Question 1

How long will a charge last?

Accepted Answer

?Offers 7.5 minutes runtime 50% load (405 watts)
?Supports an entry level desktop system with LCD screen for up to 55 minutes during power failures (75 watts)

You need to know the wattage load for whatever you have plugged into the UPS to calculate the available run time.

Check the manufacturers web site for more specs.

I rely on it to provide protection from power surges and brownouts for all the inputs to my internet and computer such as Cable, phone and power.  The voltage display on the front is very handy for monitoring the line voltage to your house. gives you plenty of time to shut your system down during power outage or can be configured to automatically shut your system down.

The unit is solidly built and I'm very happy with  it.

Question 2

Do you have to install the software for this ups on your computer or can you simply plug and play and use as a battery back up in case of a power outage without using or installing any software?

Accepted Answer

It will just behave as a default UPS without the software, which is fine. You can just plug in your devices to the surge only side, or the surge plus battery side and you're good to go.

The software is only needed If you want to change the default parameters (shut down on % of battery life, shut down after x minutes, switchover to battery when voltage drops to x or exceeds x, etc.), plus other management options. If you just want to go with the defaults for a typical home environment, no software is needed.  The UPS talks to your PC through a cable so that your operating system can see it. If you have power profiles in Windows, with the cable, Windows will be aware that you have a battery attached and Windows will include the battery in it's power profile.  There's also Linux versions if that's what you are running.

Question 3

I need to plug in two computers , a small printer & a draft pro plotter.

The printer & plotter are only used two or three times a week,
Will this unit handle that  ?

Accepted Answer

I keep a high end computer, my bad, networking equipment, color ink jet and laser printer on mine.  When I first turn on the laser printer the UPS warns me that I am over the current the battery can supply, but it easily handles the draw the rest of the time, even when printing and gaming.  I believe that my laser printer's power supply inrush current is poorly limited, fortunately I have no intention of powering it on during a power failure.

So, yes, it should work unless your equipment is really power hungry.

Also, this UPS has good monitoring capabilities, so you can turn on some of your stuff, start using it, then check how much reserve you have.  Note that sitting idle your computer uses much less power than when busy.

Question 4

Is the battery always  in  use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, If a device is plugged in to one of the sockets that provides battery backup and surge protection, and the battery backup is turned on.

Question 5

Can the audible alarm be silenced?

Accepted Answer

Definitely yes for this model. To my knowledge I've never seen a Tripp Lite model that didn't have that feature. They've been in business for almost 100 years. I have a lot of confidence in their products from past experience (I'm not 100 years old, lol)...

Question 6

I need to power a gaming rig, two monitors, a small server/home made nas, and its monitor, plus 1 switch and router. Will this work with all this load? All I know is my PSU in my gaming pc is 750w (not at full load).

Accepted Answer

Hopefully you don't plan on using this to actually power your rig, other than cover brownout / short power duration drop outs. There's no way you can buy a UPS for this price to literally run a gaming rig on for more than 10 minutes (if that)

Question 7

Would I be able to connect this to a generator and use it to regulate the voltage to create a better sine wave of power?

Accepted Answer

I would call Tripp Lite tech support and tell them your application.  They know what they are doing, and will tell you right away if you are barking up the wrong tree or not.  If you're trying to smooth out any surges on start up, there may be a better way to do it.

Question 8

What is the largest power back up I can get for my iMac? I have  vacation home in the Bahamas and I need the longest possible supply for my comp in case of a power outage? It happens very often.

Accepted Answer

I have a Trip Lite OMNI1500LCDT 1500 VA 810 W UPS.  Most UPS units are designed to give you time to shut your system down when there is a power outage.  It also includes a connection to automatically turn of my computer if I am away.  My unit also prevents voltage surges through the Coax cable and the phone line.  In short, these devises provide protection from brownouts, line surges and short term backup power to prevent loss of data.  I have lots of thunder storms in my area, so I am worried about brownouts and power surges like nearby lighting strikes.
To answer your question, the best way to determine how long any unit will power your computer is to look at the half or full load run time spec for the UPS you are interested in.  My unit provides 7.5 minutes of run time with a half load of 405 watt. Since most desktops with a monitor require between 200 and 300 watts of power, I can expect to run my computer for 10 to 15 minutes before my UPS batteries are depleted.  Just divide your combined computer and monitor power usage in watts into the run time watts specified for the UPS you are interested in and multiply this number by the minutes specified for the UPS run time watts you divided your watts into.  The issue is cost.  The bigger a UPS you buy the greater the cost.  My unit was around $150.  If you buy the Trip Lite SMART300SLT you can get 30 to 50 minutes of backup power, but it will cost you over $900.
Please pardon the long answer, but I’m an engineer.  You ask for the time and I’ll tell you how to build the clock.

Question 9

can the batteries be replaced?

Accepted Answer

Yes

Question 10

Will this device continue to operate on generator power?  My current ones of a different brand do not recognize power from my standby generator and remain on battery until exhausted.

Accepted Answer

Then something is wrong, voltage is voltage, were it come from matter little. Check the voltage output of the generator.

Questions & Answers