Using UK hifi in the US: voltage query

[BarryH]

Hi AK forum members

I have just moved to the USA from the UK and brought my UK hifi with me; a Creek 4140 S2 amp and a Creek T40 Tuner.

I can't get my head around what Step-up/step-down transformer to get (500w, 1000w etc) so I thought I would ask here.

At the back of the amp above the power cord, it says "200-240 50hz Fuse: T1A/250" (photo attached).

At the back of the tuner to the right the power cord, it says "250v 50hz Fuse slow blow 0.25A" (photo attached).

Any help great appreciated, I am a bit in the dark when it comes to voltage/watts.

Barry

 

[Condorsat]

I use to live in the UK in the mid 80's ... sold all my US electronics & bought UK ones ... sold those when I came back to US.

The stereo gear I purchased (in UK) was international (multi voltage capable).

Probably lots of folks do that ... so it's a tough question to answer.

This YouTube Video might help you .... made by a company selling voltage transformers.

Cheers & welcome to the USA

 

[DaveVoorhis]

When I moved from Canada to the UK many years ago, I bought a 240-120 transformer -- I think roughly in the 3KVA range -- at a local electronics shop, bolted a small box to it containing breakers, sockets and a power switch, and happily used it with my North American 120v gear. Everything worked fine at 50hz except a beard trimmer. I threw it away and bought a new one.

Then I moved back to Canada and shipped the transformer and some 240 volt gear. I rewired the transformer for 120 to 240 volt conversion, and everything worked fine at 60hz except the new beard trimmer. I threw it away and bought a new one.

Then I moved from Canada back to the UK, which is where I am now. I shipped the transformer and all my gear -- except my beard trimmer -- back again. I rewired the transformer for 240 to 120 volt conversion and it's in use today.

Some equipment is sensitive to 50hz vs 60hz, like the beard trimmers, but the majority of audio gear is not. Stuff with shaded pole motors -- some turntables, for example -- might be.

 

[BarryH]

Thanks Condorsat that Video was great!

 

[whoaru99]

Based on those ratings a 500W, 120V to 240V step up transformer should be fine.

Or, depending on your circumstances, just put in a dedicated 240V circuit for the gear and forego the step up transformer.

 

[BarryH]

I use to live in the UK in the mid 80's ... sold all my US electronics & bought UK ones ... sold those when I came back to US.

The stereo gear I purchased (in UK) was international (multi voltage capable).

Probably lots of folks do that ... so it's a tough question to answer.

This YouTube Video might help you .... made by a company selling voltage transformers.

Cheers & welcome to the USA

Thanks Condorsat that Video was great!

 

[BarryH]

Based on those ratings a 500W, 120V to 240V step up transformer should be fine.

Or, depending on your circumstances, just put in a dedicated 240V circuit for the gear and forego the step up transformer.

Thanks for you r reply - very helpful.

Barry

 

[lini]

Barry: Well, the fuse values should be above the regular operation voltage and current, so the amp would seem very likely to draw at least a bit less than 250 W (250 V x 1 A) and the tuner even very likely to draw way less than 75 W.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Audiovet]

Using 50 Hz equipment on 60 Hz is fine, somewhat of a safety factor left in the slightly under-fluxed transformer cores. Going by fuze ratings, a 300W transformer shoud be fine. But fuze ratings are given with a safety factor; normally equipment would draw about <80% of the fuze rating, Thus you may only need a nominal 250W transformer. Thus a good 300W unit, again, should be more than needed.

(Transformers have losses. Hopefully there are taps for fine adjustment. You may need a voltmeter to ensure that you do get the required mains voltage into the equipment.)

 

[leesonic]

Have you taken the covers off and had a look inside? You might find they have multi-voltage transformers inside that myself (or someone else on here) can re-wire to run on 120v.

I brought my HiFi with me when I moved here 15 years ago, along with a 1970 Ford Capri. The NAD amp I was able to rewire to work on 120v, the Philips CD player wasn't so easy, and I still have a transformer from a US model that I need to fit.

Lee.

 

[sreten]

Hi,

Nearly all 240V gear has transformers with two 120V primaries in series.
Nearly all can be simply internally rewired for 120V in parallel, the input
fuse doubling in its current rating. If you do this put some sort of label
over the original ratings with the new values.

rgds, sreten.