Power Conditioners vs. UPS

PenGun · 08-13-2007, 02:04 PM

APC Line R 1200. 1200 watts of voltage regulator. Protect your stuff. About $70.

KAH9158 · 11-05-2007, 08:22 AM

I have a panasonic PT-50lc14 RP High definition TV connected to the battery outlet on the above product . Nothing else is connected to to the battery outlet. When I turn on my microwave oven the unit beeps and the TV turns off. When I do the same thing with a cable box conneted to the unit it beeps and the cable box does not turn off or lose power.

Any ideas?

m_vanmeter · 11-05-2007, 10:46 AM

"KAH9158" - my guess is your power conditioner (and therefore, your TV) is pluged into the same 120v circuit as the microwave. When the microwave comes on, the voltage on the circuit drops below the level the power conditioner can handle. Probably the only way to know absolutely, without circuit test equipment, would be to throw the circuit breaker that handles the microwave to OFF, and see if the conditioner/TV wall outlet is also dead.

If it proves to be the case, both on the same circuit, you will need to seriously consider having a new dedicated 120v circuit run for the TV and other a/v equipment, many prefer that approach and feel comfortable that the much more expensive equipment is powered by a clean 102v 20amp circuit, instead of sharing the circuit with no telling what.

KAH9158 · 11-05-2007, 12:20 PM

Hi M Vanmeter,
Thanks for the reply. Would a better battery back up/ surge protector be able to handle the voltage drop?

Nevada_MO_Guy · 11-05-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAH9158

When I turn on my microwave oven the unit beeps and the TV turns off. When I do the same thing with a cable box conneted to the unit it beeps and the cable box does not turn off or lose power.

What is the capacity of your UPS? How old is it?

Your rear projection tv and cable box should not pull that much....a 500VA unit would be able to handle it.

I use to have a 750VA APC UPC, my 60" tv and dish receiver plugged in. During a prolonged power outage I was able to watch another 20 minutes of tv before I had to shut everything down.

Since then I've upgraded to a 1500VA unit and plug everything into it.

m_vanmeter · 11-05-2007, 02:37 PM

"KAH9158" A decent sized UPS would help even out the load and bridge over the sudden drops when another appliance comes on.

I personally use an APC Smart1400 UPS. It does all the normal power conditioning for low voltage sags and high voltage surges and when on battery backup, the "Smart" line of APC UPS's produces a true sine wave AC output. Many less expensive UPS models produce a "modified square wave" AC power when running on batteries. This is fine for computers with their switching power supplies, but can cause problems with equipment using transformers in the power supplies.

You would need to get the specifications on the equipment you want to power through a UPS. Most UPS's are rated in "volt-amps" (voltage times ampere current draw), most equipment is rated in "watts". In a quick and dirty way, "watts" = volt-amps multiplied by 0.70 Example 1000 voltamps = 700 watts (approximately).

Also, it is best if your UPS capacity is about twice what you think you need. This will give you some reserve "run time" on batteries and allow the bulbs in your RP TV to cool down some after you turn off the TV in a long power outage. (I'm assuming your TV will continue running a fan on the bulb(s) for a cool down phase after the TV is turned off).

I live in a rural area where the power supplied by the electric company will easily drop to 105 or 106 volts AC during the peak air conditioning times of the day and the APC Smart1400 will click on a voltage boost circuit to bring the output voltage back up to 115v. This is not running on batteries, it is still on normal AC power, it is just truly "conditioning" the AC power back to normal. When we lose power completely, the run-time on the batteries allows me to turn everything off in an orderly manner - so nothing has a "hard crash" when it loses power. My DishTV box is very suseptible to that. A UPS does need replacement batteries about every 2 to 3 years, so it is a cost you plan for.

www.refurbups.com

Charles Branch · 01-18-2008, 03:48 PM

I know this has been discussed some in the past, but I still have some questions.
Basically, would replacing my current surge suppressor with a standby UPS give any additional protection if I am not worried about maintaining power during electrical outages?

I have had people tell me that a UPS provides better surge/transient protection than a surge protector designed for satellite and TV receivers. I know that a continuous UPS that runs through the battery all the time would provide additional surge protection by the battery itself, but I don’t see how the standby UPS/surge suppressor we typically use with computers would provide any additional surge protection by the battery.

