SUMMARY: UPS

From: Daryl Crandall (daryl@oceanus.mitre.org)
Date: Wed May 15 1991 - 11:50:24 CDT

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This is the second time I've sent this summary. There was some problem
that caused the it to be returned to me. I apologize if you receive this
message twice.

This is a summary of responses to my question about Uninterruptible Power
Supplies for Sun computer systems.

###########################################################################
ORIGINAL QUESTION:

This is a slightly off center request, please forgive.

Summer thunderstorms are nearly upon us and our uninterruptible power
supplies (UPS) are down! We've had difficulty locating an UPS manufacturer
that will return our calls. We've also had difficulty even locating any
UPS manufacturers. (Don't they advertise?)

Our current dead UPS are manufactured by a company that is dead also.

Could someone point us to a good UPS company, please.

We need both 110 and 220V UPS for our Sun4/280, 4/390 systems.

We've become addicted to having a constant supply of electrons :-)

        Daryl Crandall
        The Mitre Corporation
        daryl@mitre.org
        (703) 883-7278
###########################################################################
SUMMARY

Several people supplied detailed information about the products or
UPS in general for which I am most appreciative. This information can
be found in the EXCERPTS listed below.

I hope this summary can be of help to others. I do not have time to
edit this collection further, please excuse duplications.

The most mentioned products were from BEST.

Mention was made of the article in SunExpert from August 1990 "The Low Down
on UPS"

I apologize for not answering all people who replied. There were just
too many!

The following list is a quick summary of manufacturers or vendors of
UPS sytems. Phone numbers and/or addresses can be found by searching the
excerpts below for occurances of the names listed here.

Tripp-lite.
Smart-UPS
Emerson
BEST
American Power Conversion
Woodhyrst, Inc.
Viteq
SJI Corporation
Deltec
Unison Technologies
Sola
Square-D
Liebert Corp.

###########################################################################
ACTUAL EXCERPTS FROM NUMEROUS REPLIES
###########################################################################

MinuteMan systems (sold thru places like ComputerLand) makes a
nice line of products for small systems (under 1KVA).

BEST products makes a large line of power conditioners, but
I don't have an address on them - someone borrowed my file
folder on power conditioning :-(

I presume you aren't looking for Rotary Motor/Generator type
boxes to handle an entire building. Those vendors also exist,
and I can dig up a couple for you if needed.

P.S. Minuteman is the only thing I've used personally. It
worked great for my Mac, back when I had one.
###########################################################################
I highly recommend units from Best Power Systems. I've had good
experiences with several of their units. They are available at a 10%
discount from UUNET; send mail to "ups-info@uunet.uu.net" for
information. Appended is a copy of the online blurb from UUNET (file
uunet-info/ups-info, in the anonymous FTP area).

If you want a BEST glossy brochure, send your postal address to
ups-info@uunet.uu.net. We offer a 10% discount on the entire BEST line.

For sites requiring three-phase or larger single phase units, we also
offer Deltec products.

Best Micro-FERRUPS line:

500 VA / 350 W $895 list
        22 minutes backup at full load, 53 minutes at half load
700 VA / 500 W $995 list
        14 minutes backup at full load, 35 minutes at half load
850 VA / 600 W $1195 list
        11 minutes backup at full load, 28 minutes at half load
1.15 KVA / 800 W $1695 list
        12 minutes backup at full load, 29 minutes at half load
1.4 KVA / 1 KW $1895 list
        14 minutes backup at full load, 37 minutes at half load
1.8 KVA / 1.25 KW $2695 list
        31 minutes backup at full load, 37 minutes at half load
2.1 KVA / 1.5 KW $2995 list
        24 minutes backup at full load, 58 minutes at half load
3.1 KVA / 2.2 KW $3695 list
        14 minutes backup at full load, 35 minutes at half load

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

Units are complete with battery, two duplex receptacles and six foot
line cord for plug in installation. LED indicators for AC line, ready,
charger, inverter and alarm with coded audible alarm for low and high
battery, near low battery, inverter on, overload, heatsink
overtemperature, high and low AC. RS 232 interface allows control and
display of 22 power parameters, 15 alarm conditions and more from
terminal or computer. Watt rating at unity power equals kva rating.

