[conspire] Re PG&E causing downed trees (haha) and devices that deal with low-voltage [Re: A timely question.]

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Tony Godshall (tony at of.net):

> Actually, its quite common on UPSs.  APC calls
> this feature "AVR-boost" - a yellow light beeping
> alerted one of our clients to this last week.

I know it's common on UPSes, but I don't trust that very much.  As it
happens, I have an as-yet-undeployed APC-model-something UPS in my
garage waiting to serve my main machine and ancillary equipment.  When I
get around to it, I'm going to check and see what they claim it will do
-- but I have no intention of relying on that to protect my gear.

APC is among the better manufacturers in that department -- much of the
competition is unspeakable crap -- but the particulars of what they
_actually_ do in real-world varying-voltage condition is too murky for
my taste.  E.g., they 'boost' at a set low voltage by drawing on battery
power and, what, inverting it?  But for how long, and then what happens
after that if the low-voltage condition persists for a while?  

If I had my druthers, I'd prefer a unit that simply cuts all delivered
power when the voltage is too low, and keeps it off until incoming power
is back within spec for a while.