Looking Inside a "Disposable" UPS

[@cnvrtbl5]

Really appreciate the demonstration. Glad to see that the battery is easily replaceable. Thank you for completing the procedure with the proof of operation!

[@TheRealCelerate]

I'm of the opinion that no electronics should be designed to be unserviceable by the owner. The idea of a disposable UPS is depressing.

[@seymourpro6097]

Remember that a good proportion of the population have problems holding a screwdriver, some don't even recognise a screwdriver.

[@kennthbrowne7051]

You can change battery get much longer run time I did get 9hours and more

[@AttilaSVK]

I have an older APC Back-UPS CS 500 I got for free with a dead battery. After a battery replacement this thing has been running my fiber optics to Ethernet converter, LTE modem used for failover, router, switch, wireless AP and the NAS for almost two years now.

[@uxwbill]

The lower capacity APC UPSes are great for that sort of thing. I've had a Smart UPS 420 backing up my Internet connectivity stuff for years.

[@twocvbloke]

They always say that there's no "User" serviceable parts inside, never "Administrator" or "Super-User" serviceable parts, after all, we are all admins of our own computers... :P

[@AiOinc1]

They've been putting that user serviceability tag on products since the advent of transistors, since those tend to rely more sensitively on other components and it's not easy to track a problem down. Tube equipment usually comes with a crapload of potentiometers that can easily be adjusted and since most all tubes are socketed, you can pull a bad one out and pop a good one in.

[@caseybalvert3547]

Have a BE425M that gave up the ghost. Since the terminals at the battery were putting out 13.79 volts and the battery terminals when disconnected I got under 6 volts I took a chance and ordered a replacment battery for under 20 bucks. Arrived today. The battery fit like a good glove. And it's ALIVE!. Watching the video convinced me to fix it instead of sending it to a recycling center. It is now backing up the power to my router extender/backup and printer.

[@uxwbill]

There's really very little that goes wrong with these things. I'm glad to hear you replaced the battery and got yours working again.

[@michaelrichardgreene9654]

Just bought my replacement battery! Looking forward to getting this back up to tip top shape when it comes in the mail!

[@alexhb12333]

Just gave mine a new lease on life for $10 thanks to your insight and the battery part number! You'll need: A thin #1 Phillips with at least 3 1/4" reach A pair of (preferably insulated) needle nose to help navigate the battery wires back into their channel Common sense (unplug and turn off the unit, don't touch the board while in there) Easy 5min fix for another 2-3 years of life

[@uxwbill]

I'm thrilled to hear this, though I'm not sure how much hope I hold out for the longevity of a $10 battery...

[@noahneutral7557]

I have a bn1500m2 and so far it's been treating me well. I wanted something like this for my second PC setup but I may spring for a second one of the one I already have.

[@RogerDiotte]

Hey thanks, I found the APC 450VA (Same as yours in video model number BN450M-CA) at my dump and of course since it's an APC it WILL have a replaceable battery! Sure enough there ya go however my main purpose for visiting here today was to see how to work that silly yellow Battery Disconnect switch on the bottom of the APC. As you demonstrate at the end I used a set of needle nose pliers and pulled up and voila! Thanks! Now onto ordering a battery for this thing in Canada! Weird thing btw is this APC is functioning when I plug it in (sometimes) and if I unplug or turn if off then turn on again I get the replace/dead battery flashing red/green and beep tone. Anyways I'm just going to order the battery and be done with it!

[@RossMorton]

throwing this out there: same battery used in chamberlain/craftsman/liftmaster garage door operators (very cheap!)

[@dfawkes55]

Thank you for this video. I was thinking of returning the APC 425 (or 450) unit. Now that you have shown me that the internal battery is a plug in and replaceable maintenance free lead unit, I will keep the unit. Its good to know that it is 12 volts 4.5 amp hour capacity. Keep up the good work uwx Bill All the best, Douglas.

[@kennthbrowne7051]

You change battery 🔋 you have 2 12 volt 12Amp battery 🔋 in small tool box 🧰 and ups and run much longer I did have 12V 12A and 12V 7.2A I keep it positive to positive and fused between positive of ups and negative to negative to negative the ups I 19.2A running my ups I do more than 8hours with laptop 💻

[@ericmonse2165]

I picked up one of these for my wife's Dell desktop at Walmart. I was totally unaware that this was not a replaceable battery model. So when hers finally went out I upgraded to a better model of APC

[@ThierryC2373]

Thanks for the video, mine is connected to my TV and recently I discovered that it could not hold more than 2 minutes after a power down. Now I know that I can change its battery for another 3 years lifetime.

[@lederereddy]

Thanks, MR. Bill! I have a 600VA APC unit, so I was just cruising around to see what I could learn! Not much, really, but I thoroughly enjoyed your video all the same!

[@uxwbill]

Truthfully, there's not that much to say. These small Back-UPS models are simple things. Their inverters output a "modified" sine wave (basically a square wave) and if there is a power problem, going to battery is the only thing they can do. The better ("larger") ones still only output a modified sine wave on battery but have an autotransformer that can adjust line voltage in at least one direction and do so without using up the battery. The charging circuit is probably the most interesting thing about newer models like the one shown. It's based on a Power Innovations single chip solution that does some neat and clever stuff to boost efficiency.

