Use Power Converters When Travelling

There are two electrical transmission systems used in the world. Both are based on different transmission mechanisms which are based on different voltages. The system used in the USA is based on a voltage supply of 110V, as opposed to 220V which is used in Europe and the eastern countries. The electric appliances which are made for use in one particular system cannot work in the other system. For example, if a TV is bought in the USA, that means that it cannot be used in Europe with the local power supply.

Foreign Plug Adapters

The world has now become a global village, which means that faster methods of transportation have made it possible for people to travel the length of the world in just a few hours. This has resulted in people travelling to far off countries as a normal way of life.  In such cases, it is important to have some sort of convertor to change the voltage of one system to the other, so that the device will function and won’t be damaged. This feat is accomplished by foreign plug adapters. They are handy to use when on the go during a foreign travelling trip.

Deluxe Automatic Voltage Regulator

When the power adapters started to appear in the market, they featured manual operation. This means that the voltage needed to be selected manually. However, with advances in technology, the deluxe automatic voltage regulator was introduced, which automatically detected the input voltage and made the appropriate conversion required for the operation of the appliance. This made it easy to use without any risk of wrong manual selection, which could possibly lead to the damage of the appliance.

International Adapter Plugs

The recent advances in e-commerce have made it possible for people to order consumer products, especially the electric appliances, anywhere in the world. For example, when importing a device to Europe from the USA, the difference of power transmission systems needs to be kept in mind. In such a case, international adapter plugs are used as convertors of the voltage. The plugs are used with the sockets providing the voltage of the host system, and then they convert it into the native voltage that’s needed for the operation of the appliance.

Many of the electric appliances that we’ve come to rely on in our lives aren’t inexpensive.  That’s why it’s important when travelling to make use of the power convertors are so that the appliance can be used in a different system without any risk of damage. Such power converters are easily available in the market and are quite affordable.

What To Consider When Buying A Multi System TV

A Multisystem TV is a television capable of receiving and displaying different video systems like PAL, SECAM and NTSC. They will operate in 99% of the world because they have a dual power supply (the exceptions being France, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) and do not require a voltage convertor.

What Are The Advantages Of A Multi System TV?

The picture quality of a Multi System TV is vastly superior to that of a conventional television, and this quality may be even further enhanced depending on whether you choose LCD or plasma. 

Technology has tackled the problem of scan lines that can be visible in conventional units. These lines are created by the electronic beam used to scan the picture tube from top to bottom regularly and repeatedly. Multi Systems include built-in line doubling, and that makes the scan lines disappear. There are few drawbacks of a Multi System TV compared to a conventional TV. Multi System TVs also have a perfect, flat viewing area with no curvature hampering the picture and causing distortion around the screen edges.

Which Is Better: LCD or Plasma?

If you are going to invest in a multisystem TV then you should take full advantage of modern technology and look at LCD and Plasma units. LCD/LED televisions fit well in rooms saturated with natural light, but don’t do well in rooms that rely mainly on artificially controlled lighting.  With a LCD TV, you’ll see sharp vivid colours, and because of this watching sports and movies will take on a whole new intensity.  Keep in mind that LCDs are thinner than other types of televisions but this thinness is merely aesthetic and adds no enhancement to performance.

Plasma televisions are bigger than most other televisions with sizes starting at 42” so if you can’t fit a unit of this size in your room, you’ll be better off with a LCD.  Plasma televisions are good in normally lit rooms and offer viewers more natural looking images in movies, nature programs and live action sports.  But they don’t perform as well in rooms that are flooded with natural light as this impairs the bright eye popping colour.

Before making a decision about whether you’ll buy an LCD or a Plasma TV, try both types in a room with natural lighting. This is important because fluorescent lit showrooms will simply not give you the best idea of how these televisions will perform in your house.

Pack Your Own Electric Travel First Aid Kit

One of the best tips I ever got from another global traveler was to take a little “electric first aid kit” with me abroad.  This turned out to save me a lot of hassle and down time by being prepared for the kinds of “mismatches” that occur when you move from one country’s electrical system to another.

There are two main kinds of mismatches.  The first is voltage.  The United States and Canadian electric systems both operate with 110-volt direct electric current, however most of the rest of the world uses 220 volt direct current. That means that if you want t to use your US or Canadian electric and electronic appliances and gadgets, e.g.., Nintendo Wiis and rechargeable wireless headsets, in other countries, you are going to need voltage converters or transformers in order to increase the voltage. 

