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Xref: sserve comp.os.linux.development:18384 comp.os.linux.misc:28400 comp.os.386bsd.questions:14118 comp.os.386bsd.misc:3878 sci.electronics:82903 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!uwm.edu!news.alpha.net!news.mathworks.com!solaris.cc.vt.edu!128.173.4.13!cmetz From: cmetz@inner.net (Craig Metz) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.386bsd.misc,sci.electronics Subject: Re: APC SmartUPS series serial-port protocol anyone? Date: 31 Oct 1994 00:28:16 GMT Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia Lines: 83 Distribution: world Message-ID: <CMETZ.94Oct30192816@itchy.inner.net> References: <TAMSKY.94Oct29191638@avarice.ugcs.caltech.edu> <CMETZ.94Oct30051603@itchy.inner.net> <SRA.94Oct30162124@rurha-pente.epilogue.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: scratchy.inner.net NNTP-Posting-User: nobody In-reply-to: sra@epilogue.com's message of 30 Oct 94 16:21:24 In article <SRA.94Oct30162124@rurha-pente.epilogue.com> sra@epilogue.com (Rob Austein) writes: We've talked to several of the UPS vendors about this over the last few years. Summary (my opinions only, lawyers need not read this): > APC: > Consistantly unhelpful and usually downright obnoxious. Seriously > inflated view of their own importance, apparently completely > uninterested in customers who don't beg for the honor of buying > from APC. I have heard private reports that people from big name > companies (eg, Fortune 500) get nicer treatment. > > A pox on APC, and the horse they rode in on. I can't agree more. Their inflated view of themselves and their position in the industry never ceased to amaze me. For a good time, call up Debbie Grey, who is the person in charge of officially not telling you anything about their UPSs, and let her know that some changes are in order. Not like anybody there will care -- after all, you're just a measly customer. (Incidentally, I know an executive at one of their biggest east- coast distributors, and he and the rest of his company has a tough time getting phone calls returned or any other sort of help from APC.) > Tripp Lite: > Disappointing. First UPS we bought was from Tripp Lite, after being > told by their people over the phone that we could get technical > information. When one of our people actually called them on this, > they waffled, and eventually confessed that they'd signed away > their rights to answer detailed questions (ie, they'd signed an > "exclusive" contract with the company that sells DOS software for > their hardware). They claim that the technical info that would be > of interest to a unix weenie is in their manuals. Unfortunately, > we never managed to convince them that the UPS we bought from them > didn't come with a manual.... I've seen two top-of-the-line Tripp-Lite Isobar power strip surge protectors catch on fire in the past two years, and not from being set by something else. I wouldn't even bother with their UPSs. > Upsonic: > Completely willing to discuss technical details over the phone, > send them via FAX, answer any and every question we've asked them. > No complaints. Like most UPS vendors, they have a wide range of > products with a wide range of prices. You want pure sine wave, > they'll sell you pure sine wave, but you'll have to pay for it. > > There are many other UPS vendors, these are just the ones we've talked > to about this. We're currently pretty happy with Upsonic, so we've > settled on them for the moment. Cool. I'll keep that in mind (probably getting another UPS in the near future... winter is coming, and the local power plant is due for some "upgrades" to boot...). Another BIG recommendation is Best Power. Their FerrUPS models are pretty much the best UPSs on the market, though they aren't cheap. Their Fortress UPS models are priced about the same as APC Smart UPSs and provide pretty much the same level of protection. Best doesn't mess around. They ship their UNIX driver in source form (no NDA, just copyrighted), they're more than happy to tell you how the protocol works, and, from what I understand, they have on-line menus and help in case you just want to hook a dumb terminal up to their UPSs. Their people are also just plain *friendly* and *helpful*. This is a *MAJOR* contrast to APC. > Caveat: > The Upsonic UPSs we've got have yet to be put to a serious test. > Power is pretty stable where we are, barring hurricanes and the > occasional self-immolating underground transformer. Well, the environment I work in hasn't been at either 115 or 120 volts EVER (right now, it's around 125), spikes and surges all the time, breakers trip regularly for no apparent reason, and the power plant is a small coal deal built circa-WWII. An UPS is somewhat mandantory equipment for any system that really needs to be up. > No, we haven't written the *BSD/Linux Upsonic control software yet. > If/when we get around to it, we'll pass it along. Please do. UPSs for Linux are necessary to attract the corporate crowd, not to mention people in environments like mine. -Craig