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Ask Slashdot: Surge Protection For International Travel?
New submitter gaiageek writes: As someone who has lost a laptop power supply (and thus use of the laptop) due to a late-night power surge while traveling in a developing country, I'm acutely aware of the need for surge protection when traveling abroad. While practically all laptop and phone power adapters these days are voltage auto-sensing 100V-240V compatible, most so-called "travel" surge protectors are restricted to either 110V or 220V. Given the space and weight constraints of carry-on only travel, I'd like to avoid having to carry two separate surge protectors knowing I may go from Central America (110V) to Southeast Asia (220V). Strangely, laptop specific surge protectors typically are 100V-240V compatible, but this doesn't provide protection for a phone or tablet that requires the original power supply (can't be charged from a notebook USB port).
Is there really no solution out there short using a 110V-240V notebook surge protector with an adapter to go from a "cloverleaf" notebook plug to a 5-15R (standard US) plug receptacle?
Is there really no solution out there short using a 110V-240V notebook surge protector with an adapter to go from a "cloverleaf" notebook plug to a 5-15R (standard US) plug receptacle?
The problem is, 200 Volts on a 110V circuit is a surge and will fry a 110V power supply. So surge protectors need to be voltage specific or they become ineffective at lower voltages.
I would go another route: Make sure that your have spare/alternative ways to power or charge your equipment. For example carry a 12V charger for your laptop (also works on some airplanes). Only buy equipment (phones/tablets) you can charge from an USB outlet. Carry a spare USB charger.
This will get easier over time with the USB type C connector and USB power delivery, as modern devices get equipped with it.
I have a Lindy Surge Protector (model number 73311) which has a cloverleaf input, a cloverleaf output, a "universal" (Multi region power socket) output plug, and 2 usb outputs (1A maximum). It's rated for 660W max at 110V and 1380W Max at 230V.
So I'm clear: you have a collection of devices with switch-mode power supplies that can handle the global 100-240V power, and you want a surge suppressor that will protect you on any voltage.
Since your power supplies can handle up to 240V, you just need a surge suppressor that handles spikes above 240V. So buy a 240V-rated surge suppressor, and use a 120V plug adapter for countries with lower voltage. Since your devices already handle up to 240V, then they can handle minor over-voltages on 120V systems just fine. Bigger spikes, like lightning, are going to be high over-voltages regardless of the base voltage.
I'm not sure of your solution if you have devices that have only-120V or only-240V power supplies, and you need a surge suppressor that can protect both. Buy new wide-band power supplies or build your own (it's not that hard).
It sounds like you are traveling with only passive adapters, and so you would need to protect each and every device separately.
So own two single-outlet surge protectors, for they are quite small and as mentioned elsewhere they must be voltage-specific and make your chain thus:
PassivePlugAdapter:SingleOutletSurge:ThreeHeadedOutlet(s):Appliances
This will pack quite compactly, as the N Passive Plug Adapters get replaced with N/3 Three Headed Outlets
If you are traveling with a laptop whose power supply is capable of handling either 110v or 240v, why do you care about a surge protector for 110v? Surely all you need is a single surge protector that is rated for the highest voltage that your laptop can handle.
Also I wouldn't be too concerned about the 220v/240v differential. The components used in surge protectors don't suddenly cut off all spikes that just creep over their limit. In fact MOVs limit voltage to 3 to 4 times their rated value. So a 10% difference in line voltage is nothing to them.
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Rather than carry why not buy on the spot in the country you're travelling to? Every airport should have a duty-free shop of some sort. What you'll probably find are power strips with surge protection rather than something specifically marketed as a surge protector. Look for one with a fuse or a mini circuit breaker. If you're worried about the quality, then you can try daisy-chaining two of them.
From US, but spend 90% of my time abroad for work. I bought a US power strip w/ surge protector, for my devices to plug into, and then attach a voltage adapter to the input plug on the strip. I swap adapters depending on what country I'm in--each of which is only slightly larger than the length of the plug on the power strip, so it's not a big deal to carry a half dozen of them around in my luggage. This has served me well for about 3 years now.
I hope you realize that the optimal "waveform" from a USB charger is a flat line. There isn't such a thing as "waveform quality" with DC power, which is what USB uses. Ripple, maybe, from insufficient filtering, but not "waveform". That is only an issue with inverters that output AC mains voltage power.
