LizFrazier

Help needed. Which type of power adapters work in Kenya? Anyone used rechargeable batteries there? I'm told the 3 pin type. There are many and all say good for Africa. Please how many do you carry when you go? Do the camps provide them at all? I hate to spend $60 for 38 different ones and try to carry them all. Any helpful advice appreciated. Liz

SusanLynne

Hi Liz!!!

If you live near a Radio Shack, you can get the necessary adapters there. The cost was $30. We also later found them at the local AAA travel office. Do not go to a travel store and get them. They charge an arm and a leg. I seem to recall you do need the 3 pin type, but it was really my husband who manned the video camera. We used rechargeable batteries for the videocamera. We brought three with us. The camps we stayed at made an outlet available for us to use, but did not have the adapter. The packaging that the adapters come in specificy which countries they are good for, so you don't need 38 different ones. The package we got contained three adapters, good for Europe, Africa and portions of South Pacific (still a dream to go to Tahiti - now we are prepared!) and parts of Asia. Three little pieces for all of those places!

LizFrazier

Don't want to beat a dead horse, but are they round pins, flat prong type pins, grounded or ungrounded that worked. I've searched on Google and get those that say they work in every different country. I'll try Radio Shack. Did you say you took three sets of batteries? Did you have to charge them every night? I know you took many more pictures than we will in a week, we thought 2 sets of batteries might see us through without a charge needed. We have one that fits a cars cigarette lighter, did you try that? Thanks Susan. Liz

JanGoss

Liz:

Before I went on my first trip to Kenya I got two adaptors from Magellans.com. One, and the one I use all the time, is EA23MCG - British elect. plug - grounded. I also have EA235C ungrounded - but though I take it each time I have never used this particular one. Magellans sells the EA23MCG - grounded British elect. plug for $6.85. It has worked great in Nairobi, Amboseli and Tsavo. It has three pins (13A - 250V) whatever that means. I would certainly take my own. At Ol Tukai I just plug my camera battery charger in my room with the adaptor, set it before I go on a game run and when I get back that battery is charged. At Satao Tented Camp it is a little different. Everyone brings their battery chargers to the bar with your adaptor and the bar tender oversees it for you.

Hope this helps.

Jan

Eight more weeks to go!!!!

LizFrazier

Thanks a ton Jan. I was looking at Magellan and thats where I saw the 38 piece set. Just too much for me to lug around. Thanks especially for the stock number. You find you don't need a power converter too? Governors said 240V, the 250V is close enough? Liz

JanGoss

Liz:

My husband just explained the plugs to me. The ungrounded plug has three prongs that you plug in the wall but one of them is plastic. On the front is a place to plug in a two pronged cord (such as hair dryer, etc).

The grounded plug which I always use in Kenya has three metal-tipped prongs. The front has three openings for a three-pronged cord. However, you can also use it for a two-pronged cord. Guess I'll leave the ungrounded one home next time.

Jan

LizFrazier

That means I only have to buy one! Great.

AAFrequentFlyer

Liz,
Here is a great site:
http://kropla.com/electric.htm

JanGoss

Liz:

When you mentioned converter as opposed to adaptor it made me stop and think - why didn't I need a converter? Everything worked fine with just the adaptor.

Then I remembered my hair dryer was purchased in Nairobi and has a 110 - 220 option. Then I got my video camera battery charger out. I notice on the back of the charger it says "Input 110 - 240V". Apparently that is why just using the adaptor was sufficient and I didn't need the converter. Magellans also has converters but I am not sure which one would be needed. Looks like it might be Transformer Converter "EA256" with a price of $21.85 - for use with radios, camcorder rechargers, tape recorders, etc. They have anoher one for heating appliances or a combination converter which does both.

Before getting a converter check the back of your battery recharger and perhaps yours might be similar to mine and you won't need the converter.

