charging my camera and computer

[fortcollinsjerry]

I'll want to keep my camera and computer charged up while in Scotland this summer. Anyone have a favorite converter they use for this? It looks like I'm going to have to get one eventually.

[BEEDEE]

I use one I got from Radio Shack that has built in different plugs. It is a little large, about 4x2x2 ins but I have used it all over the world without problems.

Brian

[sydnie7]

I have had horrid experiences with travel converters. If you have a rental car, I highly recommend a converter that plugs into vehicle 12V and has regular US-style outlets that your equipment chargers plug in to. Just charge while driving and you're set, or (if you're brave, and the car has a "hot" 12V outlet that stays on when the engine is off) charge them overnight and you're ready to go in the morning, as long as the rental has a good battery! These are readily available -- Target and electronics stores -- for $30 and up.

The things I've fried trying to charge US120V equipment on converted UK240V current. . .with EXPENSIVE "travel converters". . . *sigh*

But, if you don't have a car, you're stuck and I wish you the luck I didn't have!

[The Wizard of BC]

Please take my advice from my recent trip.

I thought I would be smart and get a current convertor before the trip. Alas this was not the smartest thing.

The one I got had a switch which was supposed to provide two amounts of wattage. A lower 10 watts to charge batteries and run a computer and a higher level to run hair dryers and such. I bought the converter which had the appropriate three prong plug adapter for UK sockets.

As soon as my wife plugged in our converter and then the hair dryer, the adapter melted. We then found the fuse in the plug adapter was a 10 amp type found in N. America not the 30 amp type used in the UK. So, it was off to buy a new adapter. The next time she went to use the adapter, someone else in the Ferintosh Inn plugged in something else, all the circuit breakers blew and the converter flew right out of the socket. Lots of sparks and lots of smoke.

My advice would be to wait till you get to Scotland and go into a local shop and buy a converter and plug adapter there. Current converters should only be used for running low amperage items like your computer and charging batteries. They work perfectly for keeping your batteries charged but (according to the clerk at a computer store in Edinburgh) must never be used for anything which has a heating element.

If you need a hair dryer or some other appliance that has a heating element save space in your luggage and buy one after you arrive. Every hotel and B&B we stayed at had a hair dryer and coffee/tea pot in the room so you don't really need to pack those. But if you also need a curling iron or steamer you can find inexpensive ones over there.