Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: australia
Message-ID: <1990Apr9.041515.12389@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <832@torah.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 90 04:15:15 GMT

In article <832@torah.UUCP> haber@torah.UUCP (Yaacov Haber) writes:
>Does anyone know if US telephone equipment , telephones,fax,
>modem, etc is usable and / or legal in Australia?

As with almost any country, you need Australian approval to use
the stuff legally; US approval means nothing outside the US.  The
Aussies don't make trouble the way some European countries do -- for
example, you can get Telebit Trailblazers in Australia, unlike in
Germany -- but your US-bought equipment doesn't automatically qualify
for Australian approval.

As for practical issues, one non-trivial problem is that Australia uses
its own eccentric phone connectors which bear no resemblance to the
North American modular plugs.

Also note that North American AC power is 60Hz 120V and Australian AC
is 50Hz 240V, and this is not a difference that can be overcome with any
trivial circuit.  Some equipment is built to run off either, sometimes
with a flip of a switch or change of a connector.  Some isn't, and
you have to replace the power supply.

Apart from phone connectors and power-supply issues, I'm not aware of
any serious technical problem.  There is no simple way around the legal
issues except buying new equipment in Australia (which is expensive).
-- 
Apollo @ 8yrs: one small step.|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
Space station @ 8yrs:        .| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu