European power supply headed to US

BJ1111BJ1111
edited July 2005 in Hardware
Hi,

I'm currently in Belgium, and I bought my computer here. I'll return to the US in July. As they use 220 voltage here, I probably won't be able to use my computer in the US with its current power supply. Can I easily change it out when I get back to the US? Or is this necessary? Surely I don't have to sell my system here before leaving and buy a new one there...

Thoughts?

-BJ

Comments

  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2005
    Look at the back of the power supply and see if there is a 110V/220V switch. If so, you've got it made. The problem might be with your monitor, and possibly any external devices you might have.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    I have seen both PSUs and monitors marked 90V-240V, without a switch!
    On those you only need the correct cord.

    Hey, you wanted a new monitor anyway.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited May 2005
    edcentric wrote:
    I have seen both PSUs and monitors marked 90V-240V, without a switch!
    On those you only need the correct cord.

    Hey, you wanted a new monitor anyway.


    Those are usually switching power supplies.

    You'll need to buy a new monitor - I've not seen monitors with the switch. It would help if you could post the model of your monitor + psu, and then we may be able to give you a more precise answer.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited May 2005
    All monitors automatically switch when it detects the voltage. Check on the back, it should say 90-240v and 60-50Hz

    In fact my Mag Innovision 800V says 100-240v, 60-50Hz on the back, and I bought it back in Dec 2000.

    Example: last year our computer class was in a large room in a convetion center at a local hotel (this school travels to your location for groups of 15 or more - Aviation and Electronics School of America). We were running about 20 computers on a single 20 amp circuit and the fact that the building was wired incorrectly anyway. Well, since the breaker didn't trip, it instead fused two 120v lines together creating 240v, and then then the breaker tripped. We then went and reset the breaker. The next day we turn on the computers and a resistor or variactor in the power supply blows but the fuse didn't in 3 computers (hey, they were cheap IBM power supplies) and another person brought in a computer that was home built, the fuse in its power supply went after it kept running for about 3 minutes. The monitors however kept running as they detected 240v and switched.

    If you were curious, the instructor didn't know that the whole convention center's wall sockets was connected to only one breaker. If he knew this, he wouldn't have chose that hotel.
  • BJ1111BJ1111
    edited June 2005
    Ok, the monitor is an Acer AL1721 flatscreen. Its transformer says it'll take 100-240V, so I believe I only need a new cord. Sound right? Just to plug it in to the US wall socket. No switches on the transformer, so I assume it switches automatically.

    However, the power supply in the computer is only for 220V (read from the power supply itself) and there are no switches for 110V. How easy is it to swap out a power supply for a US 110V one once I hop across the pond?


    Thanks for the help,
    BJ
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Pretty easy. Is yours home built, or did you buy it from a big company like Acer or Dell? If yours is built by a computer manufacturer, you may have to get a special power supply from them. Dell is infamous for its power supplies with different pinouts than the standard arrangement.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Untill the mid-70's the Loop in downtown Chicago was powered by 200V (or 250V) DC. Any building that wanted AC had to run motor-generators. I knew people that did equipment demos that had portable toaster sized MG sets so that they could get 120V AC when they were in the city.

    Give us the name and model from your PSU, let's see if there is a US equivalent.
  • BJ1111BJ1111
    edited July 2005
    Give us the name and model from your PSU, let's see if there is a US equivalent.[/QUOTE]


    Sorry for the delay in replying, was out of town for a few weeks...

    My system was built by a manufacturer, Acer

    The power supply is:
    FSP Group Inc
    Model # FSP200-60ATV(PF)


    Thanks alot!
    BJ
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited July 2005
    Shouldn't be any problems. As long as it have a switch at the back (not the powerswitch), you are ok. YOU MUST switch to 110V (or if it says 115) before you start it up in the US.
  • BJ1111BJ1111
    edited July 2005
    No no no, it has no switch and must be swapped out with another model. That's what Edcentric was asking me about.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited July 2005
    BJ1111 wrote:
    ...it has no switch...
    I believe you, but just to (possibly) save you some money, the voltage selector switch is often recessed so you don't accidentally bump it. On the attached picture it is the thingamabob in red.
  • BJ1111BJ1111
    edited July 2005
    Well, there is a similar shape cut out of the metal just under the plug like in your picture above, but there is no switch there, just a metal plate (as if the maker of the power supply housing makes the hole on purpose for the switch but in this case no switch was put in). Also, the specs on the power supply itself shows: AC Input: 220-230V - 3A - 50hz, leading me to believe this puppy will not take 110, hence a replacement is needed...thoughts on that?

    Thanks for the continuing support!

    -BJ
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited July 2005
    While I was hunting for a suitable picture of a PSU I noticed that many companies are now leaving that function out. I guess it saves them a few bucks in the manufacturing process. I wanted to mention it because the vast majority of people don't know the switch is even there. (When it actually is there to begin with, of course. :p )

    Good luck with your upcoming move. :)
Sign In or Register to comment.