> I may have to call them again,  or write to them,  and see if I can get
> something a little more detailed out of them with regard to just how I
> can deal with this...
 
A $1000 to find out? Is that what your UPS system cost you? If so,
what brand is it and where is the factory located?
 
Reason I ask those questions is that I have 9 big UPS systems that
were made right here in OKC. And they cost $1000 new. So that set
me to wondering if you have those kind of units. Mine are made by
Control Technologies here in OKC. They are 1000 watt units rated
at 5 amps max draw.
 
> One thing I hadn't gotten around to was deciding what sort of connector
> to use for the additional batteries.  Anything you favor along those
> lines?  They sure don't give you a whole lot of room to work with,
> there.
 
I just went down and got me some of those great big binding posts
and drilled me two holes in the back wall of the UPS near the upper
right hand corner just above the top level of the 4 gel cells it cane
with. The factory told me that these units would not mind one little
bit if I installed extra batteries except that the recharge rate
would be very slow. Something like 3 or 4 weeks to bring such a big
array up to full charge. So when a power failure occurs that is of
any consequential length, I plan to always disconnect the externals
and charge with a big charger and get them done in about 18 hours
that way at around 6 amps or so. They are already in banks of 4
12 volters or 8 6 volters and so I would have to throw on a couple
more batteries in series with those so that I am charging at least
9 or 10 batteries in series in order to keep the current down to
about 6 amps or so max.
 
Our Mid-America Freedoms Network is going to put a float in the 
Xmas parade here in OKC on the 7th of December. It's going to show
George Washington crossing the Delaware and will have both lights
and sound. We will be running the main amplifier (150 watts per
Channel) straight off of 8 car batteries and that will leave us
to need A.C. power for the Mackie mixer and the lights at the
bare minimum. We will have to have about 4 or 5 or so strings of
Xmas tree lights with red, white & blue bulbs outlining the little
row boat. Those will draw 175 watts per string so thats going to
be using up about 875 of the available 1000 watts. We will also
need a music source so I suspect we will also have to have a stereo
playing a tape and that will just about push the 1000 watt UPS to
it's max limits. 8 batteries on the UPS and 8 more on the 150 watts
per channel amp should make the whole unit last for at least 4 hours
and that's more time than the parade will last by quite a bit.
It should work out just fine.
 
Bill Bauer
--- DB 1.58/004358
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