If you can afford to travel to multiple continents, then there's no reason why you can't spend a few bucks and buy the surge protectors you need when you arrive on the continent, and just donate them when you leave.
I don't respond to AC's.
Well don't go to Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria
all three have experienced a 'surge' of troops from the US, Iran, or Russia
This sounds like a good idea, however when using a 240V surge protector at 100V you need to consider the reduced power rating. The power rating is likely mostly an maximum current rating and the same amount of power at 100 V instead of 240 V uses 2.4 times the current. So if you need 150 Watt maximum power at 100 V, you should use a 240v surge protector rated at least 360 W.
Jan
But what you really need is a UPS, It not only prevents surges, it cleans up the voltage outputting a near perfect sine wave.
As mentioned an Isolation Transformer would also do the trick, but again weight constraints prevent their use.
While I wouldn't put much faith in those surge arrestors, trusting a circuit breaker over one. APC has one on Newegg.com (quick search) http://www.newegg.com/Product/... - for cheap but 120 volts.
As one reviewer to the above product put it " So-called surge protectors, IMO, fit into one of the most ethereal realms in I.T. Go ahead and Google, "Do I need a surge protector," and you'll get answers from both sides of the fence--in pages upon pages of search results. That's because the answer is subjective."
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Much safer than relying on a non-grid electrical supply.
General plug-in surge protectors just short to ground whenever the component inside triggers over X volt. According to Wikipedia the lowest trigger voltage is 330V for 110V circuits, so even a 110v-rated protector will work fine as the device MUST be able to handle such spikes without damage for certification. However note that especially in developing countries the surge protector may NOT be enough but the adequate solutions are probably far too heavy for you.
But what you really need is a UPS,
Putting a bit more thought into this, I can see rigging up an expensive GFI (not a GFCI) -one that trips instantly or faster than normal to do what you need, .
Modern good laptop power supplies aren't that easy to kill; probably many mains appliances the locals use are more sensitive to troubles on the line (not only spike but also short drops), from fridges or air-condition units (anything that's compressor-based), washing machines, etc. Sure, PSes can die out of the blue, like mostly everything else but you might not be able to prevent this with a surge protector.
If it is critical to have the laptop available then you need to carry (at least) two power supplies AND TWO LAPTOPS! Frankly the power supply can be replaced almost everywhere for less than the cost of 2-4 beers from minibar, is just a 12-20V DC power supply (it can be also jury-rigged from basic parts - YES I know about the laptops with data pins, etc but still a basic supply will work). In fact it is more likely the laptop will die (not only from electrical problems!).
If you don't really need a backup laptop you can plan to use the phone for most of the communication, basic browsing, etc. You can have a memory stick with the important files, bitlocker encrypted if you want, even a fully encrypted bootable linux distribution if you so desire. Heck, you can borrow a machine if absolutely needed at Everest Base Camp, I'm sure you'll be fine anywhere else.
And why, WHY, WHY, WHY would you have in 2016 a phone "that requires the original power supply (can't be charged from a notebook USB port)" ?!?!?!?!!??! YES, we all knows somebody who still has a Nokia from 2008 with the round connector and a battery that goes for three weeks when new and even now from Monday to Friday without any sweat. But I haven't seen anybody on an intercontinental flight with something like that for a while. Even if I do see somebody I'll just assume it is a second phone, to use with a local SIM...
Persistent over/under voltage was always my challenge traveling. A surge protective device doesn't do anything when power is running at 300V for a few seconds. The old MOVs, without proper fusing, would always pop and start smoking, which was a sign to trip the main breaker before everything got fried.
For truly sensitive electronics we always used commodity 12V chargers tied to a big battery bank with individual inverters for each piece of equipment. We might have had a custom filter to deal with ripple current off the chargers, too long ago to remember the details. The chargers lasted 2-3 months on average, but were easy to replace. Normal dual-conversion UPSs would barely last 3-4 months and were much harder to find and more expensive.
For today, I would have two laptop power supplies and an extra battery, and only charge from USB. The bigger USB power supplies are pretty robust, worth carrying extras.
You don't lug around a 1:1 transformer if you are traveling around the world. You want to travel relatively light.
