All I can find at Pantip plaza are really cheap and potential fire hazards. Anybody know where to get something decent? I don't mind paying for quality.

thanks.

I don't think the power boards (power bar) are much at all. These normally work only if the system is earthed/grounded. They seem to be earthed and in fact are not. Many have European earthing plugs and Thai power outlets are usually different, if there is earthing in the house at all.

Rather than rely on a power board with unreliable surge protection, I bought a nice UPS at Pantip a few weeks back. Runs well, gives a warning when the power goes off, and the computer and one low energy light keep running and allows me to shut down. My power board is connected to this, and no reliance on surge protection.

We've had a few quick power outages here, every time a thunderstorm goes over, and if the computer closes incorrectly, there's often problems when re-booting.

This unit is a "SYNDOME", with a sealed lead/acid battery inside. Can't see it being a fire hazard.

Shop around as the price varies a bit between the shops there.

They are available. Expect to pay 1000 THB for a decent one. Amorn sometimes has them as do Home Pro but they are often out of stock for long periods of time. You can also order quality ones from Bangkok. Some come with insurance.

I got a couple of Belkin branded ones from Pantip (IT City) just the other day.

The main reason I get these though is they fit the Australian style 3 pin plug nicely.

Get a Leonics Explorer. A surge protector, power strip and UPS all in one with six (three of which only work for surge protection, the other three provide back up power + surge protection) . If your Australian plugs don't fit, you can always get an adaptor.

The advantage of this model is that the batteries are user replaceable. It's worked as well as the American American APC brand that I bought at the same time. It ran out of juice and I had to take it to the shop for battery replacement which cost a grand and I'm afraid to use it because it looks to me like they haven't re-sealers it properly.

FYI, an APC model with three outlets is available at Banana IT shop in Airport Plaza.

Leonics is available at IT City and other such shops.

T

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

kind of related question but about grounding.

I live in high rise condo and my Microwave needs a grounding but I have to run a long wire to anything that might be grounded.

Anyone have any tips to help my fancy microwave oven not auto shutoff?

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

APC brand has the program that shuts down WIndows.

think i looked at those and they were in the 4000 to 12000 baht range... i am hoping for something with the shutdown software around 2000 baht

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

APC brand has the program that shuts down WIndows.

APC has a free PowerChute shutdown software for macs running OS10.4 and earlier. It's barely functional, but does the job. Newer Macs that run OS 10.6 & up have a built in UPS auto shutdown function that works with some UPS models that connect to your mac via USB.

T

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

APC brand has the program that shuts down WIndows.

APC has a free PowerChute shutdown software for macs running OS10.4 and earlier. It's barely functional, but does the job. Newer Macs that run OS 10.6 & up have a built in UPS auto shutdown function that works with some UPS models that connect to your mac via USB.

T

i am on a windows box... thanks anyways

If your Australian plugs don't fit, you can always get an adaptor.

I think you missed my point about them fitting the Australian plug, the power board is the adapter. Getting a power board that doesnt fit, then buying an adapter for every plug that goes into it is a bit silly.

The Belkin ones I purchased are 3 pin in (2 rectangular power pins, and 1 round ground pin) which go into a thai 3-pin wall socket, to a 3, 4 or 8 international sockets with an illuminated switch and surge protection.

300 something baht for the 3 outlet.

Edited March 1, 201313 yr by dickyknee

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

APC brand has the program that shuts down WIndows.

APC has a free PowerChute shutdown software for macs running OS10.4 and earlier. It's barely functional, but does the job. Newer Macs that run OS 10.6 & up have a built in UPS auto shutdown function that works with some UPS models that connect to your mac via USB.

T

i am on a windows box... thanks anyways

APC definitely has the shutdown software for Windows. I installed one in a friend's office in Bangkok. Works great.

i have been wrestling with this issue for years and at the end of the day, i have decided that unless said battery back up comes with a program to shut the computer down, it is of no advantage to me. I mean, yes, if i am home and i have a battery back up , then i can properly shut my machines down... but since many outages have happened during the night or while i was gone from the house, i come home and the UPC has run outta power and computer collapses anyways...

all the ones that i have seen with software programs are rather expensive... anyone know of come reliable inexpensive ones with programs?

APC brand has the program that shuts down WIndows.

APC has a free PowerChute shutdown software for macs running OS10.4 and earlier. It's barely functional, but does the job. Newer Macs that run OS 10.6 & up have a built in UPS auto shutdown function that works with some UPS models that connect to your mac via USB.

T

i am on a windows box... thanks anyways

APC definitely has the shutdown software for Windows. I installed one in a friend's office in Bangkok. Works great.

Unlike the Mac version, the Windows version of PowerChute is top notch.

T

I would far rather have a computer shut down for lack of power (dead batteries in a UPC) than I would have it get hit by lightning.

Most computers today will self-repair at least the core kernel files upon reboot. I think that's been true since XP. This is one of the reasons we aren't constantly formatting and re-installing or doing a repair install as we did prior to XP.

Since XP, upon booting, the system checks the core files against another identical set of unmoveable, unchangeable files and if a file in the OS is corrupt, it's replaced during reboot.

I agree I'd rather have an UPS that could shut a computer down, but I'd rather have any UPS than none.

Of course if you use a laptop, you have no issue with an unscheduled shutdown as the UPS loses battery. A Windows laptop will automatically go into hibernation as its own battery goes down (provided you have set that up).

Those power strips are next to worthless. Half the time, the ground wires are not even connected to the ground pin or polarity is reversed. It's almost as if the folks on the assembly line are connecting up the internal wiring randomly.

kind of related question but about grounding.

I live in high rise condo and my Microwave needs a grounding but I have to run a long wire to anything that might be grounded.

Anyone have any tips to help my fancy microwave oven not auto shutoff?

There is a very helpful electrical system knowledgable guy on TV named Crossy, you might search him out and send him a PM.

Of course if you use a laptop, you have no issue with an unscheduled shutdown as the UPS loses battery. A Windows laptop will automatically go into hibernation as its own battery goes down (provided you have set that up).

Those power strips are next to worthless. Half the time, the ground wires are not even connected to the ground pin or polarity is reversed. It's almost as if the folks on the assembly line are connecting up the internal wiring randomly.

The ones that sell for 200-500 THb are worthless but the good quality ones are just as good as in the West. We bought 5 high-quality power strips in Bangkok (1200 THB each) and they work as well today as they did 6 years ago and have no loose plugs or any of the problems that the cheapies have.