Question 1

does the battery come with this product?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though there is a little extra work for you to do to get it ready.

Unlike this image, when you receive it there will be a yellow label telling you to connect the battery before plugging it in and turning it on.  Just turn it over and locate the battery cover, slide it off (and pay attention, it slides back on in a particular way. )  you will see the battery there with red and black terminal wires and the connector.  The black one's usually already connected so connect the red one to the post.

::NOTE:: You may get a pop and a small spark as you get close to connecting it the first time.  This is normal from the several I have put together so don't let that scare you or think that you broke something.

Once you are sure both red and black terminals are connected, get the battery sitting back in it's case, put the cover on plug it in and you should be good.

Question 2

Does the back of the unit have a provision to mount on a wall?

Accepted Answer

There are three slots on the back which look like they can be used for mounting on a wall, either vertically or horizontally.

Question 3

I just got my new UPS in the mail and started to set it up.  My computer is rated at 120 Volts at 6.0 Amps.  It would appear that what I bought won't even cover my computer nevermind the monitor.  Am I missing something or was I dumb to not have checked what the wattage of my computer was.  Mine is not a big fancy one so what kind of computer would this protect???

Accepted Answer

Your power supply may be rated as such but it will not typically (ever) draw that much power.  I have these attached to several workstations  with dual monitors and they will last 5-10 minutes on battery.  You could try the UPS Selector on the APC website to see an approximate run time, but as it sounds like you have a "normal" computer you should be fine.

Question 4

Can I just plug it into the wall and plug in my iMac or do I need to use a usb cord with this to backup an iMac? I only need it to keep the machine on if I am working. Then I can shut it down myself. I don't want to use a usb port.

Accepted Answer

Basically what this is a battery that is plugged into the wall. Are you using a laptop or desktop? 
Laptop- there would really be no point in using one of these unless you are expecting often and extended power outages. 
Desktop- you should check what the capacity of your power supply is first off. This power supply will support your computer for some time. My pc has an 800 watt power supply and this backup lasts for about 12 minutes.

You do not need to use the usb if you do not want to. The only function of usb is to tell you how much power/time is left in the backup. Just turn your computer off before you lose power or you risk data loss. Also note that this backup is not meant for extended use only for saving what you are working on and shutting down your computer so you can safely avoid data loss.

Question 5

Does this unit include software that will automatically power down the computer in case of a power outage when no one is around?

Accepted Answer

We have 3 of these and I have them all shut down computers on extended power failure.  1 is a Windows box and the other 2 are Linux.  For Windows they provide PowerChute Personal Edition or you can download it for free directly from APC.  They don't provide something for Linux but we use the free apcupsd.

Question 6

I am not sure if this is the right device for what I need. If it is not enough. We have a couple laptops, a printer and CTS system for swimming meets. I want to keep all of these running in the case of a power outage. I have no idea what wattage or power they pull or require. Can you tell me if this is the right device for what I need?

Accepted Answer

That's a difficult question to answer, especially if you don't know the power consumption of the devices you want to backup.  In addition, for how long do you want to provide backup?  The entire duration of a swim meet, or perhaps just momentarily in case someone trips over the power cord?
For the laptops, because they're battery operated, they should be able to operate for at least an hour, if not 2 or 3 (with a decent battery).  Therefore, there's no need to hook them up to the UPS.  So, then you need to look at the printer power consumption, as well as the CTS system.  You can either review the input power specs for each device/system, or better yet measure the actual power consumption using a Kill-A-Watt device (available from Newegg).  Then, use the graph from the APC website for this product to determine how long you can expect the backup supply to last with this load.  For example, this UPS can provide 400W for about 4 minutes, or 100W for about 40 minutes (it's not linear...).

Question 7

what is its function?

Accepted Answer

This acts as a battery backup for your computer, as well as a surge protector.  So, for instance, if there is a power outage in your home, the battery backup will turn on and keep your computer running for some time (the actual time depends on how much power your computer consumes).  Alternatively, if there is a power spike, the battery backup system will suppress it, and can prevent your motherboard or other hardware from being fried.  Hope that helps.

Question 8

home theater use????

Accepted Answer

It will work fine for theatre use, however just keep in mind that only (5) five outlets have battery backup power which means that you will have about 20-30 minutes of run time in case of a power loss.

The other (5) five outlets are for suge protection only so I would connect non-essential devices to it since they will still lose power completely in cas of a power failure.

The UPS has an auto-shutdown function when it comes to a low battery status, but I could not tell you if any of your home theatre equipment has that function built in to it to provide such a shutdown. You would have to read your product manuals for a more definite answer.

Hope this helps...

Question 9

Can I place this unit standing on its side?  is too wide for my space to place flat, bit it could work on the side

Accepted Answer

Yes you can do that.  The unit can also be hung on a wall or the side of a desk (flip the unit over to see where the screw mounts line up).

Remember to have your PC and main monitor on the surge + backup outlets.  Have your other monitor(s) and peripherals on the surge only sockets. And plug your big printer into the surge protector only - they tend to suck juice out of the box causing the alarm to sound!

Question 10

I don't understand how to use the Master and Controlled by Master outlets?  Help Please.  Thanks, Verne

Accepted Answer

With Master and Controlled lit, it means that when the device plugged into the single selected outlet is turned off, it automatically turns off the 3 outlets circled (such as computer in master and a printer and a monitor in controlled, turning off/on the PC will turn off/on the devices). 
Holding the button will toggle if the feature is off or on. (unlit means its off and the master will have no effect on the plugged in devices.)

Questions & Answers