Need advice running 220v in USA

[RogerWilco]

I have been looking at some equipment lately made in china.Alot of the equipment is only set up for 220-240v.

Is there a downside to using a step up/down converter.I see many for sell on ebay 100 -5000 watt.

I would think a benefit would be more line filtration.

But never the less china has some extremely good deals on equipment i would like to try out.

thanks

[wa2ise]

Is there a downside to using a step up/down converter.I see many for sell on ebay 100 -5000 watt.

Be sure you get the autotransformer type. Not the type that uses triacs. DUH! Triacs are only used in 220 to 110V converters. But keep this in mind if you ever need to go from 220 to 110...

If you own your home, you could install a 15A 240V AC branch circuit. The sort bigger window air conditioners use. The plug is nema 6-15P and looks like -.- instead of the usual '.' prong pattern. It would still be 60Hz but unless it is a record player or clock expecting 50Hz for rotation speed accuracy, 230V 50Hz equipment will work fine on 240V 60Hz. Both sides of this line will be hot, but well designed equipment will still be safe.




Post edited to remove suggestion that could have killed an unwary reader.

[leadbelly]

Originally posted by wa2ise
A less satifactory of getting 240VAC would be...

"less satisfactory"? I think that is so unsafe that a mod should delete it.

[SY]

How about just a plain warning: don't do it!

Better to pay an electrician a couple hundred bucks to do it for you.

[RogerWilco]

thanks guys

I am going to purchase a top quality step trans to convert 120v to 240v

Hopefully that will be all i need.

[EC8010]

I have edited this thread. Those who made the posts and the comments will know why. Please remember that people who read a thread may have abilities ranging from knowledgeable but wary, all the way down to over-confident neophyte. I'd like to keep the over-confident neophytes alive until they can be converted into wary but knowledgeable...

[wa2ise]

Edit accepted. Forgot that not everyone here routinely works with high voltage.

[RogerWilco]

I am not sure how high the watts on the trans should be ,but this is one i am looking at.

http://www.international-electrical-...formers-2.html


I am looking into purchasing DUSSUN V6i ex KORSUN V6i HighEnd HiFi Integrated Amplifier from china--cheapest way to purchase the unit.

Also looking at some other various tubes amps that are very cheap to try out ,but they are 220v

I wanted a step transformer unit that i could adjust the volts.And meter gauge that can tell me what the volts are going in and going out to the amp.

The main thing is being able to set the trans for 220,230 or 240v

[EC8010]

No, no, you really don't want one of those! A voltage regulating transformer (known as a constant voltage transformer in the UK) is a technically quite interesting device that relies on controlled core saturated to maintain the RMS voltage leaving the transformer more or less constant whatever the input. Unfortunately, despite the fact that resonant techniques are involved, the distortion on the output voltage is considerable.

When we rectify mains, we add huge distortion, so there's little point in fretting about distortion in that regard. However, we frequently apply AC directly to heaters, and distortion/noise on the mains can make its way into the audio via Chk and Rhk. OK, it's not usually a problem with power amplifiers, but why allow the problem at all?

What you need is a nice old-fashioned EI 120V to 240V autotransformer of at least 1kVA rating. If you want to turn a necessity into a bonus, make it an isolating transformer that transforms from 120V to 240V and has a foil electrostatic screen between primary and secondary (this will greatly reduce the muck on the mains). You do not want a toroid. Don't worry about meters.

[poobah]

Perhaps something like this would be the cat's meow?