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I'm getting tired of crashes due to power outages, which seem to be happening more and more frequently.
Does anyone have any tips or bits of wisdom regarding uninterruptable power supplies for computer and router protection?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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Seems like it would be a rather simple solution. Look for a Black Friday Special on UPS from Amazon. How big of a unit you need depends on your specifics and budget. I have always found ~$125 will do everything I need. I buy one once every 6 - 8 years.
Last edited by DrDan; 11/29/24 07:11 AM.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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What Dan said. I usually get a UPS big enough to run all my computer stuff plus the internet connection. The only thing I find strange is the UPS does not like the generator. Perhaps a different model. My power drops out enough to really use the UPS. As Dan said, replace every four or five years or longer.
I find the computer systems last longer when connected to a UPS. Less voltage spike issues I assume.
I also use a UPS on my electronics workbench.
Billy
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“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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You can pay more and get one with a replaceable battery.
The wattage has to be sufficient for your monitor (which nowadays takes very few watts) and your computer’s power supply.
Don’t plug the printer into it.
I have a separate one for my cable modem, main router, and a lamp. The internet seems to stay on much more than the electric. I prefer to isolate the two because lightning is more likely to come into your house by the cable. I’ve been hit twice.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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I've been using them for over a decade now.
I have my main fileserver and the DMZ on one and, since I went to FTTP, I also have an old one on the fibre modem and the main WiFi hub. Everything else except laptops just drops with the power. Linux is pretty well behaved during those outages due to the journalling filesystem. I don't use Windows enough to know how reliable its filesystem is to outages. Fortunately in the UK we don't get very many.
The first UPS I had was taken out by a nearby lighting strike. It didn't entirely protect the machines, but it probably helped. It was a cheap generic, but I've since gone to APC. Whether they're better proof against lightning I can't say.
The machines I keep ion the UPS are fairly low power machines ... fanless ITX server and Raspberry Pi DMZ, so if/when the UPS gets called upon, it'll run those machines for a couple of hours. Most UPS setups are intended only to give time for an orderly shutdown.
Generally the UPS has an interface so that the PC can monitor the situation and shut dwon in good order when the battery is getting low. My first UPS was non-standard and that didn't work with Linux, so I just did without it. Later installations I simply haven't bothered.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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It depends on how much autonomy you need. Small UPS systems like the cheaper ones described only give you enough time to shut your system down.
I run a serious setup that can keep all the network equipment, CCTV security and one other main computer running for at least a day. It has a bank of external batteries, and I can add more if needed. But it's a big setup and was expensive.
A small unit will generally only give you minutes of autonomy. As others have mentioned, selecting a known, reliable brand is a good starting point. Definitely chose one that is designed specifically for powering electronic equipment, with a pure sine-wave output.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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My tip is to get one ASAP. I have a large one that protects both of my computers, monitor, near field monitors, my rack of hard synths, and my mixer. I have approximately 20 minutes before it shuts everything down. If we are in a severe thunderstorm and the power goes out I unplug it from the outlet just as a precaution.
I also have one on our powered sofa (the power went out one night and my handicapped wife couldn't get off the sofa) and one on her large screen TV.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Thanks to all that have replied. My main priority is to protect my Dell computer, router and digital interface from power interruptions. We do have a backup generator which takes more than 2 seconds to detect an outage and more time to transfer power.. I've only done a bit of research so far. I have a mass produced Chicony Corp 750W power supply in the Dell but the crucial unknown is its hold time. This UPS from APC has more outlets than I need plus some other goodies. And it shows 900W and a transfer time between 6 and 10 milliseconds. But if the Chicony hold time is only 4ms (or anything less than 6ms) then it won't prevent a crash; if the specs are to be believed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GRY1W93?ref=emc_p_m_6_iHas anyone experienced a computer crash when connected to any UPS?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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I run a serious setup that can keep all the network equipment, ... Hmm, this might amuse. Years and years ago I was one of the designers for a system for a Welsh Fire service; radio comms pick-a-back on their voice system, doing our usual stuff ... sound the alarms, turn on the station lights, retract the engine heaters, call up the reserve crew or in some stations the main crew. All of this was backed up by a very substantial UPS system in each fire station. All stations but one worked well. The one station that didn't was reporting spurious mains failures over and over "and it's not true ... the mains is solid!". I had the installation people talk me through the behaviour. "It reports mains failure every evening somewhere around 8pm. It reports the power is restored at around 7am for a coupole of hours, then it reports power fail again and it does that all [redacted] day long.". "Well", say I, "It's been connected to the central heating system then, hasn't it!". Irritated denials. Our guys are not that daft, woulkdn't have made such a mistale, etc. But they did agree to check "to prove me wrong". Well they checked and they came back very appologetic indeed. Yes, the UPS had accidentally been connected to the central heating thermostat. It happens.... at least we sorted it, nobody died.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Has anyone experienced a computer crash when connected to any UPS? I've seen this exact thing happen when the UPS cannot keep operating due to discharged batteries and simply shuts down.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Has anyone experienced a computer crash when connected to any UPS? Only with my lightning strike.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Yes, also from lightning. But I’m convinced I would have lost a lot more if I didn’t have that in the circuit.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Just learned this from my AI assistant.
