Wow...what a fantastic bit of kit!

[rob1963]

I've recently received a fantastic bit of kit...a UPS which I picked up for £35 on an auction site to use with my new digital console (just the console itself, not the lighting or amp).

The one I got is rated at 300 VA / 180 watts which is more than enough for my needs, and I see several advantages to using one of these.

The continuous power obviously means I no longer need to worry about possible problems caused as a result of over active sound limiters or power cuts.

In addition, there are built-in filters which also protect against any surges or spikes in the power.

Also, as soon as the power comes back you'll have music instantly...rather than having to wait while the laptop or media player boots up.

Finally, the music will continue from the point where it would have been if the power hadn't gone, rather than you having to find the track manually & start it at the beginning again.

Do many of you use a UPS?

If not, I can highly recommend them, as I think £35 is a very small price to pay for the convenience & peace of mind they offer...especially for digital DJs.

[kilmeedyman]

Yep, for sure anyone using a computer (non-laptop) or digital media playout system would benefit from one of these.

Ebuyer do a 500va one for 29.99 + delivery (5.50) if you don't want to use the auction site.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130477

Its a no brainer really.

[spin mobile disco]

Did think about getting one but was worried about the extra weight in my decks console. It is already getting a bit on the heavy side ( 58 kilos )
Still a good I dea though . All my power leads are surge protected but ups would be handy.

[rob1963]

Did think about getting one but was worried about the extra weight in my decks console. It is already getting a bit on the heavy side ( 58 kilos )
Still a good I dea though . All my power leads are surge protected but ups would be handy.

Spin,

I was originally planning on getting the UPS installed in my console so I could just forget about it, but like yours, my console is already quite heavy, and the UPS would add another 6-7 pounds to it, so I've decided to use it externally instead.

[One Vision]

Hya Rob how do these actually work?
Sounds an interesting piece of kit.

[Excalibur]

I've recently received a fantastic bit of kit...a UPS which I picked up for £35 on an auction site to use with my new digital console (just the console itself, not the lighting or amp).

The one I got is rated at 300 VA / 180 watts which is more than enough for my needs, and I see several advantages to using one of these.


Also, as soon as the power comes back you'll have music instantly...rather than having to wait while the laptop or media player boots up.

Finally, the music will continue from the point where it would have been if the power hadn't gone, rather than you having to find the track manually & start it at the beginning again.

Do many of you use a UPS?

If not, I can highly recommend them, as I think £35 is a very small price to pay for the convenience & peace of mind they offer...especially for digital DJs.

But with silence of course. The track will continue playing silently until the power amp gets its breath back.


Did think about getting one but was worried about the extra weight in my decks console. It is already getting a bit on the heavy side ( 58 kilos )
Still a good I dea though . All my power leads are surge protected but ups would be handy.

Wuss


Spin,

I was originally planning on getting the UPS installed in my console so I could just forget about it, but like yours, my console is already quite heavy, and the UPS would add another 6-7 pounds to it, so I've decided to use it externally instead.

Wuss again

Hya Rob how do these actually work?
Sounds an interesting piece of kit.

It's basically a storage device for Electricity, fed from the mains, and when the power cuts out, it feeds the units connected to it with the equivalent of mains power for a short period. That's the short answer.

[One Vision]

But with silence of course. The track will continue playing silently until the power amp gets its breath back.



Wuss



Wuss again


It's basically a storage device for Electricity, fed from the mains, and when the power cuts out, it feeds the units connected to it with the equivalent of mains power for a short period. That's the short answer.

Wicked

[rob1963]

Hya Rob how do these actually work?
Sounds an interesting piece of kit.

Hiya Karl,

It's basically a rechargable battery and an electronic bit of kit called an inverter, which basically boosts the battery's voltage up to 240 volts.

They don't generally provide enough power to run heavy duty things like amps, but it would probably run my console for about an hour.

I tried mine yesterday, and it was great. I plugged the UPS into the wall, then plugged my console into the UPS.

Having switched on the mixer, CD player & D2 in the console, I started playing a CD & pushed up the fader.

I then pulled the plug out of the wall socket...and everything just carried on!

It's great!

[Andy Westcott]

Good idea, and I use one in conjunction with a linear power supply to protect my CD decks and mixer from generator spikes - in this application the inverter (UPS) is running permanently on what it thinks is a battery, and supplies computer grade mains output.

One word of warning about cheap UPSs - check the battery capacity as few cheapies would run a 100 watt load for more than a few tens of seconds, despite the claims. Don't go on the VA rating alone, as this tells you nothing of any real use.

[Shaun]

Do many of you use a UPS?




No, but I can appreciate how useful it could be, especially since going digital. Cheaper than I thought too, I might just get one. :beer1:

[digga]

Just be warned, they can be incredibly heavy. I work for a company that makes them, and they are a fantastic peice of kit. Just remember to only plug your computer or ecks in to it, as speaker and lights will drain the battery in seconds.

[rob1963]

Just be warned, they can be incredibly heavy. I work for a company that makes them, and they are a fantastic peice of kit. Just remember to only plug your computer or ecks in to it, as speaker and lights will drain the battery in seconds.

