international power conversion

[cellio]

Dear LazyWeb,

I am travelling to Israel and want to take some of my US electronics with me. I've found "international power converters" that claim to cover "just about everybody" but when they list countries/regions, Israel is never on the list. What kind of power do they use? What are the magic keywords that will let me not fry my laptop? As far as plugs are concerned, is "if it fits it's right" a safe approach, or dangerous?

Thanks.

Comments

[amergina.livejournal.com]

...I don't actually know what power they use, but a lot of newer laptop chargers work on both 110 and 240 power (well, they work on something like 100-250). It should say in itty bitty print on the charger.

ooh! look what I found!

http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

[cellio]

Thanks! I have established the existence of (faint) itty bitty print on my power brick, but even with the best magnifying glass I have, I can't read it. Sounds like it's time for some research. :-) (It's an iBook, so not new but not ancient either.)

[brokengoose.livejournal.com]

Check out http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

DO NOT assume "if it fits it's right". DO assume that most cheap power converters handle voltage but NOT frequency. Israel uses both a different voltage AND a different frequency. If you look at the fine print on your power brick, it'll tell you what voltages and frequencies it will accept. If you're really lucky, it'll work with just a plug converter. If you're kind-of lucky, it'll work with 50Hz, and you'll just have to deal with the voltage and plug difference. With many (most?) laptops, you're just screwed. You'll either need a new power brick or a really expensive power converter.

[brokengoose.livejournal.com]

A bit of googling also turned up

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

Nifty graphs and a better picture of the Type H plug and socket.

[cellio]

Thanks for the pointers. I hadn't thought to check frequency; I thought it was just a voltage problem. Bummer.

[goljerp]

Hmm... when I was in Israel in '97, my laptop (a powebook 5300) could handle international power (well, at least as well as the pb 5300 handled power at all), but I remember getting those internation power converters (and plug converters) for the stylewriter II printer and modem. I discovered first-hand that if you plug the stylewriter directly into the socket, all the white smoke will come out. Actually, it still worked after that, so I guess not all the white smoke got out.

[cellio]

Thanks.

Or maybe some of your white smoke decided that the world is big and scary and returned home?

[mbarr.livejournal.com]

A) Ibooks have universal power adapters. You can confirm that, but I've taken mine a few times over the last few years.

B) you just need socket adapter. not a converter, just the adapter.

That's the ibook. As for other stuff, depends on the gadget. Israel uses the 2 round pegs.

[cellio]

Thanks!