Filed under: Accessories, Hardware
Worldwide Mac: the dos and don'ts of international electricity
Whether you're moving to another country or just visiting, chances are pretty good you're going to be bringing a lot of electronics with you. Chances are also pretty good that whatever country you're going to is going to have an electrical system with a different voltage or frequency than your home country, and probably differently-shaped outlets, too.When traveling abroad, this vast array of voltages, frequencies, and plug types can be confusing, and whether you're packing a $200 iPod nano or a $2000 MacBook Pro, it can lead to a great deal of trepidation as well. The traveling geek's worst nightmare goes like this: you plug your very expensive, potentially irreplaceable electronics into some weird Romanian outlet, and suddenly sparks start flying. You try to unplug your precious device as quickly as you can, but the damage is done -- with a whiff of ozone, hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of equipment has just become a glorified brick.
Happily, most modern electronics shouldn't experience this issue, and that includes all recent Macs and iPod/iPhone power adapters. Here are a few dos and don'ts when it comes to international electricity.
Do:
-- check the voltage, frequency, and plug type of the country you're visiting before you leave. This one is really a no-brainer; you don't want to go on a three-month backpacking trip across Europe with U.S. plugs on all your power adapters.
-- check your power adapter for its acceptable range of voltages and frequencies. In recent years, most higher-end electronic devices, including Macs, have come with "universal" power bricks that work in a voltage range between 100 - 240 Volts and a frequency range from 50 - 60 Hz. The power adapter for your device should have this information listed on it somewhere; on Apple adapters, it's usually on the "bottom" of the power brick, opposite the corner with the plug adapter. Apple's desktop models and peripherals like the Time Capsule have universal voltage as well, and those details should be printed on the exterior of the enclosure.
-- shop for plug adapters before you travel. You're going to save a lot of money and frustration if you shop around online from home. I don't know about the rest of the world, but I've seen stores here in New Zealand that charge anywhere from NZ$10 to $20 for a single plug adapter. In the U.S., you can buy an international travel kit from somewhere like Target for cheaper, but you can still do better than that; when I moved to New Zealand, I bought 15 universal-to-NZ plug adapters for about US$30 from dvdoverseas.com. I've been using them for about a year without any issues.
-- remember that "plug adapter" is not equal to "voltage converter". A plug adapter merely lets you plug your differently-shaped U.S. plug into a U.K. outlet, or what have you; it doesn't modulate the electrical input at all. For that, you'd need a voltage converter, a transformer in a box that will step down (or up) the voltage and frequency as necessary before it gets to your device.
Plug adapter - lets you insert tab A into slot B, and that's it
-- buy a voltage converter if your device's power adapter isn't universal voltage. If you have a device that only works with 110 Volts and 60 Hz, even if you've got a plug adapter that lets you plug your U.S. device into an outlet in Australia, the instant you do, it's ozone city. Unless your device's power adapter says "100 - 240 V, 50 - 60 Hz" somewhere on it, you need a voltage converter. All recently released desktop Macs, peripherals like the Time Capsule or Apple TV, and notebook or iPod power adapters should be universal voltage, as are many camera battery chargers. As far as game consoles go, the PlayStation 3's built-in power supply is universal voltage, but the XBox 360, the DS, and the Wii's power adapters are all specifically geared to the voltage and frequency of the country where they were purchased, so you will need a voltage converter for them. You can buy country-specific power adapters for those devices, but the expense adds up quickly; if you have multiple devices, it may be cheaper to simply buy a single voltage converter for all of them.
Voltage converter - for devices too big, dumb, or old to convert it themselves
Don't:
-- buy the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit if you need multiple plug adapters for just one country. At US$39 each, this is about the most uneconomical way to get adapters for your electronics, plus it only works with Apple's power adapters. Apple's adapter kit is great if you have just one device that you're taking to many countries, but if you have two Macs, two iPod power adapters, and a couple camera chargers, it's not the best option.
-- forget about wattage if you need to buy a voltage converter. If your device isn't universal voltage, a 100 Watt converter will do the job fine for most smaller devices if you only have one device to plug in, but if you have multiple devices, you'll need higher wattage. A guide I've always followed is to add together the wattage of all the electronics I'll need to plug into the converter and multiply it by 2 to account for power spikes (unless you're using a CRT television/monitor or anything with a big electric motor in it - then multiply by 4 or 5).
-- buy power adapters from travel shops. The price markup is insane.
