mathur@alberta.UUCP (Ambrish Mathur) (02/10/88)
I am looking into the feasibility/advisability of carrying a mac+ with me for use in India. The power supply there is 220V/50Hz (Also true for several other countries in Europe and elsewhere). Is there any off-the-shelf adapter/transformer available here in North America which I could use safely. I would appreciate e-mail responses from people who might have done this, indicating the cost involved and their experiences. I would also like to be advised on what spare components to carry for general maintenance (over a long period). I am not a usual reader of this newsgroup and would appreciate e-mail responses. Thanks in advance. --Ambrish Mathur mathur@alberta.uucp
luigi@homer.Berkeley.EDU (Luigi Semenzato) (02/26/88)
I have brought several Macs to Italy and never had any problem. Italy has a 220V/50Hz system, just like India. I used a simple iron-core transformer from 220 to 110, and connected both Mac and printer to it. I was a little paranoid about power -- the transformer I bought would handle a max. power output of 3000W, and it cost about $50. The models I brought were: a 128K, a 512E and an SE. Printers: both Imagewriter I and II. The best thing is the SE: no power transformer is needed, just get a plug adaptor and plug it in. Its power supply senses the voltage and adjusts itself to it automatically (if you look in the back, it even says 110-220V 50-60Hz in the power requirements). I have never tried the solid-state transformers. They are much smaller and lighter, but their output can potentially be a lot dirtier, if not properly filtered. Luigi Semenzato
pgn@usceast.UUCP (Paul Nevai) (02/27/88)
I used a solid state transformer for my Mac in Hungary a couple of years ago. The Mac blew up. I had to take it to Vienna for a powerboard swap. I've paid 250 bucks for it (that was hwen the dollar was still strong). What I got was an international power board good for both 110 and 220 volts. The funny thing is that back in the states all APPLE guys I contacted denied the existence of such an international board. Obviously they didn't want people buy up Macs here and get them fixed in Europe, i.e. they didn't want to loose BIG BUCKS. Anyway, my board is a regualr APPLE international powerboard. As far as 50/60Hz goes, both my Mac and Imagewriter worked OK, despite the warning by my US Apple dealers and other Apple people that the Imagewriter doesn't work properly with 50Hz. It does, of course.
borton@net1.ucsd.edu (Chris Borton) (03/02/88)
I brought my 128K->512K->2M Mac to Germany last year with my ImageWriter I and Apple HD20; all worked on a 250W transformer with no problems whatsoever. Technically the HD20 didn't need the transformer--it takes 70-270V, but I wasn't about to tamper with a working system. The ImageWriter I had no complaints--according to official Apple specs, it is the IW II that is cycle-dependent. Has anyone verified this? The reason I question this is that under the same listing of cycle-dependent was the LaserWriter, and the institute where I worked had a U.S. LW (later upgraded to a Plus) running off a transformer, no cycle conversion, without a hitch. Ignorance is bliss, I guess... On the Int'l vs. U.S. analog boards: yes indeed, there are two. I learned the hard way. Int'l is manufactured in Ireland, source of all the European Macs, and has one jumper (W12 if I remember correctly--it's labelled 120/220V) that decides what voltage. BEWARE--the U.S. analog board has the same jumper, in the same place, with a DIFFERENT function!!! Like I said, I learned the hard way. That ambiguous point caused me much, much grief... Thank goodness Apple has set a new wonderful direction with the SE/II power supplies! Now if only they'd do that for my ImageWriter II... Any comments about the new LaserWriters? -cbb Chris "Johann" Borton, UC San Diego ...!sdcsvax!borton borton@ucsd.edu or BORTON@UCSD.BITNET Letztes Jahr in Deutschland, nog een jaar hier, en dan naar Amsterdam! "H = F cubed. Happiness = Food, Fun, & Friends." --Steve Wozniak