The Chicony Corp 750W power supply with part number FT44X is used in Dell computers. However, specific hold time details for this particular model are not readily available in the search results. Generally, high-quality power supplies like those from Chicony have hold times around 16-20 milliseconds, which is typically sufficient to bridge brief power interruptions.
A few observations
1. I'm not sure why the hold time is such a " big company trade secret", isn't it simply a matter of how much capacitance you design in??
2. If 16-20ms is a valid range, then I'm happy with that.
3. I wonder if the power supply people are in any communication with the UPS people to ensure that together crash protection is possible/likely. Perhaps thru an international industry trade group of some sort.
Regarding lightning strikes, I had a whole-house surge protector wired in a few years ago. No problems before, no problems after.
And regarding "Sinewave" technology. I would have thought this is your daddy's technology and that any UPS would have it as a default. Much like solid-state electronics. I guess buyer beware.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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You can purchase 'Line Interactive' UPS systems, in which the D.C. powered UPS circuitry itself runs continuously and is synchronized to the mains. If there is an interruption, the UPS circuitry is already active and just continues sending the output with no interruption at all, and no loss of synchronization.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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You can purchase 'Line Interactive' UPS systems, in which the D.C. powered UPS circuitry itself runs continuously and is synchronized to the mains. If there is an interruption, the UPS circuitry is already active and just continues sending the output with no interruption at all, and no loss of synchronization. Thanks for pointing this out; there is a bit more to this than I first assumed; which is normally the case . . . I understand the benefit of line-interactive is the relatively fast transfer time; 2 - 6ms but a drawback can be audible noise in the room. This will be located in my home studio but I do very little recording with mics. So my only noise concern would be it distracting me while I play my instruments. Do you have any experience with this?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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I haven't used UPS for musical systems setups, so I'm not sure, however, I wouldn't expect a quality UPS to inject anything except for a pure sine-wave.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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There has been a lot of great specific information shared already, so I'll go with the overall viewpoint.
I've been using a UPS since they were invented. Before that I used a Tripp Lite brand Line Conditioner.
If you don't need the battery back up, say you are only using a laptop, this might be a choice.
When I gig, I use the line conditioner, at home I use APC brand UPS, one for my computers, and one for my modem. I get more wattage than I think I will need. My TX81z sound module from the late 1980s and my VL70m from the mid 90s, still work perfectly. They are the modules I use for the wind MIDI controller. I do one-nighters, and one-nighters are notoriously hard on musical gear.
I wouldn't use a computer or a synthesizer without a UPS or Line Conditioner.
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...Well they checked and they came back very apologetic indeed. Yes, the UPS had accidentally been connected to the central heating thermostat. Yes, s h one t sometimes happens. Good story. 
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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...Well they checked and they came back very apologetic indeed. Yes, the UPS had accidentally been connected to the central heating thermostat. Yes, s h one t sometimes happens. Good story. Indeed ... like people stealing the cabling or, in some places, rats or monkeys chewing though them  I don't believe there are any wild/feral monkeys in Wales. 
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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While we’re on the subject of power, always check your outlets for a proper ground connection. I carry a Klein Tools $10 circuit tester to all gigs. You’ll be surprised how many places I play have floating grounds or switched hot and ground.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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