110V and 220V

[MC]

I am planning to take some electronic items from the US to India.
But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v that can be used
in India to
supply the correct voltage to the device. But none of them mention anything
about
the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ? Is there a way to convert
this frequency
also or is it impossible ?

Please advise

Thanks
Mahesh

 

[Kalman Rubinson]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 13:44:42 -0700, "MC" <mahesh_cbrl@yahoo.com> wrote:

How does this difference affect the appliance ?

It depends on the appliance. Some are more sensitive to the
difference and some absolutely require frequency conversion. OTOH,
many are indifferent to it.

Is there a way to convert this frequency also or is it impossible ?

Expensive to do and, unless the appliance is expensive and not easily
replaceable, not usually done.

Kal

 

[the Wiz]

"MC" <mahesh_cbrl@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am planning to take some electronic items from the US to India.
But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v that can be used
in India to
supply the correct voltage to the device. But none of them mention anything
about
the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ? Is there a way to convert
this frequency
also or is it impossible ?

Please advise

Thanks
Mahesh

Most low power items won't know the difference between 60 Hz and 50 Hz. Those
that have a transformer in the power supply may run a little hot. Small
motorized devices that are synced to the power line (such clocks) will run
slower (about 80% of their 60Hz speed).

Higher power devices will experience more heating because they were designed
with just enough iron in the core (transformer, motor) for 60 Hz but 50 Hz
requires more material in the core. Electric motors (other than AC-DC types)
will run slower on 50Hz than 60Hz because they are controlled by the power
frequency. This may also contribute to overheating, as any built-in fans will
also be running slower and moving less air.

Switching power supplies (PCs, laptops, some other devices) rectify the AC to DC
before the DC-DC conversion stage, so they will generally work OK. There may be
a little AC ripple in the input to the DC-DC converter because the capacitors
were chosen to work with 60Hz power and they may not provide adequate filtering
with 50Hz power.

Check the rating plate on each device to see if it is rated for 60Hz or 50-60Hz.
If rated for both, your only concern is getting the proper voltage.

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johnecarter atat mindspring dotdot com. Fix the obvious to reply by email.

 

[Richard Crowley]

"MC" wrote ...

I am planning to take some electronic items from
the US to India. But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v
that can be used in India to supply the correct voltage to
the device. But none of them mention anything about
the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ?

It varies for different kinds of appliances.
It even varies for different appliances of the same kind.
There is no general answer.
Some appliances will not care at all.
Some will melt down (figuratively or literally.)
And most lie somewhere between those extremes.

You may be able to get specific answers for specific items
by posting details (Brand, model, nameplate ratings, etc.)

Is there a way to convert this frequency also or is it impossible ?

Yes, but it is far more expensive than to just convert the voltage.
So much so that it is rarely done except where absolutely
necessary (and cost-effective).

 

[w_tom]

In addition to a long and accurate list of conditions - add
this. The owner must read a label on every appliance. A
label located somewhere near where power enters. And some
appliances have universal power supplies - work just fine on
all voltages from 90 VAC to 260 VAC. As mom kept saying,
first read the directions. In this case, read label on every
appliance. First, what does that label say?

the Wiz wrote:

"MC" <mahesh_cbrl@yahoo.com> wrote:
I am planning to take some electronic items from the US to India.
But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v that can
be used in India to supply the correct voltage to the device. But
none of them mention anything about the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ? Is there a way to
convert this frequency also or is it impossible ?

Please advise

Thanks
Mahesh

Most low power items won't know the difference between 60 Hz and 50 Hz. Those
that have a transformer in the power supply may run a little hot. Small
motorized devices that are synced to the power line (such clocks) will run
slower (about 80% of their 60Hz speed).

Higher power devices will experience more heating because they were designed
with just enough iron in the core (transformer, motor) for 60 Hz but 50 Hz
requires more material in the core. Electric motors (other than AC-DC types)
will run slower on 50Hz than 60Hz because they are controlled by the power
frequency. This may also contribute to overheating, as any built-in fans will
also be running slower and moving less air.

Switching power supplies (PCs, laptops, some other devices) rectify the AC to DC
before the DC-DC conversion stage, so they will generally work OK. There may be
a little AC ripple in the input to the DC-DC converter because the capacitors
were chosen to work with 60Hz power and they may not provide adequate filtering
with 50Hz power.

Check the rating plate on each device to see if it is rated for 60Hz or 50-60Hz.
If rated for both, your only concern is getting the proper voltage.
...

 

[MC]

thanks for all your responses.

I am planning to take my good old Sony
boombox CD player with me.
The rating on that reads 110V 60Hz.
Does a CD player have any components that
will crib over a 50Hz supply ?

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote in message
news:vlt2galvinuv54@corp.supernews.com...

"MC" wrote ...
I am planning to take some electronic items from
the US to India. But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v
that can be used in India to supply the correct voltage to
the device. But none of them mention anything about
the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ?

It varies for different kinds of appliances.
It even varies for different appliances of the same kind.
There is no general answer.
Some appliances will not care at all.
Some will melt down (figuratively or literally.)
And most lie somewhere between those extremes.

You may be able to get specific answers for specific items
by posting details (Brand, model, nameplate ratings, etc.)

Is there a way to convert this frequency also or is it impossible ?

Yes, but it is far more expensive than to just convert the voltage.
So much so that it is rarely done except where absolutely
necessary (and cost-effective).

