Customer Reviews

APC Back-UPS 220 Volt UPS battery - lead acid (International version)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have always liked the APC battery backups, and when I was looking for one to attach to a modem/hub/router, this one seemed like a good choice. What I found was that the electrical connectors in the back--where I expected to plug in the device transformers--were not the standard three-prong connectors that I have seen on every other UPS I have ever worked with.

What is there instead are IEC C13 flush mount connectors. These are the type of power connectors that are found on the back of your computer and your monitor. They are not the standard three-prong grounded power plug.

The UPS comes with two power cords that will connect between the power supply and the computer or monitor, but there is no cord that will allow you to plug in a standard power plug.

I re-read the Amazon description of the product, and no mention is made of this fact. Most buyers will be surprised when they open the box.

I gave this two stars, not because I don't think it is a good battery backup unit, but because it is not correctly described by Amazon or by the manufacturer.

I will upload a photo of the back panel.

Thank YOU! to whomever is selling this unit! I had a find a small UPS that I could put into a 12x12x6 enclosure to provide stable power to a roof top wireless antenna and coax converter here in the US. But wait - you say - the US runs on 110v. Well true - except that only 220V power that was powering the Air-conditioner unit was available to use for my needs on the roof of the building. Since there was no separate neutral line it wasn't possible to create a 110v circuit from the Air-conditioner unit power feed. Since the power supplies for both the wireless antenna and coax converters both ranged from 100-240v I didn't need a transformer - I just needed a 220v UPS to keep the power stable for the electronics.

This was the ONLY UPS that I could find readily available regardless of price - and this particular one is a really decent price. Even better, it is a nice small form factor UPS that fits into the 12x12 enclosure and the IEC outlets (as opposed to some other foreign outlet type) allowed for simple, compact and fairly conventional electric connections. I just used SF Cable, 18 AWG Monitor Power Adapter Cord, NEMA 5-15R to IEC320 C14 (1 Feet) cables to feed power from the UPS to the antenna and coax power supplies. Input power to the UPS was hardwired directly from the Air-conditioner breaker panel via a Cables To Go 03134 18 AWG Universal Power Cord, IEC320C13 to NEMA 5-15P (10 Feet) power cable with the NEMA 5-15P end cut off and connected directly to the breaker hot lines and ground lugs.

So, if you need a small 220v UPS to power modest network equipment or other electronics where you only have 220v power and your equipment can handle the voltage this is the unit for you!

This unit fried the power source of a Dell Optiplex gx280 in September 2011. I threw out the UPS, the burned power supply, and had to put $50 for a part replacement.

I generally like APC, however, this specific model was faulty. (It was 60% off, I now know why.)

However The APC company remedied the situation and instantly sent me a brand new unit, without waiting a minute, and without extra cost (besides RMA return shipping cost). Many thanks to APC, they saved that day. Amazon never answered my email asking for a solution and Amazon seems very difficult to contact in any manner, except when we are ready to send them money ;-)APC BE350G ES 6 Outlet 350VA Back-UPS

I received the unit, ready to install, but surprise! it is a 220V unit, not very useful to most people in the US. Nowhere in the description does it say 220 volts; true, it doesn't say 110 either, but really now, what would would you expect?

It doesn't advertise that it does have a computer interface, so it's no big deal.

But you would think since it has computer style C13 and C14 plugs on it that it would, and the picture of the back is not complete enough to show that it doesn't have any USB or serial plugs.

Trying to look up specs for this unit on APCs website is neigh impossible, unless you tell the site you are from Egypt, then you can find it. Here is a link to APC's site, and it will show you a comparison between this model, and a comparable 230v UK model that does have a USB interface.

[...]

The lack of a computer interface means that if the power goes out, the computer cannot be informed to shutdown properly, and if the power is out for any extended amount of time, and no one is around, when the batteries are drained, the computer is going off, and not in a nice controlled way.

Amazon needs to make that clear in the description. It never crossed my mind that Amazon would be selling a 220 volt version of a UPS unit. The company (APC) came through, I was very impressed. I called them and explained what happened. Since it was under warranty they sent me the correct unit at no cost and even sent a pre-paid shipping label to return the international unit to them. Kudos to APC!!! I love the new unit, works great.