I currently have a Prime PB006004 surge suppressor on my plasma tv and satellite receivers. That model is supposed to disable power totally when the surge suppressor has reached it’s capacity. I also keep the phone line disconnected, because I had two receivers get fried a few years ago—apparently through the phone line. I also unplug the whole system when we have predicted bad weather.

truedamen · 01-30-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drbrosco

My lamp in my Sony LCD RPTV is pushing 12,000 hours & it is as bright as when i bought it brand new from the factory. I believe the $200 Monster Power Conditioner has alot to do with it. The lamp was rated 6000-8000 hours, & some people on here believe my eyes have just adjusted to it & that's not true as i have seen others & mine is very bright & i have a replacement lamp so it's not like I am trying to save a buck. If i thought for a second the pic was losing it's beauty the new lamp would be in. So I am very glad i got them to throw in the Monster PC. I could be wrong, but what else could explain this lamp going this far???

Your TV is a champ!

Cowboy X · 02-11-2008, 11:06 PM

I intend to get an APC 1500 VA UPS with automatic voltage regulation to hook up to my home theater system. Will I miss out on anything by not buying a line conditioner?

**rbinck** · 02-12-2008, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy X

I intend to get an APC 1500 VA UPS with automatic voltage regulation to hook up to my home theater system. Will I miss out on anything by not buying a line conditioner?

Only if your power is exceptionally dirty.

Cowboy X · 02-12-2008, 08:53 PM

Good, because that is the way that I think I will go.

Wiley · 02-12-2008, 11:04 PM

Richard, I am in the process of creating a diesel generator backup for my home. I have a service disconnect with 6 dedicated circuits. One of the circuits I would like to have power the home theatre. At present I am using a OPTI ES800C for conditioning and UPS. Will this be good enough for the output from the generator or will I need an additional power conditioner? Thanks,
Wiley

bfratturo · 12-10-2008, 02:49 PM

First off hello to all as I am a new user. Second I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this...a was in a biy of a hurry and am a little frazzled!!!

Is the monster power pro800 a good enough surge protector to use with my hdtv,computer,ps3 and surround sound. tv is being delivered Friday and this was the only thing else i had needed. So my gf went out and purchased this one. Looks like it i sset-up for musicians and I am not that eavy with electronics to begin with. Any and all help is appreciated, thanks in advance, and apologies for mis-posting!!!! Brian F.

Lee Stewart · 12-10-2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfratturo

First off hello to all as I am a new user. Second I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this...a was in a biy of a hurry and am a little frazzled!!!

Is the monster power pro800 a good enough surge protector to use with my hdtv,computer,ps3 and surround sound. tv is being delivered Friday and this was the only thing else i had needed. So my gf went out and purchased this one. Looks like it i sset-up for musicians and I am not that eavy with electronics to begin with. Any and all help is appreciated, thanks in advance, and apologies for mis-posting!!!! Brian F.

Hi and welcome to HDF.

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ter?sku=182657

Sure - it will serve two purposes - to clean up your power a bit and to provide surge protection.

How big is your HDTV (inches)

bfratturo · 12-10-2008, 04:35 PM

I purchased the 46 panasonic. TH-46PZ85U

08-13-2007, 02:04 PM	#16
PenGun Avast Mateys Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Backwoods BC Canada Age: 63 Posts: 217	APC Line R 1200. 1200 watts of voltage regulator. Protect your stuff. About $70. __________________ Sony 34XS955N HDTV - Custom HTPC Opteron 165 dual core at 2.4 GHz - Gnu/Linux-Slamd64 11.0 - Nvidia GT6600 - Twinhan 102g Satellite Card - Dual DVD burners - 0.8 terrabyte array - M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 - Sonic Frontiers SFL1 Signature (Factory modded) Preamp - Kimber Braided interconnects - Sonic Frontiers SFM75 Monoblocks - Tara Time & Space Speaker Cables - B&W Matrix 1s (the original) crossovers rebuilt (MITs) bi-wired

11-05-2007, 08:22 AM	#17
KAH9158 A couch and an HDTV to go please. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Springfield, N.J. Age: 51 Posts: 14	APC Battery backup/surge protector problem I have a panasonic PT-50lc14 RP High definition TV connected to the battery outlet on the above product . Nothing else is connected to to the battery outlet. When I turn on my microwave oven the unit beeps and the TV turns off. When I do the same thing with a cable box conneted to the unit it beeps and the cable box does not turn off or lose power. Any ideas?

01-18-2008, 03:48 PM	#22
Charles Branch C-SPAN Junkie Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East Alabama Age: 69 Posts: 83	Power Conditioner/Surge Supressor/UPS choice I know this has been discussed some in the past, but I still have some questions. Basically, would replacing my current surge suppressor with a standby UPS give any additional protection if I am not worried about maintaining power during electrical outages? I have had people tell me that a UPS provides better surge/transient protection than a surge protector designed for satellite and TV receivers. I know that a continuous UPS that runs through the battery all the time would provide additional surge protection by the battery itself, but I don’t see how the standby UPS/surge suppressor we typically use with computers would provide any additional surge protection by the battery. I currently have a Prime PB006004 surge suppressor on my plasma tv and satellite receivers. That model is supposed to disable power totally when the surge suppressor has reached it’s capacity. I also keep the phone line disconnected, because I had two receivers get fried a few years ago—apparently through the phone line. I also unplug the whole system when we have predicted bad weather.

