Thumbs down. Powershield Centurion 1000VA True Online UPS(Supplied by Altronics) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2011, 11:48:12 am
content: I bought this UPS as an upgrade to two standard low-power cheap Jaycar UPS in tandem for two computers and a separate audio amplifier. I gave away the old ones. Boy am I sorry I did.http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=D0892The manufacturers website:http://powershield.com.au/products/centurion/So I thought I'd splurge and get a single one box solution and also had the very nice true-online feature. But this thing is noisy. Both audibly(fan) and electrically(inverter). I don't wtf is wrong with it. As I said, I've used Jaycar Cheapy UPS's before but never had problems like this.The fan is so loud it drowns out the planes that are landing Richmond Airbase(I'm under the flight path). I didn't know I had a fan in it because there is no mention in the Altronics catalog about fan noise levels which I feel is a real oversight on Altronics part. I could either move the appliance into the next room or make a self-cooling sound-proof box for it, but if I can't get the noisy buzz out of the electrical supply it's not worth it. From here I am only talking about the electrical noise..So this is what I've tried:1) It's only noisy when the inverter is running. There is an eco mode which make the appliance act like an ordinary non-true-online UPS by bypassing the UPS until the power fluctuates. A relay clicks when my A/C motor outside starts and you can here the buzz in the speakers for several seconds and it clicks again, bypassing the inverter, and it is quiet again.2) It doesn't seem to be the power supply that feeds the inverter because the noise is there when I disconnect the input power whilst the ups is running.3) The buzz goes back into the grid as I plugged an amplifier with it's inputs shorted into the same powerpoint as the UPS and the noise was there. Tried another amp. Still noisy.4) Connected the audio output from a soundcard in a computer feed from the UPS. If the amp is connected to street side of the UPS as in (3) the noise is almost as loud as the max signal output from the computer. Have not tried using isolating transformers for the audio, and that's not an ideal solution anyway.5) Disconnected/shutdown everything but the UPS and the amp. Still noisy.6) Threw Holy water and shouted "The power of Christ repels you!"7) Came on here pleading for advice.

author: thmjpr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2011, 07:01:00 pm
content: Contact them, see what they think:QuoteAccording to the manual it should be <45dBA at 1m. 45 is quite loud (most PC fans are <30dB), so its possible that it is within spec there.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2011, 03:14:42 am
content: You probably have an older amplifier design that does not have much EMI filtering. All the modern ones (except some cheap ones) will have good EMI rejection in the design because they simply won't work very well without it.Since your source is digital, a purely digital amplifier would offer better quality and with an optical connection, extremely good EMI rejection.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2011, 11:10:38 am
content: Sorry you're not happy with it but going from what you day, it's probably well within the specifications given on the datasheet which you should've read in detail before buying it.It doesn't seem to be designed for audio amplifiers and is aimed more at servers which don't need such a high quality power supply. At least it produces a roughly sinusoidal output but at 6% THD is the worst case with a non-linear load, the harmonics will probably be enough to pass through your audio amplifier.