You will be alerted to this anyway, because your North American plug, with the two parallel prongs (even those that use a third prong for grounding instead of just widening one of the two), will not fit in the outlets abroad.  This is a good thing or you’d hear a zzzzppppfff and perhaps smell a whiff of smoke, because those 220 volts just cruise right through your poor little 110 gadget’s body and burn the thing to a crisp.

Keep in mind that many modern electronic gadgets operate with alternating current and have a boxlike AC adapter between the wall outlet and the actual device that can work with an input of either 220 volts or 110 volts.  To be on the safe side, read the markings on the cable or adapter box.

If you want to be prepared for just about anything when you move abroad or are traveling for extended periods, here’s what you should considering packing in your “electrical first aid kit”:

 1.  One or more lightweight voltage converters.  They are cheap, easy to pack, and useful for a variety of small electric appliances.

2.  A heavy duty “step up” deluxe automatic voltage regulator with at least two outlets for electrical appliances (for example, a hot pot or a curling iron).

3.  A voltage transformer for use with electronic devices, namely those with an electronic chip or circuit.  This would radios, boom boxes, stereos, and “smart” electronic appliances.

4.  Two or more extension power cords.  If you take your home office equipment, for example, you can use one transformer with a power cord into which you can plug your printer, scanner, PC, etc.  They also can be plugged into the wall with an adaptor for then plugging in your laptop, cell phone, etc., that work with either voltage level.

5.  Various plug adapters.  You can buy sets of these or just those that you will need for the area in which you will be living or traveling.  For many South American outlets, for example in Argentina, you will need a plug adapter with a “V” shape.

Pack it all in a plastic waterproof container inside one of your packing boxes or suitcases that you will open when you first arrive so that you can enjoy your modern conveniences right away.  You can do the rest of your unpacking while you listen to music on your stereo equipment!

ABCs for the First-Time HDTV Buyer

If you are in the market for a new TV and a bit confused about all the new jargon, e.g., HDTV, multisystem TVs, etc., read on and become an informed consumer before you start hitting the stores or internet electronics retailers.

Why would I want a digital television?

If you have been watching TV on an old set, your picture is based on a system that is over half a century old.  You will be amazed at the better picture quality and sound with digital television.  I bet you have already dumped your old Brownie or Polaroid camera for a super digital model—so why not do the same with your television?  HDTVs offer higher quality images that are sharper, and crisper.

What do “DTV” and “HDTV” stand for?

DT stands for Digital Television, those that receive any one of the 18 digital signaling methods.  Digital TVs fall into three categories:  High Definition TV (HDTV), Enhanced Digital TV (EDTV), and Standard Definition TV (SDTV).  At normal viewing distances, the HDTV outperforms the other two.

 What does “High Definition” mean?

High Definition Television.  Definition refers to the resolution of the image, i.e., the sharpness. The old analog TV signals are comprised of 525 interlacing lines that can be disrupted by flickering, ghosting, and blurring.  The digital TVs receive the signals digitally—in the for of 0s and 1s, which get rid of those problems and produce superior pictures, with crisp, vivid images of up to 1080 lines.  Think of the difference in precision between a digital clock and a typical analog clock.

Would a converter that changes the digital signal to analog work?

Well, yes, if you want to take a really superior picture and turn it into one that can flicker, blur and ghost.  If you are that attached to your old set, move it to your bedroom and put the new digital multisystem TV in the living room where everyone can enjoy it! 

What is “digital sound” and “digital surround” TV?

Again, digital refers to the fact that the signal is received as “0” or “1,” which makes for a purer signal without the usual interference.  Thus digital TV offers sound as good as you can get at the movie theater by using 6-channel Dolby.  If you want to have that cinematic effect, you can buy a system with more than two regular stereo channels to have the sound surround you literally. 

What digital broadcasts can I get now?

Yes, you can receive digital broadcasts.  Major TV networks with digital programming include ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, and Fox, and more are on the way.

In some, you can get some great buys on multisystem TVs that not only offer you the advantages of digital TV but work with any worldwide system.  If you like the world of TV, treat yourself to the best set you can afford!

