71 posts tagged with voltage.
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Drying a futon without breaking the bank
My partner and I have a traditional-style Japanese futon (a shikibuton with cotton filling). We're in the market for a futon dryer, but all the ones we're finding online require an expensive voltage adapter to use in North America. Is there a more affordable solution we're overlooking? What do Japanese emigrants do? (Aside from sleeping on western-style beds.) [more inside]
Using a European expresso machine 220v in the USA 110v?
Any tips or suggestions on how to use a european appliance 220v (in this case an expresso/coffee drink machine) in a standard 110v usa kitchen? [more inside]
Stupid battery-operated projector
I've got this amazingly tiny projector (axaa p2b) but it has a terrible design flaw: It only runs from the battery. I don't care about the battery feature, and i'm fine with always having it plugged in. So, am I crazy to just rip out the battery and hook it up to an adaptor? [more inside]
Dimmer controlled light never gets more than 95 volts. Is that bad?
Working on my basement wiring, mostly older Romex. Light in center of living room is controlled by a Lutron dimmer. Even when that switch is on and at full power, it never reads more than 95 volts on an ammeter.
Is that just dimmer's being dimmers? Or a signal of a more pressing problem. The dimmer switch literally has no screws for the neutral (white) wires at all. I plan to replace it with a binary switch, but wonder whether the low voltage is a sign of a deeper problem.
International travel power converter
I'm looking to buy an instant pot for my sister for Christmas. The issue is that she'll be leaving for a year abroad in Pakistan from the US, so I want to ensure I also find the right power converter to power the thing as well. There seems to be both a voltage and a frequency difference, so I want to make sure I also find the right adaptor for the job. [more inside]
Can I use a US (110V) lighting fixture with a 240V mains supply?
I recently bought this pendant light from the CB2 store here, which is having a closing down sale. Despite it being sold locally (Singapore), upon some inspection I've found that the light is likely to be the exact same model as the one sold in the US (i.e. only rated for US 110V, and not UK/Singapore 240V). The guy at the store said that I could connect it directly to the mains here, but I'm not too certain. Should I try to get it rewired? [more inside]
Electricity / Electronics for Dummies
Please help me understand electricity and electronics. I have read the water analogy numerous times but I still can't quite grok it. Like "Ummm, Where does the water go and does it evaporate?" I have started tinkering with a Raspberry Pi and would love to build more complicated circuits with capacitors and transistors. [more inside]
How do I hook up this kind of chip?
I bought a few of these for a motorcycle project. I need to hook it up to a little arduino, but i'm used to breadboards, how does one hook this up? Do I need to solder these little connections?
Btw, the project is to make custom signals tail lights for a motorcycle. I bought these hoping they would convert the 12v of the bike to 5v for the arduino.
how to measure electricity voltage transforming & surge protectors
I am using 100 volt 50/60 amp electrical devices in a 220 volt country. I have a few 100 watt transformers (100 volt to 220 volt) which are used for individual items. This is working well. I have additional questions regarding voltage transforming and surge protectors. Please join me inside: [more inside]
Converting from UK to Japanese power?
I'm travelling from the UK to Japan in November, and have just realised that the mains supply stuff we are taking with us (phone/tablet charger with USB cable, camera battery charger for a Canon dslR) will require voltage conversion, not just an adaptor plug. This confuses me a little bit. Are there any recommended converters I should be looking at that will easily pack into luggage, or should I be looking at getting a Japanese usb charger/camera battery charger off of eBay before we go? [more inside]
How big a problem is a (relatively) high home voltage?
I have recently bought a flat (yay!). I had an electrician in today to look at some broken appliances (the hob, fridge and bathroom fan), and while checking things out he noticed that the voltage of the power in the house was unusually high (248-250V), possibly because I'm close to the transformer, and he confirmed that this could shorten the life of electrical devices. He mentioned that you can now buy a gadget to add to your electrics to step down the voltage to a more normal level, like ~220V. Is it true that a high-ish voltage can cause problems, and does anyone have any experience of the voltage-fixer he mentioned? I'm in the UK.
Why is this device shorting out my power?
Why would using an American electrical device on European voltage cause it to short out circuits at home when I plug it in again after coming home to the US? [more inside]
Remedial electronic engineering filter: how does USB charging work?
