APC Back-UPS XS1500VA Battery Backup

by APC

Product Details

• Item Weight: 25.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 29 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000A3SGH
• Item model number: BX1500
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 18, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This 8-outlet UPS provides high-performance power protection for home and business computers, protecting your data and hardware from surges, spikes, and power failures. It provides up to 110 minutes of battery back-up time for safe shutdown when power is lost. Other features include:

• PowerChute personal edition software for safe system shutdown USB connectivity
• 8 power outlets with a 6' cord
• Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) technology
• USB and serial ports
• Protects system from surges traveling on a telephone, fax or modem
• APC $150,000 equipment protection policy and data recovery warranty
• Unit covered by two-year warranty

Product Description

Battery-protected and surge-only outlets reserves power capacity and run time for connected equipment that require battery back-up. Boost Automatic Voltage Regulation preserves battery life and maximizes runtime by correcting low voltages without discharging the battery. Audible alarms provide notification of changing utility power and UPS conditions. Power conditioning protects connected loads from surges, spikes, lightning, and other disturbances. Battery replacement without tools reduces risk of load disruption. Automatic battery self-test ensures early detection of a battery that needs to be replaced. Global Product Type: Backup Systems; Protection Type: N/A; System VA: 1500 VA; Backup Time at Full Load: 865 Watts @ 5.1 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant, Functional UPS, August 10, 2003

By 

R. Ocampo "Artisan" (North America) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: APC Back-UPS XS1500VA Battery Backup (Electronics)

I own a couple of APC UPS and surge protection products. So far this is the most functional. The features:

1. The unit can be positioned vertically (best for saving space) or horizontally (lay flat or mounted to a server rack).
2. It has a very excellent boxy design that gives an elegant and modern feel.
3. There are 8 outlets in total (6 outlets are battery protected and voltage regulated, which means less dependency on the battery and longer replacement life; 2 outlets are surge-protected for printers and office machines).
4. The included PowerChute Personal Edition is to be combined with the data cable that, when connected to your computer via USB, provides excellent control and communication between the UPS, computer and user/administrator.
a. You will know exactly how much load is taxing the UPS in real-time; Turn on/off equipment to check.
b. Shut-down function to preserve data or battery.
c. Audible and visual alarm indication on current condition.
5. Hot-swap battery without turning off the UPS.

The cons? Heavy! But then of course it only needs to be set and forget. Expensive! Not for a typcial user. Although the features should be made available for everyone.

This particular model is a little overkill. I connected a P4 3GHz (with 3 internal SATA HDD, DVDROM, DVD-RW), 21" CRT, Apple PBG4 laptop, 2 external LaCie HDD and 1 external CD-R and I still haven't reached half of the available power. Buy this only if they offer a special price/rebate. Otherwise, go with the lower model XS/RS1000 and it will suite an power user just perfectly.

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT RECOMENDED!!, October 2, 2005

By 

RuppMan (Port Charlott, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: APC Back-UPS XS1500VA Battery Backup (Electronics)

I purchased this unit last April 2005. After 2 months it quit working and the overload light came on. I unplugged my computer and monitor, (only things plugged into it), and it still wouldn't work and light said "overloaded". I called APC and had to send it back for $25.00 shipping. Their policy is to send a "refurbished" unit. Took a month to get. Second unit did the same thing. Sent back again, received another in about a month. Now this one just went out also. Same problem and booklet says it is an internal error, when it does this. Not a "fault" in my wiring or "reverse polarity, or anything else on my part. My last unit a "Contaxt" lasted over 8 years. Basically in my humble opinion, this a piece of junk. As is their return policy, where you pay the shipping and only receive a refurbished unit. States so in their "warranty". Of course you can't read it till you get it home or to the office. Not very reputable. Used to be a good company with good products. Not any longer!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great back-up unit with informative software, March 28, 2005

By 

Vynny "Vynrod" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: APC Back-UPS XS1500VA Battery Backup (Electronics)

Our power frequently goes out so a UPS is a must, but worse than the blackouts are the flickering of power on and off. I've lost two expensive items (Roland MC505 and a 120GB external Hard Drive) simply due to the power fluctuating rapidly for several seconds causing the UPS to 'give up' and switch off.

I had a Belkin UPS connected to my main PC but it clearly wasn't up to the job despite it being more than rated for the PC's consumption. Sometimes it would cover the outage, others it would simply power down. I needed a good replacement and so opted for the APC Back-UPS XS 1500.

Firstly, we have yet to lose power since its installation so I can't really know for sure if the unit will perform when needed, but I'm happy to comment on the unit and software. Now this is a BIG unit, slightly smaller than a PC case and half the width. I'd say it weighs somewhere in the region of 25-30lbs so should be placed on a sturdy desk or the floor. It stands upright, although can be laid flat, and looks well made and solid. On the back are the usual separate surge protected and powered surge protected outlets, but this unit has the most number of battery powered outlets (6) I've seen on a consumer model.

Set up was easy and connecting the battery for the first time a breeze. Software installed without a hitch and is extremely comprehenive - something that gives me great confidence in the unit is being able to see recent activity - dealing with brownouts or completely taking over from outages are logged as well as a realtime estimate of how long the unit would cover you for the outage, based on your current load. Also shown is the power consumption allowing you to make an informed decision as to how many more peripherals you can hook up before you overload the unit. Alarms can be toggled through the software and tailored to your specific situation. Currently I have a powerful Alienware PC, external HD, 21" monitor and some sundry peripherals connected to the unit and yet I'm only using about 33% of the allowable capacity - nice to know should I intend adding more hard drives etc.

All in all, I've bought several APC UPS products and I feel this is one of the best they've produced - it's going to do the job very well and recommend the unit to those needing a little more power than normal.