APC - Smart-UPS C 1000VA LCD 120V
Model: SMC1000
SKU: 5889478
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I have a 65" LCD Sony TV, a DirecTV DVR, Blu-Ray and Bose sound system all connected to this UPS. The load is at most 200 watts (peak), which gives me a run time of well over 15 minutes. The main reason I chose this UPS was due to its ability to generate a pure sine wave while providing backup power. If you look at other UPS protection systems, even much more expensive high-end theater UPS systems, they provide a stepped approximation to a sine wave. If you don't know what this means, this typically causes the notorious buzzing sound in your TV when you are on battery power. It is highly annoying and potentially disruptive to your components. At $250 with shipping, this is best price that I've seen out there. Unless you have a massive number of components to protect, the 1000VA unit is probably all that you need for sufficient protection. I would have given this unit 5 stars except there is a bug in the firmware v09.6 that requires you to perform an upgrade to v09.8. The old firmware does not allow you to enter configuration mode to perform things such as auto-dimming the LCD panel. Instructions for upgrading the firmware can be found at the below URL. However, after upgrading the firmware, the unit is operating perfectly and I am now able to auto-dim the LCD panel. Another thing you need to be aware of there is a barely audible hum that emanates from the unit. If you are interested in a pristine pure quiet device (such as in an office with your computer), you would probably be better off getting one of APC's BackUPS systems instead. I have this unit powering/protecting my multimedia equipment. So, a small hum is not noticeable and/or detectable unless I put my ear very close to the unit. http://www.apc.com/support/index?page=content&country=US&lang=en&id=FA164737 Highly recommended!
Posted by RunnerSTL
I wanted a decent quality pure sine wave inverter that I could afford. This one fit the bill. I was pleased to discover that I could disable the alarm from the control panel. Note that the SMT series has considerably longer runtime and handles a bit higher load than this SMC series. If money were no object I'd buy the SMT1500 even though it's overkill for my needs. APCs SmartUPS series has served me well for many years. Better built than the BackUPS series.
Posted by Technojunkie
Bought to replace and increase run-time of battery for important security PC. Does exactly what it says. The blue display is a welcomed improvement over the back-ups series, and is easy to understand. Solid product from a solid company!
Posted by Sundog2112