2004-07-22 #1

UPS Failure

So we had another little blip while we were watching TV. A really short one -- the TV didn't forget it was on, or what all the channels were. The VCR retained all of its memory. Even the digital alarm clocks in the bedrooms didn't require resetting. The stove and microwave lost their brains, but that's pretty typical.

However, Jupiter died. This confused me because the last time we had a power event I made sure that all the important stuff was on UPS, including Jupiter. I traced the power cable for Jupiter, and sure enough it goes directly into the battery backup port on the Belkin-650 UPS. The only other thing on the Belkin is something small -- the Netopia or the cable modem. So I pull the power cord on the UPS, and it starts chirping away. I press the power stud on Jupiter to fire it up, and pow the UPS dies right away. I plug the UPS back in and it all lights up, and quickly tells me that the battery is charged.

So my conclusion is that either the battery in the Belkin is dead (not good) or the charging circuitry in the Belkin is dead (also not good). Fortunately I've got the APC UPS-800 running Apollo, and now Jupiter is plugged into that as well. I only have the SS3000 and the Netopia plugged into the Belkin, but even so I don't see it lasting too long should the power fail again.

Ideally we'd replace both UPSs with a 2200 or something large like that. But of course that would require money we don't currently have.