[PLUG] experiments - OT: FiOS auxiliary power for BBU

[Fred James]

Keith Lofstrom wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 07:56:48PM -0600, Fred James wrote:
>   
>> ... there is (again, on my model) a button marked "Battery 
>> Emergency Use" (next to the Alarm Silence button), which (although 
>> Verizon fails to mention it in their documentation) is intended for 
>> emergency use as follows ...
>>     "Press the button once to use the reserve battery capacity and/or 
>> the auxiliary battery capacity after low battery shutdown.  The unit 
>> will emit a confirmation beep."
>>     
>
> The procedure did not work with the battery totally unplugged.  Perhaps
> it works with a low - but not 0V - battery.  I will see if I can
> arrange one.  
>
> ...
>   
>> Thanks for the input - that sounds (correct me if I am wrong) as if one 
>> were to connect the free ends (say with alligator clips attached?) of a 
>> cable of the description you gave above to a fully charged 12 V 7.2 AHr 
>> battery (i.e., the same type as the one in the unit itself), and the 
>> barrel end of that cable  to the BBU auxiliary port provided, one could 
>> be good to go?  First making sure polarity on the cable was correct, of 
>> course.
>>     
>
> That might be worth a try.  Perhaps the unit actually senses a 
> battery (rather than a power supply ) out there.  A small gel cell
> battery has a different impedance and capacitance than a power
> supply, or a car battery, for that matter.
>
> Does the auxiliary device have a separate charger, or is it charged
> by the main unit?
>
> Keith
>   
Keith Lofstrom
"but not with a 0V battery" - I don't know - from the documentation one 
might expect the BBU to shutdown leaving some "reserve" power in the battery
Now, Verizon "tech" did say the aux port wasn't hooked up, but APC 
couldn't understand that statement - i.e.: APC's documents contradict 
Verizon's statement - but I don't know how to verify that either way?

If one could acquire the suggested auxiliary device (some have suggested 
that one could), it is supposed to contain a battery charger as well
A local battery store (Batteries Plus) claims to have both the 
replacement battery (<$40) for the BBU, and a separate charger (<$30) 
for the battery, although I have not been to see them as yet.
Regards
Fred James