Powerman RT 2000 UPS review - Budget Rack Solution
When choosing a UPS for installation in a rack, the buyer, as a rule, focuses on price, capacity and number of outlets. In our reviews, we not only measure performance, but also pay attention to the design of the device, and sometimes in the most budget models you come across such an engineering idea that you want to shake hands with the developers. Today we are testing a double conversion UPS from Powerman .
The RT2000 is a low-cost device for protecting telecommunications equipment. With its low price, Powerman RT2000 allows you to increase the battery capacity by connecting external battery packs, has an EPO emergency shutdown connector, an SNMP card slot and 4 IEC-320 sockets. Like all On-Line models, this novelty has the following advantages:
- DC sinusoidal output voltage
- Output voltage accuracy - 1%
- Transfer time to battery - 0 ms
- Keeping phasing in all modes
- Adjusting the input frequency for generator operation
- Stabilization of the output frequency with an accuracy of 0.1 Hz
Design benefits:
- 8 IEC-320 sockets
- USB/RS232 ports
- Rack-mount/Tower-mountable
- RJ45 Port Security
- Power factor - 0.9
- EPO Connection
This list lacks load segmentation: for some reason, UPS manufacturers still believe that this technology should be present only in expensive models. But I must say thank you for the EPO port, because instant load disconnection is a prerequisite for installing a UPS in any more or less serious server rack.
Externally, all 2U UPSs are the same: can be installed in a rack using the supplied steel brackets or vertically on plastic feet. The screen is very easy to unfold in the orientation you need, so everything is standard in this regard. If the UPS is installed in a rack, you will have to remove the entire bezel with the screen and buttons when replacing the batteries. The UPS will continue to operate in this mode, but it will not be possible to control it.
Powerman RT2000 uses 4 lead-acid batteries with a capacity of 9 Ah each with absorbed electrolyte, collected in a single block. The batteries carry their own Powerman brand name, but you can use any other as a replacement.
To prevent swelling, there are two steel bounding frames inside the case. Their task is to prevent the UPS chassis cover from buckling so that in the event of a battery damage, the UPS itself can be pulled out of the rack without hitting neighboring servers or switches. There is a 16 mm gap between the battery surface and the frame, so that with a slight swelling of the battery, you can still pull out the battery pack without turning off the UPS and, accordingly, the load connected to it. If the batteries are more swollen, then of course the UPS will have to be dismantled from the rack, but even in this case, you can easily remove the bounding frames fastened with screws.
By the way, due to poor cooling, swelling of batteries in rack-mounted UPSs is a frequent occurrence, and at best, the system administrator pulls them out by disassembling the device case. At worst, they pick up hammers and hacksaws.
While studying the Powerman RT2000 component base, I did not find any familiar manufacturer. There are 3 fuses in the high voltage circuit of the inverter, and the UPS has a resettable breaker at the input for overload protection. LC filters are discrete, soldered on a separate board at the input.
The inverter itself is cooled by two 80mm fans with automatic speed control depending on the load. At idle speed, like all On-Line UPSs, the fans work, creating a noise comparable to that of a gaming computer, so Powerman RT2000 can only be used in a closed telecommunication cabinet in a staff room. By the way, the UPS screen can display information about the device temperature, which is very convenient.
Since we talked about the screen, let's talk about the settings, especially since there are not many of them here. Available to you:
- Switch from double conversion mode to ECO or frequency conversion mode (useful when running on generator)
- Output voltage values
- Output Frequency Values
- Overvoltage value at which transfer from bypass mode to conversion mode occurs.
- Undervoltage value at which transfer from bypass to conversion mode occurs
ATTENTION! by default, the transition from bypass to conversion mode is carried out when reaching 170 V from the bottom or 264 V from the top, which exceeds the permissible values according to GOST 29322-2014 output deviation (in bypass mode, input and output voltages are the same). So when using ECO mode or bypass, be sure to manually change the specified values, otherwise there can be no question of any protection.
Well, if we're talking about stresses, it's time to move on to measurements.
Testing
Let's check the output sinusoid: it's perfect!
The transfer voltage to battery operation is 120V, which is very good, especially for a budget UPS.
Battery transfer voltage under load 400 VA, V
The hysteresis is sufficient to prevent the UPS from switching back and forth when the input voltage stabilizes at 120 V.
Own power consumption under 400Va load, Wt
Energy consumption in economy mode is disappointing - with such a difference, there is no point in switching to bypass. In normal double conversion mode, the Powerman RT2000 has the same efficiency as the Inelt Monolith III 2000 RT, a higher-end model.
Autonomy time under load 400 VA & 1670 VA, minutes:seconds
The runtime depends on how efficient the inverter is. We see that at low capacities POWERMAN RT2000 outperforms its counterparts, but at high power it is inferior to its `` colleagues ''. We use the results of this test to calculate economic indicators.
Conclusions
As is the case with many budget models, in the case of Powerman RT2000 the price is the determining factor, and in terms of the cost of autonomous minutes at 20% load this model is the new leader among the models we tested.
What I didn't like:
- Chinese components from unknown companies are used in the construction
- No USB cable included
What we liked:
- Protecting the casing against battery swelling
- Convenient screen flip to vertical position
- Built-in thermometer with on-screen information
- Good autonomy at 20% load
- Low cost
Powerman RT2000 is the case when the UPS protects not only the connected equipment, but as it is fashionable to say now, every thousand rubles invested. Savings are achieved at the purchase and installation stage by operating in normal double conversion mode and maximum protection.
Mikhail Degtyarev (aka LIKE OFF)
20/12/2018