Linux-Hams archive - May 1998: Re: Watchdog

Re: Watchdog

Charles Greene (luu@tip.csiro.au)
Wed, 06 May 1998 15:31:39 -0400


At 09:08 PM 5/5/98 -0500, Joe Martine wrote:
>I've been following this thread closely, having basically adopted both the
>UPS and big-battery options for my home station. The UPS keeps the Linux
>machine alive thru power bumps, and there is a big marine battery that
>keeps the radios and such going for much longer. Obviously a bit of a
>disparity! =20
>
>I'm wondering if anyone has taken a look at using a standard UPS - as an
>example, I have an APC Back-UPS 420 - and just run wires out to a much
>larger battery. I wouldn't think this would cause a problem for the UPS
>when _using_ the battery, it just runs longer than is otherwise possible,
>with no extra capacity. The only problem I see is the charging circuit,
>it might not like having to charge a much larger battery. In that case,
>I had thought about isolating the battery from the UPS (say, with a heavy=
=20
>diode of some sort), keeping it charged thru other means. Of course I
>then wind up with basically buying an inverter and a relay that drops out
>when the power goes away.
>
>I haven't tried this yet, but do intend to one of these days. Has anyone
>else thought about or tried it? The main reason I haven't done anything
>yet is that blasted warranty they give me...! :-)

It's not a good idea to run two dissimilar batteries in parallel, unless you=
use diode auctioneering. One tends to hog the load. When charging, one=
may draw too much current, gas, and use up its water. Even when not=
charging, one battery will charge the other and run itself down. Diode=
auctioneering lowers the voltage from the battery 0.7 volts which may cause=
problems in the UPS inverter control circuits, and to prevent one battery=
from charging the other, you would have to diode auctioneer the charger,=
which again, will sense voltage too high and cut off charging early. It's=
hard to get away from these problems even with matched batteries, because=
just a little difference between them caused by age, temperature, etc, will=
cause them to behave as dissimilar batteries. You could buy a higher=
capacity UPS. You know that a 500 watt inverter will deliver 500 watts for=
x minutes, but will deliver a lesser power for a longer period of time. =
Or you could go with the battery/charger/inverter. Here again, buy a big=
battery an don't try to run two smaller batteries in parallel.
-------------------
Be nice. It doesn't take any longer.
-------------------
Charles Greene
Internet=cejwvlhy@openrobots.net
Internet to Amprnet=nwe@edu.sg
115 Aaron Avenue
Bristol, RI (On the shore of beautiful Narragansett Bay)