migr
join:2008-01-04
3 edits | reply to ericrazar
Re: Home UPS powered by car battery
that was it m8, you are a genius. that apcfix worked out perfectly. now with 44% load it said 570min run time, so 9 hrs. i am reducing that to around 6 external battery packs now to reduce the run time, it was on 8 for that 570min run time. i think around 5-6 hrs is more than enough, when it gets that low it will shut down the server which is what i wanted.
I cant thank you enough for that usfull hint m8. u solved my problems anyways
EDIT: i ended up reducing it to 4 extrrnal batteries giving me a total of 6.2hrs estimated run time
more than adiquit, in most power cuts it will just remain running till the power comes back on, infact, i cant remember ever having a power cut last longer than that.
Thanx again m8 |
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ericrazar
join:2007-11-04
Orlando, FL
1 edit | the real genius is the guy who wrote the apcfix.exe . I am just an observant engineer lucky enough to find it. I found a tech at APC website say they ship out a "hardware key" that goes on the rs232 port to reprogram the unit to the A0 constant. The apcfix guy did it without all that. Also note that other size model smart ups that the default battery constant is different but the apcfix appears to know each of the right values.
Update:
It appears besides the apcfix there is a way to do it though hyperterm. Check warning in link. You need to know what the default value is for your particular model APC UPS.
»www.rm.com/Support/TechnicalArti···rrer=rss |
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KAI
@telecom.by | reply to CajunWon
APCFiX Home page: »apc-fix.com/page.php?al=apcfix |
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zoltan48
join:2008-02-22
Apo, AE
| reply to CajunWon
I broke my new UPS. I converted a couple of old 400VA UPS's to 96Ah deep cycle batteries giving more that 6 hours running one PC. Here in South Africa we are having serious "power shedding" problems. Having our power off for more than 2 hours daily. This lead me to buy a MECER 2000VA UPS. Opening it I realized I will need 3 batteries in series, giving 36V. I hooked up 3 96Ah batteries in series. I mounted a socket on the outside of the UPS so that I can disconnect the extra battery bank, using the UPS separately. This means it was two different capacity 36V battery banks in parallel, but still supplying 36V. I tested it, It started up with the AC connected, then I tripped the AC. There was a loud noise, sounded like arcing and I could see sparks through the vent. I can't think what went wrong. Please, any advice would be appreciated. |
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SparkChaser
BURY BECK
Premium
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA | Which one did you buy, one of these? »www.mecer.co.za/content/blogcategory/24/90/ |
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zoltan48
join:2008-02-22
Apo, AE | Yes I bought the "ME-2000-BK (2000VA): 1080W"
I did not mention that I did not had any load on the UPS when I tripped the AC, don't know if that could have made the difference. |
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SparkChaser
BURY BECK
Premium
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| said by zoltan48  :Yes I bought the "ME-2000-BK (2000VA): 1080W" I did not mention that I did not had any load on the UPS when I tripped the AC, don't know if that could have made the difference. The reason I asked was, for the 2000 it says 8 batteries. It doesn't say what configuration.
I never heard of Mecer. It appears to be a SA company. I wonder if these are re-branded from another manufacturer. There isn't too much info on the Mecer site. Did you operate it without the second bank before it went up on smoke?
--
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley
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zoltan48
join:2008-02-22
Apo, AE | "ME-2000RBK, ME-3000RBK: 8 batteries" and further down "ME-2000-BK: 12V/9 Ah x 2pcs" which is incorrect for mine has 3 batteries. Yes it worked fine with its own batteries. |
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CajunWon
join:2005-12-30
Cary, NC
 ·ViaTalk
| I'm no EE
3 issues come to mind:
1)a wire became crossed.
2)the auxiliary battery pack was connected in series with the internal battery pack, providing more than the rated volts.
3)not reading the mfg information, perhaps it requires less than 36v to begin with. Did you measure the volts supplied by the oem battery bank? |
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zoltan48
join:2008-02-22
Apo, AE
| Yes I measured the voltage when I opened
it, it was 39 Volts with disregard-able low
load. That should be normal for one battery
is +/- 13V fully charged. Before I connected
the auxiliary battery pack, I measured it as
well, it was 40V. After I connected the two battery packs, I measured It again, and it was somewhere between 39V and 40V, which is expected. This should make that the auxiliary battery pack charge the internal battery pack with one Volt difference. Everything was
connected and was working well while it was
on AC, which makes me dare to say it roles
out wires crossing(If I understand it right,
wires shorting). Except if wires could
connect that it created a higher voltage,
which I doubt, because I used proper
insulated crimping connectors. I opened it
afterwards, and there was no sign of
something that shorted. It did smell like
something that shorted, my guess was that it
could be the relays, maybe they sparked
inside, making a bright enough light, being
visible from outside the relay and the Ups
box itself. There is three 40A fuses, on the UPS board which did not fuse. It was the first thing I checked. |
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SparkChaser
BURY BECK
Premium
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to CajunWon
I've been unable to find any info on the Mecer unit except that one page. So, there is little to go on. They claim everything is protected. I guess you found one vulnerable point.
What kind of load did you have on the unit at the time of the switch to batteries? What gage wire did you use to connect them? This thing can draw quite a bit of current.
I'm not a fan of parallel batteries but it's done all the time, so, what do I know. It's certainly better if you use all of the same type and capacity to minimize any circulating currents.
You may have just done something that the circuit was not prepared for. Anytime you go beyond the supplied part you run that risk.
--
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley
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aurgathor
join:2002-12-01
Lynnwood, WA
| reply to migr
said by migr :i was wondering if there was a way to change the nominal voltage it expects to see from the batteries. Find the place where it senses the voltage, and "lift up" that sensor connection somehow, either putting in a small 1.2V - 1.5V battery in serial, or through some resistors and a higher voltage external source. I'd try a small battery first. |
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ericrazar
join:2007-11-04
Orlando, FL
| reply to zoltan48
I would look at the circuit board again on both sides to be sure you didn't vaporize the copper traces going to the battery wires or some other hidden fuse. It sounds like you did the wiring correctly otherwise based on the charging voltage measured before/after the parallel hook up. Of course if you had a short occur due to wire heating and terminals moving and shorting that could have happened too I guess. if you read earlier post what i did with my apc 1000 setup with the marine batteries i used heavy wire up to the batteries and transition down to the 8-10 gage wires inside the unit with ring terminals. I read you have an external rear connector so that is convenient but should still use heavy gage wire and transition to a wire size that the connector uses. |
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