Where to buy travel converter for Bonaire (127V 50 Hz to 110V 60hz)

[dvleemin]

Hi Vinga,
I'm staying at an apartment there, so I don't think they'll be able to help me.

What do the rest of you do when you're in Bonaire for converters?

Darryl

 

[Vinga]

Maybe the apartment renters can help you. The people who live on Bonaire are all grumpy about the electricity- the appliances are all US electricity, so they have to buy inverters for each item, whatta hassle!
Good luck!
Melissa

 

[neilstewart]

Hi,

I have been researching this as I'm off to Curacao on friday,

My digital camcorder does come with a battery charger that is 110-240v and 50/60hz. You should check yours especially if it is high end it may be the same.

My dive site guide says about electical supply on both Bonaire and Curacao that "US appliances will be OK voltage wise but will run slower and may take up 4 times longer to recharge because of the frequency difference". However it does say that most hotels, dive operators and dive shops do have transformers and that you can get buy one on the island without any problem at all.

This I shall need for my light.

Neil

 

[donacheson]

Originally posted by neilstewart
However it does say that most hotels, dive operators and dive shops do have transformers and that you can get buy one on the island without any problem at all.

Neil

Transformers change voltage, not frequency.

 

[Vinga]

I was told I could perhaps get an "Isolation Transformer" for Vinga. Or should it have been an inverter?
Don't we have an electrician here????
Cheers,
Melissa
s/v Vinga

 

[VTWarrenG]

The proper term for these devices would be "AC-to-AC converters." These devices take one AC waveform, rectify it (make it DC), and then pass it through an inverter to produce a new AC waveform.

A transformer would only change voltages, and 120V and 127V are basically the same from an electrical engineer's point of view. There's no problem there. If you know how noisy the power line is in most apartment complexes and office buildings, you'll be aware that those 7V are largely irrelevant.

For devices that rely on the frequency (few), you should certainly get a converter. For devices like portable electronics with battery chargers, it shouldn't be an issue. Why? Because portable electronics already have a good bit of power-handling circuitry built into them. The chargers, for example, are basically just AC rectifiers and controlled current sources. The rectifier in the charger will produce DC with just a tad bit more ripple when energized with 50Hz than 60Hz. You can safely assume that ripple will be nicely dealt with by bypass capacitors.

Be the most concerned with the following devices: Televisions, monitors, and radios. These devices often don't use just rectified AC for power; they depend in some way on the power frequency.

In general, if it's modern and has a battery charger, it'll be fine on 127V/50Hz. If it's old or uses the line directly, opt for the safety of an AC-to-AC converter.

- Warren

 

[donacheson]

Originally posted by Vinga
I was told I could perhaps get an "Isolation Transformer" for Vinga. Or should it have been an inverter?
Don't we have an electrician here????
Cheers,
Melissa
s/v Vinga

I'm getting old, with the attendant failing memory, and have been out-of-touch since I retired a dozen years ago. However, I do recall that transformers change input-to-output voltages although isolation transformers sometimes preserve voltage (although that's not their primary function) and inverters change DC-to-AC and rectifiers AC-to-DC. As for what converts 50 to 60 Hz power, I don't recall - if such a beast exists.

 

[BILLB]

My day job is in electronics. As stated before the voltage is not that big of a difference. The only problem is most electronics that have transistors use some type of surge/peak arrestor in the AC input circuitry. If the appliance was built to be used on 117 VAC the arrestor is usally a 130 (RMS) volt device. I doubt that the utilities in Bonaire have regulation SOOOO good that the power NEVER exceeds 127 VAC. If it does when plug in that appliance-poof! (goes the arrestor). The appliance will probably be OK but the burned marks and stink from the failed part may be too much to deal with.

TV sets and monitors do not use AC directly. If fact except for motors like fans, heaters and hair dryers all appliances use AC to DC power supplies.

Radio Shack has the best line of power VOLTAGE converters. If you want to convert frequency (because the motors in your fan and hair dryers will run slower and hotter) it gets very complicated.

First you need to purchase DC power supply from the local electronic store (In Bonaire?) that will work with 127 VAC/50 HZ. Then the power supply will have to be large enough to power the loads you expect AND this next item. Take with you an Inverter (converts DC to 60 hz AC) and power it off the 127 VAC/50 power supply (usually 12 VDC). Now you will have 117 VAC/60 HZ (well almost but that is another story).

At Radio shack you can also by a variable transformer that can lower the voltage just a little so your CD player oir whatever will not blow up

But then again, shouldn't you be diving anyway?

 

[dvleemin]

Thanks Bill,
I've looked online at Radio Shack, and I couldn't find one. Do you have the exact name of the thing I'll need to buy?

Thanks for the help,

Darryl

 

[VTWarrenG]

BILLB,

I'm a power engineer with National Semiconductor.

If you think your 110 VAC mains line never exceeds 130 VAC, think again. It almost certainly does. The "arrestors" you speak of, at least in consumer electronics, are usually crowbar type circuits using either SCRs or MOVs. Neither of which are sensitive to overvoltages on the order of tens of volts. Those devices are used to take the steam out of lightning surges and sacrifice themselves for their appliances. No one makes anything with protection circuitry that turns on at something as low as 130 VAC.

Many TVs and monitors phase-lock the mains 60Hz to generate timing and sync signals for yoke control -- this is what I meant by "using AC." Many newer models use digital circuitry to generate the timing signals, but you probably should be careful.

Finally, many manufacturers make the appropriate converters for all sorts of different voltage/frequencies. They cost about $50, and work great. There's absolutely no call to bring a pallete-full of bench equipment with you to Bonaire.

- Warren