Traveling Europe with a Laptop
Feb 15th, 2006, 06:24 PM
#41
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These are the steps:
If your "brick" is a multi-voltage type, all you need is a plug adaptor.
If it's not, you need to buy one that is (preferably from your laptop's manufacturer). And a plug adaptor.
In no case should you use a voltage converter.
If your "brick" is a multi-voltage type, all you need is a plug adaptor.
If it's not, you need to buy one that is (preferably from your laptop's manufacturer). And a plug adaptor.
In no case should you use a voltage converter.
Feb 15th, 2006, 08:14 PM
#42
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Please help the clueless...
Why are voltage converters a "never" ? The Radio Shack salesman insisted on a certain type.."continuous" or something like that for cameras, computers etc.
Why are voltage converters a "never" ? The Radio Shack salesman insisted on a certain type.."continuous" or something like that for cameras, computers etc.
Feb 16th, 2006, 05:33 AM
#43
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Unless you are absolutely certain that you are getting a <i>transformer</i> type, plugging your equipment into a converter can be hazardous to your electronics.
People who work at Radio Shack, with few exceptions, are not qualified to advise anyone on technology.
People who work at Radio Shack, with few exceptions, are not qualified to advise anyone on technology.
Feb 16th, 2006, 06:59 PM
#44
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Robespierre,
The box says "85 watt Foreign Travel Voltage Converter. Converts 220/240VAC foreign electricity to standard US 110/120VAC, fuse protected,power on light, designed for continuous use" It also says it is used to power camcorders, notebook computer battery chargers, etc.
Is this the transformer type you mention?
Thank you so much for your help!
The box says "85 watt Foreign Travel Voltage Converter. Converts 220/240VAC foreign electricity to standard US 110/120VAC, fuse protected,power on light, designed for continuous use" It also says it is used to power camcorders, notebook computer battery chargers, etc.
Is this the transformer type you mention?
Thank you so much for your help!
Feb 16th, 2006, 08:09 PM
#45
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Yes, it seems like a bad ieda to use this transformer to connect to the transformer that powers your <i><u>electronic</u></i> device. All modern electronic devices have a "brick" or a "cube" which connects the device to the wall power. That IS a transformer - - and it should run on either 220/240 V or 110/120 V (AC, in both cases) and produce the lowered voltage, DC that your device actually uses to operate.
The "brick" or cube" should say that it can accept either in put voltage. Do not risk fire by plugging one transformer into another.
The "brick" or cube" should say that it can accept either in put voltage. Do not risk fire by plugging one transformer into another.
Feb 16th, 2006, 10:24 PM
#46
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I took my laptop to Europe last fall (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, London). I used it no only for photos but also to do trip planning on the fly. Many of my hotels had WiFi although it was not free or all that cheap. Once I went to an internet cafe (Prague) that let me use a wired connection for about $5/hour or something to that effect, but I didn't find wireless everywhere and no free hot spots (but I admit, I didn't spend much time looking). London seemed better but I wasn't there long.
I truly wished for a thin-and-light laptop while I was lugging mine around! But, I would do it again. I consider the laptop essential for reviewing the day's digital photos. Of course, because I was planning my trip pretty much as I went along, the laptop came in very handy for that, too.
Andrew
I truly wished for a thin-and-light laptop while I was lugging mine around! But, I would do it again. I consider the laptop essential for reviewing the day's digital photos. Of course, because I was planning my trip pretty much as I went along, the laptop came in very handy for that, too.
Andrew
Feb 17th, 2006, 06:14 AM
#47
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If you don't know what type your your device is (transformer or switching), and you also don't know what type a particular voltage converter is, you shouldn't plug your electronics into it. At all. Store salespersons generally do not know the difference, and are not reliable sources of information.
If your electronics is equipped with a <i>transformer</i> supply, you can plug it into <i>any</i> voltage converter safely without knowing what type the converter is.
If it comes with a <i>switching</i> supply, plugging it into a <i>transformer</i> converter is all right, but plugging it into a <i>switching</i> converter can fry it. This is not something one should experiment with.
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With camera memory hovering around $40 per gigabyte, carrying a laptop around simply to download photos to it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, IMO.
If your electronics is equipped with a <i>transformer</i> supply, you can plug it into <i>any</i> voltage converter safely without knowing what type the converter is.
If it comes with a <i>switching</i> supply, plugging it into a <i>transformer</i> converter is all right, but plugging it into a <i>switching</i> converter can fry it. This is not something one should experiment with.
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With camera memory hovering around $40 per gigabyte, carrying a laptop around simply to download photos to it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, IMO.
Feb 17th, 2006, 10:38 AM
#48
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Well sure with a gig card, you can take several hundred photos without ever offloading.
But can you remember what you're photographing?
One thing I do is load them into iPhoto and use the keyword tagging feature so that I could do searches years later.
Easier to remember everything if you do it that day or a day later than even a week later.
Plus if something you photograph doesn't turn out well, you can go back and take it again.
But can you remember what you're photographing?
One thing I do is load them into iPhoto and use the keyword tagging feature so that I could do searches years later.
Easier to remember everything if you do it that day or a day later than even a week later.
Plus if something you photograph doesn't turn out well, you can go back and take it again.
Feb 17th, 2006, 11:03 AM
#49
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If I have anything to write about a photo, I put it in my PDA's calendar, thereby automatically timestamping it. The camera timestamps the files, so I know which is what.
Note: forgetting to set your camera's clock and then traveling through nine time zones is confusing. Don't ask.
Note: forgetting to set your camera's clock and then traveling through nine time zones is confusing. Don't ask.
Feb 17th, 2006, 04:01 PM
#50
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As a photographer I consider it essential to be able to review the day's photos the evening afterward in my hotel room. So the laptop is important, regardless of how many memory cards I have. Even so, my new camera's RAW image files are about 12MB each, so a 128MB card hold only ten pictures! My 2GB card will hold about 167 of them, but that may not even be a day's shooting.
I admit this is not the typical case, but I think I do have a good reason to lug around a laptop.
Andrew
I admit this is not the typical case, but I think I do have a good reason to lug around a laptop.
Andrew
Feb 17th, 2006, 07:08 PM
#51
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As a casual photographer, I have exposed something like several hundred rolls of 35mm film over the past 50 years.
Fully 90% of my shots were "insurance" takes from different perspectives, exposures, depths of field, focal lengths, and lighting angles. I never knew whether the magic had worked or not until the filmstock came out of the soup.
I think the necessity for instant review is overstated. But that's just me.
Fully 90% of my shots were "insurance" takes from different perspectives, exposures, depths of field, focal lengths, and lighting angles. I never knew whether the magic had worked or not until the filmstock came out of the soup.
I think the necessity for instant review is overstated. But that's just me.
Feb 18th, 2006, 05:30 AM
#52
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The more posts there are here, the more it becomes clear - it depends - this is begining to remind me of the "is country music good?" I have strong views on the answer to that question but can guarantee that there would be equally strong opposite views.
OP would recomend you read the pros and cons and think which sounds most like you.
I like "lugging" a laptop. I like mucking around with the photos at the end of the day. I like writing up notes electronically as I go along - plus I like to check email even on vacation and, perhaps partciapte in on line forums.
I am wombat and I am technoholic
OP would recomend you read the pros and cons and think which sounds most like you.
I like "lugging" a laptop. I like mucking around with the photos at the end of the day. I like writing up notes electronically as I go along - plus I like to check email even on vacation and, perhaps partciapte in on line forums.
I am wombat and I am technoholic
