up@3.am writes:
I've had this APC Matrix 5000 with 3 XR battery packs for almost 6 years
As others on the list have noted, your batteries are almost certainly ready to head off to the battery recycler. In terms of what to put inside the XR packs, they're Group 24 AGM batteries, 12v, 75 AH, and if my recollection is correct they have lug style terminals not threaded studs like a marine battery (verify before you buy). Others (hi, Steve) have reported success with the PRC-1290S. If you are handy enough with a wrench to change the battery in your car, you can change the batteries in the UPS too (powered off, of course). You can get these from your local industrial battery supplier (in the yellow pages under "batteries"). If you have them shipped to you, you'll earn the emnity of your UPS man (no pun intended) since their shipping weight exceeds 60 lbs and you need a bunch of them. If you're an amateur radio operator be sure to mention this to the guy at the battery store; a lot of the proprietors seem to be hams and since hams are big battery users they'll often give fellow hams a discount. ---rob