Good advice there.

I will only be using mine to protect my console...which only contains my D2 controller and mixer...which probably draw less than 50 watts between them.

[Impactdisco]

I've got one, and it came in useful at a wedding I did a few months ago where they had a power cut for a couple of minute. Computer just kept on going, so when the power came back on it was ready to go!

[Creature]

also dont forget to check the condition of teh battery regually

[rob1963]

I'm amazed that only a couple of people have said they use a UPS...especially considering how cheap they are and because they also double up as a surge protector.

:confused:

[CRAZY K]

I'm amazed that only a couple of people have said they use a UPS...especially considering how cheap they are and because they also double up as a surge protector.

:confused:

I use a surge protected mains board and have generally managed to avoid sound limiters for the last few years--- only one I can remember a couple of years ago.

CRAZY K

[JAMdisco]

I'm amazed that only a couple of people have said they use a UPS...especially considering how cheap they are and because they also double up as a surge protector.

:confused:

I don't really see the need unless you use a lot of external equipment (i.e. soundcards).
My laptop's battery cuts in if the power is cut and as you can't really use them on amps, don't see the point.

[Danno13]

But if you use a HD player or a rackmount PC...

[rob1963]

My laptop's battery cuts in if the power is cut and as you can't really use them on amps, don't see the point.

I understand what you're saying about laptops, as they have a built-in battery, so they keep going.

However, what about all the people that use hard drive controllers, PCs or even CD players?

[JAMdisco]

I understand what you're saying about laptops, as they have a built-in battery, so they keep going.

However, what about all the people that use hard drive controllers, PCs or even CD players?

Fair comment - I was just saying that for me - it's pointless. :)

[rob1963]

Fair comment - I was just saying that for me - it's pointless. :)

I can't argue with that!

:)

[JAMdisco]

I can't argue with that!

:)

Really - Wow, first time for everything I guess :p :D :p

[Excalibur]

Fair comment - I was just saying that for me - it's pointless. :)

And in my opinion, no great use for CD players. All that happens is they have to be re-cued. They are most use to anyone who uses an HD system.

[rob1963]

I can't argue with that!:)


Really - Wow, first time for everything I guess :p :D :p

Cheeky! :p


And in my opinion, no great use for CD players.

Rather than change the habit of a lifetime, I'm going to disagree with that! :eek:


All that happens is they have to be re-cued.

There's a bit more to it than than. If you were playing track 10 on a CD & a limiter cut off the power for 10 seconds, when the power came back the CD would automatically re-cue at the beginning of track 1. Then you'd have to press the track select button 9 times & could only re-start the track that had already played halfway through at the beginning again.

I'd say it's MUCH more preferable for the track to carry on playing automatically without you having to do anything...apart from waiting 10 seconds for the amp to come back on so people can hear it again.


They are most use to anyone who uses an HD system.

True, but still useful to those who use CDs, IMO.

Having seen what they're like & how much they cost, I'd still have got one even if I was still using CDs.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

How many times has the power been cut for you in the last 25 years then Rob?

I'm sure you'd have a record of it somewhere....:sj:

[rob1963]

How many times has the power been cut for you in the last 25 years then Rob?

I'm sure you'd have a record of it somewhere....:sj:

Funnily enough, I don't have a record of it!

Early this year It happened 6 times at one function though!

Bearing in mind a few venues with limiters that were set way too low & kept cutting the power, I'd guess the power has cut off somewhere between about 50 and 100 times over the years.

[kilmeedyman]

Well with things the way they are going in this Country, we could be on three day weeks and power cuts soon, so we should all be prepared.

[Tom]

After talking to Rob about this, I was thinking of getting one aswell. Its handy to have just incase anything does go wrong.

[kilmeedyman]

Yes, sorry, was being a bit flippant.

I would definitely recommend one if you are using a rackmount PC or a hard drive system of some sort.

Not for the sake of keeping the music paying - as that won't work - but for the protection of your kit and your valuable music library.

[rob1963]

Yes, sorry, was being a bit flippant.

I would definitely recommend one if you are using a rackmount PC or a hard drive system of some sort.

Not for the sake of keeping the music paying - as that won't work - but for the protection of your kit and your valuable music library.

I'm confused by what you said that a UPS won't work for keeping the music playing...mine does, and that's part of my reason for having the UPS.

Obviously the you won't HEAR the music intil the power & therefore the amp come back...or is that what you meant?

[kilmeedyman]

I'm confused by what you said that a UPS won't work for keeping the music playing...mine does, and that's part of my reason for having the UPS.

Obviously the you won't HEAR the music intil the power & therefore the amp come back...or is that what you meant?

Yes, that's what I meant, obviously the music would continue playing but not audibly as the amps or powered speakers would go off and draw too much curret to be supported by a UPS within our price grasp.

[rob1963]

Yes, that's what I meant, obviously the music would continue playing but not audibly as the amps or powered speakers would go off and draw too much curret to be supported by a UPS within our price grasp.

Ahhhh....I'm with you.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

:)