expired Posted by phoinix | Staff • Dec 8, 2022
Dec 8, 2022 3:20 PM
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
expired Posted by phoinix | Staff • Dec 8, 2022
Dec 8, 2022 3:20 PM
APC UPS Sealed Lead Acid Battery Replacement (RBC17)
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$57
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That battery has a lower 7.2Ah capacity and smaller F1 terminals so technically not RBC17-compatible despite saying so (one reviewer used pliers to compensate for the loose connection). Mighty Max does have a 9Ah battery with F2 terminals for $23.55, curiously shipped and SOLD by Amazon [amazon.com] which may or may not be a good thing: for SLA battery with a limited storage/shelf life, some may prefer the seller ship fresh stock directly from their own warehouse (as with your 7.2Ah listing).
OP's listing is good when your friend needs a battery, since you don't want to be blamed for getting an off-brand if it doesn't work. For myself, I usually buy at least 2, and I can get (2) 9Ah for around $40 shipped from battery specialists like BatterySharks.com. Those popular CyberPower 1350VA/1500VA UPS towers each take two 7Ah/8Ah/9Ah F2 batteries (model RB1270/RB1280/RB1290) if you reuse the old wiring harness.
Also, I ensure that the UPSes that I buy can take the larger 7-9Ah battery size (as smaller sized batteries aren't much cheaper). Those used to be commonly $40 and under back in the Staples coupon days but for the last few years the cheaper models come with physically smaller 5.5-6Ah batteries.
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My 20 year old SMART UPS I installed a potentiometer so I can adjust the float voltage to exactly what the battery specifies, however it will still peak as high as 15V during charging, as most SLA chargers do to overcome internal resistance and sulfation. When fully charged it floats at exactly the midpoint of the CSB batteries I have in it.
If you want to risk it, go for it, but just saying it is a drop in replacement is not accurate, there are definite risks involved and the UPS may not be reliable or operate as expected.
Some are harder than others to swap the connectors over though. Some are soldered on, others can just swap easily.
My 20 year old SMART UPS I installed a potentiometer so I can adjust the float voltage to exactly what the battery specifies, however it will still peak as high as 15V during charging, as most SLA chargers do to overcome internal resistance and sulfation. When fully charged it floats at exactly the midpoint of the CSB batteries I have in it.
$17 is a good price though, may be worth it especially for the little cheap UPSes that are just there to allow a PC to shut down or run your router/modem.
I only use CSB - as you say most APC batteries are CSB under the sticker (occasionally have seen panasonic in older ones). CSB actually has a Long Life version now (HRL) for some batteries (from what I recall the 1234 is one of them), and I've been using those. Rated for 7 years or more in UPS applications that aren't discharged frequently. The standard CSBs I can get 5-8 years out of easily (still at 80% or more of capacity), so far I'm 3 years into the long life version, we'll see how long they go.
The other nice thing about buying CSB is they are usually fresher than the APC ones. SLA batteries can only sit off charger for about 6 months before they start to deteriorate.
The whole LiOn, LiPo, LiFe, etc thing is just scary. Totally different charging voltages, charging profiles, current ratings, etc.
The other nice thing about using CSB batteries is you can usually find larger capacity ones that will fit, nearly every UPS I've replaced batteries in I've been able to fit a larger capacity CSB in.
I am aware of the CSB HRL series but have not tried them yet. I have used Enersys DataSafe HX series, which is rated for 10 years but I didn't find them to hold up all that much better than the regular models. Funny thing is, I've had a few random CSB batteries from the General Purpose and High Rate series last a VERY long time (over 10 years). Right now, I still have one HR1234W hanging on that was manufactured in 2007! I'm not sure why this happens. Maybe they just sprinkle some pixie dust in the electrolyte occasionally.
A note on capacities, I find there's a lot of variance from one brand to another. In one of my experiments (many years ago), I bought new 12V 12Ah batteries from three different brands and compared the runtime under a 200W load. Here's the results:
Powersonic: 17:00
Panasonic: 21:30
Enersys Genesis: 23:30
I think that's a pretty stark difference. I can't seem to find the numbers but I'm fairly certain that the PowerSonic died first. I believe the Panasonic lived the longest. It's too bad I didn't also buy a CSB.
It was only 4 dollars more so savings just isn't 56.91. That's a gross exaggeration. You can also buy these direct from manufacturer.
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I bought an additional, smaller apc last year for different needs. It works fine, but doesn't feel as sturdy. I wouldn't want to drop it with some of its plastic too many times. ie.
That battery has a lower 7.2Ah capacity and smaller F1 terminals so technically not RBC17-compatible despite saying so (one reviewer used pliers to compensate for the loose connection). Mighty Max does have a 9Ah battery with F2 terminals for $23.55, curiously shipped and SOLD by Amazon [amazon.com] which may or may not be a good thing: for SLA battery with a limited storage/shelf life, some may prefer the seller ship fresh stock directly from their own warehouse (as with your 7.2Ah listing).
OP's listing is good when your friend needs a battery, since you don't want to be blamed for getting an off-brand if it doesn't work. For myself, I usually buy at least 2, and I can get (2) 9Ah for around $40 shipped from battery specialists like BatterySharks.com. Those popular CyberPower 1350VA/1500VA UPS towers each take two 7Ah/8Ah/9Ah F2 batteries (model RB1270/RB1280/RB1290) if you reuse the old wiring harness.
Also, I ensure that the UPSes that I buy can take the larger 7-9Ah battery size (as smaller sized batteries aren't much cheaper). Those used to be commonly $40 and under back in the Staples coupon days but for the last few years the cheaper models come with physically smaller 5.5-6Ah batteries.
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Some are harder than others to swap the connectors over though. Some are soldered on, others can just swap easily.
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