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Battery Backup for Projector/ HTPC

post #1 of 7
12/26/12 at 7:49pm
Thread Starter 
I have a home theater in my basement, and I am in an area where the power goes out relatively frequently during the winter. I am thinking a battery backup is just about necessary for my projector, HTPC and (possibly) receiver, but I have no experience with battery backup systems. I did a little bit of research and tried doing some calculations, but I was just confused enough that I figured I should ask for help, so I wouldn't screw this up. Here is what I have...

Acer H5360 Projector
Yamaha Receiver
Pioneer's Andrew Jones 5.1 Speaker Package
HTPC

As for my HTPC, it is a gaming machine as well, so it draws a fair amount of power. From my research, it looks like this 600VA, 340W UPS would be just about the bare minimum for just my PC. Also, I am not looking to spend a lot of money, as I have a fairly inexpensive (cheap) setup, and nothing would be extremely expensive to replace. If I could get a UPS for under $200, I would be happy.

And now for the questions...

First, is a UPS really needed for a fairly cheap receiver/ speaker setup like mine? Would I likely be safe just using the UPS with the projector and HTPC?

Second, would most any UPS fit my needs? Can I go with a standard PC UPS, even though I will be using it on a projector as well?

Third, any suggestions for a UPS? I would like a bit of wiggle room, as I likely will be upgrading my projector soon, and may be adding a second video card to my HTPC at some point.


And for anyone who wants to get a feel for my PC power draw...


HTPC
3570k CPU
XFX 7850 video card
PC Power and Cooling 750w PSU (80plus silver)
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post #2 of 7
12/26/12 at 8:12pm
I use one of these to maintain my projector, HD Cable box and Receiver
http://www.microcenter.com/product/394952/1000VA_Green_Battery_Back-UPS_Pro_with_Automatic_Voltage_Regulation_%28AVR%29,_LCD_Display,_8_Outlets_and_Master-Control_Feature

And another to run my pc Fios router and monitor.

And yet another Old UPS to backup the Fios ONT since there built in Battery backup only give you 1 minute of network and 5 hours of phone.. This way nothing goes out for sort blips and I have plenty of time to power things down if it is out for good.
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post #3 of 7
12/26/12 at 8:39pm
Thread Starter 
So, I guess that means that a regular PC UPS is fine for a projector. Looking at the specs of the UPS you provided, airscapes, I might be able to squeak by with a slightly more powerful unit. Would this one be sufficient for my projector and PC- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842102054
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post #4 of 7
12/27/12 at 5:05am
Might be overkill. Remember, you only need enough power so that on a power failure you have plenty of time to shut-down the projector and the HTPC normally. I dunno the Acer projector, but mine needs at least 3 minutes for the fan to run-on after it's shut down. So you want to be able to run for 5 minutes I'd say.

Don't plug your receiver into the "battery backup power" part of your UPS as that will kill it real fast. Maybe you want a UPS to carry you through a power failure w/o shutting-down your viewing, but that would require a whole lot more head-scratching re: loads vs. UPS capacity...
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post #5 of 7
12/27/12 at 5:38am
In UPS land, more is always better as long as you have the funds and don't mind spending money on head room you really probably don't need. You NEED to be able to power down the PC and projector so 5 minutes of run time is about all you REALLY NEED.
If the receiver is not cranked up, it won't use much power... So with 1000VA that I have, I think run time is 18 minutes with the cable box, Receiver and projector all running. Please note, my power is very very very stable so when there are issues, they are very short and I want my system to keep running.
With the 1000VA on the PC (Quad Core with 3 Hard Drives), LCD monitor and FIOS router, my run time is 29 minutes..
So A 1500VA Should be more than enough for your HTPC and projector, just buy it locally so you can take it back if you find it is insufficient.
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post #6 of 7
12/27/12 at 8:13am
Buying the UPS is your first decision, the second is how you are going to connect it to your projector. If it's on a shelf or table it's fairly easy to plug in but if the projector is ceiling mounted that is a whole different problem.
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post #7 of 7
12/27/12 at 8:25am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the great information, airscapes and Laserfan. I think I'll go with a 1500VA UPS and see if it fits my needs. Once again, thanks for the help!
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