Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!sdcsvax!brian From: brian@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (Brian Kantor) Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.electronics Subject: Re: Audio equipment on 220V/50Hz Message-ID: <4261@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> Date: Thu, 5-Nov-87 13:08:51 EST Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.4261 Posted: Thu Nov 5 13:08:51 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 8-Nov-87 03:14:38 EST References: <4032@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <8884@utzoo.UUCP> Reply-To: brian@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (Brian Kantor) Organization: UCSD wombat breeding society Lines: 44 Xref: mnetor rec.audio:4155 sci.electronics:1685 You probably can take your USA (120v 60Hz) equipment to Europe or other places that use 220/50. What you have to watch out for: 1. Convert the voltage. Probably the best way to do this is to get a transformer (or autotransformer - a single tapped at 120 V) to convert the 220 volt supply voltage to 120 volts. You can find these at large department stores, electronic supply houses, and Radio Shack. If you have problems finding one, ask your travel agent for advice. 2. Devices which immediately rectify the mains voltage to DC and use that internally won't care, as long as there is any reserve filtering capacity in the rectifier/filter. Things with switching power supplies such as personal computers probably fall into this category, although SOME of them use the mains as a timebase: see below. 3. Devices which run their mains through a transformer are probably ok if the transformer ran cool in the USA; at 50Hz, the transformer is going to be less efficient, and if it ran hot on 60Hz, it may run a lot hotter on 50Hz. This is iffy - you may just have to try it and see. If you're good at electronics, you might be able to buy a transformer in your new country that will provide the right output voltages. Many devices with transformers have input-voltage adjustment taps that can be set to allow the device to run off various input voltages; 220v may be directly useable on these. 4. Devices which depend on the mains frequency for a timebase are going to be a problem. Synchronous motors in turntables, clocks, interrupt clocks in SOME computers, and things like that are going to run at the wrong speed. Turntables, cassette decks, and other devices that use a quartz crystal timebase won't be affected. Notes: AC fans are often a problem. The motors turn slower, reducing airflow, and some of them overheat the fan motor themselves. Many personal computers use DC fans which won't be affected at all. Most low and medium price cassette decks nowadays use a DC servo motor system for the transport. The speed is independent of the mains frequency, and is set by a potentiometer located in the motor itself - usually tweaked with a screwdriver through a paper-covered hole in the motor. I'm sure I forgot something. Ah well, free advice is worth the price. Brian Kantor UCSD Computer Graphics Lab c/o B-028, La Jolla, CA 92093