(OT) Mailing list server problems

[Mike Schwartz]

> I can fire up the generator and plug them into it.  I would like to have
> something like a 12KW generator wired in to automatically come on during
> power failures, but haven't been willing to spend the 12-15K that
requires.
> 
> Bill
> --
> INTERNET:   bill at celestial.com  Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC

     No system is completely failsafe.  My brother-in-law's neighbor has a
son who was in a car accident a few years ago.  The son needs to be on some
sort of large respirator (something like a large "iron lung") 24 hours a
day.  The respirator is run by a huge battery system that will keep it
working for about 30 minutes.  His house has an automated natural gas
generator that will kick in immediately, and his neighbor keeps a large
(gasoline powered) portable generator in his garage.   Fortunately, he got
power to the batteries before the 30 minutes were up.

    2 years ago, a bolt of lightning scored a direct hit on the electric
utilities box that is on the lot line between their 2 houses. Unfortunately,
that bolt also hit the natural gas supply line valve, so the automatic
generator didn't have any natural gas to supply it.  The neighbor tried to
start the gasoline generator, but it wouldn't start, so he had to go get his
motor home out of storage and drive it home so that they could use the
generator in the motor home to keep the respirator going. 
  
    When a tornado ripped through Appleton a few years ago, I was without
power for 4 days.  I couldn't get my  little (cheapie Menards) generator
running.  My brother-in-law loaned us his 2 small generators so that we
could keep our refrigerators and freezer running.  My other brother-in-law
has a pair of Honda generators, too, so I borrowed one of those to get
enough electricity to do some computer work.    

    Our land lines, cable TV and cable internet were also down for 4 days,
but at least I could tether a laptop to my cell phone and get some
connectivity in order to work.  I could also boot my servers up and clean up
all my computers so they were ready to roll once we did get connectivity
back.

    I thought I was pretty immune to phone and cable internet problems,
because my whole subdivision has everything run underground.  However, it
was the above-ground (telephone pole) lines that run out to my subdivision
from the center of the city that went down.    

    Right now, I have an Onan generator in my motor home that I test-run
every month.  I've set aside some heavy electrical cords and connection
boxes just in case we ever lose power here.  I've also tripled my battery
backups.  Like you, Bill, I'm hesitant to spend much more than what I've
already spent on the issue.  I guess if everything is going to go, then it's
just going to go.  The filePro list isn't "delivering blood plasma" and
neither is most of the computer work I need to do.

Mike Schwartz