Hello:

I'm finally getting ready to go on my 3rd. European trip. This is my
expected itinerary:
Copenhagen
Berlin
Bremen
Vienna
Zurich
Valencia
Sevilla
Cordoba

Question: what kind of voltage converter will I be needing in these
countries? The only electric gadgets that I'll be using are my digital
camera battery re-charger (Nikon Coolpix 2500), my MP3 player (Nomad Jukebox
3) battery re-charger and possibly my cellular phone battery re-charger.

Is this something that I could buy at a Radio Shack or do I need a more
specialized store?

Thanks for your input.

Carlos Juarez

In article ,
[email protected] says...
    > Hello:
    >
    > I'm finally getting ready to go on my 3rd. European trip. This is my
    > expected itinerary:
    > Copenhagen
    > Berlin
    > Bremen
    > Vienna
    > Zurich
    > Valencia
    > Sevilla
    > Cordoba
    >
All these are 220 volts with standard european sockets. Only in spain
you can encounter somewhat thinner plugs than elsewhere

    > Question: what kind of voltage converter will I be needing in these
    > countries? The only electric gadgets that I'll be using are my digital
    > camera battery re-charger (Nikon Coolpix 2500), my MP3 player (Nomad Jukebox
    > 3) battery re-charger and possibly my cellular phone battery re-charger.

Personal gadget rechargers often have a switching powersupply. Therefore
a voltage converter might not be necessary. All you need then is a plug
converter.
    >
    > Is this something that I could buy at a Radio Shack or do I need a more
    > specialized store?
Most bigger airports and bigger hotels also sell them
    >
    > Thanks for your input.
    >
    > Carlos Juarez
    >
    >
    >

--
Met vriendelijke groeten/Best regards
Jeroen Wijnands
http://spam.pagina.nl

"Carlos Juarez" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hello:
    > I'm finally getting ready to go on my 3rd. European trip. This is my
    > expected itinerary:
    > Copenhagen
    > Berlin
    > Bremen
    > Vienna
    > Zurich
    > Valencia
    > Sevilla
    > Cordoba
    > Question: what kind of voltage converter will I be needing in these
    > countries? The only electric gadgets that I'll be using are my digital
    > camera battery re-charger (Nikon Coolpix 2500), my MP3 player (Nomad
Jukebox
    > 3) battery re-charger and possibly my cellular phone battery re-charger.
I too have a Nikon Coolpix 2500 and the charger is universal voltage,
100-240V. You only need a plug adaptor for Europe (two round pins). You need
a dual or tri-band GSM phone for Europe, operating on 900 and 1800MHz.
    > Is this something that I could buy at a Radio Shack or do I need a more
    > specialized store?
RS should stock what you need.

Alec

Your coolpix charger will automatically adjust to current change. I have a
charger for my shaver that has a switch and has tpo be manually switched for
European current. check the manual for your other devices. But if they are
relatively new they will probably be fine. But you must get a recepticle
adapter. You can find them a lot of places. I bought mine at Walgreens.
But hang on to it. I left mine behind in a Hotel room in Ceske Budejovice,
Czech Rep. I found another in the next town, but the design wasn't as good
as the one from Walgreens. I also had to cut away a bit of the edge to fit
the three prong american pug into the adapter.

--
"These are the times that try men's souls." Tom Paine

Marc B.

"jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:[email protected]...
    > All these are 220 volts

WRONG!
230 Volt since 01.01.1995!

(At least for all EU-countries, don't know about Switzerland but should be
230 V too.)

lg Gernot

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 22:14:38 +0200, jeroen
wrote:

    > In article ,
    > [email protected] says...
    >> Hello:
    >> I'm finally getting ready to go on my 3rd. European trip. This is my
    >> expected itinerary:
    >> Copenhagen
    >> Berlin
    >> Bremen
    >> Vienna
    >> Zurich
    >> Valencia
    >> Sevilla
    >> Cordoba
    > All these are 220 volts with standard european sockets. Only in spain you
    > can encounter somewhat thinner plugs than elsewhere

And in Zürich, possibly.
Tim.

jeroen wrote:

    > All these are 220 volts with standard european sockets. Only in spain
    > you can encounter somewhat thinner plugs than elsewhere

Swiss sockets are different from the sockets elsewhere in Europe. Most
European appliances will fit in them but a lot won't.

--
Vera Izrailit

"Gernot Egger" wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    > "jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> All these are 220 volts
    >
    > WRONG!
    > 230 Volt since 01.01.1995!

Doesn't matter. They're nominally 230, but with tolerances that de facto
allow a range between 220 and 240, which is what is still being run on the
Continent and the UK, respectively. Appliances don't care about a
difference of 10% anyway.

