@kaia Yeah, I got an Eaton Ellipse ECO 1600. It handles my computer and a monitor perfectly fine. I had another cheaper UPS before which didn't do shit during most power outages, so all I can say is don't be stingy when it comes to a UPS.
Yes. APC 600VA. Because it was highly recommended by people who know a lot more about this stuff than I do.
Part of me wants to try a li ion one instead of lead acid, since the batteries are usually the thing that dies.
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Everyday I hit it with my chair once or twice and the PC shuts off and I have to turn it back on again.
PC is healthy and strong.
@kaia
None, because YOLO
I used to. But the battery units crapped out after a year or so. Looked into buying replacements, they seemed expensive and a pain in the ass to actually open up the UPS and remove/replace the battery
I do get power outages from time to time. I'll have a laptop or two which will keep going
It's not enough to have a UPC for your computer(s). You've got to have a UPC for your modem as well, because why use a computer if the net is unavailable?
It's pretty boring
@kaia I own an Eaton 5P1500, which I've heard trigger many times to correct power fluctuations, and once came in handy during a long power outage for an unrelated reason (I turned the computer off and used it as an expensive battery brick for my phone lol).
I'm not sure how I feel owning one. It's hard to compare the situation I lived with to a theoretical one where I lived without. It does provide some peace of mind though.
I will say there is one hidden expense, that is that you need to replace the internal battery every~6 years or so.
@kaia I've used APC both at home and at work. Mostly due to reasonable Linux support via apcupsd
My UPSes are getting quite old now, so I would need to do a new evaluation next time. I can still get replacement batteries for the ones I have, so I'm not in a rush. Might use this list as a kind of guide ... https://networkupstools.org/stable-hcl.html
@kaia Yeah but I think mine’s battery died after just a year so I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s basically just a surge protector.
UPSes are too expensive and electrical emergencies and outages are too rare where I live to justify me replacing it anytime soon.
@kaia from a professional who works in this area, anything Cyberpower, APC, or Eaton is ok. Make sure you get it from authorized retailer so your warranty is valid they’ll cover battery failure like 5 or 7 years. Eaton owns Cyberpower so they’re two sides of the same coin.
I’d get one with USB integration you can plug it into the computer and with apcupsd you can have it push the shutdown button on its own if battery gets to 10% or so for a clean shutdown. It also shows up in Linux like a laptop battery with the charge level in the tray if you want.
@kaia Several of my clients go through UPSes regularly. While I encourage them to just get batteries, they still sometimes replace them outright, and I take all the old ones.
The most common, of course, are APC. They’re also the most pricey when new. Some of the smaller ones are built to take smaller than standard 7.2 to 9VA batteries, but easily removable plastic in the case is all that’s taking up the additional space which, of course, I remove, so most of the UPSes all get the same batteries.
CyberPower UPSes are good, but sometimes they come with mediocre batteries, and people incorrectly assume the issue is the hardware when it’s the batteries.
I can’t think of any that are actually bad, but I’d say if you’re considering getting one or two, see about getting a used one and buying new batteries from a reputable seller with good ratings.
Most can be used with apcupsd, even when they’re not APC brand.
So now most of my friends and family have a UPS on their Internet / phone in their homes, thanks to recycling and new batteries :)