>
I have 9500 Watt gas powered generator and use a manual transfer switch. By
the time I can make the switch the generator has stabillized.
> I have a generator with an automatic transfer switch. In the event of grid
> failure, I have more than enough capacity to run the house, shack, and
> office (all co-located). I have numerous computers in my office; each has
> a
> line conditioner (primarily useful for over/under voltage events) and a
> UPS
> plugged into the line conditioner.
Do you have real line conditioners or the plug strips they call line
conditioners which really aren't. Typically with computers a line
conditioner is basically a UPS that runs off the battery all the time. They
are considerably more expensive than most UPSs and have a very clean wave
form.
>
> Yesterday, the grid went down for about an hour. The generator came on
> after
> about 30 seconds; the UPS's carried the computers during this interval.
> Some
> of the UPS's began to switch on and off. The generator was running at
> around
> 40% average load; the voltage fluctuation couldn't have been very much, as
> the line conditioners were not reacting at all. While I didn't monitor the
> frequency, in the past I haven't seen it change much.
>
> I always set the UPS's for maximum tolerance of noise and voltage. The UPS
I have mine set for minimum although suprisingly the computers can handle a
really ratty wave form and are not really sensitive to much unless it's a
really big voltage excursion or spike.
> on my primary computer was one of the ones cycling on and off. It was
> reporting noise as the reason. That UPS, along with all of the others that
> were cycling, died after around 15 minutes.
Sounds like battery replacement time.
It depends on the UPS, but I use APCs. When the original batteries died I
replaced them with external Lead Acid batteries with a much higher capacity.
>
> Interestingly, the three UPS's that weren't cycling were Belden
> 350VA/500VA
> models that I would consider cheaper units. The more expensive APC units
> and
> some cheaper Conext units all cycled and failed.
>
As I said above, it sounds like the batteries are ready for replacement.
Have you run the self test?
> The generator is well grounded and connected to the single point ground
> with
> 2" copper strap.
>
> It is pretty certain that the cycling culprit is noise and I doubt I could
> clean the line sufficiently to make the sensitive UPS's behave- especially
> since the line conditioners have noise filters in them already. (There are
> a
> lot of posts similar to this in the Usenet, but I couldn't find any
> solutions.)
I'd have to see those line conditioners, but I doubt they are really
"conditioners", but rather just filters using MOVs,
>
> I need to replace about 7 or 8 UPS's, from 500VA to 1500VA. Has anyone
> been
> down this road before and found a reliable UPS model and/or brand for use
> with a generator?
I use APCs in the 750 VA range and they now have over 120 hours while on the
generator. So far I have no complaints. The batteries seem to last about 4
years although the program complains when the 3 years is up.
Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com (Use return address from home page)
>
> Tnx,
> Doug
> K4DDR
>
>
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