author: RCMR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2011, 09:36:36 pm
content: One of the best purchases I ever made was a Siemens MasterGuard 1KVA true UPS.I bought it probably 15 years ago (guessing) and it's now on its third set of batteries but it's saved my bacon on numerous occasions.The fan bearings are just starting to rattle but it still (touch-wood) working perfectly.When it came to a mission-critical bit of kit like a true UPS, I figured I'd spend the extra and buy a brand-name product. I'm glad I did.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2011, 11:23:30 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on June 11, 2011, 03:14:42 amI wonder if one of the two EMI filters that jaycar sells would be any help. Does anyone care to speculate?I'm not convinced the noise is only coming from the circuity of the amp as I can hear an increase in noise when the sound card feed is attached to the amp and with the volume on the amp about 1/3rd or more. So there is noise getting through the computers expensive corsair PSU and ending up on the sound board.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2011, 11:49:26 am
content: Quote from: Hero999 on June 11, 2011, 11:10:38 amYes. I should have read the data sheet instead of relying on the information and specification rich Altronics engineering catalog that costs four Australian dollars. I guess I am in the hole for 900 bucks for this POS that should be only connected to servers in server rooms apparently.As the specs indicate, I don't understand how even the application of power for servers can be taken seriously. If the thing -is- that noisy(and continuously, not just when there is a power outage), wouldn't there be some issue of server reliability? If so much noise appears on the sound interface, what is that doing to the other circuity on the mobo especially the CPU running at GHz speed?I boot my pc's almost daily so it's hard to figure out an uptime.I won't accept that it all my fault that this thing is a pup. And that's my review. Both the unit and the catalog from whence it came are junk.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 22, 2011, 10:17:53 pm
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on June 21, 2011, 11:49:26 amIf the regulator can handle the fast transient of a CPU going from 100A to 1A many times per second, then it should be able to handle this. A computer tends to be a very electrically noisy environment anyway. Plus a computer power supply is regulated, your typical audio amplifier supply is not.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2013, 05:30:18 am
content: UPDATE:Guess what?I ended up using the UPS to power (and protect) just the server only in another room and slipping the UPS into ECO mode which means that as long as the mains input is between a normal range, the inverter doesn't run, but bypasses and switches in when the input power dies.Whilst disabling a nice feature of the UPS, this has allowed the noise on the power line to be eliminated as I have only had one or two blackouts and have been too busy to use the computer/sound amplifier when all that is going on anyway.I have put up with this horrible thing for nearly two years and was alerted this morning to a buzzing noise coming from the metal rack where my server/router/UPS lives.I initially thought it was the damn fan again and that had started to shit itself. I was late for family engagements so I let it be. When I came back three hours later the buzzing was really loud and it occurred to me that all was not well with the UPS.So I went about finding a small LCD monitor to plug into the server so I could gracefully shut it down and extract the stinking UPS.That's when it all went pear-shaped. As soon as I turned on the monitor the UPS went 'clunk' inside and buzzed even louder and killed its output power (and the server!) with a steady beep and a excellently descriptive number 14 error message on screen.Once I got the server restarted, I put the UPS on the bench, fired it up with no load and have figured out that there is now a short on the output inside the unit.All it will do now is charge the internal batteries, run the annoying fan and not much else. I really have been disappointed with this one. For the money I paid and knowing the cost of materials that's in it, it really is a bomb to have, use and own.I'm not sure if any of you would like to see inside before I launch this thing. Lemme know if you want to see anything in particular. But do so soon as I am going boating on Sunday and will need an anchor. This thing might be just the ticket since it's shit all good for anything else.I am sitting here typing this in a quiet, peaceful, fan-noise-less room on a server that is currently wondering why I was so mean to it's file system.Thanks for listening.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2013, 10:23:16 am
content: I have a 1kVA pure sine wave inverter at work, which is a ferroresonant unit. Pure AC output ( it should be, it has 200uF of capacitor on the output filter) and doubles as a 1kW room heater. Batteries were originally 3 12V car batteries in series, now 3x 20 SLA batteries ( the good ones from the other inverter that uses 144 in series as power rails) as a replacement ( they were free, I just lost out on the scrap value of them temporarily at the scrapyard) instead. The only thing that will kill it is if the main board goes flaky, they have a poor PCB that lifts easily. Faults there blow 70 odd 2N3773 TO3 devices on massive heatsinks. I have another that I want to tear down someday.

author: metalphreak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 08:25:36 am
content: I had one of the cheap $100 powershield UPS ages ago. One day I was moving it to another room, with the mains cable still plugged in (but not to the wall of course). Accidentally hit the power switch on the front, and got a nasty bit of shock back out through the mains lead!

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 09:11:08 am
content: Quote from: metalphreak on March 31, 2013, 08:25:36 amI not sure but I understand that this does not and can not happen anymore because of requirements of these devices. Am I wrong?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 09:13:48 am
content: actually its not likely for that, the exposed terminals should be the mains input, while residual capacitance from it just being unplugged may give you a zap, it should not be generating any voltage on the input, and all the outputs have no exposed terminals....

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 09:18:54 am
content: That would be truly shocking.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 11:47:59 am
content: They have a slight leakage of voltage back to the input through the bypass semiconductors, so are able to give a shock to you if you touch the input while it is running. Not normally an issue in use, as the mains input when plugged in will have a load across it that does not allow it to generate more than a very low voltage across the input side.

author: metalphreak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2013, 04:30:26 pm
content: It shouldn't happen as they are not supposed to feed back into the grid at all. Otherwise you get an "islanding" situation where the device tries to feed everything else on the same disconnected circuit. Similar things happen with poorly designed solar inverters. Power goes off to a street, the inverter tries to power everyone's home... This is why many utility linesmen loathe home solar systems.It wasn't a really bad shock (i'm still here) but it was worse than your typical static shock. Yes, back out the input mains lead. Not any of the output sockets.I've got a 1920W Dell rackmount UPS for my gear now with an extended battery unit. I believe they're made by Eaton? Very nice piece of kit and keeps my 300W of load running for almost 2 hoursThey pop up every now and then on ebay or IT auctions quite reasonably priced.