[Nut-upsuser] APC SMART-UPS 1500 always reporting LB

[waa-nut at revpol.com]

Using nut v2.2.2, and the APC serial cable.

I have a client who's APC SMART-UPS 1500 (circa 2000) is always reporting LB. The batteries were old so they were replaced two weeks ago with brand new batteries. UPS still reported low batteries...

I ran a calibration and a test on the unit (using the nut upscmd utility)

During those tests, the battery charge on the unit goes to zero and slowly starts making its way back up 100%. Then, the "LB" ups.status will come and go every few hours until it finally stays on. All battery leds on the unit are flashing also indicating that the UPS thinks there is a low battery condition - which corresponds to the ups.status "LB" reported by nut.

Here's the problem: The load on the unit is only reported as 27% by nut, and when I pull the AP power on the UPS, the system runs on batteries for ... well currently it has already been 50 minutes and the battery voltage is only down to 23.28 from about 27.x when I pulled the AC.   With upsmon running, they system will immediately shuts down do to the "OB" and "LB" ups.status condition so I needed to disable upsmon during this test. 

Also, I did the "braindead" thing to the UPS that I found in the APC forum. Not sure what help this was. 

Here is a current upsc output: (on batteries for about 50 mins now)

--[snip]--
# upsc smartups at localhost
battery.alarm.threshold: 0
battery.charge: 000.0
battery.charge.restart: 00
battery.date: 09/20/00
battery.packs: 000
battery.runtime: 0
battery.runtime.low: 120
battery.voltage: 23.15
battery.voltage.nominal: 024
driver.name: apcsmart
driver.parameter.pollinterval: 2
driver.parameter.port: /dev/ttyS0
driver.version: 2.2.2
driver.version.internal: 1.99.8
input.frequency: 60.00
input.quality: 00
input.sensitivity: H
input.transfer.high: 132
input.transfer.low: 103
input.transfer.reason: T
input.voltage: 000.0
input.voltage.maximum: 000.0
input.voltage.minimum: 000.0
output.voltage: 119.0
output.voltage.nominal: 115
ups.delay.shutdown: 020
ups.delay.start: 000
ups.firmware: 70.11.D
ups.id: UPS_IDEN
ups.load: 028.6
ups.mfr: APC
ups.mfr.date: 09/20/00
ups.model: SMART-UPS 1400
ups.serial: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
ups.status: OB LB
ups.temperature: 013.9
ups.test.interval: 1209600
ups.test.result: NO
--[snip]--

Could the APC SPMART-UPS 1500 be defective? What other tests can I perform on it? What other information can I provide that might be helpful?

Thanks for any help or ideas. 

Oh!  And thanks for NUT... Great utility, especially in some multi-server environments I have it running in!

--
Bill Arlofski
Reverse Polarity, LLC