Belkin Universal UPS 1200VA Review

Belkin Universal UPS 1200VA

Belkin UPS with USB & Serial Interface

After we had two three second powercuts last week it made me think that the hard drive could be damaged so decided to get a UPS. After comparing several different models went for this one as it had USB support as my serial port on the PC is already in use. Went for the 1200VA model as price difference between this one and the 1000VA is minimal.

Other reasons for going for this one was that it has 3 pin plugs on the rear of the device as opposed to just the kettle lead type plugs found on some of the cheaper models.

Arrived on the day stated on the invoice and charged unit for 24 hours, switched everything on and then plugged in the USB lead and Windows XP configured the rest for me. Usually a bit apprehsive about installing new hardware but no problems at all. The only thing you need to adjust is the power settings on the control panel so that the machine shuts down automatically when the UPS is running low on power.

Haven't installed the BullDog software that comes with it and reading the manual it doesn't appear worth it if you are a home user with only one machine as the BullDog software tends to lean towards networked machines or if you want to do fancy things with the UPS like perform an automatic self test every month or so.

Well recommended piece of kit and lets face it for just over £100 it's good insurance against lots of repairs should you get a surge or a blackout.

Your Comments/Opinions

I've been using Belkin UPS for a number of years now. Last night we experienced some storms. All my kit is connected via Belkin 650VA Pro Gold. To date I've lost a server, two 8 port rack mount switches, an ADSL router and still counting ... The surge protect didn't work this time, so don't rely on the protection. You may still have to foot the bill for damaged equipment.

Claudio

Do install the Bulldog Software, it's brilliant. Tells you teh voltage coming from your mains and frequency. Plus shuts down your computer via teh USB port as specified by you. I have mine set to shut down the computer when there is only 5 minutes of battery power left. The 1200 powers my computer for up to 25 minutes during a power cut. I do worry about what happens when teh batteries are no good any more. Do they last 5 years or less?

Ron Osborn

Re the comment about the Belkin 650VA Pro Gold not protecting against a power surge: The Belkin 650VA Pro Gold only has 150 Joules of surge protection, but the Universal 1200VA has 890 Joules. Oh, and anyway you should still be able to claim on Belkin's "Connected Equipment Warranty"