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From: goddard@rochester.UUCP (Nigel Goddard)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Higher Voltage in Europe etc
Message-ID: <16209@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Mar-86 22:00:35 EST
Article-I.D.: rocheste.16209
Posted: Sat Mar 15 22:00:35 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Mar-86 23:09:38 EST
References: <2682@pucc-h> <5170001@acf4.UUCP> <365@vger.UUCP> <1209@alvin.mcnc.UUCP> <1299@cvl.UUCP>
Reply-To: goddard@rochester.UUCP (Nigel Goddard)
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Rochester, CS Dept, Rochester, NY
Lines: 24
Keywords: 220v, appliances

In article <1299@cvl.UUCP> sharat@cvl.UUCP writes:
>
>Most appliances that one buys in the US work only on 110 volts.
>However, a lot of countries use the other standard of 220 (plus/minus!) 
>volts.  The following questions therefore are relevant :
>[...]

The other problem to watch out for is that the US operates on 60 Hz and
many other countries on 50 Hz.  This is critical only for those appliances
that use the frequency for timing functions e.g. some motors in cassette
players, disk players, and maybe other things.  Check with manufacturer.

I think US TV system is totally incompatible with those in Europe; buy
another.

As for the 110/220 problem, you could try this if you are really desperate,
but I don't recommend it:  in Holland, and probably other Continental
European countries (but not Britain!), there are three wires, viz +110,
-110, and ground.  Normal usage is between +110 and -110 giving a 220 gap.
[yes this works with AC]  You could TRY operating between say +110 and
ground.  But as we all know, hacks are risky, so converters would be my
choice.

Nigel Goddard