Customer Reviews:

• Excellent buy!
  I brought this battery backup unit to safeguard my work on my computer from power outages. I got it just in time. In the past week, there were two very short power interruptions, and I was able to continue working and downloading without any problems. The PowerSource 400 switched to battery power smoothly and kept my computer, monitor, and DSL modem performing normally while the power was out. When the power came back on, it quickly charged back up ready for the next outage. The PowerSource 400 performed as advertised. I am very satisfied and would highly recommend this battery backup unit to anyone who depends upon computers throughout his or her workday....more info
• This just worked great!
  I work as an online teacher and live in Costa Rica, where we have more than the occasional brown outs and black outs, so it is important that I have a back up if the power goes out. I reluctantly bought this because I did not want to pay so much for a battery which may or may not give me power enough to stay connected to the cyber classroom. My power was out for more than an hour and twenty minutes and I was able to keep teaching since the battery kept my desktop, 19 LCD monitor and my modem up and running for the entire time! I am really impressed. ...more info
• Major Productivity Saver
  This is the best UPS out there in terms of longevity and price as compared to other UPS. My electricity goes out quite often and I have major school work deadlines to meet. It saved me more than once in the short month I've had it. It does what it says. I was able to get 7 hours running a lap top, printer, modem, and a light set on 50 Watts. In addition I was able to run a boom box on it for 2-3 hours over the 7 hours stated. I like the beeping warning it gives and that it shows the percentage of battery life left. The only drawback is the ability to charge a battery like the one in a lap top. It does do it, but may cause damage to it if you want to take the chance. This is clearly stated in the owner's manual....more info
• Great for street vendor lighting
  When cruise ships arrive to Old San Juan and stay until midnight, you can have 3 to 4 lamps with spiral shaped 13watt bulbs that illuminate like 60 watt bulbs and you have power for 4 nights in a row @ 4 hours per night.
  However, to extend the life of it, I recharge it nightly. Works great since june and should last quite some time. Much, much better than the ones with jump start feature....more info
• Ideal for RV, greatly reduces generator usage
  I live off-grid, in an RV. I run the generator to recharge a 300aH bank of batteries for the 12v systems in the RV. But even the smallest, most efficient generator still supplies more power than I need. With the excess power I charge several of these Xantrex PowerSources. They then give me back the AC power I need when the generator is off. I use them to power my internet connection, laptop, cell phone recharges, watching TV/DVD, etc. As for usage... I have a 26" standard TV w/DVD, and I can watch a DVD for 3 hours or so. My wireless internet dish only draws about 5 watts, and I can keep it powered for days. If you are looking to power just a laptop and cell phone, for 8 hours a day, you could probably last two days with one unit. These batteries should not be discharged down to more than 50%, and the unit will beep loudly and eventually shut off power, so you don't get the full use of 400 watts overall, it's more like 240. You also don't really get 400 watts at once, count on only plugging in 300 watts worth of stuff at a time. Even so, given the price per amp-hour of AGM batteries, this UPS is still an incredible deal, just in battery value alone--and a much better deal considering portability (luggable, but not too bad), and the included inverter and drawdown info. Very easy to use, the readouts on both my units have always worked fine and any beeping that does happen is appropriate and helpful. Family friendly, and relatively idiot-proof. Once I explained how they worked, others who have stayed in my trailer have found them easy to operate and difficult to damage. Anyway, buy a couple of these and you'll run your generator WAY less often and for a much shorter time. ...more info
• Go mobile
  The Xantrex portable powersource has allowed us to go mobile at outrigger canoe races with a fully powered laptop, a printer and keep an Ipod charges while it's hooked up to sound system.
  
  Great product...more info
• To me, this seems slightly better than a UPS
  You can use this when it is unplugged from the wall outlet. Most UPS's don't recommend that. This product works as advertised, and I got it for a great price from Amazon. Unfortunately, shortly after I bought it the price went up significantly! The blue LED on the back is useful for when the power goes out in the dark. It illuminates the outlets in the back so you can see to plug things in.
  
