UPS advice please

[Jim]

As for the USB connection, the way that works is that the UPS has a small software app that runs and listens to the UPS on the USB port. If the UPS signals a power failure, the app will pop a screen on the computer you are using. The popped screen tells you the power has failed. I use these all the time and I don't think they will interfere with SAC.

Also, some UPSs have a connector on them that is either a switch that closes or a small voltage signal when an alarm goes off. In either case, these can be used to drive a warning light or audible alarm directly.

here's a great location to research UPSs.
http://cyberpower.advizia.com/CyberP...CyberPower_UPS
I use these models:
http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pro...000PFCLCD.html
and this one. This one has "dry contacts"
http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/pro...mageI=#tab-box

Many units, especially the commercial rackmount units will allow you to add batteries but I seriously doubt you would need or do this.

[Eric White]

Dude...copied and pasted from the response below:

"*Make sure your unit has a USB interface.* "

That's great ; however , will that USB connection be able to notify my remote via the network? I assume there are remote apps for that but even if I was alerted at the FOH position, I might not be able to leave that position and get someone's attention to look into the issue. Hence the reason Im interested in a strobe beacon to visually alert my tech that is on stage near the host and not paying attention to the screen, but he will pay attention to a flashing beacon.

[Jim]

I think we are confusing issues here. The first issue is, "what UPS do I use to protect SAC and other critical gear through a short outage?" We've discussed some possible products to do that and in practice, this handles 99.99% or more of the cases. The second issue is, how can I get notified if any circuit in my system fails? Well this is usually a self-solving situation because a lot of stuff stops working and you should be able to tell that by watching the show. Now, if you want to be notified of any major circuit failure as soon as it happens, you will have to monitor voltage on each isolated circuit. Those monitors will have to transmit that info to a central device which further notifies you across a network or whatever. But even in this situation you have too many points of failure to be sure it will all work as planned.

So basically, I'm saying, keep it simple. Put a few UPSs where they can protect gear when a problem happens and reduces the outage time. After that, do nothing.

If you want to really keep it simple, get some small LED lights that plug into the circuits. Put them on stage where you can see them. When an LED goes out, you know where the problem is.

[Eric White]

Thanks Jim, I'm good with that explanation. I have had one to many 'wall kickout' occasions happen with a group I work with. Biggest problem is that they cant seem to update their contract to include my technical specs and I often am left with a situation where I need to extension cord stuff because there isn't a panel close by to tie in a distro. I'm sick of it and am looking for a solution. Often I have a crew guy with me, sometimes I don't. Im not so worried about the gigs where we loose all the power, Im worried about the occasions where some dumbass decides to ask the band for a special request, tripping and kicking my connectors because I cant use my twistlocks in a power distro. I desire to keep my entire host alive for 3-4 minutes. This includes the PC, Yamaha DME engine, 5 preamps and 2 motu 2408mk3's and the router.

Thanks for the recommended links and suggestions. I wasn't aware they had alarm outputs that can be tied into external equipment. That's very useful.

[Jim]

Yea. I hear you. Many of my gigs are small places with poor power. Some are downright bad. I do a couple of things you are probably already doing but they are worth sharing. I always try to provide strain relief to wall outlets. That means wrapping my power cable, near the wall, around a bass amp, pipe or even a table base. If the wall outlet is worn and I have to use it, I'll tape the power cord to the wall with 10 lbs of gaffer tape. If any any power cable or strip of mine gets worn or loose, I immediately pull it from service, NOW, and throw it away. This drives the band crazy cause I walk off with their power strip. But if it doesn't go away NOW, it gets used again and causes another problem. The guys are always whining, "that's a perfectly good power strip!" My response is, "Then why did you call me over to fix your problem?" A power strip is less than $5. Drink one less beer.

The other thing I always do is tell the band not to plug into my UPS strips. That always results in tripping the UPS circuit breaker the first time the band hits a power chord.

[Paul Henry]

There are also those automatic emergency lights that plug into an outlet and come on automatically when AC power fails.

[DSMAUDIO]

I work for a live sound production company in Des Moines, Iowa.
I've often wondered why there is no after market mod for ups.
During a loud show there's know way to know that your ups is running on battery power in less you get a quite part of the show.

There should be a Blazon light mod so can by pass the buzzer and go in warning buzzer.

Any one else have in put on this?

[Donnie Frank]

That's great ; however , will that USB connection be able to notify my remote via the network? I assume there are remote apps for that but even if I was alerted at the FOH position, I might not be able to leave that position and get someone's attention to look into the issue. Hence the reason Im interested in a strobe beacon to visually alert my tech that is on stage near the host and not paying attention to the screen, but he will pay attention to a flashing beacon.

Assuming someone is monitoring FOH, you could always put the light on a manual switch. If not, seems the use of the "normally closed" side of a relay would be pretty easy to use to build a UPS-powered strobe that would illuminate when power is lost on the line side of the UPS. I imagine some kind of in-line box (to the UPS) would be the winning ticket. My strobes are 24VDC devices that will run on DC voltage as low as 12 volts.

Now you're tempting me to build one....<;^)

[Donnie Frank]

Thanks for the recommended links and suggestions. I wasn't aware they had alarm outputs that can be tied into external equipment. That's very useful.

I just checked and I'm surprised to find mine has no such alarm output. I would be interested in hearing what you find and what you end up using.

[Donnie Frank]

There are also those automatic emergency lights that plug into an outlet and come on automatically when AC power fails.

Ahhhh....great idea! The ones I've seen are pretty bulky. I wonder if they make a smaller one? Hmmm....