[@lederereddy]

@@uxwbill I have an SSD 500G /16G desktop with a 19" monitor and the wifi plugged into an APC 600 I am shopping for more units to spread the load. Do you recommend getting two more 600's or 1 of the bigger ones? I found a Tri-Lite (something like that) 1300 for a little more than two of the 600's. It's 900W and 1500 AV whatever that is. I think it's refurbished. But that is ok, usually, right? 180.00 including shipping. But really, all I care about is which way to go for longer-lasting results!

[@Therockandroll1991]

Of course, I now have to wonder if when the battery does go dead, if one could connect it to an external battery (inside a container, such as was demonstrated in an older video you made) and have it continue to function in that manner.

[@uxwbill]

I wouldn't recommend it. There isn't enough heatsinking metal in the inverter. So it'll overheat and in the best case shut down. In the worst, and arguably more likely case, it'll blow up.

[@dawn1berlitz]

speaking of cyberpower i have one of there UPS units powering my Spectrum modem and Asus wifi router though according to its app it says it can do it for 1.2 hours not sure if that is approximate or actual time it can run the battery in it now i pulled from one of them at&t backup battery things for there modems since the battery in the cyberpower ups was bad when i picked it up off the curb

[@Singkhorn.S]

Can you pull that yellow battery connector out once you already plugged it in? I tried on mine but couldn't.

[@ThierryC2373]

Yes you can, using a flat screwdriver at the internal edge to slowly popping it up.

[@proseincproseinc9815]

thanks just bought one today good to know you can replace it when and if I need to years from now thanks

[@Dantastic]

Reminds me of many of APC's older units, in particular, older Smart UPS units. They made it quite a pain to change the batteries on those and years later, made the batteries more serviceable. Looks like they're going backwards with these cheaper units.

[@uxwbill]

Yeah, they were definitely a pain.

[@davidhunt2846]

Thanks, just what I needed to know if buying these used is a worthwhile idea. Looks like they are fine to buy used (and replace the battery).

[@uxwbill]

Most of APC's products are even better value when you buy them used.

[@mikeo1141]

What size screwdriver needed to open the case? Also I assume they are Philips screws - not torx.

[@uxwbill]

It was probably #2 Philips.

[@alexhb12333]

Phillips #1, need at least 3-1/4" long, they are in there deep.

[@kconlon10]

Thank you! Nicely done.

[@dcformee123]

it looks like a toaster? LOL

[@TableWolfMusic]

If running them up against their limits breaks the invertor, what is likely to be the faulty component? A resistor? A capacitor? Or maybe the breaking (thereby shorting) of insulation on some induction coil? What to look for and how to fix it? Any videos on that recommened for youtube?

[@uxwbill]

It won't break the inverter for a while, as they are fairly well protected. It's bad practice in general to run something right up against its rated limits all the time, and it *will* beat the life out of the little battery. When said battery has a few miles on it, the end user may be disappointed to find that what once held their load for 3-5 minutes now holds it for less than a minute.

[@TableWolfMusic]

I once saw once of those wind-up batteries (where the sealed lead acid battery was about the size of that one you pulled out in the video) rated at a hundred watt have a 400watt tool plugged into thereby breaking one of the wind-up battery's power outputs. It had a mains output and a car-cigarette-lighter power output and a usb power output. The mains plug was the broken output. Yet the cigarette lighter still worked and the usb still worked. Also it still could charged from the mains or the wind-up just fine. I never found out what would have been the likely fault. Any vague possible ideas of what the likely fault would have been?

[@Scof-op2rx]

Thanks! Just the info I was looking for.

[@danrulz98]

That's weird, I just bought two of these and it came with the battery disconnected with instructions to open the bottom, pull the battery out, and connect the spade terminal on the top, then put it back together. The battery was totally serviceable, but the unit looks identical to yours, only difference is there's a door on the bottom.

[@danrulz98]

My model number is Back-UPS NS 650M1

[@uxwbill]

The larger units still have user-serviceable batteries.

[@danrulz98]

I suppose so. I bought the larger one because the price difference was something only $10-15. I have one powering my wireless router and the other powering my monitor and NAS on my desk (I use a laptop plugged into a monitor, laptop has integrated UPS)

[@peterzhao9158]

can the ups start without battery? most ups cannot. , 1)disconnect battery, 2)disconnect power input, then connect power again.

[@uxwbill]

Edited because apparently I cannot read: yes, this UPS will start and run without a battery attached. Of course, it will complain of a battery fault.

[@digitalrailroader]

I guess Office Depot is having a national sale of these BN450M UPSes, because I just picked one up from my local Office Depot for less than $50; and you saved me the trouble of wondering what's inside it!

[@uxwbill]

They were on sale at Best Buy as well, which is where this unit came from.

[@themaritimegirl]

It's nice to see Li-Ion starting to make an entry in the UPS market. They're just so much better than lead acid and would extend the service life of these disposable units greatly.

[@AverageJoe2020]

I thought that Li-Ion has a far lower charge-discharge cycle capacity than lead acid?

