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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: tarafiddle on August 02, 2008, 06:45:58 PM
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Hi,
I just bought a Sony PCM D50 in the States while I was visiting last week.
Just a quick question. It comes with a 6v AC power adaptor 110v (USA) and I was wondering if it would work with a 6v AC adaptor 240v (UK / Europe) that came with my old Sony mini-disc recorder?
Usually portable electronics use 110-240v AC adaptors and it mentioned in the manual AC (for USA only).
I'm afraid to try in case it blows up!!
Help!?
Apologies if this is covered in another thread. I've been searching and searching but couldn't find anything! Sorry!
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I believe there is a separate power adapter for Europe. You can buy an inexpensive adapter for using US devices in Europe. It's just a small plug that goes onto the end of the AC adapter and converts it to 110V.
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Thanks for that. I'm always kind of weary using transformers, they tend not to make equipment work 100% so I'm just worried about damaging the unit.
Like the Norweigan asked (I'm in Ireland, but going to Norway in a few weeks!), would a generic 6v AC adaptor work? It has the same yellow pin and is from a Sony minidisc unit...
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US consumer electronics are made to run on 110V AC. Even if you have a European AC adapter that would fit the D50 it would likely fry the unit if you tried pugging it in without a transformer to reduce the EU voltage. I would not be willing to risk it myself. EU electronics are supposed to run on 220V AFAIK. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I've only visited overseas a couple times and used an adapter when I did to run my stuff.
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hm... food for thought!
I had a bit of a route around and found the model no. of the Ac adaptor - sony AC-ES608K3. Found a site that sells them in the UK - http://musical-instruments.pricegrabber.co.uk/recording-accessories/m/72270076/ Quite expensive, just for the AC adaptor! (but if needs must!)
But when I did a little more searching, I found the sony AC-ES608K3 is also used for other Sony products - minidiscs.
I had a look at the Sony specs for the PCM D50 and it only says power required is 6v, it didn't mention it had to be either 110v or 220v...
Now I'm more confused!?
Maybe I should just try it?? Although if it fries, I'd be awfully disappointed and it would be quite an expensive experiment!! :-\
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Now I'm more confused!?
Maybe I should just try it?? Although if it fries, I'd be awfully disappointed and it would be quite an expensive experiment!! :-\
One of my friends did this experiment in France and fried the CD walkman I sent as a gift from Japan. He told me that at first it seemed to work. Then he started smelling smoke..... :'( :'( :'(
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ok... :o Maybe I'll just purchase the EU adaptor for it!! It'll cost around 60euro... (almost $100) but sure, it would be worth it in the long run!
Thanks a million.
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AFAIK it's a given that a device made for the US uses 110V. Even if it can take an adapter from another device the D50 is too nice of a unit to fry because you wanted to save some money by not buying the right adapter. I don't understand how a converter plug will not work correctly. It's the same thing we Americans use when we go overseas. You can get an assortment pack for different countries for $20 or so. Get one of those and you should be fine.
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There are two types of adapters. One is simple and just allows the different connectors to be connected, passing along whatever is coming out of the wall socket. The other has that connector capability plus a transformer. Also, Europe is not only not 110v, it also runs at 50Hz or something like that (USA is 60Hz), both facts can cause problems. In some hotels in Europe, there are special plugs with 110v and/or an American connector in the bathrooms (often "for electric razors"), but you can't count on it. Also, most consumer electronics these days can actually handle anything between 110-220v and 50-60Hz. This is usually confirmed by reading the specs on your cord/wallwart thingy. If that is the case, theoretically you can just use a simple straight-through adapter, if not you need the transformer or you'll probably "fry it."
I'm sure someone else around here knows more, but there's some info to chew on for a while, heh...
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Buy a Stepdown Transfomator 8 - 14 Watt from 220/230 to 110 Volts and use the SONY 110 Adaptor with the D-50...
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According to the Sony web site (http://www.sony.co.uk/biz/view/ShowProduct.action?product=PCM-D50&site=biz_en_GB&pageType=TechnicalSpecs&imageType=Main&category=Mixers), the D50 requires 6v DC. That means you can just buy a cheap AC/DC (http://www.acdc.com/) converter that converts your 220v to 240v European AC to 6v DC. Just make sure it really puts out 6v and that the polarity matches the polarity on the D50's power jack (should be printed somewhere on the D50). Since DC is not an alternating signal, you won't have problems with 50/60Hz as mentioned earlier.
I did the same with my old M1 DAT recorder. I've bought it from the U.S. and just bought a cheap AC/DC converter here in Germany. It always worked perfectly.