6.11.2009

European Converters...

For those traveling to Spain, you will have to get European converters for the trip. You can get them on eBay, Radio Shack, Wal-Mart and probably any electronics store.

Here is an article of interest:
http://goeurope.about.com/cs/electricity/l/bl_electricity.htm
A few highlighted points from the above web article:
  • Take stock of what appliances need power converters. Most modern laptops will automatically sense voltage changes and adapt; you may only need a plug adapter--check your owner's manual. Shavers, and any small, electrically frugal items may still need a voltage converter (sometimes called a transformer). These are readily available as well. Hair dryers are a special case, as their power requirements are enormous. If you wish to be a good neighbor to the Europeans, consider leaving the contraption at home. If you can't, make sure you buy a heavy duty converter that will handle as much as 2000 watts (2 kilowatts).
  • Remember that if you're taking a recharger for your digital camera batteries, it'll probably need at least a plug converter.
  • Before you say, "Cool. I'm off and running!" I need to warn you of something: what's coming out of that socket is a whopping 220 volts at 50 cycles, twice the voltage of American power systems. It may be way too much for your appliance. Remember: an adapter plug doesn't convert the voltage, it just converts the hardware (see the definitions below).
A few highlighted points from the above web article...
  • Electricity supply is 220 volts throughout Spain with 2 pin wall sockets. For any European countries that utilise 240 volts e.g. UK and Ireland most electrical equipment will function adequately.
  • If you intend to use the UK electrical plugs then you will need an electricity plug adapter that will convert the standard 3 pin socket into a two pin socket. In the US where the electricity supply is 110 volts a transformer would be required to step down the voltage to 110 volts. Damage to the electrical appliance can occur if you attempt to use a 110 volt rated electrical appliance with a 220 volt supply.

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