Watt's Up?

Dude · Guru

Watt's Up?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

I would be SHOCKED (no pun intended) if your camera charger required anywhere NEAR 50 watts to operate, so a small converter should suffice.
Having said THAT, look at the camera's charger's UL label -- If it says:

"INPUT 110-240V ~~ 50/60Hz 0.1A"

or similar, you don't need a transformer, only a plug adapter.

The "110-240V" means it will operate on EITHER Voltage.
The "50/60Hz" means the FREQUENCY -- US uses 60, Europe uses 50 -- and this ALSO means EITHER.
The "0.1A" is the AMPERAGE REQUIREMENT -- Multiply by 120 for the wattage, but perversely, divide THAT number in half for Wattage draw at 240 VOLT.....

Go figure....

For about $20 you can by a Voltage INVERTER that will plug into the car's cigarette lighter and you can plug your US wall charger into it, thus charging while you drive.

Bob

Dude · Guru

Bob, you dear, thank you so much. The camera charger indicates that I don't need a transformer after all. Maybe the inverter would be a good investment, although I have three batteries so perhaps I could charge one a night from the wall. The previous discussion about differing sizes of cigarette lighter openings makes me a little nervous about the inverter, unless they come with sleeves.

I love this forum...

wojazz3 · Guru

I always try to keep one battery CURRENT and charged as a backup and mine last all day (and you know how many pics I take). Charging them at the B&B should do the trick.

Bill

Dude · Guru

That should work, then if Bill and Bob both say so. (I once had grandcats named Bill and Bob, but they have gone to the Catnip Farm in the Sky, alas).

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dude,

Great info from Bob and Bill about your battery charger. That is one assignment I leave to my husband (along with a lot of others too)!

Michele

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Just realized that you didn't acknowledge my FULL statement about the camera charger ----

----> You WILL need a PLUG ADAPTER to plug into the wall outlet. <------

I'm SURE you knew THAT, but I had this horrible vision of you trying to plug the two bladed charger into the Irish/UK wall socket and saying MULTIPLE unkind words about me, my advice and possibly, my lineage!!!!!

Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur at 19:31, 2007-04-07

Dude · Guru

Sorry to cause you panic, Bob. I guess I didn't mention it because I do have a universal adapter that we used successfully last trip. I'm not sure why I thought you would know that, though. And by September I would probably have forgotten who gave me the advice, anyway.

On our first trip in '93 we had purchased what the clerk in RadioShack assured us was the right adapter and of course it was not. Either this was before B&Bs began supplying hair driers or we just stayed in the low-end versions (we were finding lodging as we went along) but we disproved my mother's old saying, "Don't go to bed with wet hair or you'll get pneumonia and die." Fortunately we are not vain and were not trying to win any beauty contests or snare dates.