power interuption, what to do??


Hi everyone. i am a novice by every mean. i live in an area where power outtages happen frequently. how do i prevent this from affecting my system. are there any high grade UPS systems maybe, or do i need surge protector? is something at the breaker i should consider? I currently have two independent lines running to my audio centre, one for digital and one for analog, becuase they are dedicated lines, maybe there is a specific breaker that might be able to help? I would really like to consider a UPS to prevent my pre pro from resetting, but is there a UPS that is good enough quality to prevent any unwanted changes? Thanks for your time people.
pharsyd
You are basically going to need a 2400 VA single-branch circuit ups system with a battery bank, inverter/charger, wiring and control. The inverter should be a full sine wave type with a built-in transfer switch. This is for one 20-amp circuit only. Going with one more circuit would require a 4 or 5 kVa unit.

You may want to look at a company called Xantrex (www.xantrex.com) which sells quality inverters. Look under inverters/chargers. I have not dealt with them so I cannot offer any insight with respect to the cost. Try contacting them directly to set you up.
Tom Lyon will probably chime in here later - he has a fascinating, albeit not inexpensive, inverter solution that would work but the cost may be prohibitive.
Typical home computer inverter UPS's are very noisy & are not what you want here. A quieter model may be OK for your low current pre/proc, but not for the whole rig. I can't recommend anything specific though.
Regarding line-transient protection; this is definitely a good idea anywhere, but especailly for your situation which is not unlike my own. There are numerous workable options. Many line conditioners have integral surge protection, but you would need to chose one within budget & that won't constrain your power amps' dynamics, & will not adversely affect desirable sonic characteristics. This can be difficult. A Chang Lightspeed 6400 or 9600 may do it for you. PS Audio Ultimate outlet also (I believe) has surge protection (better verify that however). So does Audio Magic & no doubt there are many others.
Or you can get AC outlets containing MOV's (metal oxide varistors) MOV's are surge arrestors. Or you can install your own MOV's across your outlets if you're skilled electrically. GE V130LA20B's are what I use, combined with a line conditioner. Whole house surge protection is also a good idea; a large arrestor box installed typically at the breaker panel. Surge-X is one model available from member Chichiuno. I use an industrial model Joslyn gas-tube-discharge whole house protector for that. There are others too, but the inexpensive carbon block arrestors are only good for preventing house fires w\ direct lightning hits & won't prevent your audio rig from failing due to large line transients, so get a good one if at all.