Adapters for travel to China

[WowbaggerTIP]

I'm going to be spending a few weeks in China next month. I've got several devices that I'm planning to take with me that require regular re-charging though. I've got a charger for my pocket camera, ipod charger, rechargeable battery station (mostly for my other camera), and nintendo DSi charger that I need to be able to plug in.

I've looked around for adapters and found tons of pass-thru adapters, but I have no idea of their quality, or even that's what I really need. For example, some say they provide surge protection. There are also voltage converters. From what I've heard, China uses both 110 and 220 outlets, and I shouldn't have any problem finding a 110 outlet, but not sure if a voltage converter would still be necessary.

This is definitely not my area of expertise and I need to get it figured out pretty quick. Anyone have any insight into my situation?

 

[pm]

For most things, look at the power brick or the power supply and look at the numbers.

Usually if it says:
120V 60Hz - it needs a 110V plug, or a voltage converter for a 220-240V plug.
110-240V 50/60Hz - it just needs a pass through converter

If it doesn't say anything, or it says something like 100-120V 60Hz, then always use a voltage converter.

BUT, there are two big ones to watch out for.
A lot of voltage converters come with a high-power/low-power switch. Do not use the high power switch with anything that you described. It's just for things like coffee makers, blow-dryers and curling irons (things that produce heat).

The other one is to watch the maximum specifications for the voltage converter. I plugged a laptop into a 20W voltage converter (because I was jet-lagged and not thinking straight... it didn't need the voltage converter) and blew up the converter.

I'm in Austria this week and here everything is 220V 50Hz.
Our Nikon D60 battery charger is 120V 60Hz and needs a voltage converter
My laptop is 110-240V 50-60Hz and just needs a plug converter
My iPhone charger is 110-240V and just needs a plug converter
My wife's Nokia phone charger is inexplicably 120V 60Hz and needs a voltage converter

Whatever you do, don't buy a lot of converters, and I would recommend just getting the minimum you feel comfortable with. I found plug converters in the US for $20+ that required a big box and had this choice of plugs that looked like a cresent wrench set, and then I got to Poland and got a much nicer one here for $5 that had a surge protector and a voltage indicator and covered everything in one small white box that had switches for each of the countries. For about $15, I had 3 voltage converters and 1 uber-plug converter and then a couple of basic pass-thru converters ($0.75 each). Would have cost me over $70 in the US if not more.

 

[WowbaggerTIP]

Cool, thanks! I'll check the power bricks when I get home. I may end up just waiting and getting what I need when I get there. I think my wife's brother (engineer over there) should be able to help me track down something that will work for me. At least now I'll have some idea of what to tell him I'll need. Probably cheaper to get it there too. Thanks again!