After reading numerous threads on the subject of bringing UK electrical goods to Canada, I have decided to only bring CD mini hi-fi and Wii. I have been looking on voltageconverters.ca for the correct step-up one to buy, but each has a different power rating (100w, 200w, 1000w etc). My cd is 40w output and have no clue what the output of the wii is, but can anyone advise what would be a suitable one to buy to fit my requirements? Thanks in advance for any advice.

It should say on the power pack of the Wii what the wattage is.If it tells you ampage, there's a way to work it out into watts...
A device operating on 1 amps at 220 volts consumes 220 watts (1*220 = watts).

The output power of your CD and Wii is irrelevant. What is the input demand?

Pedant.

I recommend you purchase replacement psu for the WII - itll be a better long term solution and its probably approx the same sort of cost. eg
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Adaptor-.../dp/B00130388W
should do the trick nicely and on the upside you can always flog the uk powersupply in the UK and recoup part of the costs. IF you want to use the Wii with Canadian games and UK ones then you should also install bootmii / hackmii (google it) and thatll let you play games from any region.

Hi

The UK power supply is 230/240 volts 50hz from a standard socket, the US/CA is 120 volts/60hz. If you purchase a convertor thats rated at 300 watts or more it will run your appliance.

One thing Ive noticed with a lot of small power consuming appliances they're rated at 100-250 volts 50-60hz. And as long as you have the countries adaptor plug they will work without using any convertors. Check to see if the plate/badge on the appliance is rated for this voltage and frequency.

You will probably find that appliances such as tube type TVs and other audio equipment need convertors. Especially if they're over 5 years old, and they will run things like hair dryers and hair straightners like they would do in the UK.

If you just plug something through the country plug adaptor what simply uses heat such as a kettle or a hair dryer without the convertor, it will just simply take longer to get up to temperature ( if it gets there at all) due to the lower voltage. And if you plug something in more sophisticated like a tube TV it probably won't come on at all.

Check the plate/badge then decide if it needs an adaptor. When we visited Toronto last year, our lap top and mobile phone chargers worked without a convertor and just a plug adaptor, with no problems whatsoever, this was due to its international rating of 100-250 volts/ 50-60hz.

If you do decide to purchase an adaptor, make sure it converts frequency as well as voltage, and is rated for 300watts or higher. At least this way you will be able to plug in most appliances you have brought with you. Exept any thing rated in watts over the convertor rating. I myself would purchase new things such as kettles, microwaves, high wattage hair dryers and irons, and TVs (unless flat screen/ plasma/LCD) due to the higher wattage loading and or the supply frequency.

An "adaptor" which converts frequency is a complicated, expensive and totally unnecessary device. A few things, i.e. those which have AC driven motors designed for 50 Hz, might have a shorter lifetime at 60 Hz, but the delta costs don't warrant buying a frequency converter, even if you could find one.

Yes I couldn't agree more, they are expensive, but so is buying loads of new appliances. Watch the line output transformer on the tube type TVs though if your just using a step up voltage transformer adaptor 120v-240v.

I have first hand hand experience the other way round with a Californian couple that brought their white and brown goods to the UK. And had purchased a few voltage adaptors in California 240v-120v, and were told that it would run all their TV, hifi and audio equipment. The only things that didn't get destroyed was the white goods, hair dryers and table lamps.