Very disappointed witht the 'Belkin 500VA Superior Series Emergency Battery Backup'

Eliminos · 2 Mar 2006 at 23:42

I, like many other people, saw the great deal on this Belkin UPS last week, and immediately snatched 4 up. I have one small problem though: The line 'the Superior Battery Backup automatically switches your computer to battery backup power and gives you the time to save open files and safely power off' seems to be wrong in my case.

The base unit is the only thing plugged into the UPS, and when I switch the UPS off at the wall as a test, the computer goes off (yes it is plugged into the battery backup socket on the UPS, before anyone asks). This automatic switch to backup power does not seem to be happening nearly as fast as one would expect. (This has been tested on 2 of the 4 UPSs with concordant results)

Further tests with a desk-lamp show that there is a moment where no power is being provided at all, followed by 10 seconds of weak power (a half-bright bulb) and then finally full power.

Somehow I do not think that this is suitable for a computer, as it clearly states it is. Is this all I am going to get from this? Or am I doing sometihng disasterously wrong - which I find it hard to do, consdering you just plug it into the wall.

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 08:39

The 'sucking too much power' can't be true as I tested it with a desk lamp and saw a delay in the switch over.

The USB cable is plugged in to the computer. I did try it out of the box and it was 100% charged but I then left it all for 24 hours plugged in and turned on to charge [nothing was plugged into it]. The software says the load is 40% and the battery charge is 100%

This is what it looks like now:

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 09:26

I've tested two and both do exactly the same thing. I have two more I could open and test but I expect that exactly the same thing would happen with those too. Considering I tested two, I would have expected at least one to have been able to switch a lamp to battery backup with no switch over delay.

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 10:21

If that is the case then the line in the product description 'the Superior Battery Backup automatically switches your computer to battery backup power and gives you the time to save open files and safely power off' would be classed as false advertising then? As it clearly does not automatically switch my computer to battery backup at all and exactly the same thing happens when I kill the power as it would be when the computer is plugged into the wall.

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 10:32

But like gary996 said. A proper UPS always runs off the batteries, and does not have a bypass like this does. That then enables there to be no switch over time and makes the switch to battery power instant. Is there anything that I can do to actually get this working like it is clearly intended to, or am I going to have to go throug the hassle of sending it back...

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 16:04

lordedmond, if you read my previous posts you would realise it sits at 40% UPS load at idle. Which I woulld say is more than satisfactory. I realise 500VA is not 500W, I have done physics at school. So basically, you are saying my lamp is drawing more than 300W and therefore causing a switch over delay? Or did you just not read that bit?

Eliminos · 3 Mar 2006 at 22:35

Belkin says [I rang them today] the units are faulty and they will replace them. Looks like all your suggestions about my desk lamp drawing too much power and me somehow using A PLUG WRONG were all nonsense after all

Eliminos · 4 Mar 2006 at 16:43

I think we all were seduced

Belkin said they would replace mine personally, so if OCuk are selling dodgy ones (not pointing any fingers) then perhaps I will get some that work.

The more possible thing is, the actual Superior Series of Belkin 'UPSs' are just generally bad, and the ones I get back will behave the same as these.

Eliminos · 4 Mar 2006 at 18:02

Could be a possibility

It's weight would make for an effective explosion on contact with the floor. Or the garden path outside my window...

Eliminos · 5 Mar 2006 at 00:13

Belkin admitted the unit sounded faulty when I rang them (I mentioned the lamp test). I'll ring them next week and see if they will arrange for the 4 to be collected. As the delivery to send them all back is probably worth more than the units themselves.