Tell me more ×
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for electronics and electrical engineering professionals, students, and enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

I live in the Netherlands and can't recharge my Japanese cellphone because I think it's due to the difference in voltage. What should I use in order to recharge it anyways?

Thanks!!

share|improve this question
3  
Might have been easier if we had a clue what cellphone it is. Plenty of them charge with a standard USB cable, for instance. – Yann Vernier Jan 15 '11 at 9:03
If you're in the Netherlands the voltage is 230 V, not 220 V. They changed it eons ago. – stevenvh Jul 31 '12 at 12:20

3 Answers

up vote 6 down vote

If its a major brand Nokia, SE, Samsung to name a few. Get a local charger and use it, its the safest approach.

share|improve this answer
up vote 3 down vote

What is the nameplate rating? A lot of newer chargers use PFC, which allows them to work from 85Vac all the way up to 265Vac...

share|improve this answer
3  
PFC (power factor correction) is an independent issue from the voltage range. – Brian Carlton Jan 15 '11 at 0:15
3  
@Brian Carlton, True, but 95% of all PFC adapters support international input range because the PFC circuit is just a special type of boost converter. There are a few exceptions, of course, but it's a general rule. – Thomas O Jan 15 '11 at 1:12
1  
Even if the charger's input has no PFC stage (and I doubt it has one), it might work from 90...264V. Flyback converters often work over a wide range of rectified AC input voltages. – zebonaut Jan 15 '11 at 19:48
up vote 2 down vote

First you need to check the voltage rating on Japanese cell phone charger. If the rating on the converter is ~110v to ~220v, that means the charger can take 220v as well. All you need is a plug adapter which you can use with existing charger. The plug adapter just allows you to plug-in your charger with square pins to your power socket.

If the voltage on the charger is just ~220v, there are two options:

  1. You can purchase a 'step down voltage converter' which can convert your power voltage to 110v for your phone. You can purchase a converter at local electronic store.
  2. Or Buy a new cell phone charger with the same output voltage as your Japanese cell charger.
share|improve this answer
Other way around: she needs a 220V device, and has a 100V one. – tyblu Jan 15 '11 at 5:31

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.