Regards

--
Hódmezövásárhelykutasi puszta

http://www.wschwanke.de/

On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 11:30:32 +0200, Wolfgang Schwanke
wrote:

    > "Gernot Egger" wrote in
    > news:[email protected]:
    >> "jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    >> news:[email protected]...
    >>> All these are 220 volts
    >> WRONG!
    >> 230 Volt since 01.01.1995!
    > Doesn't matter. They're nominally 230, but with tolerances that de facto
    > allow a range between 220 and 240, which is what is still being run on
    > the Continent and the UK, respectively. Appliances don't care about a
    > difference of 10% anyway.
    > Regards

Especially as the nominal voltage is an average (RMS) - the voltage peaks
at around 370V in each cycle.

There is a website that details all the electrical questions, but I can't
remember the URL. Try a search at Google Groups. Also, you might find the
info you need at www.radioshack.com. Finally, you can generally buy a
conversion plug or voltage converter on the spot, if you need it. There are
lots of stores carrying various electronic gadgets and any of them should
have what you need, or be able to direct you to another store.

"Carlos Juarez" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hello:
    > I'm finally getting ready to go on my 3rd. European trip. This is my
    > expected itinerary:
    > Copenhagen
    > Berlin
    > Bremen
    > Vienna
    > Zurich
    > Valencia
    > Sevilla
    > Cordoba
    > Question: what kind of voltage converter will I be needing in these
    > countries? The only electric gadgets that I'll be using are my digital
    > camera battery re-charger (Nikon Coolpix 2500), my MP3 player (Nomad
Jukebox
    > 3) battery re-charger and possibly my cellular phone battery re-charger.
    > Is this something that I could buy at a Radio Shack or do I need a more
    > specialized store?
    > Thanks for your input.
    > Carlos Juarez

Thanks a lot for all the valuable information, much appreciated.

Carlos Juarez

"Anonymous" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    > Your coolpix charger will automatically adjust to current change. I have
a
    > charger for my shaver that has a switch and has tpo be manually switched
for
    > European current. check the manual for your other devices. But if they
are
    > relatively new they will probably be fine. But you must get a recepticle
    > adapter. You can find them a lot of places. I bought mine at Walgreens.
    > But hang on to it. I left mine behind in a Hotel room in Ceske
Budejovice,
    > Czech Rep. I found another in the next town, but the design wasn't as good
    > as the one from Walgreens. I also had to cut away a bit of the edge to
fit
    > the three prong american pug into the adapter.
    > --
    > "These are the times that try men's souls." Tom Paine
    > Marc B.

    > "Carlos Juarez" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Hello:
    > >
    > > Question: what kind of voltage converter will I be needing in these
    > > countries? The only electric gadgets that I'll be using are my digital
    > > camera battery re-charger (Nikon Coolpix 2500), my MP3 player (Nomad
    > Jukebox


A couple of sites with helpful information:
http://kropla.com/electric2.htm
http://www.roadnews.com/

Adrian
www.selfdrivecamping.co.uk

"Gernot Egger" wrote in message news:...
    > "jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > All these are 220 volts
    >
    > WRONG!
    > 230 Volt since 01.01.1995!
    >
    > (At least for all EU-countries, don't know about Switzerland but should be
    > 230 V too.)
    >
    > lg Gernot

220, 230, who cares.

Did a wall socket check 2 years ago. Got values between 218 and 227
and that was in a modern office building.

"[email protected]" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Gernot Egger" wrote in message
news:...
    > > "jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > > All these are 220 volts
    > >
    > > WRONG!
    > > 230 Volt since 01.01.1995!
    > >
    > > (At least for all EU-countries, don't know about Switzerland but
should be
    > > 230 V too.)
    > >
    > > lg Gernot
    > 220, 230, who cares.
    > Did a wall socket check 2 years ago. Got values between 218 and 227
    > and that was in a modern office building.

Here in the USA I've gotten wall outlet voltage readings from 117-123.
One more thing that isn't absolute.

Ken

Napalm Heart wrote:
    > "[email protected]" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >
    >>"Gernot Egger" wrote in message
    >
    > news:...
    >
    >>>"jeroen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    >>>news:[email protected]...
    >>>>All these are 220 volts
    >>>WRONG!
    >>>230 Volt since 01.01.1995!
    >>>(At least for all EU-countries, don't know about Switzerland but
    > should be
    >
    >>>230 V too.)
    >>>lg Gernot
    >>220, 230, who cares.
    >>Did a wall socket check 2 years ago. Got values between 218 and 227
    >>and that was in a modern office building.
    >
    >
    > Here in the USA I've gotten wall outlet voltage readings from 117-123.
    > One more thing that isn't absolute.


The actual voltage at the socket varies from location to location. The
further away you are from the transformer substation and the more people
connected to it the lower the voltage will be.

It doesn't make much of a diffrence in practice - the voltage diffrence
isn't much and would only really effect items such as lights, kettles,
heaters etc