Any Italian Journeymen out there?

[DHkorn]

I'm a thirty five year journeyman myself. I just heard my daughter will be studying in Italy this summer, Loyola's John Felice Center in Rome. I'm trying to find out what she'll need in terms of power adapters. The info I've found online isn't real clear.
First off what are the outlets voltage and Hz?
Secondly I think the outlets accept a "C" type plug? But I've found both a high power (with wide pins) and a low power (with smaller pins). Do they really use both?One site explained that it was so the low power appliances can plug into high power outlets, I guess that could be right or is there more to it?
She'll be bringing an Hewlet Packard Laptop, do they sell a compatable power supply she could just plug right in?
Can anyone that speaks electrician clear things up?
Thanks.

 

[hurk27]

I don't know the style of receptacles in that location, but most computer manufactures sell power supply's for anywhere in the world, I know Dell offers many different styles and some universal ones that you can select the voltage you will be using, like a travelers, TV's will have to be PAL or switchable to PAL, most newer LCD's not only have universal voltage rating but are selectable to change between NTSC or PAL, while you can get stuff like hair driers and curlers that are designed for travelers and work most any where, I would think it would be better to get stuff like that over there, also if she will be using a cell phone, make sure her phone will be compatible over there and the correct plane is set up so there wont be out of country charges that can be expensive, another thing I tell people is to set up her lap top for vedio calls, as it can be nice to see a person when gone for along time, I have helped a few set up a USB camera/mic and Skype or other company, when they have loved ones over seas, also tell her to get familiar with the local laws of the country she will be in, as they can be much different from here, and there is nothing like winding up in jail in another country. do some searches for guides of Italy, and maybe even a pocket translator device would be of help.

 

[Jraef]

http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#voltage_table

Residential power in Italy is 230V 50Hz. For something like a PC power supply, you can buy a simple "travel adapter kit" at most depatrtment stores that will give you a little transformer and a bunch of plug adaptors that allow you to plug in US 120V appliances into any of the EU 230V supplies. If she wants to take her hair dryer that might be more of a problem because of the frequency change, but a computer power supply isn't going to care, all it is doing is rectifying to DC anyway. In some cases the power supply might have a switch on it that will allow it to be fed with 230V anyway, so that would eliminate the need for the transformer, but either way it's no big deal.

 

[Open Neutral]

A) Laptops are easy: virtually all have switchers rated "100-240V 25-60 Hz" or such. So you need a plug adapter. (but RTFlabel)

B) BEWARE the travel kit "voltage adapters." They come in several flavors:
b1) Resistor to drop 240->120
b2) Diode, and or SCR chopper
b3) real transformer.
b4) Plug adapter only.

b3 is heavy. b1 & b2 will blow up most things inc. any laptop supply NOT rated for 240, which won't need it.

C) Frequency difference:
c1) Hair dryer will not care; and some are 120-240 switchable. Buy same.
c2) Major appliance WILL balk, don't bring your own fridge/microwave.

D) Cell phones. Multiple issues:
d1) power: easiest; most are 100-240 switchers. Look.
d2) Phone. You need a Quad Band phone aka 800/900/1800/1900 Mhz to work here and there.
d3) Phone must be unlocked and you need a local prepaid SIM card, or it will be $$$$/minute. She can buy such locally but Big Brother has been cracking down; they may demand a passport to do so.

 

[broadgage]

Residential power will be 50 cycles at a nominal 230 volts.
2 wire with a grounded neutral, normally derived from one phase of a 3 phase 4 wire system at 230/400 volts.
The actuall voltage tends to be nearer 220/380 than 230/400.

A few supplies may be 3 wire, 3 phase delta without neutral. Outlets and lamps still being 220/230 volt, but connected between phases.
A few others may be 3 phase, 4 wire, 127/220 volt with the neutral not being utilised and 220/230 volt lamps and appliances connected between phases.

MOST modern electronic goods are dual voltage, but double check before use.
Other appliances may be better purchased in Italy, than attempting to use USA ones from converters or transformers.

Some consider that standards of materials, design and workmanship are lower than in the UK or USA and care should be taken.
Outlets that should be grounded (earthed in European terms) may not be.
Light switches should be in the live wire, but dont count on it.
Light switches on delta supplies should be double pole, but dont count on it.
In parts of Italy, handyman installs and over-fusing are rife.
The modern trend is towards the use of RCDs (EU term for GFCI) but these are less sensitive than USA ones, not allways provided, not allways working, and sometimes bypassed if they trip too often.

