Due to a recent spate of frequent brownouts (and dropouts) where I live, I have no choice but to purchase an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit for my PC. I have quickly searched the Net for some helpful hints, and I have compiled my short-list of things to look for:

• VA rating: 500-700 VA.
• Backup time: just enough time to shutdown normally -- nothing fancy.
• In-built Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) feature.
• In-built surge protection.
• 2 year warranty seems to be better. Most others I have already checked out (online) offer only 1 year.
• Telephone/Modem jacks, surge-protected.
• User resettable circuit breaker, not fused.
• USB, not RS-232 serial port, for software/management.
• User-replaceable battery.
• Must be able to access battery without tools (e.g. screwdriver, pliers, chainsaw etc.)

That's my list so far... does anyone have any suggestions for anything else I should consider?

I will buy the UPS in a couple of days, or over the weekend.

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J de Silva
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That seems to be the same requirements I've found. Just a couple other things to consider.

APC offers two main types of UPS: a traditional box (looks like a small computer case) or a surge strip style. Sometimes the surge strip style offers more outlets vs. the box in case you really need a lot of connections. Otherwise it's really a space issue.

Time-wise, I've usually heard to purchase 5-10 minutes of battery life; as you said, just enough to shutdown. If you're running Windows, some UPSes come with auto-shutdown software to gracefully shutdown your computer if you're not available.

Oh yeah, makes sure the UPS acts as a line conditioner rather than a normal stand-by device. What I mean is, the battery is always online; it doesn't kick in a half second after the power cuts out. Stand-by is fine for things like lights but does bad things to electronics. Plus, since the power is coming straight from the battery vs. the power grid, your computer is not subject to noise and varying voltage levels so your PSU won't work as hard and should last longer.

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Looking to purchase a UPS online, simply visit e-bay or Amazon and get the best of them as per your choice and cost. They have a wide range of collection that would open up your option to purchase the appropriate one. It is better that you visit the sites I mentioned instead of visiting the Site of any particular company or brand that deals in UPS.

I would concur with the "line conditioning" suggestion above. That should make your list quite comprehensive.

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I have to disagree with the above poster concerning buying from ebay instead of a professional company - ebay is never 100% certain about whether you are getting a good deal, or being conned, or will never see the item you've bought. If you want to follow that route then fair play but I wouldn't want to spend that much money and then find that I'd been conned! If not, one company I'd recommend is a company called Power Continuity, who deal in uninterruptible power supplies (www.powercontinuity.co.uk). I've actually used this company before when buying a UPS for my PC setup, and also my friend who recommended them bought a diesel generator from them, and we've both had no problems. They are by no means the only company out there, but from personal experience I would recommend them. Of course, it's always best to do your homework, have a look around, get a price range etc, but I'm sure you know all this. Hope that helps?