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Thread ID: 55028 2005-03-01 00:44:00 Worldwide voltage. Nomad (952) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
329213 2005-03-01 00:44:00 Just a v quick question. When an appliance says 110/220V is this international? I assume 220V is NZ and most countries and 110V is N America, Japan, Korea? I can forget Hz right?

Thanks in advance.
Nomad (952)
329214 2005-03-01 01:11:00 Roughly, yes. ;)

NZ is 230v RMS. Australia and the UK are 240VAC. Both (I think) are changing to 230V --- the UK for conformity to Europe. But the effect will ne unnoticeable ... the tolerances mean that they can stay the same, and meet the standard.

I'd be a bit dubious about the longterm reliability of 220V appliances with transformer "linear" power supplies, but almost all electronics stuff uses switchmode for internal supplies.

Similarly with the US "world". The 110 V RMS can be 115 or even (rarely) 120
which is a centretapped 220/230/240. A stove or airconditioner can use the full voltage to keep the current managable. US stuff with "minimum iron" transformers designed for 110V 60Hz often died young in NZ when run on a setpdown transformer at 50Hz.

The figures I remember for a computer supply rated at 110/220 V say it should handle between 85V and 260 without complaint. That's assuming that any input selector switch is in the right position.
Graham L (2)
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