 

[DarkMatter]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 19:18:55 -0700, "Richard Crowley"
<rcrowley7@xprt.net> Gave us:

"MC" wrote ...
I am planning to take some electronic items from
the US to India. But the voltage there is 220V , 50Hz.

I have seen a lot of voltage converters from 220 to 110v
that can be used in India to supply the correct voltage to
the device. But none of them mention anything about
the 60Hz vs 50Hz difference.

How does this difference affect the appliance ?

It varies for different kinds of appliances.
It even varies for different appliances of the same kind.

THIS appliance is a rice cooker. I have NO doubt that it is a
purely resistive heating element, and that the power consumed by the
controls is so minimal that 50 or 60 hz will not affect it, and the
voltage can swing a bit as well, but cooking times will vary at that
point. For optimal operation, the voltage is all you need to match, in
*this* case, with the greatest confidence. SO, a transformer would be
all one needs. The right transformer. Most industrial liquidators
have them ,and a 1kVA would be around $40 IIRC. For Brand new and
exciting, try http://www.belfuse.com/Data/DBObject/page_06.pdf
The 1kVA is 5.5 x 6 x 5.25 inches. It takes numerous Voltages in, and
converts to 115, so it can be reversed to get those voltages out with
115 in. It has multiple taps. That is the style you are looking for.
There are many brands. With the size and layout info you find on the
page, you can go shopping at the surplus stores.

There is no general answer.
Some appliances will not care at all.
Some will melt down (figuratively or literally.)
And most lie somewhere between those extremes.

You may be able to get specific answers for specific items
by posting details (Brand, model, nameplate ratings, etc.)

Is there a way to convert this frequency also or is it impossible ?

Yes, but it is far more expensive than to just convert the voltage.
So much so that it is rarely done except where absolutely
necessary (and cost-effective).

 

[DarkMatter]

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 23:53:45 -0400, w_tom <w_tom1@hotmail.com> Gave
us:

In addition to a long and accurate list of conditions - add
this. The owner must read a label on every appliance. A
label located somewhere near where power enters. And some
appliances have universal power supplies - work just fine on
all voltages from 90 VAC to 260 VAC. As mom kept saying,
first read the directions. In this case, read label on every
appliance. First, what does that label say?

Most even work with DC pumped in (the switched front end jobs).

The first thing in a lot of our AC fed switchers is a full wave
bridge so applying DC voltage at the AC taps yields the exact same
performance in the product.

Electronics does follow the math sometimes, eh? :]

 

[DarkMatter]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 21:23:35 -0700, "MC" <mahesh_cbrl@yahoo.com> Gave
us:

thanks for all your responses.

I am planning to take my good old Sony
boombox CD player with me.
The rating on that reads 110V 60Hz.
Does a CD player have any components that
will crib over a 50Hz supply ?

The CD player uses DC the dongle is the AC device.

Look at the dongle. Likely, it will show 50-60Hz, 90-some other
voltage.

Learn how not to top post and why it sucks and makes you look
retarded.

 

[Richard Crowley]

"MC" wrote...

I am planning to take my good old Sony
boombox CD player with me.
The rating on that reads 110V 60Hz.
Does a CD player have any components that
will crib over a 50Hz supply ?

It might depend on what you mean by "old".
Newer equipment tends to be less sensitive to
power frequency. I would tend to assume that it
will work until proven otherwise.

 

[DarkMatter]

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 08:03:56 -0700, "Richard Crowley"
<rcrowley7@xprt.net> Gave us:

"MC" wrote...
I am planning to take my good old Sony
boombox CD player with me.
The rating on that reads 110V 60Hz.
Does a CD player have any components that
will crib over a 50Hz supply ?

It might depend on what you mean by "old".
Newer equipment tends to be less sensitive to
power frequency. I would tend to assume that it
will work until proven otherwise.

That would be "practically anything that has a switcher in the front
end, instead of a transformer".

 

[The Captain]

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote in message news:<vlufamj85lcpfd@corp.supernews.com>...

"MC" wrote...
I am planning to take my good old Sony
boombox CD player with me.
The rating on that reads 110V 60Hz.
Does a CD player have any components that
will crib over a 50Hz supply ?

It might depend on what you mean by "old".
Newer equipment tends to be less sensitive to
power frequency. I would tend to assume that it
will work until proven otherwise.

If the boom-box is also batery powered, then you can rest assured that
a 220 to 110 volt transformer will provide the correct input voltage
and you won't have to worry about frequency. This is because the
boom-box works on DC and the AC input is freduced to a lower voltage
and rectified before powering the circuitry.

I converted my wife's US (110V) boom-box to 220V operation in Europe
by removing the internal mains transformer and connecting the output
of a "Plug in the wall" transformer to the points where the secondary
of the original transformer had connected. It worked perfectly,
although I had to make a hole in the case to get the 12 volt line from
the plug in transformer to the power supply of the boom-box. If you
have any technician type skills you might try that also.

My personal experience is that for any equipment which does not run
internally off DC and is low powered, taking it with you is just not
worth it. The cost of shipment, transformers and the loss of your
guarantees far outweigh the cost of replacements. Add to that the
fact that you can't even be sure that the equipment will work, for
reasons well described earlier in this thread, and the whole thing is
an expensive and rather pointless gamble.

Also, the value of a 110V appliance in a 220V area is approximately
zero. Probably less, because it will cost you to dump it!

John