  By the way, for an average 70 Watt load, I used it for 6 hours (disconnected from AC power) and according to its battery meter, I would have been able to get another 2 hours out of it, for a total backup time of 8 hours. I'm using this for my home networking equipment and Verizon FIOS....more info
• Would get a 5, but it comes on even when there's power available
  Fantastic unit, with a fatal flaw. Even when plugged in to 110v, the unit often (more than once per day) believes there's no power, and goes into battery mode. Sometimes, it recovers after a few minutes. Other time, it drains its whole battery, and turns off! As a result, the unit has drastically lowered the reliability of power availability - precisely the opposite of what it is intended to do.
  
  I bought two of these units from Amazon, and will return them. I have since bought an APC XS-1500 which has less features, but works like a charm.
  
  I spoke to Xantrex technical support, but they had no solution other than "sorry, please return them and try to get another one from a different batch date". Mine say they were built May 7 2007....more info
• Great UPS
  This UPS is great, we have 4 of them and all are used on our servers. Depending on what we have plugged into it they run from on hour to eight hours. The only down side to this UPS is the weight and the fact that it doesn't have a usb input so that you can attach it to a computer to have the computer shutdown when the battery is getting low....more info
• Great for keepimg Routers, modems, and DirecTV switches powered
  Having a laptop with battery power, and a small TV to watch during power
  outages is all well and good, but if you don't have power to your modem,
  router, or DirecTV switch, you end up playing Solitaire, or watching fuzzy
  broadcast TV...Properly placed, this unit can supply power to all 3
  critical information links for 20 to 40 hours, without having to do
  anything once you've set it up. No unplugging and replugging with each
  outage involved.
  
  Face it..For true comfort and communication during blackouts...one unit,
  not even the 1800, will not cover *all* your needs...But this unit can
  make it much less of a hassle to keep informed and entertained. A second
  unit can keep your laptop powered for 8 hours, and a third will power a
  clip fan for sleeping comfort overnight.
  
  You think it's too expensive to power just a clip fan? Think about the
  last power outage you laid up in bed sweating sleeplessly, and then had
  to work the next day. ...more info
• Peace of Mind
  I have only had this product for a few weeks but I have tested it and was quite happy with the result. The switch over from line power to internal power was seamless. The transition back to line power was the same. I had a Desktop PC, small lamp, cordless phone, router, Vonage modem, stereo and speaker switch for my whole house system operating for just shy of two hours before the fifty percent signal sounded. There was no deterioration of performance quality on my phone,sound system, or PC(Including my Magicjack).
  I really like the display of wattage use, although it is not extremely precise. It was good enough for me to tweak my device choices.
  I bought this to have a safeguard against my family being left without communication should I not be home to get the generator started in case of an outage. It also provides me a 'no panic' time frame even if I am home, to get the generator going.
  I would recommend this product. For the price there is nothing out there to compare. It is a little on the heavy side due to the battery capacity, but I am not planning on moving it so that is not much of a problem. Even though it is heavy it is not bulky and fits under my desk without interferring with my movements.
  It does not have any USB capability, but that also is not a deterrent for my uses.
  A reviewer mentioned a bothersome beeping. The unit does signal when there is a status change, but it is not constant. it's a feature that is more covenient then bothersome in my opinion. I don't have to concern myself with keeping an eye on it's status. Having the power off is enough to think about. There is also a fan noise when the unit is recharging itself, but again, it wasn't anything that was intrusive, although it was constant for the entire recharge which lasted several hours.
  This was a small price too pay for a whole bunch of convenience.
  I am thinking about getting the 1800 watt unit so as to extend my time before having to generate power, since a generator seems mighty noisy at night. I would then be able to use this unit to power lights and other covenience devices....more info
• It works well.
  My unit only beeps once, when it starts up after a power failure.
  The owner's manual is OK (There is a website--I did not use it.)
  I will probably be getting a 2nd one soon.
  ...more info