[@uxwbill]

I'm not against lithium-ion in any way, but I'd have to disagree. The only big disadvantage to lead-acid batteries is that of weight. Other than that, they're cheap, available everywhere, don't need much in the way of special care and they can tolerate a fair amount of abuse. One might say the lead constitutes a problem, but the lead acid battery industry has done an outstanding job of getting their product to be universally recycled, with 99% of lead acid batteries being recycled. That's a figure that towers by comparison to aluminum cans (55%), which are the next most frequently recycled product on the chart. Most SLA datasheets indicate a roughly 300 charge/discharge cycle lifetime (with the stipulation that a dead battery is recharged right away), which compares quite favorably with lithium-ion.

[@alexbright7735]

So happy to see another UXWBILL video I have missed his ramblings.

[@roushhawley8438]

that is an enormous resistor in the background, where did you get that and where can i get one?

[@uxwbill]

eBay, 8 ohm 120 watt audio power amplifier test resistor.

[@roushhawley8438]

awesome thanks

[@johnsweda2999]

yes I've got two of them big units a 5000VA and a 3500VA rack units not sure where they made think the US have to check them out. The batteries are shot on them acid batteries, like the one you showed. You said something, by just replacing the battery it still might not work why would this be the case? and can there be converted to run on lithium ion or lithium polymer batteries. are they worth anything units like that.

[@uxwbill]

Under normal circumstances it is NOT a problem to replace the battery in a UPS. With a unit like this, where the battery was not designed to ever be replaced, it's possible that the microcontroller would lock up or lose vital settings stored in a volatile memory if it lost power. Of course, hindsight being what it is, that doesn't make much sense because this product is *shipped* with its battery disconnected. So the microcontroller must be able to survive a power cut. Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer batteries are VERY different from lead acid batteries. A lead acid battery can be abused by overcharging and severe discharge without much risk. Lead acid batteries do not require particularly careful charging and will survive modest overcharges. If you try any of that with a lithium ion/polymer battery, the result will be a violent failure of the battery. The short answer is that a conversion is not possible, nor recommended. For your 3500VA and 5000VA units, car batteries can be used as long as you're careful to make sure the wiring is heavy enough to support the load and the batteries are appropriately stored. Adequate ventilation must be available as regular lead acid batteries can expel explosive gases during charging. Be very, very, very careful if you opt to do this. Fuse everything, don't wear anything that conducts electricity while working on the setup (no rings, watches, metal wristbands or other jewelry!) and never skimp on protective devices such as fuses. They won't last anything like as long as the proper replacement batteries would, but it doesn't matter when they're much cheaper. And you'll still get several years out of them.

[@camilobueno216]

How long do you have to charge it for for the first time? 24 hours with the green light on? Another question: after the initial charge of 24 hours do I unplug the yellow connector? And after the 8 hours of charging I have to unplug the yellow connector? Thanks

[@uxwbill]

The initial charge takes around 8 hours to complete. You can wait for 24 if you want, nothing will be harmed. The yellow connector must stay plugged in for the unit to function as designed. You would only ever unplug the yellow connector if you are shipping the UPS or storing it for a long time. The UPS charges any time it is plugged into a working power outlet. It does not matter if the green light is on or not. You do not have to worry that it will overcharge the battery, as that is automatically managed.

[@240mains]

The BN450M manual page 3 , says 24 hours

[@averyalexander2303]

Hey Bill, I'm just curious- What is your opinion on lithium ion UPS units? I don't really see the benefit. Thanks.

[@uxwbill]

I have yet to use one. They're awfully expensive, and I'm fairly sure that vendor lock-in will be the order of the day for batteries. Doubt I'd ever buy one, but if one fell into my lap sometime...

[@averyalexander2303]

Thank you for your response. I'd love to see a lithium ion ups tested, but I don't really see a benefit, and I see several drawbacks. It's not like weight is super important, so why bother using a lithium ion battery.

[@ArlenMoulton2]

easier to service than most of the non-disposable ones

[@noelj62]

Hi uxwbill, To your experience, does the position of the battery (vertical vs. horizontal) affect its longevity?

[@uxwbill]

No. These batteries are designed for use in any orientation. Heat affects their longevity the most of anything. My personal recommendation is to never load a UPS up to more than 50% of its rated capacity before going up to the next model. It'll be happier and longer lived.

[@joshportelli]

Nice detective work

[@BonhommeRichard91]

I have an old APC..probably about 16yo...Every few years I replace the battery and that's about all I've ever done to it. I got the APC at no cost.

[@Lachlant1984]

What's that silver box like object at the left of the image with the slow flashing light in the lower right corner?

[@Fuzy2K]

It appears to be a Western Digital My Book Duo.

[@uxwbill]

That's exactly what it is.

[@borndiy5490]

I thought in pass I was aware you can change out battery. Why is it the stores show replacement if you can't replace. I just bought the apc 650v from OfcDepot. First few days I had odd odor in home. Unplugged everything for 1-wk. Plugged in for a week and did not have an odor, so plugged in items again. Now weekend before Capitol Attack slowly odor started again. Been 3-4 days and gotten worse so unplugged all again. Will wait and if odor goes away, will try to return for refund. I have a CyberPower and have no problems with odors. Thanks for your tutorial opening battery.

