Travelling to The US - Is It Smart to Bring a Power Board?

ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 15:52
Last edited 10/07/2022 - 15:55

Instead of bringing a million power adapter plugs, would it be a better idea to just bring a power board and one adapter plug for it to connect to? I've heard that Australia uses 240V while US uses 120V, does that mean using a power board with 240V will fry my devices? All my devices are rated ~100-240V, so it will be JUST the power board that doesn't conform with US standards.

I have this one right now which is 240V
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09H33GQPK/

Looking around, I can't seem to find any which are 120V.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Surge-Protector-Outlets-Ports-Prot…
This one looks nice, but doesn't say how many volts.

Travel Power Board

Comments

  • bobbified on 10/07/2022 - 16:00
    +9

    That's what I do on every trip overseas. Or a multi USB charger that can charge lots of things overnight.

    • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 16:02
      +1

      The power board is rated for 240V not 120V, so that's got me worried it'll fry.

      • bobbified on 10/07/2022 - 16:03
        +6

        Rated up to 240v. It's fine. Don't do it the other at around though!

      • ChrisLevo on 10/07/2022 - 16:04

        I lived there, after the UK and Chile, so know my voltages :-)

        It will be fine, but you will need to terminate it in a US plug or use an adaptor.

        Just take a couple of adaptors, unless you need to plug in heaps of devices at once.
        Cheaper and lighter.

      • avoidfullprice on 10/07/2022 - 22:36

        Don’t plug more than 10A of load, as thats what the extension board cable is rated up to.

        Laptop power supply = okay.

        Hair dryer = won’t recommend…

        Iron = i wouldn’t…

  • Stewardo on 10/07/2022 - 16:04

    I’ve done this and works well,
    It won’t fry your things as it’s only half the power.
    It would fry some USA equipment if you plugged it in here.
    The equipment you take to North America should have a transformer that has 110-240 written on it. So phone chargers and laptop cables from oz will work fine.
    Items that require 240 will work at half speed. But it would be unlikely you would take anything that draws that power, power tools, fridge, heater, kettle etc.

    • Zephyrus on 10/07/2022 - 19:11
      +3

      Items that require 240 will work at half speed

      Depends the device. Some things can get damaged/destroyed running at the wrong voltage, like a motor that won't spin at the lower voltage and just heat up and destroy itself.

      • Stewardo on 10/07/2022 - 20:13

        I agree, it wouldn’t be good for those devices. my electric planer and drill both spin slowly at 110v pretty useless.

  • AndyC1 on 10/07/2022 - 16:19

    Go to love you finding a huge power board you can find and it also is not light compared to a simple 4 way powerboard that will work just as well and costs about 1/6 or 1/10th depending on where you got the power board from. I have a black on and I would NOT be taking it, but would be taking a cheap click 4 port one and getting a good quality USA to OZ power adapter.

    If you plug US equipment into 240V in OZ you may fry it.
    If you plug OZ 240 in the US then it will not try, but it may not work or only give you 1/2 the power.

    For electronic switch mode power supplies for tablets, phones, computers etc read the label and as long as they say 100~250V or 110~240V then you can use them in OZ or US with a power adapter, but in upper voltage is 220V then it's for Hong Kong and may not last very long in OZ or meet the OZ regs.

    Some examples:
    1) A OZ 240V drill will only spin at 240/110 the speed in the USA.
    2) A US 110V drill will blow up and fry if you plug it into OZ 240V (or it should)
    3) A USB power supply that says 90~260V will work in 99% of countries so long as you have an adapter that allows you to plug it in.

  • JaneSong on 10/07/2022 - 16:42

    Everything works fine. I brought mine over to a visit recently to Vancouver.

    I used one of those cheap chinese converters (Only for export plugs) which was plugged in at the hotel.

    Remember to bring your kettle over there so you can show people how it works. It will boil slower but it's something quite rare in both Canada and the USA.

    • freefall101 on 10/07/2022 - 19:37

      Remember to bring your kettle over there so you can show people how it works. It will boil slower but it's something quite rare in both Canada and the USA.

      I have no idea where you were in Vancouver, but I lived there for 6 years and had a kettle the entire time. They're everywhere.

