mechBgon

I'm probably commenting too late to help with this, but it was a consideration for the setup I brewed up at work, so... 1. understand that the VA and wattage ratings on a UPS don't necessarily translate into runtime. For example, if you bought an APC SmartUPS XL unit with a 1000VA rating, you can add all the battery packs you want, and end up with a 2-week runtime. But it's still a 1000VA UPS. Battery size/capacity determines runtime, the VA/wattage rating determines how fast you're allowed to burn through it. To evaluate runtime, go to the manufacturer's site and compare runtime charts. 2. basic standby units just watch for the power to fail outright, or deviate from a large range, at which point they switch over to battery. Line-interactive units will "iron out" moderate power deviations without using battery power, then switch to battery when necessary. Online units condition the power non-stop regardless. I think line-interactive is the sweet spot here. 3. if you'll need remote monitoring, also have any necessary network equipment (modems, firewalls, switches) on UPS power too. 4. if your cameras need illuminators, don't forget to have them on battery power too. As a bang-for-the-buck UPS with big batteries, you might look at the Tripp-Lite Omni VS 1500XL. It's ugly, with no fancy displays, but it contains a lot of battery, and is line-interactive. They're around $200ish. Be aware there's 240-volt versions, so check carefully that you're looking at the right one for your wall voltage.

Here are some day stills from a GXV3651_FHD aimed at our front entry doors. http://www.mechbgon.com/entryway.jpg http://www.mechbgon.com/entryway_2.jpg http://www.mechbgon.com/entryway3.jpg It could use a WDR feature; when it's really bright outside, it gets a bit swamped. Its main role is, of course, to be a visible deterrent for anyone considering armed robbery, and secondarily to get a good description of them for the police; we're not trying for award-winning photography here At night, our front porch is lit by overhead lights, so the camera's stills of people walking past the door become blurry. That's acceptable, since its role is daytime surveillance. Behind the black glare shield in the upper-right corner of the window, I have a GXV3615WP_HD with the shutter speed locked at 1/100th second, and its photos are a bit on the dim side as a result, but have acceptable clarity to actually identify people at close range if the need arose (vandalism being a likely reason). Hope that's helpful.