Rackmount units available at extra charge. (Note that these are
different units and not rack mounting kits.)

120 volt single phase input and output.

Estimated shipping is 2-3 weeks ARO.

Best FERRUPS line:
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $4,470
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (120 volt input) $4,670
10 minutes backup at full load, 24 minutes backup at half load

5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $5,500
5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (120 volt input) $5,700
20 minutes backup at full load, 50 minutes backup at half load

7 KVA / 5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $6,500
7 KVA / 5 KW (120 volt input) $6,700
12 minutes backup at full load, 33 minutes backup at half load

10 KVA / 7.5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $9,550
11 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

12.5 KVA / 10 KW (208 or 240 V input) $10,895
11 minutes backup at full load, 27 minutes backup at half load

18 KVA / 15 KW (208 or 240 V input) $13,380
10 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

###########################################################################

We have bought many units of various sizes from:

* American Power Conversion Corp. (APC)

* B.E.S.T.

See ads in BYTE, PC Magazine, etc.
###########################################################################

I can strongly recommend the Liebert Corp. If there is no one listed in
your local phone book under Computer Rooms - Installation Services and
Equipment, here is the name of my local rep (who can probably give you
the name of your local rep).
###########################################################################

I (i'm biased, remember) like the Best ones, they are Ferroresonant
and very good at lightning rejection as well as good for UNIX.
They run off of a Microprocessor that talks ASCII and can even shut
down the system. They provide a UNIX task to monitor the UPS and report
on problems. Sizes available from 300w to 15kw. Price is mid-range.
###########################################################################

Try Brenda Medlin at the Lee Agency, 323-1114. MITRE deals with her
regularly. We are trying to buy a 5kva EPE Integrity for our 4/490.
Call me if you like.
###########################################################################

Check around for the nearest Square-D office, they make very good
UPS/Line Conditioners.
###########################################################################

I just purchased 5 BEST Co. 1.4KVA UPS @ $1900 ea. I have several product
brochures from different companies. Come by and see me.
###########################################################################

We have been quite impressed with our 7 KVA unit from Best Power Technology;
this supports our Sun 4/390 system. We obtained it through a distributor
[SEPS in Willowbrook, IL (800) 369-7377, Ms Valery Maty]. Other more local
(to you) distributors might be available through Best [(800) 356-5794].
###########################################################################

Best Power Technology
PO Box 280
Necedah, WI 54646

Phone: 608-565-7200
800 Sales: 800-356-5794
800 Service: 800-356-5737
###########################################################################
I've had good results with a company called "Sola". Their products
are rather expensive, but are built very ruggedly for industrial /
factory applications, rather than the cheap-plastic-cased air-
conditioned-environment PC market.

> Our current dead UPS are manufactured by a company that is dead also.

Sola has been in the UPS/power supply business for many years. They
aren't going away.

> We need both 110 and 220V UPS for our Sun4/280, 4/390 systems.

Sola makes any wattage and voltage range you could conceivably want.

> We've also had difficulty even locating any UPS manufacturers.
> (Don't they advertise?)

As a first point of contact you might try "Ace Electric and Lighting
Showcase" in Jacksonville, FL. Try information at (904) 555-1212 for
their telephone number. Tell them a Brian Bartholomew that used to
work for the CSX Systems Integration department reccomended them
(there is an outside chance someone will remember me, and Ace does a
major amount of business with CSX [the largest railroad in the
country]). This particular dealer has unusually good sales reps (i.e.
almost all of them return your calls in a timely fashion with the
specs you asked for).

