Will a dual band plug-in module work with a UPS?

[gweempose]

I have an arcade game that I want to hookup to a UPS. I'd also like to turn it off and on via a dual-band plug-in module. I assume the UPS will filter out the power line signals, but I'm wondering if it will still work via RF.

[larryllix]

Mine do work on the inverter side of my Outback inverters but with no grid power they have no other devices to talk to.

I use the plug-in dual band devices to relay the signals onto the powerlines from the inverters, via rf.

[gweempose]

So you're saying it will probably work as long as I have another dual-band device in close proximity to the one plugged into the UPS?

[Goose66]

Based on my 12 year history with Insteon, I would recommend putting your UPS on the downstream side of a FilterLinc or other noise filter and not let the downstream side come into any contact with Insteon devices - PLC, RF, or otherwise. Could you use a IOLinc upstream from the FilterLinc and UPS to turn on and off the arcade game?

[gweempose]

6 minutes ago, Goose66 said:

Based on my 12 year history with Insteon, I would recommend putting your UPS on the downstream side of a FilterLinc or other noise filter and not let the downstream side come into any contact with Insteon devices - PLC, RF, or otherwise. Could you use a IOLinc upstream from the FilterLinc and UPS to turn on and off the arcade game?

I would think the Insteon on/off module would have to be after the UPS in the chain. If not, wouldn't the battery automatically kick in every time you turn off the module?

[Goose66]

I was suggesting an I/O Linc upstream from the UPS with the dry contact relay hooked to some low-voltage switch in the arcade games power supply.

[gweempose]

5 hours ago, Goose66 said:

I was suggesting an I/O Linc upstream from the UPS with the dry contact relay hooked to some low-voltage switch in the arcade games power supply.

Interesting. I have no experience with I/O Lincs. Can they be easily wired up to control a computer power supply?

[hart2hart]

Interesting. I have no experience with I/O Lincs. Can they be easily wired up to control a computer power supply?

I have used one wired in parallel with power switch wiring to control pc.

[Goose66]

32 minutes ago, gweempose said:

Interesting. I have no experience with I/O Lincs. Can they be easily wired up to control a computer power supply?

As long as the switch is switching low voltage (Max 5A @ 30 Volts)

[Brian H]

Although the relay in the I/OLinc is rated at  15 Amps 125 volts NC contacts and 16  Amps 125 volt NO contacts. The PC board runs and terminal block are only rated at 30 volts 5 amps. As pointed out

So using higher voltages and currents. Maybe unsafe or fail faster than normal.

[larryllix]

18 hours ago, gweempose said:

So you're saying it will probably work as long as I have another dual-band device in close proximity to the one plugged into the UPS?

Yes. I am using low distortion inverters 2 x 3600 Watt though. Some may generate a lot more distortion of the waveform and cause problems.

Having said that, my ISY is not backed up so I don't have much experience with signals getting into a fully synthesised waveform while the grid is out.

[Brian H]

If the UPS has a clean 60 cycle sine wave output. The I/Olinc should work when on battery.

The module uses the AC Zero Crossing to time all of its RF and Power Line receiving and sending.

The Insteon White Paper explains the details in anyone is interested.

http://cache.insteon.com/documentation/insteon_details.pdf

 

[Goose66]

2 hours ago, Brian H said:

If the UPS has a clean 60 cycle sine wave output. The I/Olinc should work when on battery.

The module uses the AC Zero Crossing to time all of its RF and Power Line receiving and sending.

The Insteon White Paper explains the details in anyone is interested.

http://cache.insteon.com/documentation/insteon_details.pdf

 

That's assuming that the 60Hz cycle of the UPS is synced with the source power, which I don't know if it is the case for a typical consumer level UPS.

Of course, when the device is on battery, there won't be any other Insteon modules to communicate with, unless they are on the same UPS.

[gweempose]

I'm not necessarily concerned with the Insteon module working while on battery, since 99.9999% of the time the battery won't be running. I just wanted to know if the Insteon module would still work when connected to the filtered side of the UPS.

[lilyoyo1]

15 minutes ago, gweempose said:

I'm not necessarily concerned with the Insteon module working while on battery, since 99.9999% of the time the battery won't be running. I just wanted to know if the Insteon module would still work when connected to the filtered side of the UPS.

You'll have to try it. While it could theoretically work due to the device being dual band, it could also not work due to how filtered devices effect insteon devices. 

I've seen dual band work behind filtered devices just like I've seen issues in similar setups.

[Goose66]

13 minutes ago, gweempose said:

I'm not necessarily concerned with the Insteon module working while on battery, since 99.9999% of the time the battery won't be running. I just wanted to know if the Insteon module would still work when connected to the filtered side of the UPS.

If they will work on different inverters for larryllix, then I guess they will work on your UPS for RF only. No better way to answer that question than just test it. But my experience suggests you're likely to introduce problems. I have spent a significant amount of time filtering out noise from UPSes, fluorescent lights, noisy motors, and LED bulb power supplies to keep my Insteon in working order, and even then I have flashes multiple times a year where I want to junk it all and go Zwave!