langrobe

We are wondering if we need to buy a power converter for our camcorder and digital camera charger? What voltage/frequency does NZ and Australia run on?

Tim_and_Liz

Where are you coming from? Milwaukee? (MSOE?)

Toucan2

This is a good site that talks about transformers and converters and the very important difference:

http://www.travelite.org/electrical/austinhouse2.html

You might also find this helpful:

First, ask yourself if what you are packing is electrical or electronic. If your travel iron or other electric appliance is 500 watts, you can use either the 50-1875 watt converter or the 1-1000 watt transformer. However, the 1-1000 watt transformer is hardly practical since it weighs almost 20 lbs!! If your camcorder recharger or other electronic appliance is 75 watts, use the 1-100 watt transformer. The wattage of the appliance must fall within the range of the converter or transformer being used (allow a buffer of 10-20 watts) otherwise your appliance will be damaged. The chart at the end of this guide offers some help as to which converter or transformer to use depending upon the type of appliance that you will be taking. Don't forget that you might also need an adapter plug!


Australia 240 V 50 Hz Plug Type This plug has also a grounding pin and two flat prongs forming a V-shape. There is an ungrounded version of this plug as well, with only two flat V-shaped prongs. Although the above plug looks very similar to the one used in Israel (type H), both plugs are not compatible. Australia’s standard plug/socket system is described in SAA document AS 3112 and is used in applications up to 10 amps. A plug/socket configuration with rating at 15 amps (ground pin is wider: 8 mm instead of 6.35 mm) is also available. A standard 10 amp plug will fit into a 15 amp outlet, but a 15 amp plug only fits this special 15 amp socket. There is also a 20 amp plug whose prongs are wider still. A lower-amperage plug will always fit into a higher-amperage outlet but not vice versa. Although there are slight differences, the Australian plug mates with the socket used in the People's Republic of China (mainland China).

MarsBars

You need to be careful when charging devices with a converter. Two years ago, I charged an I-pod in Fiji with a converter, and it died. On the same trip, someone from our group charged their cell phone, and it fried it. I have also heard that it is not a good idea to charge digital batteries with a converter. This year, we went to New Zealand. A woman in our group charged her Blackberry, and it was acting wierd. I pretty much only use a converter for blowdrying and curling my hair with a curling iron. If you use a curling iron or flat iron for your hair, don't have the heat turned up all the way. I guess converter's can have power surges. Someone from our group said her flat iron got ruined because she had the heat up all the way, and parts of her flat iron melted. I don't mean to scare you. Just do your research and be careful. We went to NZ last month. I brought a digital camera with two fully charged batteries, and I brought an older digital camera as a back up so I did not have to charge batteries while I was away. Good Luck! =)

someotherguy

New Zealand is 230 volts 50 hz; Australia is 240 volts 50 Hz. They both use the same V shaped plug. The definitive source is http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

Pretty much any modern charger for a phone, computer, or camera will work with just a plug adapter. Look at the label on the converter: if says something like input AC 100-240v, 50-60 Hz you're good to go.

someotherguy

New Zealand is 230 volts 50 hz; Australia is 240 volts 50 Hz. They both use the same V shaped plug. The definitive source is http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

Pretty much any modern charger for a phone, computer, or camera will work anywhere with just a plug adapter. Look at the label on the converter: if says something like input AC 100-240v, 50-60 Hz you're good to go.

someotherguy

Whoops. Sorry about that double post.