I'm trying to set up several micro USB charging stations in my house and car, and I'm realizing that I retain very little from 9th-grade Intro To Electronics. Set me straight on how current works? [more inside]
Will a japanese turntable work in the US?
Recently I found a good deal on a direct drive DJ turntable which was manufactured for the japanese market. I know japanese consumer electronics run on 100V while US runs on 120V. I have heard conflicting things on whether this would be an issue. It seems like the turntable would likely run but I have heard some reports that this difference in voltage might eventually damage it. Is a power adaptor a permanent solution to this problem? Is a power adaptor even necessary?
Will this LED rope light kit work in Tokyo, Japan?
This is the appliance in question. I'm aware that Tokyo's electrical system is 100 volts at 50 Hz, but I'm not sure how that applies to this rope light kit, which is rated for (according to the instructions) 120V, 60Hz, and 100 mA. Does the low current/wattage (12 watts) mean it will work anyway, due to some transformer inside, or is it just not going to be compatible?
Too many volts?
I'm moving into a new (to me) NYC apartment, and I need to buy two window-unit air conditioners. The super said that the power there is 110 volts, but the ACs I want are 115 volts. Is that a problem? [more inside]
Bringing our US electrical devices to the UK / also NTSC-PAL question
It's generally advised to leave as much behind as possible when moving abroad, but my wife's employer is paying to have a decent amount of our household stuff transported from the US to the UK. And why would we want to waste money buying duplicate items if it isn't necessary and we probably won't be staying more than a couple years? So I'm trying to figure out which of our electronics and appliances might be made to work overseas.
I am aware of the voltage difference and the line/mains frequency difference between the US and the UK and I'm considering buying one or two good-quality step-down voltage converters for things that aren't universal voltage compatible. But I have some questions that my Google research has not cleared up. [more inside]
Does anyone make an all-in-one 120VAC-3.3VDC converter?
I'm looking for a discrete device that combines a 10:1 transformer, bridge rectifier, caps and linear voltage regulator. It's to convert 120VAC to 3.3VDC in a wireless dimmer switch. Does such an animal exist or am I just being lazy?
What are my options for using my Turkish lamp in the U.S.?
I bought a lamp from a 220V part of the world and brought it back to the U.S. I'd like some advice on the easiest way to use it here. [more inside]
Running 36v Xmas lights on 24v transformer
We've lost the original transformer for our Christmas lights, will there be any problems with running on a differently rated transformer? Lights are LEDs and both lights and transformer are rated at 1 amp.
How can I use my new Korean 220v rice cooker in the US?
I just returned (to the US) from a trip to Korea, where I was given a really nice gift: a fancy Cuckoo Induction Heating Korean rice cooker just like this one. That page is in Korean, but the technical details are universal: 220V/60Hz, 3.7A, 824W. What jiggery-pokery will I need to do to make awesome rice here in the States? [more inside]
Can I convert these light fixtures from 220-240v to 110-120v?
Can I convert these light fixtures from 220-240v to 110-120v? [more inside]
Help me keep my computer and camera charged on vacation!
I'm traveling from the US to St. Maarten on Friday - having never been outside the US before, charging my computer and cameras, etc never occurred to me to be an issue, but I've learned that it will be. [more inside]
Who's this Ohm guy you keep mentioning?
I'm moving from the US to Hong Kong and don't want to fry my appliances. What do I need? [more inside]
No haircut today, pups.
International voltage woes. Is my appliance retrievable? [more inside]
What happens if I screw in a 110 volt bulb to a 12 volt power source?
I'm setting up my "off the grid" solar lighting system in my home, and I'd like to connect the battery to some LED lights. It's a 12 volt DC battery - Do my lights have to be 12 volt also? If they're LED bulbs, they'll have a transformer inside; will that allow me to use them, or do I have to have a voltage converter or something? I've got some edison-style LED bulbs around the house for 85-265 volts.
Thanks in advance for any help. pictures and web links that can explain things simply are helpful. (An earlier, relavent post:
http://ask.metafilter.com/182209/How-to-run-some-lights-from-a-solar-panel)
What exactly are amperes anyway?
If I use a 19.5 volt 4.7 ampere adaptor with a device that calls for a 19.5 volt 3 ampere adaptor, will it cause any problems?
What's the charging voltage for an Mx Revolution Mouse?