[@uxwbill]

This is not the 650 VA model, which if memory serves, has a battery access door. (The 900 VA model definitely does.) What you're smelling are probably plasticizers and similar chemicals used during production of the UPS. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, and it seems that some APC products emit more of it than others. The gentle warmth from the circuitry within will enhance the smell through convection and probably speeding up the outgassing of chemicals.

[@borndiy5490]

Thanks...appreciate your input.

[@garrettdidomizio2391]

Did you get this particular unit from office depot? I've gotten several new ones from there and I find it weird some of the lower models don't have anywhere to plug it into a computer so you might be able to have the APC shut off the computer.

[@garrettdidomizio2391]

Also, what is in your most facorite, reliable version of the APCs?

[@uxwbill]

This came from Best Buy. Out of all of APC's products, my favorite would be the 3rd and 4th generation (pre-Microlink) Smart-UPS series. They're tough to beat.

[@Lachlant1984]

Have you had much experience with Eaton PowerWare UPS products? I bought one about 12 years ago, it lasted me about 4 years before the battery failed.

[@uxwbill]

I have exactly one: a Powerware 5110. It is the only consumer grade unit I've seen from Eaton/Powerware in the wild. Pretty much everyone buys APC, with a few buying Cyberpower and Tripp Lite in third place. (Only APC and Cyberpower have any retail presence here. You'd have to go online to get the others.) I think the Powerware unit is OK, and I commend Eaton for cooperating as much as they did with open source (Network UPS Tools), but it is kind of irritating that it doesn't respond as a USB HID battery class device. As such it demands the use of Eaton software or a third party solution such as NUT.

[@Lachlant1984]

OK, well I bought my unit in 2005 and I believe it was a consumer grade model. I can't remember the model number, I think it was a 3000 series, but I can't be certain as I don't have the unit anymore. My sister's boyfriend gutted the unit and converted it into a 12 volt power supply that he uses to recharge his quadcopter batteries and for a while he used it to power his 3D printer. I purchased my unit from Dick Smith, a consumer electronics store that's virtually gone now, they only have an online presence these days.

[@thatcomputerguy3593]

Druaga1's camera also cuts out after the file size reaches 2GBs.

[@theirisheditor]

That's so much easier than the Belkin 1200VA I had. To get to its batteries, I had to disconnect the wires from the PCB, remove the PCB and another board or two to get at the batteries. Unfortunately it didn't isolate the heat of the transformer from batteries, so the batteries typically failed after two years. After the last battery failure, I brought home an old APC Smart UPS 1000VA from work that had failed batteries, replaced them and am now using it as my PC's UPS. The only thing I don't like the APC is that it seems to test the earth connection when plugged in, tripping the main RCB on the consumer unit and of course knocking the power off. This means if I ever unplug the UPS, I must make sure no one is depending on power (e.g. watching TV) when I plug it in, as it will trip the RCB. Once I reset the RCB, the UPS powers up fine and maintains the load during power cuts.

[@uxwbill]

Many of the Belkin units make battery replacements an absolute pain and they too consider a lot of models to have non-user-serviceable batteries. I've got a much smaller (650 or so VA) unit made by Powercom for Belkin and while it too is considered non-user-serviceable, the battery just drops in next to the transformer while the circuit board remains in the top half of the case. It too seems to cook batteries much sooner than any of my other UPSes.

[@seannoh672]

Can anyone confirm that these connect to F2 terminals on the battery? I'm looking at replacement batteries for this unit and most of them come with F1 terminals.

[@uxwbill]

It's an F2 terminal.

[@seannoh672]

@@uxwbill, thank you.

[@pileggitech]

Great video! I have one of those clock kits too, with white LEDs. They're nice. I can't change the time and temperature format though, but that just means I have to use my brain.

[@uxwbill]

I like the 24 hour timekeeping, if only because it confuses some people (at least for a while). It would be nice if there were a version of these kits that indicated temperature in °F or let you choose between the units. There is a programming header on the board, though as far as I'm aware, nobody has the code and presumably it can't be pulled out of the microcontroller's flash ROM?

[@pileggitech]

I can live with the 24 hour format as I've used it at work before but changing the temperature to °F would be nice. There seems to be a way to here: github.com/zerog2k/stc_diyclock They have all of the coding and even show which pins on that header are needed.

[@uxwbill]

It's nice to see that someone's published some code for these clocks. I've got some header pins here and might populate them on the second clock.

[@mikes978]

I purchased this only 2 months ago and the battery has already failed on me. Although it’s still under factory warranty, I’d still have to pay for the shipping cost. I am also disappointed that it contains a lead acid battery and not li-ion as I am just finding out now.

[@uxwbill]

Although it's certainly possible to have gotten a defective battery, I'd make sure the attached load is suitable. Stay below 50% of the rating if at all possible. Very few of these use a lithium ion battery. The SLA bricks are by comparison much cheaper, safer, easier to charge and inexpensive to replace. Their only drawback is one of weight. You can recycle the dead battery at any place automotive batteries are sold and get a new one for about $25 if you shop around.

[@SirTragain]

Would it run a garage door opener?

[@uxwbill]

No. You'd want a larger model, and preferably having a true sine wave output.

[@AiOinc1]

It seems like these could be a great device for keeping things like telephones, answering machines, and critical network devices online during an outage.

