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US voltage

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maxd | 22:00 Mon 10th Jan 2005 | Travel
6 Answers

I know that if you take a hairdryer, etc. to the US it works on lower power because of the difference in voltage but do mobile phone chargers still work ok?  I'm taking a tri-band phone but I'm starting to wonder if I'll be able to charge it.  Are voltage convertors any good?

Thanks 

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Anything meant to be plugged into a British wall socket cannot be plugged into an American wall socket because of the pin configuration and the voltage difference.  A British phone charger still requires 220volts at 50Hz, like your British hairdryer.

I use a US two pin adapter and charge my mobile in the US.  The battery does not last as long as if I charged it at home, and when I get home it helps to drain the battery completely (let in run down then put it in the freezer overnight) and recharge completely
Here's what I know:
I am using a Sony Ericsson P800 and a Cingular charger ($13) that can charge my phone in both San Francisco and Hong kong. I also have a USB charger that came with different adapters for different phones (I got this in H.K. for $30 HKD or 3 pound?) But that of course will require you a computer. The hairdryer, forget about it. Seriously, because of its high Watts, few voltage power converter can handle it. I 've tried one which I bought in U.S. for my H.K blowdryer, both burned. (Note that was the ONLY converter I found that can handle 70 watts, I tried froogle, pricegrabber everything).
Your tri-band phone will be useful only with Cingular T-mobile, metro PCS, and AT&T which is now part of Cingular. (Cingular is the best AFTEr they bought AT&T).
eh. what else do I know... The Vidal Sassoon hairdryer I got from Walgreen (a retail store) is a two leg U.S. standard plug, but works all over world 100V to 240V. But most of the time you can't find that kind of plug in UK or anywhere else in Europe or Asia. Check the airport stores, they mgiht have solutions for that (I've seen one that claim to converter a US plug to any other types of plug for $10 on a Northwest Airline magazine)
I really don't know how helpful this response will be...
Have Fun in US
Oh one more important thing, if electronics are used UNDERVOLTAGE, that is under the required voltage, its life expectancy will decrease by... a lot. So don't do that.
The simple answer is yes. You will need an adaptor which you can buy in Tesco for about �3. I don't know whether it will do any long term damage, but it will charge.

Look at the phone charger unit.It will state the operating voltage. If it has 100-240 volt you are OK.You will only need a plug adaptor.My Nokia works fine in the USA.You cant use 240 volt equipment like hairdryers.

Bendtoy is correct.

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