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OP here. Thanks! I've seen that Belkin one before but didn't know people had used it on 220V despite it only being rated for 110V.
www.gaiageek.com
OP here. I see some GFCI single outlet adapters on the market, but no GFI (and I'm not sure of the difference). If it matters (I think it does), some of the places I've been have used outlets that aren't even grounded, which further complicates the whole surge protection defense of sending excess current to ground.
Here's a question: I have a cheap international plug adapter that has "surge protection" built-in in the form of a standard user-replaceable fuse. What about using that, and maybe even putting in a lower-rated fuse?
www.gaiageek.com
Most clueless posting so far, USB power is DC, no "waveform" present. The actual problem is that they are often too weak and can heat up dangerously.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
That's what we call a 'Rotating Transformer', with a couple of pulleys and a belt you can even make it change between 50 and 60 Hz frequency.
Just a pity the one I use weighs nearly half a ton.
But as a surge isolator it is bullet proof.
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Most UPS's are "pass through" devices that connect the incoming power directly to the output if the input has power. When the input power drops, a relay inside the ups switches the outlets to an inverter that is powered by a battery. They provide no protection against surges, other than the same kind of limited protection that a powerstrip with surge protection has.
There are "online" UPS's that do a full double conversation (AC->DC->AC) at all times. They are heavy and expensive, but do provide nearly perfect protection to the attached gear.
Not sure about you, but I'm not entirely comfortable plugging something that cost $1 into the mains.
OP here. I see some GFCI single outlet adapters on the market, but no GFI (and I'm not sure of the difference). If it matters (I think it does), some of the places I've been have used outlets that aren't even grounded, which further complicates the whole surge protection defense of sending excess current to ground.
GFI's are required in the US in all newer homes, they are a fast tripping device, the outlet normally located in the bathroom. One outlet can protect an entire line.
Grounding protection is required for personal protection alone. If a country is too cheap to pay for the extra wire, I'd give serious consideration of using one's incoming metal water pipes as the third wire (think of the kids).
Here's a question: I have a cheap international plug adapter that has "surge protection" built-in in the form of a standard user-replaceable fuse. What about using that, and maybe even putting in a lower-rated fuse?
According to others replies your power supply should be well protected, situations like yours taken into account. The fuse a bonus allowing you more control. Amperage is your concern here, phones, computers, what have you; require a specific amp rating to charge, anything lower can take hours longer to charge if at all.
Hello,
Inline 100-240V laptop surge suppressors are readily available from online electronics retailers. Here are a few that will work for you:
I've used the APC model without any issues, as well as models from Targus and TRC that has since been discontinued, but occasionally show up online for sale.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
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Except some of them do produce a waveform where a line should be, and it's good to know which ones - you don't want to run that into a cell phone you like.
Never had that happen to me, though I travel regularly. It must be a rare mode of failure. I have never lost a piece of equipment this way in any country. Just once I had to fix a N. American power stripe after its surge protector component smoked out in Europe. Bypassing it fixed the stripe and it run finely ever after :).
Personally I would not bother, as a failed power supply is not a big risk comparing to other risks that something else fails or gets lost. It may be more practical to rely on replacing the power supply from a local store in the event that it fails (many sell universal power supplies that fit sockets on most notebooks). If you are that paranoid, just pack a spare in your checked luggage.
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That sucks, because my suggestion was going to be to get something like this Kensington charger. I have one with the standard North American plugs, it works with 100-240VACm, 50-60Hz.
I have a strict rule ... down own anything which can't charge from stock USB. I find between my Kensington and a couple of 6600MAh USB power bricks, I can pretty much keep everything charged.
Things which require their own chargers just create more hassles in terms of what chargers you need to bring ... whereas bringing 5-6 USB cables of several different sizes and one or two good chargers is pretty damned easy.
Just say no to devices with proprietary chargers, because you can eliminate a lot of stuff with a decent USB charger which already handles the different voltages -- they're easy enough to find these days, relatively inexpensive, and help you cover a lot of cases much more conveniently.
Things are a whole lot easier when you just have some generic cables and a multi-port charger.
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I additionally carry ONE adaptor each for home-country to US ; and home-country to European "Shucko" (which is mostly compatible with Russian). And I carry a multimeter and a screwdriver - but I carry them normally anyway.
In combination, this then gives me 4 (or 6) sockets to my home country, in any country in the world. Well, any country I've met so far. I've occasionally had problems with only having South African sockets available.
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You need protection surge against Voltage, Current and Frequency.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_frequency
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