Overseas and Voltages

[xsrvx]

I understand overseas (In the US here) they use different voltages on their hardware and our power supplies have a switch on them to switch between 115 (our setting) and 230 (overseas setting I am guessing) Anyways my question is what about monitors? I am talking standard everyday monitors, I doubt manufaturer is important. I noticed on our monitors the voltage range is 100-240 V~2.0A

I am wondering if this means its okay either way and it can handle from 100-240 or will it blow up when it is plugged in overseas.

[Shard92]

I think what he is wondering is can he take his monitor with him and use it overseas, am I right? Would he just need to get the proper cord to plug into the sockets? I also am from the US and I know there is a difference but don't know details.

GLSmith

[Joker1]

My .02$

I was born overseas and have visited there since. From what i observed while there and what i can remember from when i was young the difference is; (1) the shape of the outlet and (2) the voltage. obviously the outlet is different because the voltage is different. It prevents foreign products from being plugged-in in an unsafely.

Now, On a standard pc power supply the cord is removable and the switch on the back can be used to select the correct operating voltage. On, a monitor I have yet to see a switch but i suspect it may be automatic sensing or something similar to that.

[Ruslan]

Originally posted by Joker1:
My .02$

I was born overseas and have visited there since. From what i observed while there and what i can remember from when i was young the difference is; 1 the shape of the outlet and 2 the voltage. The reason the outlet is different is because the voltage is different. It prevents foreign products from being plugged in unsafely. On a standard pc power supply the cord is changable and the switch on the back can be used to select the correct operating voltage. On, a monitor i have yet to see a switch but i suspect it may be automatic sensing or something similar to that.

Yeah, 110v and 230v outlet are different.
I've seen also a lot of new monitors with automatic switching 110/230v, I even have few ones. In Ukraine standard AC outlet voltage is 220v,50Hz. LoL, We have a lot of made for US or in US devices (110v)- mostly faxes,copiers,PSU and so on in repair. They all are fried due to incorrect voltage settings or using wrong cable without 220/110v tranformer. 110v seems to much more safer then...

[Darren Wilson]

99.9% of monitors made in the last 5 years or so are auto switching voltage 110/230v . You shouldn't have any problems.

[scutterboy]

I'm asking not telling.....
Isn't there a problem with monitors being transported in hairyplaines? I seem to remember someone saying that CRT's don't like altitude (presure changes)

[Platypus]

In Australia it is an offence for anyone other than a qualified Electrician to make any modification to the fixed wiring of a building, as is normal everywhere (almost).

But I don't know of any restriction on what people can do in wiring appliances (other than normal duty-of-care). As I repair electronic appliances I consulted the Chief Engineer of the local electrical authority, who thought the same. You can still buy 3-pin mains plugs in the Supermarket, and you can still build your own mains operated amplifiers etc if you want to.

Aigal, I suspect the "punishable by death" you heard was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the prospect of electrocution if a plug is wired wrongly.

As Darren Wilson said, the majority of modern monitors can indeed be just connected to any A.C. supply from 100V to 240V. The Switched Mode Power Supplies are either voltage sensing, or have a wide enough mark-space ratio range to cover these voltages directly.

This is easier to do with monitors as the power consumption is lower and varies only a little (maybe 15 or 20 percent). Computer PSU's may be 250-400 watts or more, and have to maintain their performance over a wide power range, so are usually hard switched.

If a 100-240 volt monitor uses an IEC mains connector, you could just get a local IEC mains lead if it is taken to another country which has different style outlets.

Or if it is connected to the mains feedthrough on the computer PSU, it will work fine.

[3fingersalute]

What about ac frequency differences?...Does that pose any problems??

[Platypus]

Weller soldering iron - made in Australia? The factory is about ten mile from where I live.

As far as I know, mains frequencies are all either 50Hz or 60Hz, which will not cause a problem for a SMPS (monitor or computer power supply).

Anything that uses the mains frequency for a time reference may malfunction, anything with a normal wound mains transformer (with voltage switching) may overheat on the wrong frequency.

[lgsracer]

We ship systems to France with monitors. We send them by air. To date we haven't lost a monitor to pressure changes. Darren is right all new manufactured monitors are auto sensing on the voltage, you just need to use the correct outlet adapter.