[@aleksandersats9577]

thats what there ment for

[@uxwbill]

They do very well at that. I've been using a small Smart UPS to do exactly that for several years now. I know for a fact it'll keep the DSL and my wireless router running for at least an hour and a half. It showed no sign of stopping, but the lights finally did come back on.

[@amzonfire6013]

This model, after the electricity goes off, it stays on for only 2 hrs and 20 minutes, EVEN WITHOUT ANY LOADS. This unit comes with a 12V 4.5AH battery, so I added in parallel a 12V 35AH battery to it, that makes it a 12V 39.5AH unit. It's supposed to last 5 hours without electricity for what I'm using it for(about 90 Watts), but it doesn't. At first I thought it was overheating with the load I was putting it through, so I tried very light loads, like 10 Watts, and it would still shut off at 2 hrs and 20 minutes, so I tried it without any loads whatsoever... same thing. Does anybody knows how to override this?

[@uxwbill]

Your best bet is to use this model as intended and find an older, simpler UPS to modify. If there is a timer that puts a cap on the maximum runtime, it's probably resident in the microcontroller and there's not much you can do about that. (The microcontroller not only drives the inverter, it also syncs its output to the powerline frequency.)

[@DragonSoulRising2745]

This was very helpful, thank you!

[@DragonSoulRising2745]

I wanted to add that I was able to repair my own unit (I have the exact one in your video). It had been inoperable gathering dust for a few months, thank and you again for the step by step.

[@macinman]

Hi Bill, picked one of these up today for backing up my Modem, router, and switch. I have a CyberPower Pure Sine Wave on the iMac. The new physical setup requires two separate UPS systems as the components are no longer physically able to share one UPS now. I finally got to the bottom of my flickering lights and strange UPS behavior. My circuit breaker had suffered damaged and the apartment complex had to higher electricians to replace it and clean up the burned wiring. They also had to pull the meter, which normal maintenance wasn't able to do, because they got scared as the meter didn't pull out instantly when they tried. Turns out the newer digital meters can be harder to pull vs the older ones. Either way I seem to have clean power now, and all is quiet.

[@nicholasbrown8384]

I'm about to get one, and am a bit sad about the disposable design. The old one at least had a slide-off battery door. 😕

[@WizzRacing]

I never throw one away.. Them Switching Replays are great. As APC1500 is notorious for them going bad...

[@GarrardAT6]

Another thoroughly enjoyable video! But you are naughty...You've made me NEED a USB power meter and a USB light...haha!!! Not living in the 'World' of America, most of my APC Smart-UPS's were manufactured in Ireland, a few are from the Philippines, but I love them all just the same!

[@uxwbill]

Of *course* I'm naughty. I'm a professional bad example! :-P I think we got some of those Irish made units over here, though I've never personally seen one. It's good to hear from you again! The Smart-UPS units are great: reliable, durable, and capable of outputting very clean electrical power. And when they do go wrong, they can often be repaired.

[@HeinserTorres]

Can i connect a 12 v router to that connector ?

[@uxwbill]

No.

[@Ctb-rm5hg]

Let me start out by saying, Great Video!!! If you like saving $ & if you own a APC Back-UPS this is the video to watch, PERIOD. I just picked up my very 1st APC Back-UPS 450v from Worst Buy, I mean, Best Buy. So as usual, I went to KZbin to watch some reviews, luckily I found this gem of a video! I've learned a couple of things from this video that I wouldn't of found on a typical review video. (1. APC calls the product "Disposable". I thought I bought something similar to a power strip/surge protector, w/a battery back-up, take care of it & it'll last forever. 2. APC might call it "Disposable" but I've learned from your video that when the internal battery dies I can easliy replace it w/another battery. Battery Back-UPS is going to last just as long if not longer than a non abused power strip/surge protector! A question from the student to the guru. I have a non abused, over 15 year old CyberPower surge protector w/8 outlets, I only have 6 things plugged into. (1. T.V. (65" Samsung QLED) 2. Chromecast Ultra 3. Directv 4k cable box, just the cable box 4. Samsung SmartThings Hub 5. Netgear 5-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch 6. Arlo Home Security Hub) On the APC I have 4 devices hooked up (Battery back-up side. 1. CyberPower 2.CenturyLink C1100Z modem 3.Directv 4k, (2nd box, looks similar to a small gamer cpu tower))(On the surge side, I only have a Phillips Hue Hub plugged into that. My Question is, am I overwhelming the APC w/the CyberPower or is it fine?

[@uxwbill]

With the TV turned on and operating, yes, you may very well overload the APC Back-UPS. If that happens, it will shut down and the load should be reduced right away. It's not a good idea to connect a surge protector or outlet strip to these, especially the smaller models. The surge protection components may also cause the Back-UPS to indicate an overload. With these smaller Back-UPS models, they can't stand a lot of "expansion" beyond what the outlets on the UPS itself can provide. If you want to keep your TV running, I'd recommend getting a UPS just for it, and I'd pick a larger model (probably at least 600VA, and something like a 1000VA model would be better).

[@Ctb-rm5hg]

@@uxwbill 3, 4 days, so far so good, everything seems to work fine, I'll leave it as is until it shut down then I'll definitely reduce the load. Thank you for the insight.

