Re: [IRCA] Battery back up not UPS

[Rick Kunath <k9ao@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Patrick Martin wrote:

> I am looking for a battery backup that can be run several hours if
> needed.

What kind of a load Patrick? How many amperes?

I take it that you only need 120 VAC, not 240 VAC?

I have several installed at my commercial sites. Some are the newer 
full-time always-on inverter types. I don't like these and they seem 
noisier, RF wise. The rest are Best Power FD series with ferro-resonant 
transformers that the inverter only runs as needed. These are lots 
better RF noise wise, and I think do a better job at power surges. But 
they are big and heavy. If you want several hours of run time, they tend 
to be about 2'x4'x4' in size, with from 4 to 8 deep-cycle batteries 
inside. They're too heavy to do anything but roll with the batteries inside.

Some of these FD series are starting to show up used, and they aren't 
too badly priced. You can still get service on them (they never break, 
the design is really bulletproof), and the field engineers I talked to 
still like the older ferro-resonant types over their newer stuff.

Some of these are smaller in size, maybe 1'x1'x2', but the capacity is a 
lot less. If you didn't need the extra current of a bigger unit, you 
could always create your own external battery bank. Trouble is the 
battery charger in the smaller unit will take forever to charge a big 
battery bank, as the smaller units won't fast charge the bigger battery 
bank capacity like a larger unit will.

Rick Kunath
_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx