Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:58:05 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:47:52 GMT, Eddy
wrote:


Can anyone tell me if a radio that has a United States 110 Volt AC plug
on it can be used in the UK?

Years ago I bought a radio alarm-clock with a 110 Volt AC plug on it in
Far East and I have been using it here in the UK for the last ten years.
However, I have just turned it over and looked at it carefully and on
the back it states: power supply 110 Volts - 220 Volts.

The machine I want to buy can be seen at the following address, although
I think I can buy it from another US supplier. (I don't think
Amazon.com will ship to the UK anymore.)

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-CD700...=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

Thanks,

Eddy.

You can certainly buy a mains voltage converter for it (won't cost you
much more than a new clock radio, probably :-). But if this is like
most of them, it uses the mains frequency to run the clock. 50Hz vs
60Hz mains will make it run very slow.

**Unlikely. Given the level of automation and the fact that it has a battery
back-up, it is likely to be crystal locked. I purchased a Sony clock radio,
back in 1995, which was crystal locked, battery backed, digitally tuned, for
US$29.95. I installed an original Sony 240VAC transformer (cost AUS$3.00),
reset some thoughtfully labelled links (for 9kHz AM spacing) and am still
enjoying the rather respectable clock radio today. The cost of that product,
in Australia, was AUS$125.00.

Trevor Wilson


My clock radio has mechanical tuning, so I wasn't really thinking
about the two different channel spacings. Actually it is of such an
ancient vintage that I believe it does use the mains for the clock
timing, and drops back to an RC oscillator if the mains fails.

Don't know how they run the mains in OZ, but here although it is a bit
noisy, they do place limits on the total number of cycles in a day,
and that is plenty accurate enough for a clock.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

Phil Allison wrote:

"Eddy the Idiot "

Phil Allison wrote:

Ah, thanks a lot, Don. That's just fantastic! Worth the £17, I think,
given the delighted gasps of pleasure surrounding the particular
machine
in question!

** You are a ****ing IDIOT !!!

......... Phil

Phil, I think you and I live in completely different worlds.

** Firstly - YOU have no capacity for thinking.

Secondly - YOU live in an alternative universe - one that is full of
****wits.

........ Phil


Phil, do you think it's possible that maybe I have considerable capacity
for thinking in MY own particular fields of expertise (which do not
include any form of electronics)? And, conversely, maybe if you were to
ask questions in domains alien to you, you might easily be disparaged by
the unthinking experts in those domains as being what you have described
as "a ****ing idiot"? Do you think that this might be at all possible?

Eddy.

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

Don Pearce wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
Don Pearce wrote:

You can certainly buy a mains voltage converter for it (won't cost you
much more than a new clock radio, probably :-). But if this is like
most of them, it uses the mains frequency to run the clock. 50Hz vs
60Hz mains will make it run very slow.

Mains locked? The few I've had apart are crystal locked - necessary if you
wish battery backup. Which most radio alarms have.

Yup, you are probably dead right.

The funny thing is, and I speak from experience, is that a crystal of the ilk
likely to be found in a clock radio is LESS accurate than the mains. By some
considerable degree.

Graham

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:58:05 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:47:52 GMT, Eddy
wrote:


Can anyone tell me if a radio that has a United States 110 Volt AC plug
on it can be used in the UK?

Years ago I bought a radio alarm-clock with a 110 Volt AC plug on it in
Far East and I have been using it here in the UK for the last ten years.
However, I have just turned it over and looked at it carefully and on
the back it states: power supply 110 Volts - 220 Volts.

The machine I want to buy can be seen at the following address, although
I think I can buy it from another US supplier. (I don't think
Amazon.com will ship to the UK anymore.)

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICF-CD700...=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

Thanks,

Eddy.

You can certainly buy a mains voltage converter for it (won't cost you
much more than a new clock radio, probably :-). But if this is like
most of them, it uses the mains frequency to run the clock. 50Hz vs
60Hz mains will make it run very slow.

**Unlikely. Given the level of automation and the fact that it has a
battery
back-up, it is likely to be crystal locked. I purchased a Sony clock
radio,
back in 1995, which was crystal locked, battery backed, digitally tuned,
for
US$29.95. I installed an original Sony 240VAC transformer (cost AUS$3.00),
reset some thoughtfully labelled links (for 9kHz AM spacing) and am still
enjoying the rather respectable clock radio today. The cost of that
product,
in Australia, was AUS$125.00.

