Travel Technology - power converters/adaptors

We are moving to Aust in 12 months and not able to take much with us in terms of electrical due to the voltage change.

But for some small appliances, it seems the price defferential is quite large between US and Aust (eg coffee machines, kitchen-aid mixers).

So I found this - http://www.dvdoverseas.com/store/itemss20.html

Would using this with a Kitchen-Aid work - it sure seems a cost effective solution given they are US$250 in the US and A$660 in Aust.

Does the Kitchen-Aid have a heating element?
The coffee maker does.
Do they exceed the capacity of the voltage converter?
The Kitchen-Aid motor may run slower because of the 50 Hz current in Europe.

Does the Kitchen-Aid have a heating element?
The coffee maker does.
Do they exceed the capacity of the voltage converter?
The Kitchen-Aid motor may run slower because of the 50 Hz current in Europe.


Kitchen-aid does not have a heating element (just a motor).

As for exceeding the capacity of the converter - how do I determine that?

Kitchen-aid does not have a heating element (just a motor).

As for exceeding the capacity of the converter - how do I determine that?

Look for a power consumption rating on your device (in Watts) or in the instruction manual. If you only find Volts and Amps you can estimate Watts by multiplying Volts and Amps.

I followed the link to the transformer you supplied and was quite surprised. It looks small for 200 Watts. I think Id prefer to look for transformers in the country I was moving to.

Worth noting if you are going from 60 Hz to 50 Hz : digital clocks will be off by a factor of 5/6 making them worthless for time keeping ... so keep that in mind if your appliances have digital clocks or timers.

Edit to add:
Minimize the number of transformers in your house. They are a pain in the rear. Things to consider that come with the transformer experience:
1) kids/maids/guests plugging 110 devices into 220 outlets and destroying them (you might even forget and do this yourself
2) they dont last forever, requireing costly periodic replacement (every few years ... sooner of you plug/unplug a lot)

Worth noting if you are going from 60 Hz to 50 Hz : digital clocks will be off by a factor of 5/6 making them worthless for time keeping ... so keep that in mind if your appliances have digital clocks or timers.


That is not correct. Digital clocks do not run on AC, they run on DC at probably 3.3 or 5 volts. The 50/60Hz issue will have no effect on the power conversion from AC->DC and will not affect clocks. The only clocks that could be affected would be those that motor-driven analog clocks that plug into the wall. Even that would be debatable because I don't believe they generally use the 50/60Hz signal for timekeeping.

Actually, most clocks that plug into the mains do use the 50 or 60Hz as a timebase. Motorized analog clocks use a synchronous motor that's keyed to the powerline frequency.

Digital clocks also typically use the powerline as a timebase if they plug in. It's both cheaper and more accurate than using a crystal timebase. It takes some simple analog circuitry to drop the 120v to around 5v. The 60Hz is fed into a divide-by-60 counter to get the 1 second count. The powerline frequency is highly stable (at least in Western nations) and provides an excellent timebase.

We are moving to Aust in 12 months....

Gee, would that be Austria, Australia, or Austin, TX????

I think you are cutting it too close with this 200W converter. I recommend
you look for a Transformer

Something like this: (Type A) http://www.world-import.com/transformers.htm
with a higher power rating.

I think you are cutting it too close with this 200W converter. I recommend
you look for a Transformer

Something like this: (Type A) http://www.world-import.com/transformers.htm
with a higher power rating.

I'm not sure what the difference is between a converter and a transformer, but the small size of it is exactly why I would even consider it as an option. If my only option is the transformer in your link it is way too bulky for me to hassle with it.

So the upshot is that as long the conerter/transformer I choose handles thre wattage of my appliance I should be OK? Also on the provise that since a mixer has a motor that motor will turn slower due to the 60-50Hz step down?

I have a transformer (100W) for a CD player I bought in the US http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/test_new/catalog.cgi?view_product=1&id=4724&sid=16&cid=144&scid=8654. Has worked for 5 or 6 years without problem.

Try RS Components for "auto transformers" at http://www.rsaustralia.com.

http://www.rsaustralia.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/searchBrowseAction.do?N=4294918419&name=SiteStandard&forwardingPage=browse&callingPage=/jsp/line/line.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@0584822527.1167733283@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddjkgdljdicefeceeldgkidhgn.0&cacheID=auie&Nr=avl:au

The longer link may not work.

The Kitchen-aid may be the problem, since it could draw more than the maximum 500-600W that these kinds of transformers support. Also, the transformers are pretty heavy up at the higher power ranges.

