobuck "audiophile grade" backups(Furman, Monster etc) but I have seen some server grade professional systems go for a couple of hundred bucks that listed for thousands recently. And yes I know a server power supply is different from an audio supply but the output is sine wave, line interactive and these are commercial units designed to go 24/7 so they are solid units.So the output should be better than what is coming from the wall.

Info:
On-line or double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) use a constantly-operating power converter whose power source consists of a battery and battery charger that are connected in parallel. They provide the highest quality of power protection because of their double-conversion technique. First, on-line or double-conversion uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) convert incoming AC power to DC. The power is then conditioned to eliminate noise, sags, or surges. Next, the UPS converts the power back to AC. Because power runs continuously through the inverter, there is no transfer or switching-time to battery mode in the event of a blackout.

Thoughts or ideas one way or the other?

Review link -Planet Hi Fi

http://tiny.cc/0ej34

[Face]

I have a feeling that's a re-badged Eaton model: http://powerquality.eaton.com/Products-services/Backup-Power-UPS/

Dick Grey of RGPC recommended Eaton UPS's for my home theater and source components because I experience brown outs during the summer.  Of course this was after I picked up a Pure A/V 1500 Hybrid UPS...  When it's time to replace the battery, I'll probably sell the Pure A/V unit and replace it with a Eaton.

[richidoo]

Cool find, Steve! Interesting review.  What is 1.21 GW? I missed that one... 

searching "powerware" goes to Eaton website, so you're right Face.

I wonder if 700W is really enough to power a whole system? It is a SS amp playing one note (60Hz) so it will clip when it is pushed too far. I think a 100W AB amp with decent bias playing loudly would ask for 700W regularly. A small tube amp would use half the juice just idling. As an amp approaches full power, the distortion rises, but with SS it's still usually low until clipping.

But the concept is a good idea if the power reserve could match the outlet from which it draws. I've not heard great things about the PS Audio version, except on their website.
Rich

[allenzachary]

1.21 gigawatts is the amount of power needed for the flux capacitor to allow DeLoreans to travel time.

[SteveB]

Yes-my attempt at humor and to hint at power issues during the summer storms in NC-maybe elsewhere. The 1.21 Gigawatt in the movie came from lighting and that is part of the discussion---lighting=surge=spikes and or sag in voltage . All problems for electronic equipment. I had hoped readers would chime in with what they use to protect gear but maybe didnt state that clearly.

The double conversion UPS addresses multiple power issues and can protect thousands of dollars of equipment for a relative pittance.

[richidoo]

You guys are too cultured for me. 

I drove from Williamsburg to Raleigh on Thursday night. For 4 hours at 80mph the rain and lightning never stopped. Lightning filled the whole sky, and struck within a couple hundred feet once. Looking at the radar picture when I got home, it was solid red blob from PA to GA and Atlantic to Mississippi. Bridgestones and Rain-X are an awesome combination!

My lightning protection scheme for the stereo is cheap and effective, I unplug all of my audio gear wires, power and signal. It's a drag when I am awakened in the middle of the night by thunder and have to get up to unplug everything. Reliability is the only weakness of my system, a surge or strike while it's powered. But lightning strikes on my house are far less of a worry than surge from strike somewhere else.

My antenna is grounded to earthing rod, and the FM and SAT coax shields are well grounded to earth with lightning arrestors. I don't have surge protect for the hifi system, but I use APC UPS on the computers, HT gear, and NAS. The computers and NAS can turn themselves off if UPS signals them loss of mains by separate USB cable. My system could be better and easier, but I feel mostly safe. I'm usually home... 

In my dream system I would use a Equitech Q2 fed by Brick Wall Surge Filter, then plug everything into the Equitech except the FM which has its own grounded lightning arrestor.
Rich

[Black Sand Cable]

I wonder if 700W is really enough to power a whole system?

To keep it simple, no it wont unless it's a very small system with no display of any kind. I just measured the desktop computer I'm typing this on and with the computer, display and other crap that is hooked up to it at the moment, I'm drawing an average of 341 watts. Granted it's up and down but at the end of the day its nothing more than a computer and a 25in monitor.....and I'm not doing anything intensive on it other than type this post.

[Face]

IIRC, my UPS is rated for 1500watts.  Even with that rating, I felt it affect the dynamics of my rig, so the amps are plugged into a fancy surge protector/power strip and everything else is plugged into the UPS. 

[rollo]

  Richadoo BRILLIANT !! It is just so simple unplug your gear after each listening session.  No ? Yes ? Oh and when there is lightening TURN it OFF .  If you are lazy buy a Brickwall design. 


charles

[tmazz]

IIRC, my UPS is rated for 1500watts.  Even with that rating, I felt it affect the dynamics of my rig, so the amps are plugged into a fancy surge protector/power strip and everything else is plugged into the UPS. 

Be carefull when looking at a UPS. most are rated in VA which because of power factor considerations are often markedly different than the actaly out put of the unit in watts (read the specs carefully - the advertizong on the box is written by the marleting weasels, not the engineering dept.)

[Bob in St. Louis]

I've got a line-interactive Liebert GTX2 that's rated for something like 2000 watts. It'll run a complete home theater rig, complete with projector, multiple amps, including one tube amp for about 30 minutes (I checked this with SPL over 100dB one day). Would probably run twice that for music.

I like idea of line-interactive. Seems to me it would help clean up the AC before it reaches the equipment.
Can't say I noticed a difference in sound or video quality though. Although if I think real hard, I could probably convince myself the noise floor is lower. 

Bob

[SteveB]

Two scenarios here : surges, spikes, sags and blackouts all can be addressed and corrected if within the UPS operating range. If you have  kilovolts on the wires , say from lighting, then Brickwall or any other device will be useless. Voltage MAY arc across and through any protection device connected  and audio equipment , powered up or not.

 Richidoo is correct in that the 100% safe method is  AC power disconnect OR if you are operating with a UPS  unplug it sit back and enjoy the music running from battery!

BTW all of us, if we live long enough, will have locally generated DC and AC available to us 24/7 via solar cells +  battery+ sine wave converter or methane/ natural gas powered fuel cell (Bloom Box). that is if we are brave enough and smart enough to choose this alternative. Then we will have to debate which  solar cells produce the "best sounding" DC power for our audio gear!!

Bob-thanks for posting and glad to see someone else is using the UPS to their advantage in an audio/video environment !

[tmazz]

BTW all of us, if we live long enough, will have locally generated DC and AC available to us 24/7 via solar cells +  battery+ sine wave converter

Steve,

Won't power generated from light make our systems sound too bright?  

[richidoo]

If lightning strikes your house, forget it. But far more likely the lightning strikes somewhere else, and the surge it causes is less than a couple kV. Or a truck hits a pole and the can lets high voltage through for a moment. Brickwall will stop those surges easily.
http://brickwall.com/no-failures.html

[tmazz]

If lightning strikes your house, forget it. But far more likely the lightning strikes somewhere else, and the surge it causes is less than a couple kV. Or a truck hits a pole and the can lets high voltage through for a moment. Brickwall will stop those surges easily.
http://brickwall.com/no-failures.html

I agree with Rich. Even thought I have surge protectors and UPS units on my audio & computer gear, the plugs all come out of the wall there is a thunderstorm or the prediction of one. Better safe than sorry.