Voltage conversion

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

buck

Member
Location
California
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Travelling to China in a few days and am concerned about voltage conversion for re-charging batteries for cell phone, video camera and digital camera. I have seen conversion adapters but they all seem to state, "do not use for electronic devices". Does anyone have reliable information on what kind/type I would be safe to use?
 
Re: Voltage conversion

Thanks Bob, I was wondering why its not recommended to plug electronic circuitry appliances into these converters. Any other thoughts?
 
Re: Voltage conversion

I know that "chargers" for some electronics works on a basis of control the voltage level and limitting the current to the battery that it's charged, batteries of different electronic devices are manufactured different. The voltage and current needs is one for cell phones and other for cameras, and so on. Then a "charger" for the camera it is not going to work for the ceel phone, the current of the battery it's different
 
Re: Voltage conversion

A cheap converter (not to be confused with a transformer) simply "chops" the sine wave using diodes. What comes out of these things is therefore not a sine wave. The output is designed to give the same heating power as ordinary 120V sine wave power. A purely resistive load like a heater couldn't care less about what the wave form looks like but something more sophisticated, like a computer, will. My knowledge of electronics is zero, and thus I don't know exactly what will happen with it. Nothing good, I'm sure.

These converters are used instead of ordinary step down transformers because the latter are very heavy and the appliances with the biggest power demand tend to be those that heat something (the room, your hair or your food). Hence, you use a lightweight converter for these items and a small step-down transformer for the low power electronic devices you have.

[ August 17, 2004, 12:05 PM: Message edited by: c-h ]
 
Re: Voltage conversion

Also, converters should not be used for continuous duty, such as battery changers, computers, etc.
While transformers may be used for such items.
The information that comes with the unit should state this.
 
Re: Voltage conversion

Most electronics will accept both 50hz or 60hz and even say so by where the power cord go into the device. But if you have time almost all manufactures offer power supply's for any location you need so check with each device manufactures web site. The other way around this is to take a 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC inverter with you as it will charge battery's with no problem. and I assume there cars run on 12 volts?
A inverter can be found at any Wall-Mart, Radio Shack, Sam's Club. And many other places. One of about 150 to 300 watts should do fine and is very compact.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top