HomeSeer & UPS

[b_williams]

I just purchased an APC SmartUPS battery backup for my HS computer. It appears that I have 2 choices for UPS monitoring software:
a) APC PowerChute Personal Edition
b) WinXP-Pro built-in UPS software

Is there HomeSeer software for both types of UPS software ??

Which is a better solution (a or b) for HomeSeer ??

What is the pro/con of making HomeSeer aware of the UPS status ??

Thanks for any help.
B_Williams

[completelyhis]

There are several plugins available for a UPS. I use BLups, one of blade's plugins. works well. I didn't install any of the software that came with my ups. I just plugged in the usb, and set the ups up with windows, then the plugin took care of the rest.

what's the benefit? Well, if my ups switches to running on battery, I'm notified via text message on my phone, as well as over the whole house audio (during daytime hours). I am also notified when the power is restored, and if it is off for more than a certain amount of time, i have a routine that shuts the computer off after closing HS propperly, and I'm notified of all this. I like it very much.

Ian

[b_williams]

completelyhis, I have a dumb question. Maybe I'm missing something but when the electric is off how do you send a notification over the whole house audio ??

Thanks,
B_Williams

[Rotech]

When electricity is off (AC), HS is still on battery, so it will tell the user that the AC is off becuase its on battery. there is a count down before the event of shutting down HS and the pc itself.

[thymer]

I also use BLUps and it works well. My whole house amp is also on the UPS so I can hear the announcements when the power goes off.

FYI, you cannot load the vendor (APC) software. If you do windows cannot directly communicate with the UPS and the plugin will not work.

[michael.davis]

If you want more integration than Windows UPS provides, use the APC PowerChute Business Edition software. It is a free download from APC. Then get Jon00's APC plug-in. The plug-in monitors the APC logs to gather and trigger on voltage, frequency, loss and resotration of commercial power, etc.

There are several threads that describe this integration very thoroughly and the plug-in works very well. And, it's free due to Jon's generousity and need to write code!!

Michael

[jgary]

So when the power comes back on will the software reboot the HomeSeer machine?

[completelyhis]

i have my bios set to automatically turn on when it recovers from a power failure. that's a bois setting, not a ups/plugin/hs setting.

[b_williams]

Does anyone have an opinion which is a better solution, APC PowerChute Personal Edition + Jon00's APC plug-in or WinXP-Pro built-in UPS software + BLups plug-in ????

B_Williams

[Mountainman]

Jon00's APC plug-in only works with APC Business Edition. See:

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=129157

APC Business Edition is what you want (versus Personal Edition) if you have more than one UPS as it's easier to manage them. Business Edition can be used even if you only have one UPS.

[Rotech]

BLups, works with any UPS that has a usb port. I have my setup as completlyhis has it, no problem here.

[william.abbo]

Ups and HomeSeer

I have just installed APCUPSD and the scriptfile provided for this here on the Messageboard.
I'am using a APC Back-UPS CS 500, APCUPSD fully supports this ups, while BLUPS and some others here do not fully integrate all features.

[b_williams]

Does the APCUPSD solution work with a APC UPS that connects to the PC via USB ???

[william.abbo]

Does the APCUPSD solution work with a APC UPS that connects to the PC via USB ???

Yes, it does. Apcupsd also has a great doc.file

[mark_anderson_us]

what's the benefit? Well, if my ups switches to running on battery, I'm notified via text message on my phone, as well as over the whole house audio (during daytime hours). I am also notified when the power is restored, and if it is off for more than a certain amount of time, i have a routine that shuts the computer off after closing HS propperly, and I'm notified of all this. I like it very much.

Ian

Hi Ian

How are you getting the status in your text message. I setup an event for a status change, but can;t figure out how to get the actuals status

Regards

mark