12-10-2008, 02:49 PM	#28
bfratturo What is HD? Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2	A little help First off hello to all as I am a new user. Second I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this...a was in a biy of a hurry and am a little frazzled!!! Is the monster power pro800 a good enough surge protector to use with my hdtv,computer,ps3 and surround sound. tv is being delivered Friday and this was the only thing else i had needed. So my gf went out and purchased this one. Looks like it i sset-up for musicians and I am not that eavy with electronics to begin with. Any and all help is appreciated, thanks in advance, and apologies for mis-posting!!!! Brian F.

11-05-2007, 10:46 AM	#18
m_vanmeter WD4JCM in KY Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 656	"KAH9158" - my guess is your power conditioner (and therefore, your TV) is pluged into the same 120v circuit as the microwave. When the microwave comes on, the voltage on the circuit drops below the level the power conditioner can handle. Probably the only way to know absolutely, without circuit test equipment, would be to throw the circuit breaker that handles the microwave to OFF, and see if the conditioner/TV wall outlet is also dead. If it proves to be the case, both on the same circuit, you will need to seriously consider having a new dedicated 120v circuit run for the TV and other a/v equipment, many prefer that approach and feel comfortable that the much more expensive equipment is powered by a clean 102v 20amp circuit, instead of sharing the circuit with no telling what.

11-05-2007, 12:20 PM	#19
KAH9158 A couch and an HDTV to go please. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Springfield, N.J. Age: 51 Posts: 14	Hi M Vanmeter, Thanks for the reply. Would a better battery back up/ surge protector be able to handle the voltage drop?

11-05-2007, 02:37 PM	#21
m_vanmeter WD4JCM in KY Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 656	"KAH9158" A decent sized UPS would help even out the load and bridge over the sudden drops when another appliance comes on. I personally use an APC Smart1400 UPS. It does all the normal power conditioning for low voltage sags and high voltage surges and when on battery backup, the "Smart" line of APC UPS's produces a true sine wave AC output. Many less expensive UPS models produce a "modified square wave" AC power when running on batteries. This is fine for computers with their switching power supplies, but can cause problems with equipment using transformers in the power supplies. You would need to get the specifications on the equipment you want to power through a UPS. Most UPS's are rated in "volt-amps" (voltage times ampere current draw), most equipment is rated in "watts". In a quick and dirty way, "watts" = volt-amps multiplied by 0.70 Example 1000 voltamps = 700 watts (approximately). Also, it is best if your UPS capacity is about twice what you think you need. This will give you some reserve "run time" on batteries and allow the bulbs in your RP TV to cool down some after you turn off the TV in a long power outage. (I'm assuming your TV will continue running a fan on the bulb(s) for a cool down phase after the TV is turned off). I live in a rural area where the power supplied by the electric company will easily drop to 105 or 106 volts AC during the peak air conditioning times of the day and the APC Smart1400 will click on a voltage boost circuit to bring the output voltage back up to 115v. This is not running on batteries, it is still on normal AC power, it is just truly "conditioning" the AC power back to normal. When we lose power completely, the run-time on the batteries allows me to turn everything off in an orderly manner - so nothing has a "hard crash" when it loses power. My DishTV box is very suseptible to that. A UPS does need replacement batteries about every 2 to 3 years, so it is a cost you plan for. www.refurbups.com

02-11-2008, 11:06 PM	#24
Cowboy X High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 912	I intend to get an APC 1500 VA UPS with automatic voltage regulation to hook up to my home theater system. Will I miss out on anything by not buying a line conditioner?

02-12-2008, 08:53 PM	#26
Cowboy X High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 912	Good, because that is the way that I think I will go.

02-12-2008, 11:04 PM	#27
Wiley High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 269	Richard, I am in the process of creating a diesel generator backup for my home. I have a service disconnect with 6 dedicated circuits. One of the circuits I would like to have power the home theatre. At present I am using a OPTI ES800C for conditioning and UPS. Will this be good enough for the output from the generator or will I need an additional power conditioner? Thanks, Wiley

12-10-2008, 04:35 PM	#30
bfratturo What is HD? Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2	I purchased the 46 panasonic. TH-46PZ85U