Electrical Question...

[<-Warheart->]

Right, here it is...

• I have a USA made guitar preamp. It has a USA power socket and needs works fine with the US voltage.

• However, since I live in the UK, I got myself a US -> UK voltage step-down converter and now I can use it with the right voltage AND it fits into my wall socket.

• I have just bought another preamp but it is a European version so I don't need any VOLTAGE converter but I DO need some sort of converter to change the plug socket because it will come with the US plug socket only so it won't fit into my wall.

• If I plug the new preamp into the US - UK step down converter, will it work as normal????

• I have been thinking, that because the voltages of the unit and my house will be exactly the same, the actual STEP DOWN shit inside of the converter won't need to actually do anything, right? The power will just go straight through and bypass everything, as if it wasn't even there. I think it will just act as a plug converter to make it fit.

• Am I right, and I can do this without damaging my preamp, or am I wrong, and it will damage it in someway or another, or shall I just buy a normal US -> UK converter to be safe?

 

[Muffin]

As far as my electrical knowledge goes, it should work. It won't convert it BACK or any of that shit. Still, it will be trying to convert the current anyways, which will both be a waste of money(ok not that much), but also contribute to wearing it out. If i were you, i'd buy a simple socket converter, just to be on the safe side. But i honestly can't think that plugging it into the one you got, will do any damage.
When thats said, i wouldnt do it myself. I'd buy a socket and wait.

 

[deadnight.warrior]

why don't you just buy the extension for EU to UK... i bought UK to EU when i was moving back home and my amp works fine... i think that's somewhere areound £5...

 

[<-Warheart->]

As far as my electrical knowledge goes, it should work. It won't convert it BACK or any of that shit. Still, it will be trying to convert the current anyways, which will both be a waste of money(ok not that much), but also contribute to wearing it out. If i were you, i'd buy a simple socket converter, just to be on the safe side. But i honestly can't think that plugging it into the one you got, will do any damage.
When thats said, i wouldnt do it myself. I'd buy a socket and wait.

I think I will get one just to be safe then.

why don't you just buy the extension for EU to UK... i bought UK to EU when i was moving back home and my amp works fine... i think that's somewhere areound £5...

Because the whole point of this thread is to ask whether the adaptor I already have would work. Didn't you read the questions?

I will get the adaptor but I wanted to know if it would work. If I got a "yes", then I wouldn't. But I'm not sure so I won't.

 

[valkokukka]

If I remember anything from my electrical studies this is how it goes. Your voltage step-down converter will drop down the voltage from 220V to 110V in both cases (with you US preamp and European preamp with US plug), converter doesn't know which voltage you preamp is using. So if you European preamp accepts only 220V it most probably won't work with that voltage converter. But because it has US plug it made me think that European preamp might support both 110V and 220V. But then again devices that support both 110 and 220V have chopper power and I would guess that preamp doesn't have chopper power because it would create interference and interference is not wanted in preamp....just speculating I don't know anything about guitar preamps...

But anyway, if your European preamp says somewhere back of it 110/220V or 110-220V then it can be used also with US voltage and with your power step-down converter. If it says only 220V then it won't work with lower voltage and you need adapter.

edit: and some devices have physical switch that you need to set either 110V or 220V depending which input voltage you are using.

 

[Lowberg]

Why cant they make everything universal lol

 

[pac_tang]

Because the U.S would still keep it their way not matter what. Because they are just so superior and all.

 

[deadnight.warrior]

Because the whole point of this thread is to ask whether the adaptor I already have would work. Didn't you read the questions?

I will get the adaptor but I wanted to know if it would work. If I got a "yes", then I wouldn't. But I'm not sure so I won't.

yeah yeah, i did... the thing is i'm not sure about it, sorry... but i understand what your trying to say, why would you spend extra £5 if you can plug into your converter...

 

[<-Warheart->]

If I remember anything from my electrical studies this is how it goes. Your voltage step-down converter will drop down the voltage from 220V to 110V in both cases (with you US preamp and European preamp with US plug), converter doesn't know which voltage you preamp is using. So if you European preamp accepts only 220V it most probably won't work with that voltage converter. But because it has US plug it made me think that European preamp might support both 110V and 220V. But then again devices that support both 110 and 220V have chopper power and I would guess that preamp doesn't have chopper power because it would create interference and interference is not wanted in preamp....just speculating I don't know anything about guitar preamps...

