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From: brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Can I use my Compaq in the UK?
Keywords: Compaq, 240vDC/50 cycle vs 110vAC/60 cycle
Message-ID: <1952@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: 29 May 89 06:43:39 GMT
References: <3526@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Reply-To: brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout
Lines: 34

In article <3526@ddsw1.MCS.COM> peggy@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Peggy Shambo) writes:
<
<I've got a Compaq Deskpro and am planning to emigrate to England in about 6
<months.  Do I *need* to sell my machine before leaving, or can I take it
<with me?  
<
<One person told me that there might be a switch on the power supply, but
<after taking the cover off and looking around, I couldn't find anything that
<resembled a switch.  If there is a switch, where would one find it?  [Note:
<the manuals that came with the machine, keep referring to AC power] 

*** WARNING - the following will void any warrenty that may exist ***

If the power supply in your DeskPro is anything near the supplies used in the
older 386/20 units (before they shrunk the case), then the supply can be
quickly modified to work with 240 volts.  The supply is a switcher type that
used capacitor voltage doubling.  If you take out the supply and open it up,
you will find a soldered jumper opposite side of the circuit board from the
AC input connector.  It will be near the edge, near the large caps.  It is the
only wire jumper (very short) on the board.  Cutting it will stop the voltage
AC doubling circuit and will then work with 240 volts.  You will need to also
change the fuse to 1/2 the current value.  Be sure to buy time delay fuses.

Compaq told us that we couldn't make the supplies work with 240.  I opened
one up, noticed the doubling circuit and checked it out.  We shipped some
units overseas and they are still working.

If you have a Compaq monitor, the supply in that cannot be modified.  You will
need a voltage stepdown transformer for that.
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