Electricity in Europe

[trickyrick]

Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter. Didn't work worth
beans. Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small
clamp then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would
clamp to a ground (copper pipe or something)
Thanks
Rick

 

[Tim Wescott]

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700, trickyrick wrote:

Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter. Didn't work worth
beans. Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small clamp
then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would clamp to
a ground (copper pipe or something) Thanks
Rick

AFAIK it doesn't work that way -- it's either isolated from ground or
it's the usual ground/neutral arrangement, just with 220 instead of 110.

Hopefully this'll either answer your question or attract a real answer
from someone who lives over there...

--
www.wescottdesign.com

 

[John Larkin]

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700 (PDT), trickyrick
<rickj@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter. Didn't work worth
beans. Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small
clamp then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would
clamp to a ground (copper pipe or something)
Thanks
Rick

European power is nominally 240 to ground/neutral. There's no 110
anywhere to access.

John

 

[Tim Wescott]

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:23 -0700, trickyrick wrote:

On Oct 29, 7:55 pm, John Larkin
jjlar...@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700 (PDT), trickyrick

ri...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter.  Didn't work worth
beans.  Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small
clamp then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would
clamp to a ground (copper pipe or something) Thanks
Rick

European power is nominally 240 to ground/neutral. There's no 110
anywhere to access.

John

Guess that answers my question thanks

Get a decent adapter!

--
www.wescottdesign.com

 

[trickyrick]

On Oct 29, 7:55 pm, John Larkin
<jjlar...@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700 (PDT), trickyrick

ri...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter.  Didn't work worth
beans.  Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small
clamp then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would
clamp to a ground (copper pipe or something)
Thanks
Rick

European power is nominally 240 to ground/neutral. There's no 110
anywhere to access.

John

Guess that answers my question thanks

 

[ArameFarpado]

Em Quinta 29 Outubro 2009 23:20, Tim Wescott escreveu:

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700, trickyrick wrote:

Was in Portugal last year with a 50 watt converter. Didn't work worth
beans. Any chance I can buy a plug when Im over there and a small clamp
then only use one side of there 220 and the other side I would clamp to
a ground (copper pipe or something) Thanks
Rick

AFAIK it doesn't work that way -- it's either isolated from ground or
it's the usual ground/neutral arrangement, just with 220 instead of 110.

Hopefully this'll either answer your question or attract a real answer
from someone who lives over there...

Monofasic AC power have a live and a neutral, the neutral is nearly groung
(but not the ground for protection of metal devices) and the live is
230volts (was 220V a until a few years ago).

Any attempt to connect something between live and ground, or neutral and
ground will trigger the earth leakage circuit breakers.


The OP needs a transformer 230VAC/110VAC, and i guess more powerfull than
50Watt, at least more powerfull than the devices he is going to plug.

best regards from Portugal