Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
Unplug all your electronic devices and plug in a lamp with a 100 Watt incandescent light build. With the lamp on unplug the UPS from the wall and see what happens. If the battery is dead it won't last all that long. Gave ~5 mins. So I let it charge for 24 hrs now it gives me 36 mins. Which is wierd; what happened to all that charge? I haven't had to use it for 6-7 mons. Isn't the unit supposed to stay topped-up? Another thing: When I do the remove-the-usb-cable test I don't see the communication lost error in apcupsd.events until I switch the dial-up off and on quickly! In the conf file I have DEVICE: /dev/ttyS[0-3] because the default, /dev/ttyS0, locks out the modem. But why does the UPS need to know about serial ports? It connects by this funny RJ-45/USB cable. I wonder does the manufacturer assume the serial port won't be used? mw __ The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Yahoo! Get it Now for Free! at http://downloads.yahoo.com/ca/internetexplorer/
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 10:31 AM, maxim wexler bliss...@yahoo.com wrote: Unplug all your electronic devices and plug in a lamp with a 100 Watt incandescent light build. With the lamp on unplug the UPS from the wall and see what happens. If the battery is dead it won't last all that long. Gave ~5 mins. So I let it charge for 24 hrs now it gives me 36 mins. Which is wierd; what happened to all that charge? I haven't had to use it for 6-7 mons. Isn't the unit supposed to stay topped-up? Well, assuming it was a 100 Watt incandescent that really draws 100 Watts, then that's probably 1/2 to 1/3 the draw of a typical desktop PC implying you would get 12-18 minutes before shutdown. (Really rough ideas - just numbers, etc. Don't take it too seriously.) These batteries have a limited lifetime and they need to be charged up if they haven't been used in a while. From the APC Forums an APC representative posted the following. Note #3: [QUOTE] Most APC batteries should last three to five years. Below are some guidelines to ensure optimum life expectancy: ***Some APC Back UPS models may have a shorter battery life expectancy. Please reference the user's manual of your APC Back UPS to determine the exact battery life expectancy. 1. Make sure that you keep your APC UPS in a cool, dry location with plenty of ventilation. Ideally, the temperature where your UPS is kept should not exceed 75° F (24° C). Also, for ventilation purposes, leave roughly one to two inches on each side for proper airflow. 2. Only perform runtime calibrations on your UPS one or two times a year, if necessary. Some of our customers want to check their systems to verify that their runtime is sufficient. However, consistently performing these calibrations can significantly decrease the life expectancy of your APC battery. 3. Do not store APC batteries for extended periods of time. New batteries can be stored for 6 to 12 months. After this period, the battery should be used or it will lose a great deal of its charge. It is not advisable to store batteries that have already been in use. 4. Do not exceed 80 percent of a UPS unit’s rated capacity due to the reduction in run time. When you increase your load, your runtime lessens. In the event of a power failure, a UPS loaded to full capacity will drain and discharge it’s battery quickly and will lessen the life expectancy. [/QUOTE] Another thing: When I do the remove-the-usb-cable test I don't see the communication lost error in apcupsd.events until I switch the dial-up off and on quickly! In the conf file I have DEVICE: /dev/ttyS[0-3] because the default, /dev/ttyS0, locks out the modem. But why does the UPS need to know about serial ports? It connects by this funny RJ-45/USB cable. I wonder does the manufacturer assume the serial port won't be used? Strange stuff but above my pay grade... - Mark
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:31:45 -0700 (PDT), maxim wexler wrote: In the conf file I have DEVICE: /dev/ttyS[0-3] because the default, /dev/ttyS0, locks out the modem. But why does the UPS need to know about serial ports? It connects by this funny RJ-45/USB cable. I wonder does the manufacturer assume the serial port won't be used? If it's connected by USB, the device should be /dev/ttyUSB0 but the software should detect this for itself. The relevant lines from my apcupsd.conf are UPSCABLE usb UPSTYPE usb DEVICE -- Neil Bothwick Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken. signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
