using laptop overseas

mentalcrisis00

Senior member
Feb 18, 2006
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Hey all

I'm heading to Ireland this week and I'm bringing my dell laptop. I bought a universal power converter with 5 adapters for it tonight and I'm baffled by it. It came with the worst instructions on Earth. It has a converter box which you plug the American power cord in the back and it has the universal prongs on front which is where the adapters fit, there is also a red switch on the back that has 50W one way and 1600W the other way. The instructions say that 50W will cover most small appliances but to use 1600W for heated stuff like hair dryer and curling iron ( I won't be using either)

MY question is which do I use for my laptop power adapter? It says 90W AC on the adapter. And how do I know which way the switch goes for each appliance? Is there number I can find on the appliances power requirements to make certain that I don't destroy my equipment.

Any advice will be helpful
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
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I don't even think you need all of that, check to see if your laptop power adapter accepts 230v. It should say something like Input: 100v-240v. If it does, all you need is the plug adapter to be able to plug it in, because it'll do the rest. I think most have it nowadays.
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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I agree with Abaez - your laptop should just need a converter plug - just a thing that converts the metal prongs to fit. Every laptop that I've seen does 100-240V and 50 or 60Hz.

This type of power converter is actually two different converters built into one package. At the low setting (up to 50W), it uses a small AC transformer to convert 220V sinusoidal waveform into a 110V sinusoidal waveform. This is the preferred approach which works well for any low power appliance - like cell phone chargers, portable DVD players, etc. On the high setting (1600W), they got cheap and simply used a solid-state switch inside to chop off part of the 220V sinusoidal waveform. The resulting waveform on the output is highly distorted and is far from an 110V sinusoidal AC voltage. For a purely resistive appliance (such as travel iron or water heater) it works just fine with the different voltage waveform, but more sensitive electronics - like your laptop - will definitely not like this funky 110V chopped waveform and will likely fry - and if it doesn't immediately explode, it won't work well.

You could try the 50W setting with the 90W adapter and just watch to make sure the adapter doesn't get too hot... but I would just return it to the store and buy a plug converter (after you look carefully at the laptop adapter and make sure that it says something like "AC Input: 110-240V AC, 50/60Hz")

Have fun in Ireland. I have very fond memories of all my trips there.
 

onlyCOpunk

Platinum Member
May 25, 2003
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Laptops have their own power converter on the cord. In fact most modern electronics do. Just get a plug changer for like 10 bucks from Wal-mart.
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
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Travelled over Ireland, England, Germany, and France. Laptop adapters are all that is needed plus a couple of plug adapters. One for UK and one every where else.
 

Rottie

Diamond Member
Feb 10, 2002
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Originally posted by: corkyg
Travelled over Ireland, England, Germany, and France. Laptop adapters are all that is needed plus a couple of plug adapters. One for UK and one every where else.

do you have link for this adapters? I might want to start traveling later
thanks
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
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Rottie, I get a lot of my travel stuff from Magellan's or Travel Smith. This is a very convenient set of adapters in a case for less than $10. I just pack it in my laptop case with my a/c adapter & airline plug.

Adapters
 

2Xtreme21

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2004
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Originally posted by: corkyg
Rottie, I get a lot of my travel stuff from Magellan's or Travel Smith. This is a very convenient set of adapters in a case for less than $10. I just pack it in my laptop case with my a/c adapter & airline plug.

Adapters

:thumbsup: I used those when I lived in France last summer. Even my ancient laptop AC adapter had support for 240v, so I think yours should be fine.
 

Rottie

Diamond Member
Feb 10, 2002
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Originally posted by: corkyg
Rottie, I get a lot of my travel stuff from Magellan's or Travel Smith. This is a very convenient set of adapters in a case for less than $10. I just pack it in my laptop case with my a/c adapter & airline plug.

Adapters

I am sorry I am confused does that mean I dont need a Voltage Converter? Just an Adapter plug in? I thought it needs both to work for laptop?
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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laptops are made to travelled with and they all (should) have international voltage capabilities. Check your laptop brick adapther to make sure it's good to 240V and when you see the it is, then just buy a simple plug adapter.

Do not plug your laptop into the 1600W setting on your voltage converter.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
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Alot of plugs nowadays accepts all a range of voltage. Just look at your plug and see what it says. The DS plug accepts something like 60v-240v, my EEE pc one is 100-240v. Same with most other electronics. This means that the voltage in the country doesn't really matter (in most cases), but the prongs to be able to plug into the outlet for that country do, which is the case for you.
 

mentalcrisis00

Senior member
Feb 18, 2006
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ah thats clears things up, I just needed to know what specs to look at. God I wish I had known that I didn't need the converter, although it was only $20 at walmart with 4 adapters and the converter. The one over at best buy only came with 3 plug adapters for the same price. Didn't see anything at walmart that came with just the plug adapters, *shrug* thanks for the info everyone.