LadyBelle

Thanks!

mark_sheffield

Hi everyone,

I am going to the US this summer and would like to take my laptop with me.

I have seen on this post that others have managed to do this successfully:

I have a HP Pavillion Laptop.

Does this mean that all I need to do is purchase a wire with a US plug on it to go into my laptop power pack?

If so where could I obtain such a wire? I have had a look on ebay UK but I don’t really know what I am looking for.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

penguinsix

If you are going to be here for awhile, best to buy the wire. It's probably a standard power cord that you can buy at any Best Buy, Circuit City, or Radio Shack in the USA. Probably even walmart. On one side it will have a standard US plug (3 prongs) and on the other it will have something that looks like a figure 8 or sort of a square/trapazoid with three holes in it (unplug the cord you have and take a look to see).

But if you are just here a short while, you can get a simple plug transformer that takes the bulky UK 220 prongs and converts them to US prongs. Pretty easy to find that anywhere in the UK.

Long term I'd recommend the cord rather than the convertor thing, but for a few weeks, not a big deal.

Of course, double check the brick to make sure it is 110-220. It will say on the brick.

Here's a pic of the 'figure 8' looking thing
http://www.cablewholesale.com/prodimages/10w1-132.jpg

mark_sheffield

Thanks for your quick reply.

My powerbrick says input 100V - 240V so I presume there is no problem there.

I have considered the adaptors before and had a look on ebay but the description states that they are not suitable for laptops as they do not convert voltage:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/US-USA-2-PINto...QQcmdZViewItem

I would like to purchase the wire that you recomend from the UK if this is possible.

penguinsix

The laptop's power "brick" converts the voltage, from 100v to 240v--it will give you the necessary power. Laptop makers were thinking ahead when they added those bricks as their users were always trotting around to different countries. All you need to do is get the plug into the outlet ('into the mains', as they say). For that the thing you showed on ebay should be sufficient.

Not sure where you could buy a cord in the UK. A walk down Oxford Street toward TCR tube used to be where you'd go for weird electronics things, but haven't been there in awhile.

BritishGuy36

I always get my cables in the UK from www.revealcable.co.uk - great prices, even including shipping, and quick too.

I am about to have a practice pack to see what stuff I am bringing/shipping to see how many US mains to figure of 8 / clover / kettle leads I will need, then I will be putting an order in with them.

Anthony919

I bought mine from the following company whose adapters are excellent.
I use them on most small-scale appliances, although my UK shredder doesn't work to full strength.

I ordered from Teleadapt, they are in Watford. They have a site but best call them on +44 (0) 1923 810 200.

A good way to deal with several UK-plugged appliances in one area (like the kitchen or office equipment), is to get a UK 5-way strip. Cut off the UK plug and replace it with a USA plug (get an electrician to do this if you don't know what you're doing). Then just plug in all your UK appliances in the 5-way strip section and away you go.

By the way, I have found USA electrical outlets and plugs to be less secure than UK designs.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

I've traveled with my US lap-top to Europe and it has run fine on 240v system. I just needed a plug adapter. When you get stateside, you might want to get the "wire" at an "Radio Shack" store. If you have time, I'm sure they can be found on the Internet.

Folinskyinla

True enough. Outlets not switched and plugs not fused. Just like the continent. But I have never seen a GFCI in a UK bathroom/WC or the kitchen of a self-catered apartment.

BTW, last year I took my oldest laptop [ThinkPad 600] to Europe. [I didn't particularly care if it got stolen since it has no economic value]. It had a three-prong plug attached to the brick, but used a two prong adapter [no insults please]. The German plugs had a grounding clip on the side which the US grounding prong was in contact with while the Czech plugs did not. Go figure.

penguinsix

Ooops.

By the way, that Ebay item is from a US plug to a UK wall / outlet / main, not the other way around (which is what you are looking for).

BritishGuy36

I have found it's cheaper to buy them in the UK before travelling, they are 3 or 4 bucks from the place I linked to earlier.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

I remember it being around that price at Radio Shack.

mark_sheffield

Thanks for all of your advice.

I will get an adaptor before I go.

Bob

Can't say about the kitchen, would make sense, but the bogs, well that's health and safety, don't want people plugging anything in that could be dropped in the tub or in a steaming environment so you don't get zapped, also why the light switch is a pull cord or outside the room...

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Blow driers are now sold with GFCI's mandatory. But plug in shavers are not. But that drier pulls a hell of lot more juice.

Also, do remember US uses 110v. It can kill you, but not as likely as with 220v.