Mark Knecht wrote: On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 10:31 AM, maxim wexler bliss...@yahoo.com wrote: Unplug all your electronic devices and plug in a lamp with a 100 Watt incandescent light build. With the lamp on unplug the UPS from the wall and see what happens. If the battery is dead it won't last all that long. Gave ~5 mins. So I let it charge for 24 hrs now it gives me 36 mins. Which is wierd; what happened to all that charge? I haven't had to use it for 6-7 mons. Isn't the unit supposed to stay topped-up? Well, assuming it was a 100 Watt incandescent that really draws 100 Watts, then that's probably 1/2 to 1/3 the draw of a typical desktop PC implying you would get 12-18 minutes before shutdown. (Really rough ideas - just numbers, etc. Don't take it too seriously.) snip Another thing: When I do the remove-the-usb-cable test I don't see the communication lost error in apcupsd.events until I switch the dial-up off and on quickly! In the conf file I have DEVICE: /dev/ttyS[0-3] because the default, /dev/ttyS0, locks out the modem. But why does the UPS need to know about serial ports? It connects by this funny RJ-45/USB cable. I wonder does the manufacturer assume the serial port won't be used? Strange stuff but above my pay grade... - Mark It's not supposed to say DEVICE /dev/ttyS0 for USB, it should just be blank as per /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
It's not supposed to say DEVICE /dev/ttyS0 for USB, it should just be blank as per /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf Previously I had v.3.14 which I had installed from a tarball; now I'm using 3.12 installed via portage. And even though in both cases the conf file defaults to UPSTYPE usb the DEVICE has been listed as /dev/ttyS0. 3.14 complained it couldn't read the port whatever I put for DEVICE, /dev/ttyS0 or /dev/ttyS[0-3] or leaving just DEVICE followed by a blank. Now at least #apcaccess status reports something besides an error. mw __ Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/gift/
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
The relevant lines from my apcupsd.conf are Yep, that's what I got. UPSCABLE usb UPSTYPE usb DEVICE blank didn't work in v3.14 for me. Now, with v3.12, this might change. I'll give it a whirl. DEVICE -- Neil Bothwick Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken. __ Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA at http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:56:06 -0700 (PDT), maxim wexler wrote: UPSCABLE usb UPSTYPE usb DEVICE blank didn't work in v3.14 for me. Now, with v3.12, this might change. I'll give it a whirl. DEVICE I'm using 3.14.5-r2. Post your complete configuration file. -- Neil Bothwick I haven't lost my mind; it's backed up on tape somewhere. signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
maxim wexler wrote: Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350 and less than a year old. It only saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power failed for a few minutes. Why isn't it charging. Or is it? It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh? I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins time left. If I just unplug it from the back of the PC, will it charge? Is the battery caput? Maxim I had a similar problem at work (but with the windows client). APC told me to charge the UPS overnight with 0 load and then see what that run time is after performing a self test. signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?
On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 6:40 PM, maxim wexler bliss...@yahoo.com wrote: Hi group, Lookee here: kyzyl linux # apcaccess status APC : 001,034,0852 DATE : Tue Apr 28 19:26:47 MDT 2009 HOSTNAME : kyzyl RELEASE : 3.12.4 VERSION : 3.12.4 (19 August 2006) gentoo UPSNAME : kyzyl CABLE : USB Cable MODEL : Back-UPS ES 350 UPSMODE : Stand Alone STARTTIME: Tue Apr 28 15:47:20 MDT 2009 STATUS : ONLINE LINEV : 120.0 Volts LOADPCT : 71.0 Percent Load Capacity BCHARGE : 100.0 Percent TIMELEFT : 2.8 Minutes MBATTCHG : 5 Percent MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes MAXTIME : 0 Seconds LOTRANS : 088.0 Volts HITRANS : 139.0 Volts ALARMDEL : Always BATTV : 13.4 Volts LASTXFER : Input frequency out of range NUMXFERS : 0 TONBATT : 0 seconds CUMONBATT: 0 seconds XOFFBATT : N/A STATFLAG : 0x0708 Status Flag MANDATE : 2007-10-16 SERIALNO : 3B0742X02836 BATTDATE : 2000-00-00 NOMBATTV : 12.0 FIRMWARE : 23.B1.D USB FW:B1 APCMODEL : Back-UPS ES 350 END APC : Tue Apr 28 19:27:34 MDT 2009 Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350 and less than a year old. It only saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power failed for a few minutes. Why isn't it charging. Or is it? It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh? I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins time left. If I just unplug it from the back of the PC, will it charge? Is the battery caput? Maxim Unplug all your electronic devices and plug in a lamp with a 100 Watt incandescent light build. With the lamp on unplug the UPS from the wall and see what happens. If the battery is dead it won't last all that long. I've had batteries last for 5 years, and I've had others die after 1-2 years. 2000-00-00 obviously isn't real. That's a software glitch. - Mark
