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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: jlykos on January 07, 2010, 06:46:03 PM
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I will be moving overseas for a while within the next few months and am wondering if any of you can recommend a power system that will allow me to convert a 120 volt / 60 hz cycle to a 220 volt / 50 hz cycle. I can find voltage converters without too much trouble, but I am kind of lost with the cycle converters. The cheapest one that I found is $2,000 and is targeted toward scientific applications. That is much more than I want to pay.
I would be using this for an amplifier, DVD player, and a DAT deck so getting the proper cycle rate is important. Peak use would be around 1,000 watts.
Any help is appreciated!
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I looked into this a while back and found the same things that you did, no problem on converting voltage, but the cycles are a big PITA.
I would think the DVD player/DAT deck might be the bigger challenges since cycle time is used for motor timing in those types of devices, Amp might not be that big of a deal to run on 50cycles, but I could be wrong there.
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Just brainstorming.
When I went to Europe, I discovered the value of wallwarts since they'll accept a large swing of possibilities as long as I had a pin adaptor. So thinking that there is still gear out there that doesn't have that sort of external DC converter. What happens if you go the opposite way? Bring a series of tekkeon batteries and a DC>AC converter. Then just charge the tekkeons as needed? Not pretty, but if you only need a couple of outlets worth, it might be cheaper.
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Just brainstorming.
When I went to Europe, I discovered the value of wallwarts since they'll accept a large swing of possibilities as long as I had a pin adaptor. So thinking that there is still gear out there that doesn't have that sort of external DC converter. What happens if you go the opposite way? Bring a series of tekkeon batteries and a DC>AC converter. Then just charge the tekkeons as needed? Not pretty, but if you only need a couple of outlets worth, it might be cheaper.
That may work for a TV set or something but I would be deathly afraid to use it on a power amp with a peak voltage of 800 volts. The power amp is the major thing that I am worried about. It may just be cheaper to get a foreign power amp or something from France, but even that would cost me in excess of $1000.
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I was looking at going the other wy bringing 110 volts gear into Australia's 240 volt system. While searching for info I came across this (but it may not answer your question)
http://www.allegrosound.com/index22.html
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I was looking at going the other wy bringing 110 volts gear into Australia's 240 volt system. While searching for info I came across this (but it may not answer your question)
http://www.allegrosound.com/index22.html
Per that Site, you may still have trouble with your DAT deck/DVD player because of the following:
* Mains Frequency of 50Hz & 60Hz are interchangeable.
i.e., equipment marked "60Hz" can be operated at 50Hz
(turntables and tape decks with hysteresis-synchronous
motors that lock to the line-frequency be an exception).
Difference be Frequency of the AC, not the equipment.
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Digital audio devices NEVER synch to the AC line frequency--they have internal clocks that are far more precise, or else are operated synchronously with other equipment that has an internal clock.
The real risk with 50 Hz AC (once it's been stepped down by a transformer to the proper voltage) is the greater amount of heat buildup in the power transformer of your equipment. Some transformers are spec'ed to handle it while others are more marginal.
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The real risk with 50 Hz AC (once it's been stepped down by a transformer to the proper voltage) is the greater amount of heat buildup in the power transformer of your equipment. Some transformers are spec'ed to handle it while others are more marginal.
That is exactly what I am worried about. My amp gets warm already from just playing music around here. I can't imagine how it will get in Mali with an unstable power supply. I may try to call up the manufacturer (Cambridge Audio) and see what they have to say.