Would it be better to buy a cheap kitchen mixer/coffee machine in Australia and discard/re-sell when you leave. Also, if you're renting a place for a year, it may already come with a range of kitchen equipment. Last year I ended buying a coffee-machine for US$25 in Sweden because the appartment I was renting for a few weeks did not have one. It was cheap, not great quality, but it did the job, and I left it behind.

Have a good trip.

Aidan

I have a transformer (100W) for a CD player I bought in the US http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/test_new/catalog.cgi?view_product=1&id=4724&sid=16&cid=144&scid=8654. Has worked for 5 or 6 years without problem.

Try RS Components for "auto transformers" at http://www.rsaustralia.com.

http://www.rsaustralia.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/searchBrowseAction.do?N=4294918419&name=SiteStandard&forwardingPage=browse&callingPage=/jsp/line/line.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@0584822527.1167733283@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddjkgdljdicefeceeldgkidhgn.0&cacheID=auie&Nr=avl:au

The longer link may not work.

The Kitchen-aid may be the problem, since it could draw more than the maximum 500-600W that these kinds of transformers support. Also, the transformers are pretty heavy up at the higher power ranges.

Would it be better to buy a cheap kitchen mixer/coffee machine in Australia and discard/re-sell when you leave. Also, if you're renting a place for a year, it may already come with a range of kitchen equipment. Last year I ended buying a coffee-machine for US$25 in Sweden because the appartment I was renting for a few weeks did not have one. It was cheap, not great quality, but it did the job, and I left it behind.

Have a good trip.

Aidan

Thanks for the links. We are actually moving permanently/indefinitely and not temporarily.

I'm not sure what the difference is between a converter and a transformer, but the small size of it is exactly why I would even consider it as an option. If my only option is the transformer in your link it is way too bulky for me to hassle with it.

So the upshot is that as long the conerter/transformer I choose handles thre wattage of my appliance I should be OK? Also on the provise that since a mixer has a motor that motor will turn slower due to the 60-50Hz step down?


Generally a small converter is solidstate (with electronics) while the
transformer is just a simple transformer.

If the motor is AC motor, you may have an issue with the 50hz-60hz, but
not significant. (based on my past experience)

Unless you have a lot of appliances, I think you are better off buying them
locally.

Actually, most clocks that plug into the mains do use the 50 or 60Hz as a timebase. Motorized analog clocks use a synchronous motor that's keyed to the powerline frequency.

Digital clocks also typically use the powerline as a timebase if they plug in. It's both cheaper and more accurate than using a crystal timebase. It takes some simple analog circuitry to drop the 120v to around 5v. The 60Hz is fed into a divide-by-60 counter to get the 1 second count. The powerline frequency is highly stable (at least in Western nations) and provides an excellent timebase.

Well I'm sure you are right on the AC clocks, although most that I've seen (which, admittedly, is just a few and only in the USA) use a very generic mechanism that is not frequency driven off the AC.

Regarding digital, some RTC chips do have an input that will accept a sample from the main power supply, but also most modern microcontrollers incorporate RTC functions and often have built in oscillators (fine for low accuracy) or built in crystale, or drive off an external crystal. In the appliances I've seen, its rare that the AC frequency is used as the timer. I do embedded digital design so maybe in the world of chinese import stuff they cut that corner, but I haven't seen it myself.

I can say I've never personally had any appliance with a clock not work when I was traveling overseas. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's certainly not common in my experience of the last 20 years of bouncing to-and-fro from the US to EU. Maybe its older stuff? Most of the RTC stuff these days seems to be Maxim and I think most of their RTC stuff has built in crystals now so it's just a serial out - although all the Atmel chips we use have RTC's built in too. Must be the cheap chinese stuff? :D

A KitchenAid stand mixer is guranteed to take more than the capacity of the 200W converter. The smallest KitchenAid I've seen is 275 watts and most are more than that.

A KitchenAid stand mixer is guranteed to take more than the capacity of the 200W converter. The smallest KitchenAid I've seen is 275 watts and most are more than that.

I wonder if those motors ever actually use that much power. The advertised wattage might be just a "rating" for comparison purposes w.r.t. performance with heavy dough.

I wonder if those motors ever actually use that much power. The advertised wattage might be just a "rating" for comparison purposes w.r.t. performance with heavy dough.

either way.. you dont want risk it... if its capable of taking upto 275w or higher..
you better be ready to supply that much power.. or risk frying something..