      Everything works fine so long as it's rated for 110-240V. Phone chargers and the like are always fine. Some appliances won't be. When I moved back I ditched a few things simply because of this (and eventually ditched everything that had a US plug except for a few phone chargers I take when on holidays there).

  • JimmyF on 10/07/2022 - 16:51
    +1

    Instead of bringing a million power adapter plugs, would it be a better idea to just bring a power board and one adapter plug for it to connect to?

    Yep, I do this all the time.

    I've heard that Australia uses 240V while US uses 120V

    You heard correct

    does that mean using a power board with 240V will fry my devices?

    Powerboard will pass through whatever voltage you feed them.

    All my devices are rated ~100-240V, so it will be JUST the power board that doesn't conform with US standards.

    Your devices will be fine then, and your powerboard too.

    I travel with a Xiaomi Power Strip, it has 3 x 2.1A USB plugs and 3 x plugs for devices plus a long cord. Works happily with 110/220v, so fits the travel bill nicely.

    If you want something smaller, with more USB have a look at

    https://www.jaycar.com.au/2-way-powerboard-with-usb-charge-p…?

    • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 16:59

      I travel with a Xiaomi Power Strip, it has 3 x 2.1A USB plugs and 3 x plugs for devices plus a long cord. Works happily with 110/220v, so fits the travel bill nicely.

      This one?
      https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/313053731273
      Looks decent, might get the +3 USB 27W Fast Charging edition.

      • JimmyF on 10/07/2022 - 17:57

        Yes that is the one. Had mine for a few years now, held up well.

        • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 21:51

          Hearing that it doesn't comply with Australian safety standards, hope mine holds up well too.

  • sonicentropy on 10/07/2022 - 17:32
    +1

    I travel with the xiomi power
    Board.I have tested in Japan and US has the bonus of having 3 usb.

    • dust on 11/07/2022 - 10:06

      +1 on the power strip. The USB ports aren't quick charge but they're fine if you're just charging mobiles overnight.

  • Almost Banned on 10/07/2022 - 18:07

    Yes - using a power board means you only need one adaptor.
    Word of warning though, don't take it on a cruise. They bloody woke me up in the middle of my first night when they discovered it in my bags. I was not pleased.

    • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 21:49

      They bloody woke me up in the middle of my first night when they discovered it in my bags. I was not pleased.

      Why were they opening your bags? And why can't they be brought on a cruise?

      • Almost Banned on 11/07/2022 - 00:25
        +1

        It was apparently on the forbidden list - I assume they are worried about overloading the power outlet. I hadn't thought it would be a problem.
        On the cruise you check your bags on arrival and they are delivered to your cabin. I assume they scan the bags through a screening device as they are loaded and they saw the board - then by the time they got around to telling us that we were very naughty we had turned in for the night.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2022 - 18:24

    While US does use 240V for electrical appliances that require higher power and all homes are wired for 240V, 240V outlets are not what you would ever encounter in a typical rooms and they're shaped very differently from what you are used to.

    • AndyC1 on 11/07/2022 - 09:51

      It's called three phase power like in OZ. In OZ three phase can also be called 415V.

  • thatonethere on 10/07/2022 - 19:41

    If you are going for a while might be worth picking up some native plug packs/powerboard when you arrive.

    That solves the two problems you have on travel

    1. Need to recharge a lot of stuff all at once
    2. Not enough power outlets to do so
    • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 21:50

      All my devices that I plan to bring and charger there are Australian, so that would mean sticking 5 Australian adapters onto a US powerboard.

  • jaffar on 10/07/2022 - 20:40
    +1

    What appliances will you be running? If you only need USB power then get a desktop 5-port USB fast charger (that acceps 240v/120v - most do) + the relevant figure 8 power cord. Use the US figure 8 power cord in the US and then swap if for the AU cord when you get home.

    • ASOT on 10/07/2022 - 21:50

      the relevant figure 8 power cord

      Wdym by this? I need non-USB power too.

      • Broke-Ken on 11/07/2022 - 15:08

        The figure 8 power cord, is nicknamed such because the plug looks like the figure 8, the correct name of it though is "IEC C7". Once you see it, you will understand Jaffar's comment.

        But I agree with everyone else, I bring a power board when traveling too. A side effect of this is that you get to make a lot of Aussie traveler friends ;)

  • askme69 on 10/07/2022 - 21:00

    Always COMPLY

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