  

5 Must-Know Rules for Expats about Electric Voltage

Let this serve as a warning to other U.S. expats.  If you plan on taking any of your electronic equipment with you, you absolutely need to know about voltage, converters, and plugs.  After seven years abroad, I’ve developed some good tips about how to enjoy your electronics without the fuss, muss, and burned equipment.  Take note of these tried and tested rules below—and send me any you have!

A few years ago I moved to beautiful Buenos Aires with my Sony stereo, HP laptop, HP scanner, HP printer, Fellows paper shredder, not to mention a Mr. Coffee, Sony digital camera, and probably a few other things that escape my memory. 

After I got here, I discovered how hard it was to get things to work.  First, I zapped the scanner by accidentally plugging it into a 220-volt outlet.  That’s usually hard to do because the plugs for 110 volts don’t fit into the 220 voltage outlets here, as a rule. 

But at a local store I had just recently purchased an extension cord with a power strip with outlets adapted to either 220-volt or 110-volt type plugs.  All it took was being in too much of a hurry to notice, and hsszzap!  The minute the acrid smell hit my nostrils, I knew the poor scanner adapter cord would need replacing!

 Rule #1:  Label your outlets with the voltage as necessary.  One of mine is now plugged into one of those voltage converters that steps the 220-volt current down to 110, so it is labeled “110.”  Treat yourself and get adeluxe automatic voltage regulator.

Rule #2: Label your electronics as necessary.  I’ve had to drop my computer and stereo off at the local repair shop, and I’m taking no chances.  I’ve labeled each clearly with warning tags that these are 110-volt items.  I also mention it clearly.  So far, so good.  Maybe this really isn’t necessary, but it costs me nothing and gives me piece of mind.

 Rule #3:  Get at least two high quality voltage converters for convenience sake.  My stereo, in the living room of course, is plugged into a converter hidden from view.  That is a little too far for recharging my toothbrush and running my KitchenAid mixer, so I installed a second voltage regulator on the kitchen counter for the mixer and other appliances.  Frankly, I’d like to hide it in a counter and run the wires out of sight, but well, you can’t have everything!

 Rule #4:  Know what you can plug in safely.  I took my lamps into a local electric shop to change them to 220-volts, and guess what?  It turns out that my U.S. lamps are so well made, with good thick electric cords, that they easily support the higher voltage.  All I needed to do was insert a 220-volt bulb, and voila!  Alas, when I plugged in my Christmas tree lights, they went fizzle and emitted that tell-tale burnt odor.  I went out and bought 220-volt strings.  Problem solved! 

Rule #5:  Forgive yourself if you make a mistake.  Part of the adventure of expat living is learning, so figure a few mishaps are bound to happen on the journey.  Learn to laugh at it and move on.

 

Travelers: Get Plugged in Abroad at the Right Voltage

 We often take things for granted—until we travel.  In fact, researchers claim that one of the biggest benefits of travel and particularly extended stays abroad is that we become more open-minded and more creative.  Having to deal with other cultures, from language to geography, keeps us on our mental toes! 

 We just “assume” so much in everyday life given our particular socialization.  We just assume that the world eats what we do, gets up or goes to bed when we do, etc.  Lots of travelers assume that electricity, including cords and plugs and outlets, are pretty much the same the world over.  And they are surprised to discover that different regions of the world may differ in voltage and in the kinds of plugs and outlets used to connect electric devices.

 For example, my Brazilian foreign exchange student years ago just “assumed” that she could plug in the pretty alabaster angel night light that a friend gave her as a going-away present.  She did get a shock, though a cultural not electrical one, when she discovered that the plug unit of her nightlight had prongs that did not match the configuration in her New York bedroom.  Second, she discovered that the wiring and bulb voltage did not match either, as they were 220 volts instead of the North American standard of 110 volts, so we did not try a foreign plug adapter.  The recommendation was to keep it in her suitcase until she got back to Sao Paolo, and make do with one that we offered her.

Meanwhile, my daughter had the opposite experience going to Argentina, where her 110 equipment did not fit the 220 voltage electricity there.  Even odder, she discovered that there was no standardization of plugs at all!  In just one house she found three different kinds of outlets to match the three different kinds of plugs.  The family by necessity kept an assortment of adaptors and extension cords throughout the house in order to make things run!  Some plugs had two round prongs, others had two flat prongs in a V-shape, and others had the V-shape configuration with a grounding prong as well.   When she plugged in a set of 110-lights, using an adapter, the 220 volts surged right through those little bulbs and burnt them to a crisp with a little "pop"!  Luckily they did not explode!