[@utterden]

Bill, Thanks for doing a video. Been a while

[@uxwbill]

It's only been about five days. Maybe subscriptions are diddled again?

[@HeroShotz]

Can i just use one of these as a power bank for when i go camping or something ?

[@uxwbill]

Not for very long, and if you do, the battery will not be long lived. It's intended to be recharged immediately after use. At best, which means only under an extremely light load, you might get two hours of runtime.

[@240mains]

A real UPS system is this : AC power goes out , Battery UPS comes On Line to keep everything running , just long enough for rthe Generators to come On Line . Once the Generators are On Line , the battery Ups returns to Charge mode . Once AC poewr is restored , the Generators go OFF line . At home most will NOT have a Generator . So the UPS is mostly meant to keep your stuff running for a very short time , just long enough for you to shut everything down and turn everything OFF . After that , i would Unplug from the wall , and wait for AC power to come back on line . Some UPS come with USB and software to power down your equipment thus the UPS is only running on battery just long enough to properly shut down everything . Long time runtime on battery can be achieved at low power loads , modem , wifi router 10 watts or so , for many hours . Assuming you have mission critical communications with No Generators .

[@NetWibe]

I just got one today and plug in and after 30 minutes started to beeps and red and green light . Fuse is installed and pluged in the wall. what a hell?

[@uxwbill]

Possible battery test failure or overload. Turn the power switch off, but leave it plugged in for 24 hours. Try again. If it still happens, check the total wattage of all the equipment that is plugged into the UPS.

[@NetWibe]

@@uxwbill , nothing is plugged in, it looks like bad battery.

[@travis4798]

It's sad that Belkin and other ups' (which those companies don't even specialize in ups') out there get better reviews then APC. In fact my new APC ups is almost 8 months old, the battery is already depleting.

[@Bayneman100]

I have a UPS just like that but with a slide out door on the bottom to revel the battery. Also the battery in mine is a lot larger than the one seen her.

[@gordonwilhelm9232]

Sounds like you have the 650 or the 900. They have user-replaceable batteries (officially). This is the 450, and it does not (officially, though it looks like you can just open it up and replace it, if you don't mind voiding warranties).

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

Just how many of those things do you own uxwbill?

[@uxwbill]

Too many.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

***** Thanks for the reply UXWBill,and congratulations on 30k subscribers. I'll believe that lol. Have you ever thought of getting a home generator? Might be better than a couple dozen UPS's everywhere.

[@benniedonald]

Very informative thanks

[@NavneetSingh-os7ve]

Thanks doe sharing, very informative

[@patrickmatthews95]

Good video

[@thomasdipaolo2349]

Super helpful. Thank you

[@timlipinski2571]

Great video ! My Go-To UPS is the APC Smart-UPS 1500 mini tower from ebay (so older is better and maybe built in the USA...) that took two batteries from ebay (needed the wiring kit). Also have the 2U Tripp Lite 1500 LCD that is 10" deep and may take two batteries (came from ebay w/batteries). The LCD screen tells the utility voltage and other information (usually leave the screen tuned down). Would like to get a APC Smart-UPS 1500 2U RM that uses only four (4) batteries... My craiglist mini rack is only 21" deep. Just ordered a laptop from the Dell Laborday Sale ! With the laptop then I can go into the APC UPS and reduce the charging rate... Also the UPS keeps my system up and running when the lights flicker and can watch your KZbin videos ! Thank you for the video ! tjl

[@romelpatani884]

So I got mine today, but for some reason it’s not working? It’s obviously plugged in the wall outlet. But when I plug an iPhone charger or my fan on the UPS, it is not getting power on the battery+surge outlet. Any idea?

[@uxwbill]

The battery backed outlets are switched. A green light will come on in the power button button if they are on. If this green light is on, you should contact APC support for further troubleshooting, as the UPS may be defective.

[@KillerRaptorr]

I don't know if you were trying to repair the ups or whatever. but at 3mins when you were trying to 'test' if it was good. You forgot to put the breaker plug in (aka battery connector the yellow plug.) (seen at 3:42) before you turned the unit on. That's why at near end of the video when you apparently did. it worked no prob. :p.

[@uxwbill]

The video title is quite enlightening. As is the description.

[@Fawltykog]

2:53 It's haunted!

[@MIW_Renegade]

Haha same

[@ArlenMoulton2]

would you rather buy a used APC BK300 with new battery or a new generic chinese unit?

[@uxwbill]

I've yet to see a generic Chinese UPS on the market. I have seen pictures, but no actual product for sale anywhere.

[@ArlenMoulton2]

uxwbill theres one that is manufactured by east power on ebay.

[@uxwbill]

Doesn't seem that they are a thing in the US.

[@ArlenMoulton2]

uxwbill wow! Wasnt expecting that. It looks to share similar construction as this unit but is only £35 ($45). An old APC unit seems like a better option to me though.

[@coondogtheman]

Great, you just made me want one of those USB lights. I'm eying a couple of PCB ones that I saw on Amazon, They would be great on the many power banks that I have. I have a monster power bank (20,000mA). I'll find the brightest PCB USB light and use it with that.

[@uxwbill]

They're both of cheap and quite impressive. If you get a PCB style light, it really should have a limiting resistor if there isn't one on the board.