-----

There's a lot of BS surrounding standby power systems, so here's some
highly opinionated but free advice:

You don't want a ferroresonant transformer.

You don't want a motor-generator set.

You don't want a *Standby* Power Supply (SPS). With these systems
your equipment usually runs off the AC line, but when the power drops
the supply is supposed to kick in within some part of an AC cycle or
two and pick up where the line left off. This assumes:

o The computer system won't glitch when the SPS kicks in.

o The standby part still works after just sitting there for a
year collecting dust and insects.

        o The power drops off in the nice, clean, precise fashion that
          they designed the cutover circuitry for, instead of spiking
          up or waving wildly up and down while the power grid and
          all its loads tries to restablize after lightning strikes it.

Read the fine print on your literature - many vendors try to sell you
an SPS and while telling you it's a UPS.

You do want a *Uninterruptable* Power Supply (UPS). In this equipment
the inverter, the electronics that coverts low-voltage DC from the
batteries into higher-voltage AC that your equipment uses, runs all
the time. The input power from the line is used to continuously
charge the batteries. Some good features:

        o Batteries provide one of the best power filters available.
          They are physically large, and can absorb lots of power for
          short periods of time. For a typical 600 Watt UPS, the
          batteries provide, say, 800 Watts for 15 minutes (inverters
          aren't too efficient). You can see that you could dump a
          (rediculously over-massive and would take a near-direct
          strike to cause) 5-second 10,000 Watt spike into these
          batteries and it would amount to less than 10% of their
          total capacity. They would get very hot as they were
          instantly overcharged, but they might not even be damaged -
          and they would certainly protect the equipment.

        o Out of curiosity, I've watched the output of the 600 Watt
          Sola we bought for our Compaq 386 on an oscilloscope while I
          repeatedly yanked the plug in and out of the wall. The
          output voltage fell perhaps 5 or 10 volts when the plug was
          out, but the waveform never changed. Commercial power will
          vary this much over the course of a day. Needless to say
          the Compaq never noticed.

        o If you are buying insurance, why not buy something you can
          have confidence in because you know it's working correctly
          right now?

-----

Disclaimer: I am not associated with Sola, Ace, or CSX in any way. I
do not stand to gain from reccomending these vendors.
University of Florida Internet: bb@math.ufl.edu
###########################################################################

        Try Unison. I have a demo unit for my IPC. It's a little box which
    filters the power and gives me about 24 min of batter time before it
    automatically shuts down my machine (No, it doesn't power up when the
    power comes back online).

        Unison Technologies
        23456 Madero
        Mission Viejo, Ca. 92691
        (714) 855 8700
###########################################################################
No matter, how I ignore them, Best Power Technology keeps sending me
all kinds of literature about UPS's that seem to fit your needs.

Their phone number is 608-565-7200 or 800-356-5794
###########################################################################
UUNET sells UPSs. Don't know how fast we could get you one though.
--asp@uunet.uu.net (Andrew Partan)
+1 703 876 5050

If you want a BEST glossy brochure, send your postal address to
ups-info@uunet.uu.net. We offer a 10% discount on the entire BEST line.

For sites requiring three-phase or larger single phase units, we also
offer Deltec products.

Best Micro-FERRUPS line:

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

Rackmount units available at extra charge. (Note that these are
different units and not rack mounting kits.)

120 volt single phase input and output.

Estimated shipping is 2-3 weeks ARO.