Bottom line: Apple's products should work on just about any electrical system you encounter anywhere in the world, and the only additional purchase you'll need to make is a plug adapter. Other devices like camera chargers and game systems vary by manufacturer; always check the info on the power brick before you plug it in overseas.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sockatume said 9:15AM on 7-20-2009
A cheap alternative for Macbooks is to find a figure-of-eight cable for the region you're in. It'll plug right into the connector for the mains plug on the charger. It gives you a longer cable and it's tidier than having a travel plug and a mains plug on the end of the charger.
Reply
sk8rpro said 9:39AM on 7-20-2009
Here's another "don't" to add to the list - even though your Mac is dual voltage 100 ~240 Volts, DON'T use it for long term use! I found that the hard way. For the first two months, my adapter was working well, or so it seemed. What I didn't know is that the computer was slowly dying.
So kids, avoid using the adapter, even if it's dual voltage. Fork over the extra cash for the converter - your data is worth every penny.
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antiorario said 9:51AM on 7-20-2009
Any scientific evidence that your computer wasn't dying regardless of the power adapter? Because universal adapters are the same here and there, it really makes no difference what market they were originally meant for.
Ed said 9:53AM on 7-20-2009
Huh? I've been using my US-bought MBP in France for 7+ months and have had no issues. Or is "long-term use" a value > 7 months?
Aaron said 10:00AM on 7-20-2009
I have to respectfully disagree with you. I have a MacBook Pro that I purchased in Hong Kong (220V 50Hz) that continues to work well in the US (110V 60Hz). I also purchased a Mac Mini in the US that continues to work well in the Philippines (220V 60Hz).
It sounds to me like you got a bad power supply. The switching power supplies in current Apple products aren't affected by different voltage or frequency like older, non-switching power supplies.
Jbrown510 said 10:03AM on 7-20-2009
Huh? Could you explain that a little more because that makes absolutely no sense. Apple's power brick is the same worldwide, and useing it with a plug adaptor is the prefered method. You should Never use a converter unless you have to. If you do, using one long term is a questionable unless the converter is exeptionally high quality.
One thing not mentioned in the piece is that power abroad is often not regulated as well as at home. While living in Lhasa, Tibet i discovered the wonders of having a voltage regulator. It is not something you could travel with, a small one wieghs as much as a couple masonary bricks. They are way more effective than a surge surpressor and deal with longer term under/over voltage not just spikes and surges.
Mr. Ed said 10:05AM on 7-20-2009
This seems like misinformation.
Your computer could have been "dying" for other reasons (in addition to being faulty by itself): bad/dirty mains power; lightning damage.
So perhaps another thing to add to the list of Do's: surge protector (just like at home voltage). Hmm. probably would want to get the surge protector in the local voltage/frequency.
OJ said 4:03PM on 7-20-2009
Stupid thing to say.
My 5 year old Mac Mini is working as good as ever with a US power brick in the UK. All I had to do was buy a new kettle cable for it to have a decent UK plug on it.
Your laptop might have been killed due to power surges, but due to a poor power grid in whichever country you are using it. Ideally you should always use a surge protected socket for any high end electronics, especially if you live in the countryside where there are lots of overhead powercables susceptible to lightning.
Joshua Ochs said 10:14AM on 7-20-2009
Don't forget about USB charging. Once you take care of your computer, you can charge most any small electronic device (iPod, phone, video games) off the USB ports.
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boioglu said 10:39AM on 7-20-2009
Actually the "weird Romanian outlet" is the standard European 220V outlet. Nothing weird about it :)
I've been using my Unibody 15" MBP for over 45 days in Romania now and it still works. I only had to buy one of those 60 cents plug adapters. I know it may be hard to believe, but all MacBook Pros power bars can be used with either 110 or 220V.
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avior said 7:54AM on 7-21-2009
Several years ago I was in Romania with my iBook, absolutely no problem with voltage outlet even better than italian one... And the iBook still work fine...
onerios said 10:53AM on 7-20-2009
For travellers, a good tip is that the USB port on an airport express can charge devices like iPhones and iPods. If you are not travelling with a full laptop then you only need to take an airport express and your USB charging cable for your device. It should work with a USB hub also so you can charge more than one item at once.
For those travelling with more devices (or living) overseas. Buy one adapter for the destination country and take your normal multi outlet power strip and nomal power cables. This minimizes your expense to one adapter as long as all your devices have universal power adapters.
