[comp.sys.laptops] Electric power converter

cchin@weber.ucsd.edu (Chet Chin) (06/29/90)

I'll be going home to Malaysia a week from Saturday for 10 weeks.  I plan to
bring along my laptop, printer, modem,, and external floppy disk drive, plus a
surge protector.  I knew all along that I would need to buy a 120v-->240v
step-up transformer/converter to use these equipment in Malaysia, which I
didn't think would be a problem.  However, I've just learned that the
transformers/converters commercially available are only good for short-term
use, e.g., a shaver that you only plug in and use for a few minutes, and the
maximum plug-in time is 20 minutes.  As such, these transformers/converters
would be useless for longer term use with my computer equipment.

Does anyone know where I can get a transformer/converter that can be used with
all the equipment mentioned above and that would allow me to use them safely
for long periods of time at a stretch (e.g., a few hours) without harming my
equipment?  

Thank you.

Chet Chin
UC San Diego

BVAUGHAN@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Barbara Vaughan) (06/29/90)

In article <2588@network.ucsd.edu>, cchin@weber.ucsd.edu (Chet Chin) writes:

>I'll be going home to Malaysia a week from Saturday for 10 weeks.  I plan to
>bring along my laptop, printer, modem,, and external floppy disk drive, plus a
>surge protector.  I knew all along that I would need to buy a 120v-->240v
>step-up transformer/converter to use these equipment in Malaysia, which I
>didn't think would be a problem.  However, I've just learned that the
>transformers/converters commercially available are only good for short-term
>use, e.g., a shaver that you only plug in and use for a few minutes, and the
>maximum plug-in time is 20 minutes...
>Does anyone know where I can get a transformer/converter that can be used with
>all the equipment mentioned above ...
When I was at a conference in Guangzhou, a colleague of mine from
Hawaii had an excellent converter, with multiple outlets for different
plug types and a built-in surge protector.  I had to redo some lengthy
analysis there and knew my battery wouldn't hold out long enough, so
I borrowed this converter and ran my laptop and Thinkjet printer off
it for about 8 hours.  I asked where she got it, and she couldn't
tell me as someone else had bought it for her, but she knew it had
been purchased in Hong Kong.  I would like to get one myself.

Barbara Vaughan