Blackout Buster B6U

Blackout Buster B6U

"Good Things Come In Small Packages"

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Type of Product

The Blackout Buster from PK Electronics is an (UPS) uninterruptible power supply and a surge protector.

Features

Emergency Backup Battery. Rechargeable battery will give you time to save valuable files during power blackouts.
Power Surge Guard. Protects against lightning strikes and other power surges.
Voltage Regulation. Protects against damage caused by voltage variations.
Internet Line Protection. Protects against power spikes traveling through Internet or network lines.

Installation

Extremely easy and fast. It took less than 5 minutes. All the information you need is right on the box. There are two small pamphlets, an Installation Guide, with visual step-by-step instructions, and a User's Guide, if you need more information. A novice or beginner PC user would have no problem.

Design, Outlets, & Ports

This unit is compact, about 8 inches high, 4 inches wide and weighs about 8 pounds, which makes it perfect for a small office and/or workspace. It has an attractive look, with a dark grey, matte finish and rubberized feet. The large on/off switch is conveniently placed on the top of the front of the unit. There are four status lights which indicate that the unit is: (1) providing power; (2) receiving power and charging its internal battery; (3) regulating its output; and (4) using the internal battery. The backup or internal battery light will only come on in the event of a power failure.

The back of the unit has 6 power outlets. All six provide surge suppression, while four of the outlets also provide battery backup. High drain devices, such as printers, should be plugged into the two outlets without battery backup. Thus they will not drain the backup power reserve too quickly. The monitor and the computer should be plugged into the battery backup outlets. There is a battery backup outlet a couple of inches above the others to provide room to plug in a transformer that is often used by modems and external hard drives.

There are two ports for protecting either a modem or network line from surges and spikes. Either a telephone (RJ-11) or a network 10 Base-T (RJ-45) jack can be used. A third port, the data port, when connected with the supplied serial cable and software allows for UPS monitoring and control of Win 3.1x, Win95, Win NT, OS/2 and Novell NetWare operating systems in the event of a prolonged power outage. The free software and manual can be downloaded from PK Electronics' Web site or ordered with the coupon that comes with the unit.

Performance

To see how the Blackout Buster would perform in a power outage, I unplugged the unit from the wall, which meant laying on the floor under the computer table and stretching my arm upward to reach the outlet. Immediately the unit's alarm went off with a horribly incessant beep, which is good, to indicate that the power was off. The computer was fully functioning, with no slowdown.

Backup Time

The Blackout Buster provides backup time of 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the computer model. Also temperature, battery condition and peripherals added can change time. With the current faster processors and bigger monitors, the back up time can be less. But there should be adequate time to finish and save your data.

Computer Model Blackout Buster

IBM Aptiva Pentium 200 16 minutes

HP Pavilion 17 minutes

Compaq Desktop Pentium 166 17 minutes

Dell Dimension Pentium 166 19 minutes

Most other Pentium PCs 15-20 minutes

Equipment Guarantee & Warranty

The unit comes with a three year warranty, and there is a $30,000 PK Connected Equipment Guarantee to cover repair costs should a PC be damaged by power line transients while it is properly connected.

Personal Comments

The Blackout Buster has many features that make it an excellent buy. It is small and compact and very easy to install. It is an uninterruptible power supply as well as a surge protector so you don't have to buy separate units. It provides protection from voltage spikes from incoming phone or network cable. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to protect their data. A power outage can happen to anyone at anytime and the additional minutes Blackout Buster gives you to save your work can make a big difference.

Technical Support

PK Electronics Web site http://www.pkworld.com offers additional information about products and support.

Price

$154.00

Blackout Buster B6U "Good Things Come In Small Packages"
Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it. Use your browser's "BACK" button to return to this review when done.

Type of Product
The Blackout Buster from PK Electronics is an (UPS) uninterruptible power supply and a surge protector.

Features
Emergency Backup Battery. Rechargeable battery will give you time to save valuable files during power blackouts. Power Surge Guard. Protects against lightning strikes and other power surges. Voltage Regulation. Protects against damage caused by voltage variations. Internet Line Protection. Protects against power spikes traveling through Internet or network lines.

Installation
Extremely easy and fast. It took less than 5 minutes. All the information you need is right on the box. There are two small pamphlets, an Installation Guide, with visual step-by-step instructions, and a User's Guide, if you need more information. A novice or beginner PC user would have no problem.

Design, Outlets, & Ports
This unit is compact, about 8 inches high, 4 inches wide and weighs about 8 pounds, which makes it perfect for a small office and/or workspace. It has an attractive look, with a dark grey, matte finish and rubberized feet. The large on/off switch is conveniently placed on the top of the front of the unit. There are four status lights which indicate that the unit is: (1) providing power; (2) receiving power and charging its internal battery; (3) regulating its output; and (4) using the internal battery. The backup or internal battery light will only come on in the event of a power failure. The back of the unit has 6 power outlets. All six provide surge suppression, while four of the outlets also provide battery backup. High drain devices, such as printers, should be plugged into the two outlets without battery backup. Thus they will not drain the backup power reserve too quickly. The monitor and the computer should be plugged into the battery backup outlets. There is a battery backup outlet a couple of inches above the others to provide room to plug in a transformer that is often used by modems and external hard drives. There are two ports for protecting either a modem or network line from surges and spikes. Either a telephone (RJ-11) or a network 10 Base-T (RJ-45) jack can be used. A third port, the data port, when connected with the supplied serial cable and software allows for UPS monitoring and control of Win 3.1x, Win95, Win NT, OS/2 and Novell NetWare operating systems in the event of a prolonged power outage. The free software and manual can be downloaded from PK Electronics' Web site or ordered with the coupon that comes with the unit.

Performance
To see how the Blackout Buster would perform in a power outage, I unplugged the unit from the wall, which meant laying on the floor under the computer table and stretching my arm upward to reach the outlet. Immediately the unit's alarm went off with a horribly incessant beep, which is good, to indicate that the power was off. The computer was fully functioning, with no slowdown.

Backup Time
The Blackout Buster provides backup time of 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the computer model. Also temperature, battery condition and peripherals added can change time. With the current faster processors and bigger monitors, the back up time can be less. But there should be adequate time to finish and save your data.

Computer Model	Blackout Buster
IBM Aptiva Pentium 200	16 minutes
HP Pavilion	17 minutes
Compaq Desktop Pentium 166	17 minutes
Dell Dimension Pentium 166	19 minutes
Most other Pentium PCs	15-20 minutes

Equipment Guarantee & Warranty
The unit comes with a three year warranty, and there is a $30,000 PK Connected Equipment Guarantee to cover repair costs should a PC be damaged by power line transients while it is properly connected.

Personal Comments
The Blackout Buster has many features that make it an excellent buy. It is small and compact and very easy to install. It is an uninterruptible power supply as well as a surge protector so you don't have to buy separate units. It provides protection from voltage spikes from incoming phone or network cable. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to protect their data. A power outage can happen to anyone at anytime and the additional minutes Blackout Buster gives you to save your work can make a big difference.

Technical Support
PK Electronics Web site http://www.pkworld.com offers additional information about products and support.
Price
$154.00