Best FERRUPS line:
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $4,470
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (120 volt input) $4,670
10 minutes backup at full load, 24 minutes backup at half load

5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $5,500
5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (120 volt input) $5,700
20 minutes backup at full load, 50 minutes backup at half load

7 KVA / 5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $6,500
7 KVA / 5 KW (120 volt input) $6,700
12 minutes backup at full load, 33 minutes backup at half load

10 KVA / 7.5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $9,550
11 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

12.5 KVA / 10 KW (208 or 240 V input) $10,895
11 minutes backup at full load, 27 minutes backup at half load

18 KVA / 15 KW (208 or 240 V input) $13,380
10 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

Best Power Technology, Inc.
1-800-356-5794
###########################################################################
I bought Viteq

The notes I kept are sketchy so please don't take this as gospel
I called the Viteq folks at (703) 450 ???? I know the fax is 703-450-4693.
They but me in touch with a local vendor;
        SJI Corporation
        16300 Christensen Rd. Suite 130
        Seattle, WA 98188 206-241-9360

And I bought 1-Viteq 15A/Lan UPS and
2-Viteq 386/Lan UPS with Power Monitor

This was sized for the needs of a 4/330 with 4-SCSI disks and 2-SMD disks.
and a SPARC 1+ with 2-SCSI disks. Price $6235.

They have not been fully tested yet.
###########################################################################
We've had good luck with
Best Power Technology Inc.
P.O. Box 280
Necedah, Wi. 54646
(800)-356-5794
(608)-565-7200

we bought a 5kva system. include rs232 port to monitor the ups.
###########################################################################
Try the Woodhyrst, they are not a Manufacturer but represent and service
a number of UPS systems. They may even be able to service your equipment.

Ralph G. Jockel
Woodhyrst, Inc.
R.D. 3, Box 435
Valencia, PA 16059
(412) 961-0310
###########################################################################
American Power Conversion is very much alive. Most of their line is for
smaller systems, but they probably have something for your servers.
They are at 800-541-8896; FAX==(401)-789-3710.
###########################################################################
Try:

Emerson 800-222-5877

There are many others (see SunExpert from August 1990 "The Low Down
on UPS" - I can FAX you a copy if you want). I am very pleased with
Emerson UPS myself.
###########################################################################
We're using UPS's from BEST Power technology Inc. and they're pretty
good. We have a 1.4KVA model keeping a Sony Optical Jukebox going
and a 3.1KVA UPS for a Sun-3/470 with a disk pedestal with 2 688MB drives.
During outages, talking to the UPS indicated that over 50 minutes of
power were available.

They have software to monitor the status of the UPS and gracefully
shutdown your system if you're about to run out of battery.

Contact Best at:

        Best Power Technology, Inc.
        P.O. Box 280
        Necedah, Wisconsin 54646
        (800)-356-5794
        (608)-565-7200
  Fax: (608)-565-2221
###########################################################################
We went through the ups search & purchase process last September and
decided on a Best Power Technology 4.3kva unit. We have frequent
storms both in the fall and spring with resulting power outages, and
our ups has performed above and beyond the call of duty.

Currently, we are powering our 4/280 file server and a ss1+ compute
server plus 3 disks, 2 printers, 3 modems 2 consoles and a cd using both
220 & 110. The device came with monitoring software source which
was easy to install, and best of all works.

I have only had to contact the Best help line people once, but they
were technically knowledgeable and didn't even tell me to RTFM.

You can contact them at

Best Power Technology
P.O. Box 11
Necedah, WI 54646
(608) 565-7200
(800) 356-5794

Our sales contact before purchase was Douglas J. Doolittle

I have enclosed a sales doc which was included in the material
we received.

Good Luck

Frank Lowe
Senior Systems Analyst (frank@darwin.sfbr.org)
Southwest Foundation For Biomedical Research
San Antonio, Texas

PS Am also enclosing a product anouncement we got from our friendly
local Sun SE for another ups product.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - cut here - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Best Sales Doc)

Subject: Power Protection

I. Situation Analysis

    Our company is becoming increasingly dependent upon on our data
    processing and other electronic equipment. We should consider
    purchasing an Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) to protect our
    investment. The proper UPS will protect us from power problems
    that can cost us money. It will not only back us up when power
    fails, but will provide continuous computer-grade power.

