power converter
 

I have a cell phone from Italy. I want to recharge here in the US before I depart for Italy again (to make sure its still working). Google search provides tons of places to get converters for US to Europe but none the other way around. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to give the family this cell number then not be able to reach me.
Thanks, Lisa S

maybe i'm just confusing myself, but could you plug the italian phone into a european converter, then....no, i dont think that will work. Try ebay. Sorry!

Hi lisa,

The charger for your cell phone should be dual voltage.

Look for 110 - 220V on the label.

I have one that I bought for about $3.00 from Radio Shack. You could also try e-Bay - everything under the sun is for sale there.

The question is if you need a power converter or a power-plug adapter ?
The converter actually changes from 110V to 220V, and is used if your charger is a singlevoltage device (which is pretty strenge for a cellphone charger). Or just something to change the plug into something you can plug into your wallsocket. That kind of stuff you can get at radioshack for a few bucks...

Sindre

Your easiest option is to buy a dual voltage charger that will work in both US and Europe. That's what I did with my Motorola and it works great. You will still need an adaptor (the thing that goes over the plug blades so it will fit in to the round holes in European outlets.) I bought mine in Europe, but suspect they are available in the US as well. Radio Shack would be a good place to look, or try the website of the phone manufacturer.

A converter steps down the power from 220 to 110. You don't go the other way because you can't create power with a converter. Having said that, a charger for a cell phone steps down the power to just a few volts so you could try just plugging it in using the North America adapter from your converter kit.

I had that problem several years ago when I first started getting into mobile phones. I had a mobile phone and the charger that came with it was 220 only. Admitedly many of them come today with 120-220. Anyway, I found a simple solution.

Buy an automobile charger. Then simply charge the phone in your car. Or you can buy a little device that plugs into the wall current mains as the male plug and has a female hole where you can insert an automobile car charger. The one I have is dual voltage so when I go to Europe, I can plug it in (with the right adapter plug of course) and charge the phone using the car adapter.

Car adapters for most models of mobile phones are available at internet shops for as little as $5, the adapter I refer to cost me $10 but it is great as in charging my digital camera batteries, I can use it also with the supplied car adapter plug.

Hope that helps.

As usual, xyz123 has the perfect solution. I bought a cell phone which came with a European only (not dual voltage charger). Car charger works just fine.

What phone do you have? If it's from a major manufacturer, and there's a similar/identical N. American model, then just go get the power supply for that phone for the US market.

But of course, that's an expensive way to do it, especially if you're only trying to recharge the phone before a trip.

Bob C:
I'm sorry but that is completely wrong... Of course you can't create power the first law of thermodynamics clearly states that no energy can be created. But what a converter does is simply scale the voltage up or down and consequently it turns the Amp.
If you look at any recharger for any device that doesn't involve heating anything you'll see that it uses a voltage in the 2-25V range. Thus every charger does a conversion already AND the important bit is plugging any non-auto-switching device (thus a 110V only device) in a European plug is dangerous. The device will in some cases explode, in some cases melt and otherwise be a huge firehazard. Plugging a European plug into an american plug is not as dangerous but is still NOT advised. Make sure the INPUT voltage match before you plug anything into a wall socket, and then esecially in Europe.
But my advise above is still valid, though as usually xyz123's advice is probably the easiest solution :)

Cobos

No, I'm sorry. The EASIEST solution is for this poster to follow Ira's advice and look on the charger to determine if it is, in fact, capable of handling the lower voltage.

The second easiest is to not assume the phone doesn't work, go to Europe, charge it there, and then CALL HOME.

A physics discussion we do not need!

Just double checking:

I just got out the magnifying glass and looked at the back of my charger it says:

Motorola
AC Power Supply
Model SSW - 0509
Input 100V-240V~50/60Hz 0.1A
Output 5.9V - 375mA
--
___
NOM
___ and then a bunch of arrows going in different directions with the letters NYCE

This all means I don't need a converter right? Just the adapter?

Yup...all you need is an adapter plug. It will work on US/Canadian current.

Thanks xyz.

Just to claify, you said "It will work on US/Canadian current." But I'm going to be in Italy. Did yo mean to include Italy?

Yup it will work on US/Canada and in Europe. It probably has the European plugs (two round rods), you will need adapters, not converters, for US/Canada and also for the UK (Europe to UK).

I think you should be able to wait until you get to the hotel to charge it? I mean, you'll be out of pocket on the airplane, what's another couple of hours out of pocket? if they must call you upon arrival, give them the hotel number, your message will be waiting when you arrive.