[@coondogtheman]

Most of the ones I've seen have an IC that allows dimming and most of the small basic ones have limiting resistors. Here's ta couple I saw: www.amazon.com/Yitee-Keychain-Electrodeless-Dimming-Keyboard/dp/B00QYNPKU2/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_229_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VSXCA2V178TW29Z11Z95 The smaller ones: www.amazon.com/DROK-Efficient-Brightest-Emergency-Decoration/dp/B00TGTB4HO/ref=pd_sim_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00TGTB4HO&pd_rd_r=YZR5XRNXPCR62QMGCX89&pd_rd_w=Ld9Yh&pd_rd_wg=Jjdi1&psc=1&refRID=YZR5XRNXPCR62QMGCX89 They have lots more than this. I'm going to get many different kinds.

[@jcarter8765]

Great video

[@Browningate]

I guess I didn't even know that these consumer-grade sub-$60 units were considered "disposable." I always just replaced the batteries on them anyway.

[@uxwbill]

It's been my experience so far that most people don't. Some don't even know there is a battery in there to replace, or those that do don't know that it *can* be replaced.

[@240mains]

He doesn't know what he is talking about . The user manual page 8 , says the Battery Is to be Replaced. No wherer in the manual does it say to throw the ups away when the battery dies .

[@chris2crazzy]

Ok? What's the time frame on this battery if I'm running a cb radio on it as a back up? Thanks

[@uxwbill]

Even if your CB radio runs directly from 120/240 volts AC, you won't want to power it from this. The inverter will interfere with reception and transmission...unless you live in a part of the world where FM is used instead of AM for CB radio.

[@chris2crazzy]

@@uxwbill 😂😂😂😂

[@chris2crazzy]

@@uxwbill cb radios are am lol

[@uxwbill]

Joke's on you: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB_radio_in_the_United_Kingdom

[@jamescollins6175]

I see no reason for this device to be disposable other than greed, and the mindset of the average consumer to care more about the outlay of a purchase rather than the value it will provide over time. It's fair enough that they discourge the replacement of the battery, but they shouldn't say it can't be done when it clearly can be with relative ease. By the time that battery reaches the end of its useful life, it's unlikely the device will still be under warranty anyway.

[@richms]

To be able to say they are user serviceable they have to be isolated designs since some idiot will open the battery hatch when plugged in and get a shock off the terminals otherwise. That adds considerably to the price. Saying not user serviceable and putting the hazardous voltages behind screws means that they can use a cheaper non isolated design.

[@uxwbill]

The charging circuitry in this unit *is* line isolated.

[@ThatCuteMacaw]

More uxwbill, Yaaaaaaay!

[@kingjuggalo2440]

Do These Work To Keep My Ps4 From Cutting Off During A Power Flicker Cause Flickering Killed My Last Ps4 Pro After Too Many Times It ERASED!!! Everything I Had Done Over 2 Years Sad Day

[@uxwbill]

Yes.

[@DankyMankey]

APC themselves even recommend changing the battery every 3 years.

[@ThejasonJaw5442]

Video was helpful I was able to obtain this battery at battery warehouse the older APC my has a compartment on the bottom were the battery goes

[@matytomek3574]

Just put door there and use plastic to wall of electronics maybe do something to the microcontroller and you have fully user replacable battery in ups

[@claypf4795]

APC used to make quality units in the 90s

[@uxwbill]

They still do, if you buy something a bit further upmarket than this.

[@kiskiller3]

true, the plasticv upss are crap, but the more high end smart ups are quite nice ! but i love the old symmetra upss.

[@claypf4795]

Sadeoo7, you would be better off looking into alternative to SmartUPS from companies like Eaton or Minuteman. APC does not closely monitor the temperature of the battery in these, and it this point it could be argued they're engineered to fail.

[@matthew65536]

it it me or does your UPS from the top view almost look like a VHS player?

[@uxwbill]

That's called a VCR (or in the case of one without recording capability -- a VCP.)

[@a4e69636b]

I was hoping to see this UPS in action. Connect a computer to it then pull the plug of the UPS to see the computer still running.

[@uxwbill]

If you want a UPS for a computer, get a bigger model than this (minimum 700 VA).

[@a4e69636b]

Thanks you for replying. After watching this video I went out and bought this UPS.... for my computer. Mine is 450VA. That should give me enough time to shutdown properly.

[@uxwbill]

It's worth considering that as the batteries age, the amount of runtime they can provide will decline. So let's say this would keep your computer running for five minutes when brand new. In three years, it may barely manage two. If ever you're not around, Windows or APC's PowerChute will place your computer into hibernation when the battery gets low. Since that involves writing the entire computer's memory contents to disk, it can take several minutes. That may be time you don't have with a smaller UPS. Buying a UPS that's a bit larger than you need also affords you the ability to upgrade or expand your computer in future without having to worry that the UPS will handle the extra load.

[@a4e69636b]

Thank you for the advice. I just did a test of my UPS and it give me 30 minutes of run-time when using my 21.5" iMac. I was only reading a pdf and watched a youtube video near the end.

[@bluefoxtv1566]

Not a big fan of these small UPS units because so many people buy them and over load them with big gaming rigs and non accentual devices.

