Submitted 8 hours ago by tophneal@sh.itjust.works to selfhosted@lemmy.world
I’ve got an HPE R1500 G3 UPS that I was given and refurbed to be useable. Now that it’s in the rack and running, I want to fix things up a bit more.
Unfortunately the ears were not given with the UPS and I’d like to replace them. However everything I’m finding is listed as intended for switches/routers. Can anyone point me in a good direction, other than just watching eBay, where I might be able to get some replacement ears?
TIA
However everything I’m finding is listed as intended for switches/routers
They reuse the same casing.
You can check the pattern, but those ears should mount just fine on it.
I’ve tried a few so far and things didn’t quite line up. I’m going to try the suggestion of checking the specs. Maybe I can find ears for an HP switch that matches.
I just did a quick search on the model and looked at the first spec sheet that popped up, so not sure my info is correct, but its says it’s 1U and about 50lbs. That seems like it’s pushing the ability to use front ears alone. I saw something that mentioned a lot that came with adjustable depth rails, not ears. But again could be a slightly different model or different battery configuration or something.
Anyway, I’ve seen 2U ears rated for like 60lbs or so. And those are sometimes pushing it IMHO. But 1U at 50lbs would have to be extra thick and hardened to stand the torque with how narrow they’d be just based on some head physics/math, but I could be wrong.
But anyway of use use something not rated for it you might get away with it for a bit, but it would likely be really fatigued over time, especially as the rack is, bumped, shake, or moved, not to mention in an earthquake. Of it would snap and fall onto whatever is directly under it. And if there’s more than an inch or so of space there, that could be disastrous. Like what if normally you have a shelf directly under it which might be providing structural integrity to the rails to not move much. But you remove the shelf while reconfiguring, the rails flex slightly as they do, and put just enough extra torque on the ears to snap them. Now whatever was under that shelf might be a few inches lower and just that distance with 50lbs could easily destroy an unshielded component or 10. Or badly damage sheilded ones. I always think worst case whenever I’m going to exceed rated standadards even if the at may never happen. But it’s definitely not unlikely.
Personally, I’d either use side rails like the original kit said it came with, a shelf rated for the weight, or possibly both front and back ears if you have a shallow depth rack that fits it.
I hate to mention really bad options, but If you’re set on ears, it’s possible you could find some and maybe line one or two holes and drill out any that don’t line up. But make sure to take into account your compromising the weight rating if you drill. I have also seen setups with a 1U device attached to 2U ears. They attached the device at the top and then had two custom rails/beams angled up from the bottom of the ears attached where the bottom 2U device hole would have been and angled up to the rear bottom of the 1U device and somehow attached there, drilled holes and bent the ends flat or around the back I think. That gave her the additional stability to reduce the torque put on the ears when the rack moved or was bumped. Seemed like more work than it was worth, but she also had another narrow component under the UPS and these rails were positioned outside the width of that, so she didn’t lose the extra 1U from the too tall ears. But I think she might have gotten a lot of stuff free or super low cost from “dumpster diving” and she did have mad skills like that.
But I don’t do custom stuff like that on my own, expensive devices. Might add some extra support if something looks too wobbly but is still in spec, but I’d never compromise a support part, much less add my own part not intended for that use without some serious math I’m probably not interested in doing, LOL.
I know that’s a lot and I wrote quickly and didn’t have time to clean up my thoughts or double check specs, but I like to show options and consequences of choices. Usually the “right way” is more expensive initially, but saves hundreds or thousands of times as much money over the “wrong way” failing. 🙂
So find verified specs for the device, or just measure and weigh it on a bathroom scale. Then find similar parts and see what they’re rated for and don’t use parts for 2U on 1U thst doesn’t give you the support or rating listed since your attachment footprint is only half on the device, unless you’re confident enough in your metalworking skills, geometry and materials science to do what “that girl” did with the support beams, lol.
I appreciate your concern and bringing up the potential for issue. I actually have it on a shelf right now and am planning to move it to rails soon. I have a spare set.
The ears are primarily just to keep it in place if I need to do maintenance on the server below it. I don’t intend to put any of the UPS weight on the ears. I should’ve included that in my OP.
My hope is to find something I don’t need to customize, my tools/facilities to do so are limited. I do think I’ll check the screw holes on the side to see if I can find something that will line up.
frongt@lemmy.zip 7 hours ago
Measure the screw holes and check them against other ears. They might be a fairly common pattern.
Also make sure that the ears will properly support the weight of the UPS. Lead-acid batteries are hefty. I can’t tell from a quick search how it’s supposed to be set up. It might need ears front and back. Or, you might find full rails.
If all else fails, get a rack shelf and just let it sit on it. Or get some scrap wood and/or steel and fabricate something.
davad@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
This.
I found a picture with a single set of ears on the front. But the spec sheet says it weighs 50lb. Personally I’d put it on a shelf or universal rails, then use the ears to keep it in place.
frongt@lemmy.zip 4 hours ago
Fifty pounds??? Yeah that’s not going to work with just front rack ears, even if the batteries were all the way to the front.
tophneal@sh.itjust.works 2 hours ago
This seems to be the best option. I’m going to measure the mounting options on the side and look for something that matches up.
No worries, it’s on a shelf right now, the ears are for when I move it to a spare set of slide rails. No weight should be on the ears.