[comp.sys.mac] Was Can I take a Mac to Australia? Now France?

du4@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Ted Goldstein) (08/11/89)

In article <7303@microsoft.UUCP> stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart Burden) writes:
>In article <392@usage.csd.unsw.oz>
>rees@usage.csd.unsw.oz (Rees Griffiths) writes:
>>The voltage problem is a minor one.  A separate transformer
>>will do.  It may not be strictly legal, but there you go.
>
>The Mac has a switching Power Supply.  You do not need a transformer, Rees.
>

Well, I wasn't following this discussion, but my brother has decided to
up and move to France and has asked me to send him his Mac+ and find
out what he needs to run it. I was under the impression that only the
Mac SE and higher could run on 240V 50Hz with no modification. What is
needed to run the Mac+? Will a stepup transformer work? Does the frequency
difference matter? Can he buy a European power supply from Apple? And
now for the big one: what about his Lacie hard drive? 
   Any and all information about taking American Macs to Europe would
be greatly appreciated at this time. 

Ted Goldstein
Purdue University School of Technology
du4@mace.cc.purdue.edu

kent@lloyd.camex.uucp (Kent Borg) (08/14/89)

In article <2880@mace.cc.purdue.edu> du4@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Ted Goldstein) writes:
>difference matter? Can he buy a European power supply from Apple? And
>now for the big one: what about his Lacie hard drive? 

I don't know the whole answer, but I can tell you what I saw when I
opened my LaCie to change the SCSI address: Through the holes in the
cage which holds the power supply I saw what looked like a jumper to
set the input voltage.  I didn't actually rip it apart to be sure, and
won't until I am out of warantee, but it might be there.  

Anyone know for sure, or interested in tearing their LaCie power
supply apart?

Another point: There are at least two power supplies used in LaCie's.
On mine, the power plug goes directly into the power supply.  The plug
it at the top of the rear panel, and the power supply is a bit less
than an inch tall, and the width and depth of the drive case.  At
MacWorld, on the other hand, I noticed that the new drives have power
jacks in about the middle of the rear panel--but the power switch is
no longer "upside down".  I have no idea the internal geometry.

On the Plus power question, a step-down transformer will work just
fine.  They are heavy, so buy it there, in fact they are probably
easier to find there.

Kent Borg
kent@lloyd.uucp
or
...!husc6!lloyd!kent

sinteur@uvabick.UUCP (John Sinteur) (08/15/89)

On my LaCie drive (a Cirrus 138 Mb actually), it's amazingly easy to
change the voltage requirements from 110 V (what the US appears to be
sending through the wires) and 220 V (Dutch Homebrew vintage eh.. voltage)

Open the case, lift out the power supply, pop of it's cover, change one
jumper, that's it.

'refer to your manual' I'd say. In mine, it was clearly described...

Don't know about any other drives from them though...

-John Sinteur