Trevor Wilson


My clock radio has mechanical tuning, so I wasn't really thinking
about the two different channel spacings. Actually it is of such an
ancient vintage that I believe it does use the mains for the clock
timing, and drops back to an RC oscillator if the mains fails.

**I'm sure it does. However, the Sony in question will use at least two
crystals. One for the CD player and another the CPU. Using the CPU crystal
for clock timing will be easy enough. Like I said: My ancient US$29.95 Sony
clock radio does use crystal timing for clock functions. I see no reason why
Sony would change things 10 years+ later.


Don't know how they run the mains in OZ, but here although it is a bit
noisy, they do place limits on the total number of cycles in a day,
and that is plenty accurate enough for a clock.

**Our mains supply appears to be adequate for most clock functions.

Trevor Wilson

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)"


Mains locked? The few I've had apart are crystal locked - necessary if you
wish battery backup. Which most radio alarms have.


** Nonsense.

Battery back up ( of the time ) is fitted to MOST clock radios that use the
AC supply frequency as a reference.

The feature is built in to the clock ICs that are commonly used.



......... Phil

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...


**I'm sure it does. However, the Sony in question will use at least two
crystals. One for the CD player and another the CPU. Using the CPU crystal
for clock timing will be easy enough.

Easy maybe, but not good enough for timekeeping. Of course they could
provide a timekeeping-quality crystal oscillator for the clock and use that
for the CPU as well, but it wouldn't be worth the effort as CPU crystals
cost virtually nothing.

Like I said: My ancient US$29.95 Sony
clock radio does use crystal timing for clock functions. I see no reason
why Sony would change things 10 years+ later.

Nobody has mentioned the option of MSF control. Apart from anything else it
avoids the maintenance liability of battery backup, yet self resets after a
power cut.


David.

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

In article ,
Eeyore wrote:


Don Pearce wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
Don Pearce wrote:

You can certainly buy a mains voltage converter for it (won't cost
you much more than a new clock radio, probably :-). But if this is
like most of them, it uses the mains frequency to run the clock.
50Hz vs 60Hz mains will make it run very slow.

Mains locked? The few I've had apart are crystal locked - necessary
if you wish battery backup. Which most radio alarms have.

Yup, you are probably dead right.

The funny thing is, and I speak from experience, is that a crystal of
the ilk likely to be found in a clock radio is LESS accurate than the
mains. By some considerable degree.

Indeed. Mains is averaged out to exactly 50 Hz for this express purpose.
However, providing a backup may be more expensive than a system which
relies on its own oscillator.

But a mains locked system can be quite a bit out at certain times of the
day - and likely when needed. One controlled by a decent local oscillator
should be more consistent.

Graham

--
*A snooze button is a poor substitute for no alarm clock at all *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)"

Mains locked? The few I've had apart are crystal locked - necessary if
you wish battery backup. Which most radio alarms have.


** Nonsense.

Thank you for your kind words.

Battery back up ( of the time ) is fitted to MOST clock radios that use
the AC supply frequency as a reference.

Do any? None of those I've got here do.

The feature is built in to the clock ICs that are commonly used.

Depends what you mean by commonly.

--
*The longest recorded flightof a chicken is thirteen seconds *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

"Dave Plowman (Nutter )"


Indeed. Mains is averaged out to exactly 50 Hz for this express purpose.
However, providing a backup may be more expensive than a system which
relies on its own oscillator.

But a mains locked system can be quite a bit out at certain times of the
day - and likely when needed.


** Nonsense.

One controlled by a decent local oscillator
should be more consistent.


** ********.

Crystal clocks and watches have poor time keeping compared to a mains
frequency based clock.

Average errors are in the order of 30 seconds per month, much more for
watches if the owner forgets to wear it.


........ Phil

Use 100 Volt AC radio in UK?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:
But a mains locked system can be quite a bit out at certain times of
the day - and likely when needed.


** Nonsense.

******** **

One controlled by a decent local oscillator
should be more consistent.


** ********.

Nonsense **

Crystal clocks and watches have poor time keeping compared to a mains
frequency based clock.

Mains frequency in Europe has a tolerance of +/- 0.2 Hz. I'll leave you to
work out the worst possible error in a 24 hour period.

Average errors are in the order of 30 seconds per month, much more for
watches if the owner forgets to wear it.

You have a mains locked watch? Figures.

--
*Succeed, in spite of management *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.