Review: Minuteman PRO1500RT UPS Has Few Downsides

This uninterruptible power supply bests comparable units in both price and performance.

Software

The PRO1500RT ships with a CD that includes Minuteman SentryPlus software and the associated (again, well written) manual.

The software is designed to support other Minuteman products and there are a few options that do not apply to the PRO1500RT, such as monitoring three-phase power.

Surprisingly, the software adds quite a bit of functionality, including the ability to silence alarms, run a number of more comprehensive tests, log line and load voltages, graph operation, and indicate battery voltage, battery level, loading level, input frequency, and input voltage.

It should be noted that the software is purely optional. If you just want to use the UPS to shut down a PC automatically, Windows will handle all of that.

In fact, that was our only issue with the software; on the splash screen it noted that the software only worked with Windows versions through XP. In fact, it worked just fine on our freshly updated Windows 10 test bench configuration.

Our least favorite software feature was the constantly scrolling Minuteman UPS logo on the main screen.

Our favorite feature? When Broadcast Message is enabled, unplugging the UPS will result in a very British (think Elizabeth Hurley) voice calmly saying, “Power failed. The UPS is operating on battery power,” and “Power restored. The utility power restored” when all is well.

For those who are interested, the voice announcements (there are 24 of them) are stored as WAV files in the software directory and can be repurposed if desired.

internal view of the pro1500rt

The PRO1500RT’s internal components are protected with heat-shrink
tubing rather than common electrical tape, and replaceable automotive-style 30A fuses ensure the value of components protecting the circuit will never change, albeit at the expense of changing a fuse in a failure.

Setup

Because of the limited options available on the UPS, setup is a breeze. Remove four screws, connect the batteries, mount
the unit as needed, plug everything in and away you go.

The manuals are fine, but I doubt many will need them. The software is optional unless you want to silence the internal alarms.

This is as it should be; a versatile UPS with plug-and-play operation.

Testing

As expected, the UPS performed without a hitch. The voltage measurements were off by more than we usually see on a UPS, registering almost exactly 3V low on both input and output (we used three separate meters when testing and got uniform measurements from all of them).

The surge protection RJ45 connectors are specified as 10/100 Base-T in the manual, and our testing bore that out; they worked fine in the specified range but would not pass a Gigabit signal, even at a reduced speed.

This is noteworthy, as most current generation PCs include 10/100/1000 ports and will not work when connected through the PRO1500RT.

As this is explained in the manual, it did not impact our score, although we think Minuteman should either mark it on the rear panel or consider upgrading the port to 10/100/1000 to be in line with commonly connected devices.

Conclusions

One of the first filters we use when selecting products for review is “bang for the buck.” A product can be spectacular, but if it is priced outside of the market range for similar products, it may not warrant our consideration.

After all, we all live in the real world, and comparably performing products should generally be comparably priced. To that end, the Minuteman PRO RT line is a winner.

pro1500rt verdict

It beat the comparably rated unit from a major manufacturer in almost all categories – slightly more efficient power conversion (1,050W vs. 1,000W), better surge protection (1,140 Joules vs. 459 Joules) and a significantly lower price.

Construction, warranty, ease of use, software, simplified battery changes and display functionality make this a product worthy of your strong consideration.

As far as we’re concerned, Minuteman has once again delivered a winner.


READ: Why Multi-Tenant Structures Are Gold Mines for Integrators


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About the Author

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Bob Grossman has held positions in all areas of the security industry — giving him plenty of opportunity to learn from his mistakes! Bob has authored articles for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION and other publications and has spoken at numerous industry events both internationally and in the United States. Currently the founder and president of R. Grossman and Associates, a consulting firm, he divides his time between project-based work for large integrated systems and product consulting for a variety of cutting-edge manufacturers. For more information, visit www.tech-answers.com.

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