Even for those who traveled often, voltage converters and voltage transformers used to be fairly rare purchases. That was mostly because few people found it necessary to carry their electronics and electrical appliances with them when they traveled. That was back in the day when the only plug-ins most people were likely to pack in their suitcases were hair dryers, travel irons and alarm clocks - all of which were inexpensive and easy to pick up at your destination.
Today, we live in a world where personal consumer electronics are not only a part of most people's everyday lives - for many people, they are a lifeline connecting them to their office and work lives, their social networks and their families. Cell phones, laptops and notebooks, netbooks, MP3 players and digital cameras are portable enough and important enough that few travelers would consider leaving them behind on a trip overseas. And if you travel outside the country with your electronics, you'll probably need one or more voltage transformers or voltage converters to make sure that you can charge up without damaging your equipment.
Why You Need Voltage Transformers
Electrical appliances and electronics made for use in the United States are designed to use 110V electrical current - the standard electrical household current in the U.S. In many of the other countries in the world, including nearly all of Europe, Australia and much of Asia, the standard electrical current is 220V - double the U.S. standard. If you plug a U.S.-based electrical appliance or piece of electronics into a 220V outlet, the surge of electrical power will probably short out the motor, melt the circuit boards and otherwise destroy your item. It may also short out the power supply, or even cause an electrical fire in some older buildings.
What Voltage Transformers Do
Electricity is electricity, but it's delivered at different rates and strengths. Electrical appliance and electronic devices are designed to use electricity at specific rates and strengths - called voltages, watts and frequencies. If there is a difference between the electrical current at the outlet and the electrical current needed for your appliance or device, the electricity can damage your battery charger, laptop, alarm clock, coffee maker or hair dryer.
Voltage converters and voltage transformers take in the electricity from the power outlet at the wall and either increase or decrease the voltage to match the requirements of your electrical appliance or device, making it possible for you to use your U.S. electrical appliances in the U.K., Italy, China and other countries with different voltage standards.
The Difference Between Voltage Transformers and Voltage Converters
While many people use the terms voltage converters and voltage converters interchangeably, there is a subtle and distinct difference between the two, and it can be an important distinction if you travel with electronic devices like laptops, cell phones, MP2 players or laptops - devices that rely upon electronic circuits or cards for their functioning.
AC power - the type of electrical current required by electric appliances and electronic devices - comes from the outlet in alternating bursts in a shape called a sine wave. Voltage converters reduce the voltage from 220V to 110V by cutting a sine wave in half. Voltage transformers, on the other hand, reduce the voltage by altering the length of the sine wave - you get a full sine wave, it's just a shorter one. Because electronics require a full sine wave to operate properly, they require voltage transformers. Electrical motors can operate with either a full sine wave or a half wave, so they'll work with either voltage converters or voltage transformers.
In short, if you are traveling overseas with a cell phone, laptop, MP3 player or other personal electronic device, you should be looking at voltage transformers. If you're only worried about powering your coffee maker, hair dryer or other electrical appliance with a heating element or motor, you can get by with the less expensive and more compact voltage converters.
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About the Author
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2011 (Tue Jan 31 2012) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource internet marketing web site at: http://www.majon.com