Jan

LizFrazier

AA-
That is a great site. The thing is, they say the 3 round pin plug, whereas the other says 3 flat prong type plug. They each say theirs works in Kenya. I can't get Governors Camp too concerned over this, they just say bring a converter plug. I'm down to 5 weeks and I gotta decide, so guess I'll go with Jan's because she has actually used hers there.
That is a good site though. I found out my battery charger works l00-240V, so I don't need a power converter, just the plug adapter.
"And the days dwindle down, to a precious few"..........:->

JanGoss

Liz:

Just so you'll know what to expect when you get it, both of mine are flat pronged plugs.

Jan

JanGoss

Liz:

Quick question. Have you ever used a cordless (butane) curling iron? At Satao Camp you can't use a dryer. Thus I thought I might get a butane curling iron since I'll be there a week. Are they any good? Will it present a problem if packed in checked luggage?

Jan

TravelMaster

Hi Liz:

I have a Radio Shack 'Multi-Nation Travel Adaptor' (Model 273-1413) which I picked up for about $40cnd 3 years ago. It's 1600w and has 'push' prong settings preconfigured for Europe/Middle East, England/Africa and Australia/Philippines (& I've also used it in Asia-Hong Kong, Japan, Korea & Indonesia). What I normally do is run the device off rechargable batteries & bring my battery charger as well, only plugging it in to recharge the batteries rather than plugging in the device directly.
(http://www.radioshack.ca/estore/Prod...log=RadioShack).

Hope this helps.

Z

LizFrazier

Jan-
No, I've never been where you could use a hair dryer over there. Except in town. Not in the parks. Please don't tell me things have changed in 10 years.
I don't use a curling iron and have heard of the butane but not looked into it. Over there I just wash and kinda fluff my hair with my fingers and go to dinner.
Not great by any stretch, but with a hat on my hair flattens anyway. I really don't fuss on safari. I suppose at Governors Camp I'll feel shabby at dinner, but I'll smile a lot and maybe no one will care. Liz

LizFrazier

Z-
Thank you so much for helping. I really don't know what that sentence meant you said: "What I normally do is run the device off rechargeable batteries and bring my battery charger as well, only plugging it in to recharge the batteries, rather than plugging in the device directly".
Too many pluggings here to keep straight what plugs into what and does anything ever get plugged into the wall? Really don't understand. Maybe two or three sentences with saying which is plugged into what. I did look at it but couldn't see the part that goes into the wall, if anything does. Thanks for more defining. Liz

JanGoss

Liz:

Thanks for the reply. Some of the lodges in the parks allow you to use a dryer. I have done this at Ol Tukai. In fact, they will even loan you one if you forgot yours. The Nairobi hotels, of course, are no problem.

Having been the only one in the family born with pin-straight hair, I feel the need to do something with it. In January I just tucked it behind my ears, but I really didn't feel presentable, so guess I'll try the butane iron.

No matter, I'll have a smile on my face the whole time I'm in Kenya. Everything about it makes one happy and serene. And just getting away from telephones, televisions and cell phones will be heaven!

Jan

LizFrazier

Amen :->

TravelMaster

Liz:

Sorry about the confusion.

Most of what I travel with that only supports 110v(shortwave radio, razor) will run off power or battery. I'll run them off the battery & just recharge the batteries (to avoid powersurge problems). Since I'll also have a few other things that only support battery (flashlight), I'll have the battery charger there anyway.

Other devices that I'll travel with support 'universal power' and automatically switch (my ThinkPad, which I didn't take to Kenya, my PalmPilot which I take everywhere) I'll plug in directly & the 'international' kit that they came with included the necessary adaptors for the power cable but they didn't need power conversion.

Hope this clarifies it.

Z

LizFrazier

Z-
Since the International device ran off rechargeable batteries, I didn't understand what you plug your battery charger into. I kind of envisioned a device run by rechargeable batteries, running your battery charger to recharge your rechargeable batteries. What plugs into to wall? And what does the plug look like? Round pins or flat prongs? Thanks. Liz

TravelMaster

Liz:

Sorry for the confusion, the Radio Shack 'Multi-Nation Travel Adaptor' has all international settings for the wall plates. The one marked England/Africa has 3 prongs - 2 metal flat horzontal & 1 plastic vertical was the setting I used.

Z