[@uxwbill]

You can say that again! I'm *amazed* by how people cheap out on these things. These and computer power supplies have to be some of the worst-offending products when it comes to people choosing something completely inappropriate for their needs!

[@Bluethunderboom]

I didn't know this device can let you change to fresh new Lead Acid Brick to get this thing going again. Hopefully this original lead acid brick will not leak it through like the notorious cheapo Chinese made heavy duty batteries, that would not be that fun at all. I'll go with Japanese Made Batteries and/or American Made Batteries.

[@uxwbill]

SLA batteries will usually only leak if grossly neglected after they are worn out. Most of the time they just swell and get hot. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any SLA battery manufacturer producing product in the United States. A few Japanese companies still make such batteries, but they have moved production to Taiwan, China, Vietnam and similar places.

[@Bluethunderboom]

And even close to Malaysia two that they are making one two. Back in the old days, in Germany, they used to make Lead Acid Batteries until by the time, they no longer make one.

[@TheTechyLuke]

I'm sure it'll work just fine for what most home peeps want it for, but much prefer our Symmetra RMs and Smart-UPS' for our kit at work, great management and power back up!

[@floridaman7]

Mine lasted less than a year. The battery is still good.

[@northhankspin]

cool

[@FubarMike]

You should test it by plugging in a vacuum cleaner and a tea kettle at the same time and see what happens. I wonder how much magical smoke is inside that to make it work

[@uxwbill]

Unless one were to make a habit of doing such things, the unit would just shutdown and complain of an overload. They are reasonably well protected. Some years ago, APC issues a recall on various "CS" 350 and 500 VA UPS models. Interestingly, some units that would have otherwise fallen under the recall were repaired by APC before they were sold. APC's never said much about what the exact problem is other than to call it a possible fire hazard, but people have noticed the presence of additional fusing in series with the transformer primary on factory repaired units. Since I had such a unit (a CS350 if you really want to know) that fell under the recall, I decided to test a theory I had about why the units were recalled. I theorized that their overload protection didn't work and wouldn't shut the unit down safely in the case of a particularly egregious overload situation, thus leading to a fire hazard. Indeed it failed to shut down with a nearly 600 watt load attached (over twice its rated output capacity). Nor did it complain of being overloaded by lighting up the overload indicator on the front panel. Output voltage sagged massively, and the inverter behaved as though its power devices were being run into hard clipping (which of course they were). The replacement I received behaved in a markedly different manner under the same situation. Not only did it immediately illuminate the overload lamp, the inverter also behaved as though it was going into soft limiting rather than hard clipping. Whether this is a characteristic of the driver or the transformer core saturating I can't say for sure.

[@SudosFTW]

been meaning to replace my BK300C with a 550VA unit I have down here in the basement for quite some time, since the sparcstation 5, MSI Windbox running Opnsense and an Airport Extreme N are now running full-time off of it, and that's probably not good for longevity.

[@Gadgetman1989]

yay another awesome video :)

[@Techinfinite0605]

why the audio echoing

[@uxwbill]

It's not.

[@seymourpro6097]

Have you ever considered running a UPS off a large LiFePO4 battery?

[@uxwbill]

No.

[@curiosity2314]

Well when uncertain, break out Google before getting yourself into trouble or uncertain territory.

[@uxwbill]

I thoroughly enjoy getting into copious quantities of trouble. :-P (And this from someone with a user name of 'curiosity'?) Prior to buying this unit and making the video, I did search the web to see if anyone had taken one apart and posted pictures or observations. It seemed that I overestimated the adventurous nature of the general public.

[@curiosity2314]

Touche.. :)

[@AverageJoe2020]

That's sad, a product that shouldn't exist.

[@mjmcomputers]

If they were going to make it disposable you would think they would at least put a longer lasting battery in it. Seems like a waste.

[@kiskiller3]

the thing is a longer lasting battery doesnt really exist, sla batteries a pretty much some of the best batteries for standby use but its the heat that kill them, otherwise you can have them last alot longer. i have a big ups system in my lab and i have had the same batteries since 2009 and they are still in great shape, because they never got warmer than 20C.

[@240mains]

BN450M is NOT disposable . The user manual page 8 says to Replace the Battery. No where in the manual does it say to throw the unit in the trash when the battery dies . If you wnat a bigger battery in BN450M , then put a bigger battery in it ( external ) CSB GP 12720 F2 or CSB GP 12120 F2 ,...24 bucks and 40 bucks respectively .

[@Jerkwad152]

I wonder how one of these would like being hooked up to a big deep-cycle marine battery. :3

[@240mains]

i would only use SLA battery with BN450M , such as CSB GP 12720 F2 or CSB GP 12120 F2 or maybe CSB GP 12170 i am using CSB GP 12720 F2 and CSB GP 12120 F2 . for 200+ watt load ,

[@NJRoadfan]

If the unit was truly disposable, they would have made the battery impossible to remove and they would have soldered the wires onto the terminals.

[@uxwbill]

I'd have to think soldering, probably by hand, would be a lot more expensive than machine crimped terminals. It's _effectively_ disposable to most people.

[@240mains]

Read the included manual page 8 . No where in the manual does is say BN450M is to be discarded when the battery dies , No where . In fact , page 8 says the Battery is to be Replaced .