Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Helge A Bentsen]

I had some issues at a festival this weekend, lost power several times due to rain+an inexperienced lightjockey leaving cables out in the rain/on the ground etc.

I'm looking into buying a on-line UPS for my SD8 so I can save/power it down safely.

How do you go about calculating UPS size?
I guess it has to be based on current draw and running time. Ideally, I would like to put it into my stage rack (have 2U left over) and run my stage rack, console and waves-server from it. Power for the surface/waves server is bundled in the multi core.

What are you guys using for this?

[Bob Leonard]

Helge,

Regardless of which manufacturer you use APC has a pretty good selection of UPS types, great support, and a long history of quality products. Go the the links below and you can not only choose the type but also calculate the size for your specific needs.

The first link will calculate by load and by time dependent on input voltage, rack mount, etc.. Once computed the app will show you a number of recommended UPS that meet your requirements. You can also buy direct from APC on line and the pricing is pretty good.

http://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/ups_selector/server/load

http://www.apc.com/us/en/#

http://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

[Helge A Bentsen]

Helge,

Regardless of which manufacturer you use APC has a pretty good selection of UPS types, great support, and a long history of quality products. Go the the links below and you can not only choose the type but also calculate the size for your specific needs.

The first link will calculate by load and by time dependent on input voltage, rack mount, etc.. Once computed the app will show you a number of recommended UPS that meet your requirements. You can also buy direct from APC on line and the pricing is pretty good.

http://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/ups_selector/server/load

http://www.apc.com/us/en/#

http://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

Thanks for the info

One idea struck me, how about using one of these in the doghouse connected to one of the PSUs? Should give enough time to save and shut down according to APCs own calculator.

https://www.amazon.com/APC-700VA-Power-saving-Back-UPS/dp/B00DN2PJAI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470057758&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=APC+Back-UPS+ES+8+700VA

I'ts an off-line UPS but theoretically it's fast enough to switch over before the desk goes down.

[Bob Leonard]

I wouldn't trust my desk to one of those. Just there to give you a few moments top shut down. Go for a 1-2U rackmount and be happy.

[Helge A Bentsen]

I found one that looks nice. Light, enough run-time and affordable.

http://www.powerwalker.com/index.php?lang=en&page=product&item=10120195

That would fit straight into my stagerack with room to spare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chris Hindle]

I found one that looks nice. Light, enough run-time and affordable.

http://www.powerwalker.com/index.php?lang=en&page=product&item=10120195

That would fit straight into my stagerack with room to spare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Measure carefully. I know the APC units are rather deep......
Chris.

[Kevin Maxwell]

Thanks for the info

One idea struck me, how about using one of these in the doghouse connected to one of the PSUs? Should give enough time to save and shut down according to APCs own calculator.

https://www.amazon.com/APC-700VA-Power-saving-Back-UPS/dp/B00DN2PJAI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470057758&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=APC+Back-UPS+ES+8+700VA

I'ts an off-line UPS but theoretically it's fast enough to switch over before the desk goes down.

When using a console with 2 power supplies in it I always hook only one up to the UPS and the other direct. That way if for some reason the UPS should fail you have a backup. Also keep in mind that a good UPS is heavy (easily 25lbs) so the more heavy stuff you put in a rack the heavier the rack gets. Some times that isn’t a problem and sometimes it is.

[Gunther Mai]

For my SD8 i use the predecessor of this one since 2012:
http://www.apc.com/shop/de/de/products/APC-Smart-ups-750-VA-LCD-RM-2-U-230-V/P-SMT750RMI2U
We bought the 2U unit because they are less deep than their 1U siblings and we have one of two psus connected. No Problems

[Bob Leonard]

When using a console with 2 power supplies in it I always hook only one up to the UPS and the other direct. That way if for some reason the UPS should fail you have a backup. Also keep in mind that a good UPS is heavy (easily 25lbs) so the more heavy stuff you put in a rack the heavier the rack gets. Some times that isn’t a problem and sometimes it is.

This considered best practice unless of course you have a separate UPS for each power supply.

Helge,

Be very careful when buying a no name UPS. Better to do it right once.

[Gunther Mai]

There are two ways additional to UPS to make a DiGiCo SD Console safer to power issues:

1. set the internal recovery to 'on' and choose a reasonable time for 'auto update'. This is done automatically on other consoles but for shows with a a lot of scenes under certain circumstances this is not a good idea. So DiGiCo decided to make this customers choice.

2. Allways run the console connected to a remote labtop running the Windows Editor. If you are in 'remote' mode and 'mirrored' and if you have a good battery in the labtop you allways can have a second way of recovery by one click on 'mirror to' on the labtop after rebooting the console without any other loading or reconnecting procedure different to other consoles.

[Steve Ferreira]

I have used older models of UPS's that didn't like generator power and would just beep a warning. Hopefully the newer ones are better.

[Tim McCulloch]

I have used older models of UPS's that didn't like generator power and would just beep a warning. Hopefully the newer ones are better.

Saw that last week when the genset couldn't stay on 60Hz even with a relatively stable load.  Utility power is quite stable in comparison.

[Jerome Malsack]

If you read around a little you will find that there are two types of generators.  Gas and Diesel.  Like the two fuels there is two types of output from the generators.  Square wave and inverters that have a closer wave form to the AC the power company has. 

The battery backups also have two types and you will find the higher price units will be a better inverter with a wave form closer to the AC we see in the plug. 

I have a tripplite 1U rack mount in with my Berhinger X32 rack.  4U rack case.   The three combined weight around 60 lbs.  A second 4U has the headphone amp and the S16 to give me 32 x 16. 

[Gunther Mai]

@ Helge Dr. Bentsen

Would be nice to get some feedback about your decisions...
Have my SD8 owner tipps been helpful?

[Helge A Bentsen]

Haven't bought any yet, working on a LK patch for the rack, plan is to install them together

Have decided upon this model btw:
http://www.apc.com/shop/no/en/products/APC-Smart-UPS-750VA-USB-RM-1U-230V/P-SUA750RMI1U?isCurrentSite=true


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Max Hall]

Don't know how much your budget is but spending more often pays off as in much longer time, you also have to be careful that the wattage of all equipment plugged into the UPS doesn't exceed the output wattage. Remember that even if mains power is supplied, all power used still goes through the UPS doesn't bypass it, count the wattage you would be using, can ONE input iec cope with all of this?  Would you be running amps through it or just equipment that requires properly shutting down like a digital mixer/ethercon switches etc..., not that you want to incorrectly switch off an amp or things go bang. You could split the input power to equipment and use an automatic power selector (like a backup generator for a house does) when the main input goes dead it switches to the other input, although sometimes this switch isn't quick enough.

[Art Nadelman]

Saw that last week when the genset couldn't stay on 60Hz even with a relatively stable load.  Utility power is quite stable in comparison.

I had this happen to me last fall with a generator connected to my Cyberpower Rackmount unit.  After 3 power failures in 30 minutes, I finally figured out what it was and bypassed the UPS and prayed that no one would unplug me from the generator.

[Helge A Bentsen]

* OLD Thread ALERT*

I bought this UPS in the end:
http://www.apc.com/shop/au/en/products/APC-Smart-UPS-1000VA-LCD-RM-2U-230V/P-SMT1000RMI2U

So far it's been good, In running around 57% load with a SD8, MadiRack, Waves Server and a computer+soundcard with Smaart.

[ProSoundWeb Community]