I've lost the charging dock and AC adapter for the Logitech MX Revolution mouse. There's no way to charge this mouse without the dock. I think I can pretty easily build a new dock on my own, I'm just looking for owners of this mouse to answer a technical question to help with construction. [more inside]
*ZAP*
I just bought a Gardner Bender GET-3213 Voltage Tester. It doesn't seem to work...what am I doing wrong? [more inside]
Laptop battery I just received is higher voltage, is that OK?
The replacement laptop battery I just received is listed as 14.8v while the one I use is listed as 11.1v. Both are 5200mah. Can I use this new battery without harming my laptop? [more inside]
Laptop Voltage in Ireland?
Need a tech-savvy traveler, or voltage geek: my boss is taking a new Lenovo laptop to Ireland next week. Does she need a voltage convertor or just a plug adapter? [more inside]
what voltage?
12v versus 240v set-up in a new off-grid (solar PV) residence. [more inside]
Will this TV kill me redux
How dangerous is it to take apart an old TV if it has been unplugged for many months? [more inside]
Converting foreign voltage desktop computer?
Moving a desktop computer internationally - we're moving from Korea (220 V) to Canada (110V). Is it as simple as removing the power "section" of the desktop and replacing it with 110 V at a computer repair place in Canada? Are internal components individually responsive to a particular voltage?
What DC voltage does an average LCD monitor use?
What DC voltage does an average LCD monitor use? [more inside]
Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer bought in USA? How to use in U.K?
Just returned from fabulous 2 week holiday in New York. I Brought back Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer from Staples costing $230. Unfortunately, I cannot use it in U.K., unless I plug voltage converter/transformer products. Has anyone else bought this set over there with more success?
Any advice \ information appreciated.
Please specify me What exact voltage converter product to buy & where to buy it from USA online store. Thanks. [more inside]
Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries?
Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries? [more inside]
Is my new (aftermarket) power adapter safe for my laptop?
Can I damage my laptop by using a power adapter that has a slightly higher wattage than the original adapter? The original adapter was 65W, and the aftermarket one is 70W. The voltage is switchable. My original adapter had a voltage of 18.5V, this one says that if I need 18.5V, I should choose 18V.
Any chance of damaging the computer by using this one? [more inside]
Electronics geeks urgently needed in Aisle 4
I am packing my entire house and moving to the UK, and I'm hoping to bring my TV, stereo, and a few smaller appliances with me. Please help me figure out my US to UK transformer and voltage requirements! [more inside]
Who else makes high quality 220-240V voltage regulators?
Electrical engineering / voltage regulatorfilter: I'm searching for manufacturer or vendor sources on high quality, 220V to 240V automatic voltage regulators. This is for use with telecommunications/GSM/ISP equipment in the third world. Any other advice related to the subject will also be greatly appreciated. [more inside]
Can I charge a digital camera battery from America in a different country?
Can I charge a digital camera battery from America in a different country? [more inside]
Fried laptop?
Did I fry my laptop? (I was really stupid) [more inside]
Is it safe to use a step-down transformer with a Hair Styler?
My girlfriend has a GHD hair straightener purchased in the USA, it's labelled "120Vac 35W", I want to use it in Ireland (where the standard voltage is 220Vac). Is it safe to use this with a step-down (220V -> 110V) transformer? [more inside]
Help me not blow up my gear
I need to work out which of my DC adapters powers my devices - I don't want to damage anything. [more inside]
A shocking experience...
How much current flowed through me when I was shocked? [more inside]
Trying not to fry them
Plug adapter for Argentina and Uruguay? [more inside]
Wanted: One AC adapter
I recently lost the power adapter for my olde tyme Creative Nomad Zen NX. I'd like to just drive down to RadioShack and get a replacement, but I'm not sure what I need. The Nomad wants 5V, but it looks like RadioShack's adapters skip from 4.5V to 6V. Will I kill my player if I use one of those options?
Question about Voltage and AC Adapters
Am I ruining my laptop with this AC adapter? [more inside]
Can I use a 220v device in the UK?
Can I use a lightbox purchased online from the US, which includes an international voltage adaptor for 220v, in the UK? I think the UK mains voltage is 240v and have no idea whether I have to be bang on 240v or if 220v is good enough. [more inside]
Using a US powerstrip in Japan?
Can I use a plug adapter and an American power strip to power multiple electronics in Japan? [more inside]
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