Of course travelers, exchange students, expats, and others don’t need to suffer any of these mishaps or disappointments.  These days it is easy to get both voltage converters as well as international adapters plugs to work around the globe.  If you shop around, you can find the complete sets, or you can get just what you need for a single country. 

TIP:  Check your charging cables for cameras, laptops, and other items.  They may indicate that they already work fine with both voltages, and so all you need is the right foreign plug adapters for your stuff.  If you forget, you can buy what you need at an international airport shop or in cities in hardware stores and electric supply houses.  I’ve found some hotels will lend them to me as well.  Buen viaje!

 

Chuck those connectivity concerns away, now that you have universal foreign plug adapters

While traveling abroad, a major concern (bordering on the nightmare!) on the minds of all travelers pertains to connectivity, with regard to electrical gadgets.

Specifically, the concern is that of electrical sockets being different than plugs.  For instance, in many parts of Asia, you will find plugs for electrical appliances to be circular in shape – corresponding to the circular pins on the plugs in those regions, while the plug points in America are flat in shape, since the plugs themselves are also flat.

That is in fact not the only concern; most electric points in Asia as well as many other parts of the world actually function at a different voltage  than do those in America and Europe. As a result, many devices actually do not function while traveling to these parts or need a separate stabilizer or voltage regulator of sorts which can ensure that the desired ampere of electricity is supplied to the gadget – neither more than that nor less than that.

Recognizing these concerns of travelers, enterprises with a penchant for making today’s globalized world better connected, have come out with a wide range of universal foreign plug adapters. These international adapter plugs have the intuitive ability to fit in practically any plug, no matter how its pins are shaped. For instance, even if the pins are circular in shape and you need to fit the plug onto a flat shaped plug point, you can easily do so, via these universal foreign plug adapters.

Similarly, when it is a case of concern with regard to voltage fluctuation or significant variation in the ampere range at which electricity is supplied, with respect to the desired electricity supply range of the device itself, these enterprises have come out with voltage converters which can make sure that only the desired voltage level reaches the device and no other. Remember that this works both ways – if the voltage supply is too low, then the deluxe automatic voltage regulator in question takes charge to increase the voltage supply and similarly, if the same happens to be too high, the regulator works towards decreasing the same so that no harm is caused to the device being operated.

In summation, these enterprises are clearly working towards making life in a globalized world, that much more functionally meaningful.

Getting global in a globalized world

With the world getting increasingly globalized, with people in virtually any corner of the globe being just a phone call or an email away, connectivity no longer remains a challenge as it used to be in the earlier days. At the same time, with businesses setting up operations in multiple countries and not just the country of their origin, there is a fervent need for traveling to and being physically located in diverse countries and cultures. Indeed, that seems to be the dichotomy of globalization; even though technology enables a lot of activities to be undertaken in a virtual setting, there are many other processes and procedures that require a definitive physical presence.

In this regard, one of the major challenges that a lot of globe trotters invariably face, is that of connectivity with regard to their electronic gadgets; that is because the electrical systems the world over do not function uniformly in the same manner. Further, many electric devices are also in turn meant to run only at specific voltages whereby the ability to run them in certain countries that have a different voltage system gets negated.

In such a scenario, the requirement for reliable voltage converters is certainly felt. With these voltage converters in place, one can safely run the desired electronic gadget, at just the right voltage it is meant to run on. This in turn not only ensures the ability of the gadget to operate, it also ensures its safety; when devices are run at voltages either higher or lower than the ones at which they are meant to operate, there is every chance that the device in question could possibly suffer extensive damage, even to the extent of it being rendered completely unusable for good.

The pioneers of the aforementioned deluxe automatic voltage regulator have also managed to extend their intuitive electronic engineering capabilities to come out with other devices that would also add to the entire ability to run electronic devices the world over, with complete ease. Take for instance, Region Code Free DVD players which allow DVDs from around the world, irrespective of the particular regional code in which they might have been created, to be played without a hitch. Further, with a lot of plug systems in the world also varying in shape and design, these enterprising ventures have also come out with international adapters plugs that allow all devices to be connected to just about any electronic system, with complete ease.