    A recent Wall Street Journal article I read detailed just how
    much businesses rely on computers. It stated " ... computers
    have crept gradually into companies, leaving top executives
    unaware of their strategic importance. They don't realize that
    the value of the information in the computer could very easily
    be worth several times the value of the hardware, software, and
    building." Over 85% of companies have reached a self-described
    state of heavy or total dependence on their computer facilities.
    A study by IBM indicated that on average a computer could expect
    to encounter over 120 aberrant power events per month. The
    damage that these problems can cause ranges from relatively
    minor transient data loss, to potentially crippling hardware
    damage. I am concerned that such damage could have serious
    adverse consequences for our operations, such as:

1) Loss of irreplaceable data

2) Decreased revenue and cash flow

3) Adverse effects on our customers

4) Failure to meet deadlines

5) Hours or even days of work (and overtime) to recover damaged
and/or lost data

6) Adverse effects on company productivity (and profitability)

        7) Management adopting an unfavorable view of the DP staff


                                                           Page 2

II. Proposed Solution

    The solution to our power problems is a well-designed UPS. This
    type of UPS will:

        1) Continue to provide computer-grade power when utility
            power fails. The UPS does this without power
            interruption. Our computer will never notice the switch
            to backup power.

        2) Continuously clean raw utility power. It will prevent
            damaging sags, spikes and surges, common to utility
            power, from reaching our equipment.

        3) Dynamically respond to load changes as well as line
            changes. High current devices elsewhere in the building
            can generate line disturbances. The UPS takes care of
            these problems.

        4) Provide spike and noise attenuation.

        5) Readily manage the switching power supplies used in our
            computers. It will also handle start-up surges well.


    There are many products claiming to provide power protection.
    Among them are standby power systems, surge suppressors and
    spike arrestors as well as UPS's. An article in a recent
    Datamation stated, "A UPS is the only type of power conditioning
    system that can provide total power protection from power line
    irregularities and even failure."

    There are two main approaches to UPS devices, double-conversion
    and ferroresonant transformer based UPS. The double-conversion
    units change AC to DC to maintain a bank of batteries. This DC
    is then reconverted to AC by the power equipment. This approach
    is inefficient since it wastes power by generating excess heat.
    It is unreliable because of a high parts count and continuous
    component stress. It cannot readily deal with nonlinear current
    requirements of switching power supplies used by all modern
    computers.

    In contrast, the ferroressonant based UPS suffers from none of
    these costly deficiencies. This makes them the clear choice for
    our needs.

Page 3

    After studying many different products from various
    manufacturers, I recommend the FERRUPS brand UPS from Best Power
    Technology, Inc. The reasons for my selection are:

        1) Best Power Technology pioneered ferroresonant
            transformer based UPS technology. Their current product
            is a third generation device with a proven field record.
            They are currently the world's leading manufacturer (in
            dollar volume) of single phase UPS.

        2) Initial cost is 20-50% less expensive than the
            competition. It has a higher efficiency and reliability
            and lower operating costs.

        3) FERRUPS is an intelligent UPS. It can communicate
            directly with a computer or terminal. All operating
            parameters are easily verified. Any alarm conditions are
            reported audibly by use of unique tone sequences.

        4) The manufacturer offers total support, before AND after
            the sale. They offer customer service plans, extended
            warranty plans, on-site maintenance and toll-free 24-hour
            telephone support.