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alansky said 11:31AM on 7-20-2009
jbrown510's point is well-taken. Power fluctuations are a daily fact of life in some Asian countries. Power outages, which can result in nasty power spikes, are also a common occurrence. In India, for example, I generally connect my laptop to power just long enough to charge it, then run on battery until it needs charging again. A big, bulky voltage regulator is definitely the way to go for a long-term stay in one location.
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iMeow said 11:47AM on 7-20-2009
I am not 100% certain how all of this electronic stuff works but can't you just buy a surge protector? They are a lot smaller and are often built into power strips and multi-plug connectors.
jb510 said 12:55PM on 7-20-2009
iMeow - Not exactly sure what your suggesting. Outside the US I have seen power strips that can receive multiple types of plugs, thereby acting at a plug adapter. This are handy if you know you'll need to plug several things into one wall outlet, but most people object to carrying a powerstrip while traveling if they are moving around a lot.
However please realize that a power strip may or may NOT include surge/spike protection. Many do NOT, especially the cheapies you buy from local electronics markets overseas. Further the surge protectors built into power strips are nearly always MOV's (Metal Oxide Varistor) which WILL burn out over time.. how long depends on their quality/capactity and how bad the power you hook them up to is. Many years is average, but one good spike could kill them instantly. Better to kill them then your power supply or your electronics.
My point was that surge suppression (power strip) and voltage regulation are actually very different things as are power strips and surge protecting power strips.
In "1st world" countries the voltage is well regulated enough that having voltage regulation at the outlet is rarely necessary. If you see lights dimming regularly however that is not true.
One option I've never used but have considered is that you can buy single plug MOV's from places like radio shack, they would be advisable as a minimal line of defense in many parts of the world. For example I have a 3 outlet adapter with built in surge protection (it's not much protection, but it's something).
In my travels in Asia I only friend on power adapter. Unfortunately it was in Laos plugging directly into the wall outlet at an internet cafe... It sparked when I plugged it in. Anyway, I say "unfortunately it was in Laos" because I couldn't get a replacement anywhere in the country. I finally got one until a week later when I was in Bangkok from Acer's huge shiny new service center there.
GreatWazzoo said 11:46AM on 7-20-2009
After working almost 10 years overseas the best outlet adapter I ever had
was the wonpro iec320 adapter
http://www.europlugs.com/Wonpro_catalog/WA_Plug_Adapters_Ivory.htm#WA-320-ivory
No matter what country you go to, you can usually find an IEC-320(computer cable) for the local outlets, and this adapter converts it to whatever your outlet type is, and another plus is that it creates a little extension cord for you.
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Aaron Davies said 1:22PM on 7-20-2009
Some notes:
Frequency conversion should (almost) never be an issue with computer gear. This is a good thing, as turning 50 Hz into 60 Hz basically involves strapping a motor to a generator, which is a) expensive, b) bulky, and c) inefficient. The only place it tends to show up is things that use AC frequency directly for timing--"electric" clocks that don't have a quartz crystal, record players, etc.
If you have old gear, be extra careful. I forgot to flip the selector on my G3 minitower before plugging it in and there went the magic smoke, together with $100 for a new power supply and a couple hours of my time (and ounces of skin) spent rooting around in the thing's guts.
Hi wattage is proportionally expensive. If you think you need a 1 kW converter, consider whether you really need what you're plugging into it.
110 outlets are often available out in 220 land in the form of "shaver only" bathroom outlets, which are often even capable of taking an American two-prong plug directly. (I have no idea how much current they can push or how sensitive their breakers usually are.)
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phutterman said 2:46PM on 7-20-2009
@onerios I wouldn't be so hasty to recommend that -- many power strips and/or surge protectors sold e.g., in the US, where the power is 110/120, that's all they're rated for. Plug adapting one to the voltage in another country and running several devices' wattages at 220v through a strip rated for 120v seems less than ideal.
I'm living in Uganda, where power's 220 (and not very consistent, though I haven't shelled out for a regulator yet, but really should) but plugs vary a good bit, tending mainly toward British in household wiring, but electronics with others are common, so surge protectors (rated for 220) that have those universal sockets, like one pictured in the article, that take British, US, European, etc, are widely available, and I got a decent one for about $10 that makes me feel better than nothing, and gives me a few more plugs.
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sodapop said 3:23PM on 7-20-2009
LOL - OK go back and read this story with the voice of the Burn Notice narrator!
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Michael Rose said 11:01PM on 7-20-2009
ROFL. You are so correct!