OK to switch AC adapters for foreign consoles

[dethink]

Just a quick [dumb] question - if i use a US 110v AC adapter with a japanese mega drive, will anything be harmed? or do i need to use the 100v japanese one with a step-down converter? AFAIK, the whole purpose of an AC adapter is to locate all the electrical power supply bits outside the console so the innards remain the same, but just want to be safe...

[dendawg]

Just a quick [dumb] question - if i use a US 110v AC adapter with a japanese mega drive, will anything be harmed? or do i need to use the 100v japanese one with a step-down converter? AFAIK, the whole purpose of an AC adapter is to locate all the electrical power supply bits outside the console so the innards remain the same, but just want to be safe...

AFAIK, as long as the output volt/amps are the same, and the plug is the same, it should be OK.

[halbert]

Firstly, Japan has 100v outlets at either 50 or 60 Hz depending on your region. In the USA we have 110v at 60 Hz across the entire country. If you plug in the MegaDrive here it will get a little higher voltage than it is supposed to, but it will probably be OK as most electric devices can handle a few extra volts. However if it is actually an AC-AC adaptor and the Megadrive is supposed to take 50 Hz, then it's possible that some timings could be off if it relies on the incoming electricity to be at 50. If it's AC-DC, then it will probably work fine although you should make sure it doesn't get unusually hot due to the extra v's.

Disclaimer: I don't think you're going to create fireworks but you must do this at your own responsibility - I don't know if the Megadrive has any weird faults.

[sisko]

You will typically be okay with using Japanese AC adaptors in the US. You CAN use a step down converter to be on the safer side, but again, its generally not necessary.

European AC adaptors on the other hand, you obviously do have to convert.

[FABombjoy]

However if it is actually an AC-AC adaptor and the Megadrive is supposed to take 50 Hz, then it's possible that some timings could be off if it relies on the incoming electricity to be at 50

AC-AC adapters are found on systems that have components with negative voltage requirements. Systems do not rely on line voltage frequency for timing.

[dreamcaster]

My US NTSC Nintendo 64 runs fine with my Australian 240v AC Adapter.

In my experience, as long as the console's transformer is outside the console (i.e. part of the power lead itself) then they should be interchangeable with adapters from other countries. Because the power conversion occurs outside the console. The console's power requirement doesn't change, and no matter what region adapter you're using, it will always allow the same amount of power into the console.

Examples of this would be Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, NES, N64, GCN.

[dethink]

My US NTSC Nintendo 64 runs fine with my Australian 240v AC Adapter.

In my experience, as long as the console's transformer is outside the console (i.e. part of the power lead itself) then they should be interchangeable with adapters from other countries. Because the power conversion occurs outside the console. The console's power requirement doesn't change, and no matter what region adapter you're using, it will always allow the same amount of power into the console.

Examples of this would be Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, NES, N64, GCN.

good, that's exactly what i was thinking - something like a DC/GC/PS2 with the power supply inside the console would be a no no without a converter, but if the power conversion is being done in the wall wart, and not the console, it should be fine.

[dreamcaster]

My US NTSC Nintendo 64 runs fine with my Australian 240v AC Adapter.

In my experience, as long as the console's transformer is outside the console (i.e. part of the power lead itself) then they should be interchangeable with adapters from other countries. Because the power conversion occurs outside the console. The console's power requirement doesn't change, and no matter what region adapter you're using, it will always allow the same amount of power into the console.

Examples of this would be Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, NES, N64, GCN.

good, that's exactly what i was thinking - something like a DC/GC/PS2 with the power supply inside the console would be a no no without a converter, but if the power conversion is being done in the wall wart, and not the console, it should be fine.

Yeah (although, the GCN would be a fine as I said, because of it's external power supply).

There are exceptions to that rule. I do know that the US SNES is an exception. Despite it's external power supply, it's power requirements are different to the Super Famicom and PAL SNES - hence it is not interchangeable with them.

[halbert]

However if it is actually an AC-AC adaptor and the Megadrive is supposed to take 50 Hz, then it's possible that some timings could be off if it relies on the incoming electricity to be at 50

AC-AC adapters are found on systems that have components with negative voltage requirements. Systems do not rely on line voltage frequency for timing.

Like I said, I don't know about the Megadrive's power needs. The NES took AC I believe, and I always got the impression that it matched the refresh rate to what it got from the wall.. but, I'm not an expert.

(BTW Bombjoy, never got that Mac working. )