III. Cost/Benefit Analysis

    The final cost of providing power protection will vary depending on
    exactly what equipment we decide to protect, which in turn will
    dictate the size of the UPS needed. Some sample configurations and
    costs would be:

    Size of
    FERRUPS Unit Initial Cost Equipment Protected
    ------------ ------------ -------------------
    500 VA $ 895.00 Microcomputer
    4.3 KVA $ 4,295.00 Small minicomputer & peripherals
    7 KVA $ 6,195.00 Mid-sized mini & peripherals
    12.5 KVA $10,375.00 Large local area network
    18 KVA $12,745.00 Large mini and many peripherals

Page 4

    Annual Operating Expenses:
    --------------------------
                               (1) (2) (3) Total
    Size of Cost of Power Service Annual
    FERRUPS Unit Depreciation to operate Contract Cost
    ------------ ------------ ------------- -------- -------
    500 VA $ 89.50 $ 65.00 $ 53.33 $ 207.88
    4.3 KVA $ 429.50 $204.00 $530.00 $1,163.50
    7 KVA $ 619.50 $303.00 $591.66 $1,514.16
    12.5 KVA $1,037.50 $606.50 $703.33 $2,347.33
    18 KVA $1,274.50 $800.00 $756.66 $2,831.16

    1) Based on an estimated operating lifetime of 10 years.

    2) Based on seven cents per kilowatt hour.

3) Annual cost based on three year on-site warranty plan.

    These costs are quite reasonable in the context of other
    expenditures for security, insurance and preventitive maintenance.
    For example, consider the cost of providing physical security by a
    security guard:

        Hours worked:
        -------------
        200 working days x 15 hours per day (5:00 PM to 8:00 AM)
        165 non-working days x 24 hours

        Annual Cost:
        ------------
        6888 hours x $5.00/hour ==> $30,440.00 annual cost


    Good management plans for contingencies. Human nature tends to
    believe "it will never happen to me". Since we rely heavily on
    our data processing facilities, it makes good business sense to
    protect them. Commercial power is simply not reliable enough.
    The initial and operating costs of UPS protection are far less
    than the costs of recovering from a major power outage.

    Computer-grade power, provided by the UPS is actually beneficial
    to our equipment. We will realize those benefits through
    decreased downtime and service costs as well as prolonged
    equipment life.

Page 5

    I feel a UPS is an intelligent choice for our company. The
    FERRUPS from Best is clearly the most cost-efficient choice for
    us.

    Please contact me if there is anything I can help you with in
    your decision. I welcome the opportunity to oversee the
    selection, purchase and installation of this system.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cut Here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here is something that came across the net.

MARKETING BULLETIN 43 - Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)

IBG NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT

SunIBG announces a range of Uninterruptable Power Supplies
that will provide:

o Filtering of the mains supply.

o Notifictaion to all logged-in users when mains has been lost,
or is out of specification.

o Notification to all logged-in users when mains has been restored.

o A controlled shutdown either when a preset time-out has elapsed
or the Batteries are low.

o Log files of all events detected by the UPS.

o Mail to the root user of the whereabouts and name of the log files.

Each unit consists of the UPS itself, Documentation, RS232 leads,
and the shutdown software "MINDER".

Ordering Information
====================

Uninterruptable Power Supplies

Description Order Number UK List Discount Maint
Cat. 3*

600VA UPS for Desktop EUR-UPS-600 #1,050 B * 12
Sun3, Sun3x and SPARC.

1200VA UPS for Desk- EUR-UPS-1200 #1,600 B * 16
side Sun3, Sun3x and
SPARCsystems.

2000VA UPS for Desk- EUR-UPS-2000 #5,250 B * 40
side and small Rack-
mounted Sun3, Sun3x
and SPARCsystems.

5000VA UPS for Rack- EUR-UPS-5000 #12,750 B * 100
mounted Sun3, Sun3x
and SPARCservers.

10000VA UPS for Rack- EUR-UPS-10000 #18,000 B * 140
(see note 6)
mounted Sun3, Sun3x
and SPARCservers.

15000VA UPS for Rack- EUR-UPS-15000 #24,700 B * 190
(see note 6)
mounted Sun3, Sun3x
and SPARCservers

30000VA UPS for Rack- EUR-UPS-30000 #40,000 B * 350
(see note 6)
mounted Sun3, Sun3x
and SPARCservers

* Maximum Cat B discount on these items is 25%.

