When your UPS Batteries Fail And You Have A Sold Out Show In Two Hours

[Scott Norwood]

Agreed on the APC network card. They're useful and not terribly expensive. You can have it send email to you (or whomever) when something is wrong with the unit.

[Steve Guttag]

I, personally, think that the $250 or whatever they go for on the network card is a rip. We'll typically have them on the TMS system and that is about it.

[Scott Norwood]

What would be the reason for having the network card on the TMS UPS? Just a notification device in case of power failure? I would think that the TMS would be the system of least concern, since a cinema can still show movies without it.

[Steve Guttag]

It's the one central thing in the booth and it has the ability to shut down the TMS server gracefully. Plus, that one card can keep time on the batteries for the entire booth.

[Carsten Kurz]

Usually, our Tripp-Lite Smart Online ( LED display) 1500 is connected to our playback server through USB. Sometimes I connected it to our administrative PC to check status, using the PowerAlert Local software. This is a client software that is meant to monitor the unit and also to perform automatic shutdown of a desktop or standard server. I understand there is also software to configure the unit. Does someone know which software is needed to configure the unit? Is there a different operation mode for PowerAlert to enable more options? The manual suggests it, but I didn't see how to switch modes.
I also understood that this Smart Online 1500 has three separate output circuits that may be switched off/on separately. Does anyone know how to accomplish this? The 'official' user manual does not offer much information beyond basic operation, that is, key functions and LED status.


We have this unit in operation since early 2013, and never had any issues with it. It is still on it's first battery set, but we don't have it running all day, only during show times.

Compared to the older APCs I know, these Tripp Lite units use a much lower charging current, and that seems to help the batteries to live much longer. The APCs I used really cooked their batteries. Don't know if the current APCs still do that. I understand that in some regions with very unstable power grids, a fast recharge may be a good idea. Where we are, power outages and instabilities are so rare, that the low charge current seems to be the better strategy. One would wish that the charge current would be configurable.

[Steve Guttag]

Carsten, in order to get the outlet control, you do need the SNMPWEB card (or the current version of it). With that card you can also set parameters for when it shuts down the unit (say when the batteries get down to 20% capacity) and what constitutes a problem, if you have SNMP capabilities.

If you have a large deployment...the SNMP cards also allow Enterprise grade monitoring (one can see their entire deployment, if desired).

As for long-life batteries. I strongly suggest not trying to find their duration and always change out batteries every 3-5 years. Sealed Lead-Acid batteries WILL swell and you may find that they don't want to come out at all if you wait until one of them fails.