But anyway, if your European preamp says somewhere back of it 110/220V or 110-220V then it can be used also with US voltage and with your power step-down converter. If it says only 220V then it won't work with lower voltage and you need adapter.

edit: and some devices have physical switch that you need to set either 110V or 220V depending which input voltage you are using.

Thanks for the informative post, I will check the back of the preamp when it gets here and look for that, just for future references. I bought the adaptor today anyway just to be safe like I said. I don't want to spend my holiday savings on something like this and then blow it up.

yeah yeah, i did... the thing is i'm not sure about it, sorry... but i understand what your trying to say, why would you spend extra £5 if you can plug into your converter...

BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK OR DAMAGE IT!!!!!

 

[deadnight.warrior]

"...why would you spend extra £5 if you can plug into your converter..."

sorry guess i written wrong... instead of just can i should written can maybe... fuck sake, why the temper...

 

[<-Warheart->]

Because I'm an angry person when I've just woken up. I will chill out tomorrow maybe.

To answer your question, why buy the extra if I CAN, then I don't know. No one seems SURE that NO DAMAGE will be done so I don't want to take the chance. £5 is nothing.

 

[deadnight.warrior]

ok... so guess you'll be up all night since you just woke up...

what i was thinking, if you were able (and sure that nothing would explode) to use your converter, then you wouldn't have to buy the £5 thing... that's all...

 

[Lady_Relic]

Because the U.S would still keep it their way not matter what. Because they are just so superior and all.

I totally agree, including the "superior" attitude the U.S. has in general.

Like, god forbid we actually convert to the metric system. Luckily my cell phone has a converter for when I need to convert on the spot... the U.S. gov't tries to stress how important education is, when are we gonna teach our kids how to function in the rest of the world? Languages, metric system, etc. In a 2006 survey the U.S. education system ranked second to last, second to Mexico. The top was Finland, of course.


Sorry, I don't know shit about voltage/energy conversion as I'm an ignorant American with no knowledge of the rest of the world's systems.

 

[shredtastical]

Because I'm an angry person when I've just woken up. I will chill out tomorrow maybe.

To answer your question, why buy the extra if I CAN, then I don't know. No one seems SURE that NO DAMAGE will be done so I don't want to take the chance. £5 is nothing.

just to put this in perspective, you are asking the shithole of Ultimate Metal a question that could potentially fry some high ticket equipment. in other words, you're trusting some random internet dudes with your gear

 

[<-Warheart->]

just to put this in perspective, you are asking the shithole of Ultimate Metal a question that could potentially fry some high ticket equipment. in other words, you're trusting some random internet dudes with your gear

Yeah. I thought about who I could ask and I obviously didn't come up with any other solution.

 

[shredtastical]

Yeah. I thought about who I could ask and I obviously didn't come up with any other solution.

wtf? try the electrician!

 

[Stonecoldsoul07]

I totally agree, including the "superior" attitude the U.S. has in general.

Like, god forbid we actually convert to the metric system. Luckily my cell phone has a converter for when I need to convert on the spot... the U.S. gov't tries to stress how important education is, when are we gonna teach our kids how to function in the rest of the world? Languages, metric system, etc. In a 2006 survey the U.S. education system ranked second to last, second to Mexico. The top was Finland, of course.


Sorry, I don't know shit about voltage/energy conversion as I'm an ignorant American with no knowledge of the rest of the world's systems.

Are you talking shit about Mexican Americans?

 

[Lady_Relic]

Not at all. I've known some pretty well-educated Mexicans. I mentioned Mexico in case someone asked who was last.

Remember, we have Alexis for example, the up-and-coming lawyer...
Where the fuck did he disappear to?

 

[Undefined]

just to put this in perspective, you are asking the shithole of Ultimate Metal a question that could potentially fry some high ticket equipment. in other words, you're trusting some random internet dudes with your gear

Not at all. I've known some pretty well-educated Mexicans. I mentioned Mexico in case someone asked who was last.

Remember, we have Alexis for example, the up-and-coming lawyer...
Where the fuck did he disappear to?

Alexis was banned, permanently, for being a douchebag Btw Alexis is an idiot ok. His dad is a doctor and parents paid his way through school so he didn't really even have to work hard because even if he did fail he still had money to fall back on.

 

[Stonecoldsoul07]

@Pactang:Yeah the metric system would be great in the U.S. but you don't have to be jealous because you don't live here!

@Lady_Relic:Oh