NOTES:

        1. The systems configuration to be supported by the UPS
           *must* be mailed to the 'ibgups' alias. The UPS will
           then be sized and a return mail sent advising on the
           UPS to order and giving a Reference Number that MUST
           be quoted when ordering the UPS.

2. All UPS orders MUST be on a seperate order form.

3. All of the above products include the software to affect
a clean shutdown of the system.

        4. The software is supplied on 1/4" cartridge only and is
           supported on Sun3, Sun3x, SPARC and Sun4c at a minimum
           SunOS revision level of 4.0.3 (or 4.0.3c for Sun4c).

        5. The 2000VA to 30000VA products include full low-impedence
           mains conditioning. Add-on mains conditioning for the
           1200VA model may be available on request.

6. The 10000, 15000 and 30000 UPS require a 3-phase supply.

7. A site visit by the UPS manufacturer is mandatory for
5000VA models and above - cost included in the price.

The 600VA and 1200VA models are customer installable - a charge will be
made where a customer elects to have Sun arrange installation. The
2000VA
and over units are installed and commissioned by representatives of the
UPS manufacturer THE PRICE OF THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE COSTS.

Each unit includes the UPS itself, Documentation, RS232 leads,
and the shutdown software "MINDER".

Availability:
============

o The 600, 1200 and 2000VA models are currently available.

o IBG is ready to take orders on the 5000, 10000 and 15000VA models.

o The 30000VA model will be available from March '91.

"MINDER" Description:
=====================

The monitoring software "MINDER" was commissioned by SunIBG and EPI Ltd
and is available ONLY from SunIBG. It is NOT available on it's own and
will not work with any UPS except that supplied by IBG.

The software runs as a deamon monitoring a tty port for data from the
UPS. The software can detect and give warnings on the absence of the
data cable. The software is written in such a way as to allow the
customer to customize it to his or her own needs.

The shutdown process can either be on a preset time basis ora
low-battery signal from the UPS. In either case the Low-Battery
signal will always cause the shutdown scripts to run thus ensuring
a clean shutdown.

Contacts:
=========

Technical Contacts:- Alan Rice (Watchmoor Park) Email Alan.Rice@UK
Gary Oakley (Watchmoor Park) Email Gary.Oakley@UK

Other Enquiries:- Andy Field (Watchmoor Park) Email Andy.Field@UK

###########################################################################
I bought a bunch of rack mount units from American Power Conversion.
Initially, I was very impressed with the 3-Ring Binder that they
sent me that really explained a lot of things like; what a UPS is,
and isn't; How to caluclate Volt Amps; etc. When I called their
support with questions they were cheerfully answered. They are a
name brand.

Call Martha Badigian at APC. 401-789-5735.
Tell her, "Dusty Clampitt said I should call you."

American Power Conversion
132 Fairgrounds Road
West Kingston, RI 02892
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When I looked into UPS's I liked Best Products, (800) 356-5794.
I havent purchased any yet, so my recommendation is not from experience. They
are in wide use, however, and are popular.
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I don't know how GOOD they are, but we buy UPSs for product (an ion
implanter) from a company named Best. Another name is Sola. They
**ARE** out there, you must be looking in the wrong places.

A useful source book (costs $60) is:

        Who's Who In Electronic Sources
        Harris Publishing
        Twinsburg, OH
        800-888-5900

In it I found:

        Best Power Technology Inc
        Necedah, WI 54646
        608-565-7200
and:
        Sola
        708-439-2800
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Call BEST power technology inc. We have a 3.1 KVA unit that protects our
console server as well as our network racks. They make an outstanding
product. Ask for Keith Holcomb, He is very responsive to inquiries.
1-800-356-5794.
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We have a very reliable UPS. I don't know who made it, but you can send
emai to syskel@nsslc.gcn.uoknor.edu, and he give you info on ours.
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We went with BEST.
Execellent product and good support. We looked at others
but these were the best for the money the meet our needs.

