Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

120v to 240v converter (transformer?) not working =/

Status
Not open for further replies.

Mindless

New Member
Hey all, I've done a lot of googling and searching on these forums to make sure my problem hadn't been asked before, so forgive me if it really had been !

I purchased an item from the US, I live in the UK, and I've been having problems with the adaptor.

the US adaptor stats are: Class 2 Power supply / INPUT: 120V AC 60Hz 4.1W / OUTPUT: 6V DC 300mA

I then purchased a step down converter from amazon: **broken link removed**
If you do not want to click the page, the stats of that "converter" is:
INPUT: 240V~50Hz cos = 0.73 / OUTPUT: AC 120V 45W

The issue is, it still won't work! Does anyone here know what the problem is, and can advise me which converter / transformer to purchase? I'm having a real headache over this issue and would be extremely grateful for a solution!

quick summary: I live in the UK and want to use an American electronic here, have purchased a step down converter but didn't work, is there a difference between converter and transformer?

Regards,
Mjaaay
 
Is it fairly heavy?, if it's light (as I suspect) then it's not just a transformer, so it may not work depending on the exact requirements of what you're trying to feed from it.

You're far better off with a real transformer, and not an electronic 'converter'.
 
and at the end of today, I will order a "transformer", I just hope there can be a bit more feedback ~
 
Last edited:
Looking at the information they give here they use two terms for their products. They use Step Down Converter and Step Down Transformer. That lends me to believe the converter is not in fact a true transformer and outputs a modified square wave. Not good for your application likely.

Something else a tad weird is how they specify High Quality 100W Step Down USA to UK voltage converter when USA to UK would be a step up I would think.

Ron
 
I see, thanks for your feedback. Would you recommend me to purchase this item? **broken link removed**
There are 17 feedbacks and they all seem quite genuine, the one I purchased initially had 4 feedbacks, needless to say I feel more confident with the 17 review one, but I really just want to make sure.

edit: forget it, there are 9x 1 star reviews complaining that this transformer simply does not work, exactly the same as me!
 
Last edited:
Actually, now I'm really worrying. The item **broken link removed** which I am planning to buy with 17 reviews, is called a Transformer, but the picture name is "Converter" and the numbers are almost identical to the initial one I purchased, i'm really confused now

edit: none of the transformers on amazon seems to deliver... all of them seem to have people complaining how it doesn't work ...

edit2: only this item seems to deliver and have positive reviews.. any advice? **broken link removed**
 
Last edited:
if this is of any use, this is the exact same US adaptor I am trying to get it to work in the UK, it's made in China...

Aurora YL35060300D AC Power Supply Charger Adapter:
**broken link removed**
 
I don't see why the need for two stages to do this. You are looking to go from 220 volt UK mains to 120 volt US standard voltage. Then you have a 120 volt to 6 VDC 300 mA wall wart device, Why not just find a 220 volt wall wart in the UK that goes to 6 volts 300 mA DC? They have to be as common in the UK as they are n the US. The 300 mA is a minimum as even a higher current rated wall wart would be fine as long as it is 6 VDC with the correct polarity on the output cord.

As to whoever has this junk on Amazon, I said it didn't make sense with their terminology.

Ron
 
I'm looking to go from 120v TO 220v, not the other way around, and... the rest i didn't understand, ouch sorry :/ im not very good at understanding these electric terminology
 
Hi Mindless,

As Ron says, just buy a suitable UK adaptor, just make sure it has the right kind of tip at the end. Something like this should work, it has the correct voltage and current rating, you just need to check the type of tip.

**broken link removed**

Regards,

Leftfield95
 
Last edited:
This was your original post:

Hey all, I've done a lot of googling and searching on these forums to make sure my problem hadn't been asked before, so forgive me if it really had been !

I purchased an item from the US, I live in the UK, and I've been having problems with the adaptor.

the US adaptor stats are: Class 2 Power supply / INPUT: 120V AC 60Hz 4.1W / OUTPUT: 6V DC 300mA

I then purchased a step down converter from amazon: **broken link removed**
If you do not want to click the page, the stats of that "converter" is:
INPUT: 240V~50Hz cos = 0.73 / OUTPUT: AC 120V 45W

The issue is, it still won't work! Does anyone here know what the problem is, and can advise me which converter / transformer to purchase? I'm having a real headache over this issue and would be extremely grateful for a solution!

quick summary: I live in the UK and want to use an American electronic here, have purchased a step down converter but didn't work, is there a difference between converter and transformer?

