Pros: Price, 3-year warranty including battery, surge protection, software, plenty of jacks
Cons: N/A
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this UPS if you need security of power protection on a tight budget (for a computer or an electronic device that needs...
With all the deals I saw recently on UPS devices, I went on a UPS-buying spree. I bought an APC BE350R for $20 (after rebate). I also bought the APC BE500R for $30 with no rebates to replace my APC BE325R UPS. I bought a received the BE350R first and then, after seeing the BE500R for only $30, bought it too. I have used the BR350R with my computer for a few days until the BR500R arrived, then relegated it to my wine cooler.
Now it is (together with the Belkin surge protector) the first line of power defense for my new HD DVD player and plasma TV.
When I saw the deal on it ($20 after rebate), I decided to buy it as I wanted better protection than that of the BE325R to make sure that if the power goes off I will be able to safely save my work and turn my computer off and the BE350R seems to be very suitable.
What is APC BE350R?
The BE350R is an inexpensive UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that features 4 battery-powered and surge-protected DC jacks, 4 surge-protected DC jacks, phone and fax surge protection, USB connection to your computer and software. The UPS is rated at 350 VA / 200 Watts and features an alarm (beeps when power goes out) as well as a USB port with software to turn the computer automatically. The battery is supposed to last about 4-5 minutes for a medium-powered computer with an LCD monitor (the back panel of the box shows different running times for different typical computer configurations.
The UPS comes with a 3-year warranty (including battery) and automatically tests its battery once in a while. It also comes with $75,000 equipment protection warranty and claims to suppress RFI noise. The UPS is heavy and rather large, features sturdy construction.
What I was surprised about is the fact that there was some empty space in the battery compartment. The battery is smaller than the space in the compartment and the empty space has a plastic grid that prevents you from inserting anything larger.
Later, when I got the BE500R, I realize that it is exactly the same surge protector, but with larger (size-wise and capacity-wise) battery. Even the manual is the same for both models.
Getting Started
Once I got the device, I installed the battery (you have to open the lid and connect one of the cables; the other one is connected already). That was a little easier than with the BE500R, where the space is in the battery compartment was so tight that one of the cables tried to stick out and it was difficult to close the lid. Not so with the BE350R.
The UPS is a blocky and made of black plastic. It is also heavy. There is a power button on top of the device, which powers it on if anything is connected to it. Once powered, the UPS has a green LED on. Lights of other colors indicate wiring faults and different operating modes of the device.
I connected my computer to the BR350R; my computer is based on Athlon XP2800+, includes Dell 19-inch LCD monitor, DSL modem and a wireless router. I have all of these devices as well as a couple of printers, another computer (DELL based on P4) and an alarm clock connected to the battery-backed jacks of the UPS through a surge protector that I use as a splitter.
Since the alarm clock does not use much power and I generally only have one computer on at a time and only one LCD monitor, the power requirements should be limited by the power required by the computer and the LCD, plus about 15 Watts at most for standby power of other connected devices.
According to my calculations, my computer system draws much less than 300 W and more likely close to 110-130 W. Fortunately, the included software helps you figure out how long your computer can stay on when the power goes out.
The PowerShute software, included with this model, shows you an estimate of how long your computer can stay on. Although it showed [Less than 2 Minutes] at first (even with fully-charged battery, once I tested the UPS by disconnecting it from the wall, it realized that it can last longer and showed [5 minutes], which made more sense.
When I disconnected the UPS from the AC power while keeping the computer on, the software told me the power is lost and I should shut down. You can specify if you also want audible alerts and how long to keep the PC running until the software starts shutting it down.
Before, I was not looking for a solution that would let me save my work automatically or make absolutely sure I shut down properly. For me, the most important thing is that I have a chance to save the source code or letter I am working on before the power goes out. Now, I do not have to compromise and I can be sure I save my work and shut down my computer properly. And the APC BE350R is what I needed (although the BE500R gives me more of peace of mind now).
In the days I used this device I had no problems. And I trust that APC would design a product that will not let me down when I need it. So when the BE500R arrived to replace it, I first relegated it to power my wine cooler to ensure that it would not forget the needed temperature in case of a short power outage.
Later, I realized that since the HD-DVD player I have needs to power down properly in case I play the movie, and, more importantly, when the firmware update from Toshiba is applied, I attached the TV and the HD-DVD player to it. The firmware update from Toshiba takes 30 minutes to apply and if the power is lost in the meantime, the HD-DVD player might become just another piece of plastic. So the BE350R is much appreciated here.
Recommendation
I highly recommend this UPS if you need security of power protection on a tight budget (for a computer or an electronic device that needs uninterrupted power). And its price is great too.
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