Nanna Moon

Hello, please help... we really need some info on UK~US electronics!


We're soon to ship our belongings to the US, but can't figure out what electronic items can be taken with us and what can't! Can anyone please offer some advice / info?

Would using a standard UK~US plug-socket converter enable many items to work, or is the difference in voltage / amps etc too risky?

Don't know if this helps, but the main items we'd like to take are:


*Stereo System / Speakers
Stereo - (230V ~ 50HZ, 26Watts)
Speakers - Impedance 40 OHMS, Rated Power: 5W, Max Power: 10W)


*Electric Guitar Amplifier / Effects System
Amplifier - (230V ~ 50HZ, 40 Watts, OUTPUT: 15 Watts RMS -8 Ohms)
Floor System - (240VAC, 50HZ, 28Watts, OUTPUT: 9VAC @ 2.2 Amps)


*Table Lamps


*Desktop PC / Printer / Scanner


*TV (guess this one would definately not be possible?)
(220-240V, 50HZ, 65Watts)


*Hair Straighteners / Hair Dryer
(13A 250V each)


*Laptop PC
(100-120 V ~ / 1.5A)
(200-240V ~ / 0.75A, 50-60HZ)


We've search for info on this, but still cant be clear whether specific converters can be purchsed to enable items like thoes listed above to work safely.

Any help would be REALLY appreciated... thanks in advance.


Leon / Michelle

Rompers

Leon/Michelle

The TV won't work (PAL vs NTSC). The rest of your stuff should work with a suitable adapter.

However....I'd think really carefully about bringing it all out here. Electrical goods, particularly computers are much, much cheaper here than in the UK. You may find it better to sell your stuff second hand and buy brand new when you get here rather than pay to ship it all out from the UK.

Good luck with the move

Rompers

Duncan Roberts

Anything that has a labeled input of something like 100-240v will work with just a plug converter. Everything else you will need a transformer to upconvert US to UK. Your laptop will be fine and depending on how old you PC is that should be fine too. Take a look at the back of it where the power cord goes into it, if there is a little red thing that has a numer on it you can just flip it between UK and US.
Depending on the quality of the items it would probably be cheaper to sell them and start new here than to ship them and get all the required bits and pieces for them.

Elvira

Forget about table lamps - they are dirt cheap here.

Anything that requires a converter I would leave behind as well. Converters are expensive and a hassle.

teresa1003

We brought over, a stereo, UK TV and Video for the kids video and a guitar amp. We needed converters for everything but the TV as it was dual voltage so worked with just an adaptor, but only to play videos as US tv is different format or whatever. Dont bother bringing lamps they are really cheap.

We paid about 25 dollars for each step up/step down converter, buy ones that are double the wattage of the electronic equipment. Regards

Nanna Moon

Hello again, thanks ever so much for your help there.... that's making things a little clearer now.

Luckily the bill for the move's covered by the new employer out there... were still doing our best to minimise taking unnecessary stuff, but we defo want to try and take some sentimental electrical items. Like you say, lamps etc are simply not worth taking.

Unfortunately there's no flicker switch on the back of the PC... but we will probably just take the hard-drive instead.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, it's been a BIG help.

Cheers,

Leon / Michelle

Nanna Moon

Just to check... is it fiarly easy to buy UK~US converters in America?

Never seen them before, but we will probably buy a few to cover the important electrical items.

That's good news about the amp too... didn't want to have to leave all that behind if poss.

Cheers.

New in NY

Our PC has no switch but works both here and in Europe. Check the manual or the backside of the PC - maybe it says something like "100-240V".

Good luck with the move!

Pulaski

Yes, but the best deals are available on-line. I recommend DVDoverseas.com - look for "Voltage converters", and if you are running anything that is sensitive to "noise" you'll need a "Voltage Stablizer" (one of the options after selecting the "Voltage converters" link), which is what I use to run the hifi that I bought from the UK.

Generally, I'd say, like almost everyone else here, don't bring things unless they are especially valuable/ high quality/ of sentimental importance.

BlightyBoy

People will usually tell you to buy new here but I had great success with power transformers from this company:
http://www.aedinternational.com/voltage_converters.htm
They are not too expensive.
I got a big one to plug multiple things in with (about $40), a small one (about $18) to take around the house and one of the very small ones (about $8-10)for things like hair dryers.
I actually wish I had brought things like my nice food processor from England rather than pay about $150 for similar.

I brought computer equipment, guitar amps etc. I found that one computer just needed a different cable (read the back) and it automatically changed the voltage. Another computer I just changed the power supply for about $10 from a second hand computer shop. Laptops usually change automatically. At least you aren't going to blow anything by trying it in a 110 socket.
Things with a wall wart are easy (probably the scanner and printer), just buy the right voltage adapter and ignore what they say about only using the official one (just get the right voltage and high enough MA).

teresa1003

We bought ours online Im sorry I cant remember the web address but there are loads of sites. We bought three transformers/converters and havent had any problems for three years with any of them, the guitar amp is 200 watts and we bought a 600 watt transformer just to be safe.

Good luck with the move.

Regards

evoal2003

You'll need to buy them before you leave. Ask yourself the question why would they sell them here?

Alfie and Spencer.

snowbunny

Your amp a Marshall stack or a Gibson portable? Most Brit musicians use their own gear here and go through frightening numbers of transformers. Invest in a heavy-duty transformer. Same goes for the stereo -- by your numbers you can draw a significant amount of current. If you have any effects boxes not run by battery you'll need to protect those too.

The hair dryer will draw a lot of current; a straightener may or may not. These are dirt cheap here in the US so leaving them behind wouldn't be much of a wrench.

Your laptop is probably the easiest of the lot.

Big D

No - you can get them easily over here - think we used voltageconverters.com - they aren't expensive we even bought one of the bigger ones - and they are step up and step down so you can use them if/when you return to europe with all your US gear!

snowbunny

Agree -- and if you were to haul them from the UK they are *very* heavy for their size.