The sales number 1-800-356-5794
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We're an authorized distributor for Best and Deltec UPS. We're about 4 miles
from you.

Following is a brief overview of the Best line. Delivery is
about 2 weeks aro (has to be shipped from Wisconsin).

We use a monster Deltec three phase unit for our main computer room
and Best units for single phase applications (I have a small Best
unit at home for my wifes Macintosh system)

Let me know if you need more details.

--rick

If you want a BEST glossy brochure, send your postal address to
ups-info@uunet.uu.net. We offer a 10% discount on the entire BEST line.

For sites requiring three-phase or larger single phase units, we also
offer Deltec products.

Best Micro-FERRUPS line:

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

Rackmount units available at extra charge. (Note that these are
different units and not rack mounting kits.)

120 volt single phase input and output.

Estimated shipping is 2-3 weeks ARO.

Best FERRUPS line:
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $4,470
4.3 KVA / 3 KW (120 volt input) $4,670
10 minutes backup at full load, 24 minutes backup at half load

5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $5,500
5.3 KVA / 3.7 KW (120 volt input) $5,700
20 minutes backup at full load, 50 minutes backup at half load

7 KVA / 5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $6,500
7 KVA / 5 KW (120 volt input) $6,700
12 minutes backup at full load, 33 minutes backup at half load

10 KVA / 7.5 KW (208 or 240 volt input) $9,550
11 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

12.5 KVA / 10 KW (208 or 240 V input) $10,895
11 minutes backup at full load, 27 minutes backup at half load

18 KVA / 15 KW (208 or 240 V input) $13,380
10 minutes backup at full load, 26 minutes backup at half load

Longer run times are available by adding more batteries.

Above Units include computerized self-diagnostic monitoring and control
package. LED indicators for AC Line, inverter, ready, not ready and
alarm with coded audible alarm for low battery, high battery, near low
battery, inverter on, overload, heatsink overtemperature, hi and low
AC. Digital multimeter keyboard and liquid crystal display, RS232 for
computer interface, All system modes, 15 alarm conditions, 23 power
parameters, outage log, etc., can be displayed on LCD or simultaneously
at computer terminal through RS232 port. Includes manual
break-before-make bypass switch.
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Once my grant comes through, I'll be buying several UPS's. The company that
seems to be the best (price and quality) that I have investigated is the
Best Power Company (P.O. Box 11, Necedah, WI 54646; Phone: 608-565-7200;
Toll-Free: 800-356-5794; FAX: 608-565-2221). Another company with excellent
products is SOLA Products that you can get from your local electronics
store. I buy my electronics stuff from Newark Electronics, and there are
several in the 703 area (Alexandria: 703-671-1006; Chatilly: 703-378-4604;
Roanoke: 703-345-7001; Arlington: 703-522-7552).
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Lynda Mcginley forwarded your request for some info in UPSs. I'm in the
market for one for a Sun 3/60 and some Macintosh servers. It would save
me a lot of work it these machines could stand up to just 2 seconds of a
power loss. Anyway, the only one that someone I know has is made by
Best 800-356-5794. He says he's happy with it and it comes with an
RS-232 port that connects to the machine and software exists that can
shut down your machines if the outage is going to be any length of time.

Some others that might be cheaper are:

Smart-UPS - 800-541-8896

Tripp-lite. I know you can order that through some mail order house -
800-468-9044.
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     I know of one company in our local area that markets a variety of UPS
     systems. It is called CIC Distributors. They not only market the UPS
     systems themselves, but software products that run on SUN, RS6000, and
     several other Unix machines, that can monitor and control the UPS, and
     trigger routines to be run on the workstation in the event that the UPS
     is utilized. We haven't gotten around to buying the product yet, but
     expect to need it one of these days. Their number is:

1-800-779-2665
FAX 314-536-2535
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