UPS Recommendations

[lopburi3]

Power strip with IEC plug was my midnight fix also. Had not seen those adapters - but normally do not like that type of universal outlet as often not a tight connection. Thanks for link.

[kkerry]

The adaptor plugs aren't easy to find but I got a couple at Zeer recently, 60 baht each.

[lopburi3]

At least that is a more reasonable price - as is this 68 baht Ebay price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IEC-320-C14-to-US-UK-EU-AU-Universal-AC-250V-10A-Power-Plug-Adapter-Connector-/221638797232?hash=item339ab3a7b0

[kkerry]

A thread earlier this year also mentioned Home-Pro sell them for 155 baht. Pricy but as they are not the easiest plug to find it might still be worth it rather than searching all the computer parts shops. I only found mine by accident after all the places I expected to get one didn't stock them.

[Crossy]

NPE (Natthapong) branches all over, do re-wireable IEC plugs which you can use to replace the Thai plug on a decent distribution block, don't remember the price but not excessive.

I've also bought IEC mail to female extension leads which you can use to go straight to your PC from the UPS from one of the cable shops in Zeer.

[JetsetBkk]

APC 1500's. In Phuket, you need them.

You can turn off the beeper.

In the bedroom, I've turned off the screen as it is too bright.

[JetsetBkk]

A thread earlier this year also mentioned Home-Pro sell them for 155 baht. Pricy but as they are not the easiest plug to find it might still be worth it rather than searching all the computer parts shops. I only found mine by accident after all the places I expected to get one didn't stock them.

Home Pro also sell "Elektra" mains extension sockets (power strips). I replaced the cable from the extension socket with the one that came with the UPS so the extension socket plugs straight into the UPS outlet.

The good thing about the Elektra power strips is that they have a switch on each socket, the mains and neutral come out of the correct holes and the switch actually switches off the live, not the neutral. 3 out of 3 - excellent!

[cyberfarang]

Syndome and Zircon are good makes for UPS in Thailand, those are the makes I also use.

Some tips:

UPS usually hold 2 types of batteries and 2 different ways of taking out and installing the batteries.

I prefer the models that have the battery container plastic slide at the bottom of the UPS whereas it`s just a matter of opening the slide, pushing the battery in or pulling out. Many models require the whole UPS body to be taken off for replacing the batteries that are fiddly and awkward.

Some UPS use 7amp batteries, others use 9 amp batteries. For light use go for the 7 amp battery models. Because the 9 amp batteries take longer to charge and will cut out sooner after a power failure while it begins charging up again, whereas the 7 amp will fully charge sooner after a power cut.

The UPS needs to bleep or give some kind of signal that the main power source has gone. Otherwise the UPS will be left to fully drain it`s battery, having to recharge the battery again overnight and the computer will go off without being booted down that can damage the hard drive.

[lopburi3]

Believe most of the alarm concern was for bedroom sleep time and for most computer would also be sleeping. Here in the big city most power failures are of the few seconds to 3 minutes type so lack of alarm would not cause issues even if computer working. At any rate most outages are quickly noted without alarms in this land of air conditioners and fans.

[eaglesflight]

If the power goes when data is being written to a hard drive, there's a good chance you'll end up with corrupt files, indices etcetera. I bought s cheap UPS just so I have a few minutes to shut down normally when the power goes. To say they're not worth it for home PCs (as an earlier poster did) is rather short sighted. Depends what you do on your home PC I guess.

Edited September 29, 2015 by eaglesflight