international power adapters

It seems that the deal that Dell had yesterday on the international power adapters sold out quickly.  Have no fear. If someone is looking for one, The Source (the old Radio Shack stores) seems to have a good deal on a few. You can order online, have it shipped to the closest store and pick it up there without paying a delivery fee. They even take Interact online which works exceptionally well.

 

 

TECHNICAL RAMBLING

 

Power in China is 220 volts 50 hertz. What’s that mean? In North America, 220 volts is the power provided to your clothes dryer or stove… twice as much power as we get from a normal home plug. 50 hertz means that there is 50 “pulses” of electricity every second. Here in North America, our power is 120 volts, 60 hertz.  

 

A couple things need to be considered before trying to connect your North American camera charger into a plug in China.

First, the plug is different.

You need a converter plug to connect between your device and the wall.

Second, different voltage coming from the wall.

This is a bit trickier. Take a look at your device or the “brick” that you plug into the wall.  Look for a line that says “input”. If it lists 110, 115 or 120 volts, you will need a step-down transformer to reduce the voltage from 220 volts to the required voltage.

If the device says something like 100-240 volts, you just need an adapter for the plug style. The device is smart enough to adjust itself to the different voltages.

Third, different hertz rating.

If the hertz rating does not match, it may work, but depending on the sensitivity of the device, this could cause problems. The devices in North America are designed for 60 pulses per second. If it only receives 50 pulses, it may take longer to charge, it may make a humming noise, it may not work at all or it could in a worse case, damage very sensitive electronics. Check your label on the device. This is listed here as well.

 

If not sure, ask someone before you go, or spend the extra and buy a converter that actually converts the power to North American standards.

 

Here’s some information and good pics of what the electrical outlets look like in China.

http://kropla.com/china_power.htm

 

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD BUY

 

So, based on the technical ramblings above, here are some devices which will work for you.

 

Does not convert voltage down to 110 volts. Your device must be able to handle 220 volts (read the sticker on the device)

http://www.thesourcecc.com/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&product=2738365

http://www.thesourcecc.com/estore/Product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Travel+Adapters&product=2731445

 

Drops the voltage down to 110 volts. Simply plug in any device from home and it should work.

http://www.thesourcecc.com/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&product=2738028&category=Travel+Adapters&catalog=Online&tab=1#more

http://www.thesourcecc.com/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Travel+Adapters&product=2738413