For the experts out there. Is it harmfull to plug a standard electronics transformer(laptop, pda, phone), to a 115v 400hz receptacle?

I know that most stuff is setup for 60hz(usa) or 50hz(eur).

Iggy

 

Bump

 

Iggy,

I did a quick Google search and these are the sites I came up with:

http://www.eng-tips.com/gviewthread....id/2/qid/35774

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,1074,00.html

http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/igo-jui...er-review.html

I hope they're helpful to you. Based on what I read, I wouldn't plug my laptop, phone, or PDA into a 400Hz outlet without one of these or something similar.

Take care

My mods: www.cardomain.com/id/bozzchem

 

Thanks Bozz,

Yeah I saw all of those but never really came up with a desisive answer. I've been plugging into ship's power to recharge various items for a couple of years now, but was just wondering what was "going on behind the scenes electronically".

Thanks,
Iggy

 

I wouldn't call myself a true electrical engineer, but I know a fair bit about this.

Land-based AC systems operate at either 60Hz (USA) or 50Hz (Europe & Elsewhere). Hertz (Hz) is the number of cycles per second that the AC waveform goes through; i.e. in the USA, the waveform cycles 60 times every second. This is VERY tightly controlled -- I was once at CalISO's Grid Operations Center, and they control it to four or five decimal places; i.e. 60.0000 Hz. The reason for such tight control is that many electrical devices, particularly older ones, depend on the 60Hz cycle for timing. Bad Things can happen if the grid destabilizes and the frequency starts fluctuating; for example, machines in factories may start doing things at the wrong time.

HOWEVER, all the modern equipment, such as the switching power supply in your computer, isn't nearly so sensitive. The power supply takes the AC current and runs it through a rectifier which chops off one half of the AC waveform, this making it a fluctuating DC. This fluctuating DC current is then sent through a series of capacitors and filters, which smoothes it out into 'true' DC, which is fed to your system. The rectifier doesn't care what frequency the AC waveform is coming in at, as it just chops half of it off. To it, 60Hz is the same as 400Hz.

So, Iggy, you shouldn't have any trouble plugging things into a 400Hz supply. However, for the official disclaimer: IANAEE (I Am Not An Electrical Engineer), so you can't come running back to me if you blow something up.

 

Dordal,
Thanks for the reply. That is exactly how a friend of mine explained it to me, except I understand your version a little better. :-)

Iggy

 

i've asked the same question to people i know around here in memphisand the near unanimous answer was: it's possible, but not really suggested. myself being a overly pessimistic person took that as a no since i don't care for taking chances with expensive electronics when there is no course of action that doesn't result in me having to pay out of pocket if something goes wrong.