Simple Electrical Engineering Question
Okay, an EE is probably overkill for this. Question: The battery charger for my new Canon S330 ELPH digital camera lists the rated input as 100-240V AC (50/60 Hz). Obviously I can use the battery recharger in America (110V AC/60 Hz) in any standard wall socket. I'm moving to India (220V AC/50 Hz). Can I just plug my battery charger into a wall socket in India? I thought I had to use an adapter or something. Thanks.
Comments
The charger will "autosense" the input (110/220V) automagically.
Electrical power is pretty ragged in India, but should be OK for going through a charger.
Based on the specs, and your responses, it looks like the only item in my inventory that doesn't have a switching power supply (I just learned that) is my Epson Stylus C80 printer. It's only 99-132v. I'm still checking on my iSub.
Now I just need to find a UPS with OS X compatible software.
[ 07-15-2002: Message edited by: gobble gobble ]</p>
<strong>Thanks. I'm planning on running a UPS (spikes/surges/brownouts/blackouts) to remedy the ragged power supply and I guess I'll hook the UPS into a stepdown converter (changing 220v to 110v) and then hook the converter into the wall socket.
Based on the specs, and your responses, it looks like the only item in my inventory that doesn't have a switching power supply (I just learned that) is my Epson Stylus C80 printer. It's only 99-132v. I'm still checking on my iSub.
Now I just need to find a UPS with OS X compatible software.
[ 07-15-2002: Message edited by: gobble gobble ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
1) Bad power:
An AC to DC converter works by using a transformer to bring the high AC voltage to the low AC voltage, and then it spits it through a series of diodes to get a DC voltage about equal to the RMS of the AC. There are generally pretty big capacitors inside the power supply to dampen the AC signal, which incidently also protect against spikes. There's no reason to UPS a battery charger anyway. A surge strip is sufficient.
2) Epson:
Go to Radio Shack, ask the guy behind the counter where there's a good electronics surplus store, go there, and they'll get you what you need. You have two options: transform AC input or get a new power supply that works in India for your epson. Or, if you were me, you'd buy parts and make the Power supply, but you're not an EE.
I think that I must have screwed up on my terminology. The power in India is AC, not DC, so I don't need to switch back and forth between AC and DC. I just need to drop the line from 220v AC to 110v AC. I used the term 'stepdown converter', which I think (thought) is the same as a transformer. Aren't they the same? If not then I apologize. At a minimum thanks for helping me with the terminology.
[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: gobble gobble ]</p>
<strong>Splinemodel,
I think that I must have screwed up on my terminology. The power in India is AC, not DC, so I don't need to switch back and forth between AC and DC. I just need to drop the line from 220v AC to 110v AC. I used the term 'stepdown converter', which I think (thought) is the same as a transformer. Aren't they the same? If not then I apologize. At a minimum thanks for helping me with the terminology.
[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: gobble gobble ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, they can often be called "stepdown converters." But often they cost a lot. If your battery charger can accept 220VAC 50Hz, then way bother with a transformer? Unless it's for the epson.
But my main point was that there's no reason to use a UPS with a battery charger.