Surge protection & universal adapter/USB charger

Spanky

I'll be India for 2 wks in December + Hong Kong and Singapore each for a few days. Trying to figure out what to bring as far as adapters, surge protection, etc.

I'll be bringing four multi-voltage devices, all designed for use in the US:
1) digital camera battery charger (must plug in to wall)
2) portable storage device for storing digital pics (USB compatible)
3) cell phone (USB compatible)
4) ipod (USB compatible)

Of course I need plug adapters, but do any of these devices need surge protection in India?

If surge protection were not needed, it appears the below device would cover all plug adapter needs (though it does not state which countries are compatible), AND would eliminate the need for bringing separate chargers for 2, 3 and 4 above.

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/p.../3330/126.html

Thoughts? Thanks!

brownboy66

anything with its own power pack/ transformer should be ok (that will offer some protection for the device against surges). I'm presuming most of your devices will come with step down transformers since hand held devices only require a small amount of charge to recharge.

Most transformers are capable of handling some shifts in voltage (and of course the adjustable transformers are specifically designed to do so). What you could do is get an adapter and say a 4 socket multi plug power board (don't know if I've used the right term - you know - one of those plastic boards you plug multiple device into). We have them all around our house here. Means we only need one adapter for the wall socket - and the boards have a trip fuse if the voltage gets too much.

jyotirmoy

A surge protecting device like MOV(class D)should be used to protect sensitive electronic equipments. Juntion boxes are available with surge protection element and fuse. These are recommended.
Please note that in India the mains voltage is 230 Volts 50 Hz where as in US it is 110 Volts 60 Hz. So you will need a stepdown transformer which you can buy in India if you want.

brownboy66

forgot to add - if you look at the power packs that come with your devices (phone, camera, etc) it should tell you both the input and output range for the charge. Might say something like 110-240 volt input (at 50-60hz), 3v output @800ma. So that means you can plug directly into a socket here in India as the power pack already does the step down. If it doesn't - you need a separate step down. Also - if the devices come with a transformer/ power pack that should protect your devices against phase problems. One of the reasons you use a pure sine wave generator with sensitive equipment is that some delicate electronics need a smooth change between the in/out phase (for want of a better term) with alternating current - i.e the current changes direction smoothly. With some power supplies - the change can be "chunky" (in effect a square sine wave) - and this can damage some electronics.

Spanky

Hi guys, all of these devices are rated for input of 100-240V and 50-60Hz, so no need for transformers, converters, step down, etc.

My question is specifically with regard to need for surge/spike protection in India for cell phone, ipod, camera battery charger, portable HD.

I found another product that appears to be the ideal solution:
http://us.kensington.com/html/7207.html

This product allows you to charge via AC or USB, and includes plug adatpers for 150+ countries, including India. For USB compatible devices, this means you can leave the individual chargers at home (though you'd only be able to charge one USB device at a time).

It also has a built in fuse, so maybe that provides sufficient surge protection?

Alohaguy

Wall mart sells a step down transformer plus whole bunch of plugs for different countries for $19.95.

Spanky

The Kensington product is only $10 more and allows you to leave behind the individual chargers for USB-compatible devices. IOW, don't need to bring charger for cell phone, for ipod, etc. It's also all plug adaptors + charger in one unit.

Also, as I mentioned, I don't need a transformer.

Alohaguy

You found a better product Spanky!

brownboy66

most devices with variable voltage chargers should be just fine with surges/ spikes since they are designed to handle different voltages anyway - just not all at once! Keep an eye on it though - if it runs super hot then its having a hard time dealing with the input - just unplug and let it cool down - shouldn't be any permanent damage.

very nice. Good idea - certainly cuts down on the packing! what would be more ideal is something similar with a trip fuse. If you're in an area where the power supply fluctuates wildly - you could go through fuses fairly quickly (are you able to get replacement fuses for this adapter here)? If its a trip fuse - just reset it.

happy travels.

Spanky

Funny that you ask about the fuse. The Kensington product does have a built in fuse, but it is not a trip fuse. It does come one with one spare, but I just read some user reviews of this product and some users had problems with fuses blowing. Others had some different problems. Sounds like it's a good concept but not so well executed.

I think I will stick to basic plug adaptors for India.