Regards,
Mjaaay

You are currently located in the UK correct?

I purchased an item from the US, I live in the UK, and I've been having problems with the adaptor.

The UK has 220 volt AC mains power. Now I don't get what you are trying to do? You say:

I'm looking to go from 120v TO 220v, not the other way around,

If you are in the UK you have 220 volt mains correct? So why would you want to go from 120 to 220 volts? What am I missing here?

Ron
 
I meant I wanted to go from 120v (the US ac i have) and change that to become 220v (UK type), eh, doesn't that make sense? all the sockets here accept only 220-240v, and for my 120v to work, i need that ac to become 220-240v... am i wording it incorrectly?

But to leftfield95: thanks, i'll try ordering that item, i just had trouble translating the techy posts into the item i need, cheers!
 
The UK uses 50 Hz and UNLESS the transformer says 50/60 Hz it won't work. If the adapter is a brick that depends on 60 Hz it won't work in the UK. Converters some times put out non-sinusoidal waveforms and some switching powers supplies (bricks) won't work.

The best solution is to convert to 6V DC from 220 V 50 Hz
 
Hi Mindless,

I would sugget that you pop into one of the shops if you have one local to you. You'll be able to check that the tips are the right size for your gadget.

Remember you will need to get the 6 volt version order code - L66BQ

I'm sure other local shops to you would also have something suitable, but your location isn't filled in, so its hard to tell.

Whatever you buy make sure it says regulated somewhere in the description.

Regards,

Leftfield95
 
I meant I wanted to go from 120v (the US ac i have) and change that to become 220v (UK type), eh, doesn't that make sense? all the sockets here accept only 220-240v, and for my 120v to work, i need that ac to become 220-240v... am i wording it incorrectly?

But to leftfield95: thanks, i'll try ordering that item, i just had trouble translating the techy posts into the item i need, cheers!

Since you are in the UK you have 220 VAC 50 Hz mains but if you want to go from 120 volt 50 Hz to 220 volt 50 Hz you would use a transformer similar to this one. Transformers work both ways. Looking at the attached image if we 120 VAC 50 Hz to the two red leads and then tie the Yell/Blk and Red/Blk together the output between the Black and Grn/Blk will be 220 VAC 50 Hz.

Transformers like this are common. The link is just an example. Any 220 to 110 transformer (note I say transformer and not converter) will work backwards. Just keep your current requirements in mind.

My original take, based on your original post was that you are in the UK. Your mains power is 220 VAC 50 Hz. That you wanted to step down the 220/240 VAC to 120 vac US mains power to power a small 120 vac to 6 vdc wall wart (power brick). Thus I suggested a simple UK little wall wart that would take your 220 VAC UK mains and give you the 6 VDC 300 mA you seemed to want.

Ron
 

Attachments

  • Triad Trans.gif
    Triad Trans.gif
    8.7 KB · Views: 250
Hmm, thanks for all the input and help guys! The item I ordered ACDC Fixed Voltage 6W Power Supplies : Fixed Voltage Power Supplies : Maplin came in 8 different tips, and it worked! I'm a happy man now, and after thinking about this, a trasnformer weighs around 1kg , while this fixed voltage power supply is much more convenient to carry around, so this is the better solution for me

thanks again everyone
 
Hmmm,:) . Just remembered that we spoilt 3 gadget, for the same cause. And remember, if anyone really needs to buy transformer for this kind of purposes, the shopkeeper asks the ampere rating(/power rating).

Thumbs up, wallwart works for your case.
 
I'm looking to go from 120v TO 220v, not the other way around, and...

No, you are NOT! UK is 240V. US is 120V. If you want to preserve the US Wall-Wart, then you need a step-down transformer.

As others have opined, dump the US wall-wart and replace it with a UK Wall-wart that has similar output specs.
 
You are not going from 120V to 240V!
You are going from 220VAC to 6VDC.

You found some Amazon junk without a detailed description so the "converter" might simply be a diode that will instantly burn out your 6VDC power supply.

The $20.00 power supply you found is sold for only $5.00 at most places.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top