 

[Sierrasparky]

pretty interesting Broadguage

 

[Joethemechanic]

Outlets that should be grounded (earthed in European terms) may not be.
Light switches should be in the live wire, but dont count on it.
Light switches on delta supplies should be double pole, but dont count on it.
In parts of Italy, handyman installs and over-fusing are rife.
The modern trend is towards the use of RCDs (EU term for GFCI) but these are less sensitive than USA ones, not allways provided, not allways working, and sometimes bypassed if they trip too often.

I dono, kinda sounds like Philly to me

There are a lot of automotive jumper cable services in North Philly and Kensington.

 

[DHkorn]

Thanks Guys

Thanks Guys

Thanks Guys, this forum is great.

So it sounds like there is only one type of plug. Called a "C" type (with the two round pins). The supply is 230v 50Hz.
For the laptop, which is expensive, my job is to see if HP sells a rated power supply.
And she probably needs only one transformer type power adapter large enough for (the largest load) a hair dryer or curling iron and will have to share that one a time with any other things.
I'll have her find out what they recommend as far as phones go but it might be easier to just get a calling card as a backup plan but figure on using Skype.
I'm hoping at least that since this center deals with many foriegn college students they'll have a high speed internet connection. There has to been an orientation session coming for these issues.

If anyone that knows can help. I still have one question. I understand the transformer for the voltage difference, but I'm not to clear what the frequency difference means? Like why it matters to some loads and not others?

 

[DHkorn]

Correction

Correction

So I took you advice and checked the nameplate of the laptop power supply and sure enough it's rated 100-240v 50-60Hz. So all I need for it is an adapter to change a Nema 5-15p to a european type C. No transformer or electronics. Got it.
Hat tip to you guys.

 

[DHkorn]

Thanks Jraef

Thanks Jraef

Thanks Jraef, this site
http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#sinewave
is great.

 

[Open Neutral]

Thanks Guys, this forum is great.

And she probably needs only one transformer type power adapter large enough for (the largest load) a hair dryer or curling iron and will have to share that one a time with any other things.

She's better off finding a dual voltage hair dryer.
A curling iron is one of the few loads that will tolerate a chopper voltage adapter without grief.

Finding a used quad phone that is unlocked should not be an issue.

I'll have her find out what they recommend as far as phones go but it might be easier to just get a calling card as a backup plan but figure on using Skype.
I'm hoping at least that since this center deals with many foriegn college students they'll have a high speed internet connection. There has to been an orientation session coming for these issues.

If anyone that knows can help. I still have one question. I understand the transformer for the voltage difference, but I'm not to clear what the frequency difference means? Like why it matters to some loads and not others?

Frequency matters to frequency dependent loads. Those are usually induction motors. Hair dryers, like electric drills, have universal motors. They don't care. Curling irons surely do not care...

The switcher supply for a laptop or phone is an amazing device given its cost. [Literally a dollar or 3 in quantity 100,000 up] It takes AC, be it 100 or 240 or in-between, and 50 Hz or 60, or likely 400.....and it makes DC out of it. Then it makes 10Khz-100Khz AC, and thus needs a TINY transformer, and re-rectifies/regulates the output at 19.5 or 24 or whatever voltage. Presto.

 

[Joethemechanic]

Those kinda prices? China?

For the switching power supplies I mean.

 

[norcal]

Last year from Sept 11 to Sept 25, I went to Germany w/ my HP laptop, the power supply is rated 100-240V & it still made me nervous when it was plugged in the 1st time just because it goes against my grain to plug in a 125V rated attachment plug into a 230V receptacle, I had bought a adapter from Fry's Electronics the last time I went to Germany in 2006 for my shaver. The next time I go, a multimeter is going w/ me. (400V 3? is used for ranges there, BTW).

 

[Open Neutral]

Those kinda prices? China?

For the switching power supplies I mean.

Those are OEM prices of course, in quantity. {Retail $$ is from "crazy" up to "fully insane".....}

And several big suppliers are in Taiwan; I can recall only "Delta" now... But many Taiwan companies now manufacture on the mainland. [Where do you the capital to build those plants comes from?]