Importing electronics from USA

darrenw5094

I have just purchased a new POD XT Live for my guitar/amp setup.
I have imported from the USA at a cheaper price.

My problem is that the mains plug is the 2 pin American version with:
1. Input 120v AC 60Hz
2. Output 9v AC 2000 mA

We run on 220v, much higher than them.
Will an ordinary travel adapter do the trick or will it not work...or worse still, will the voltage here damage the new unit? it cost me about €350!!!

bmaxi

darrenw5094 wrote:

I have just purchased a new POD XT Live for my guitar/amp setup.
I have imported from the USA at a cheaper price.

My problem is that the mains plug is the 2 pin American version with:
1. Input 120v AC 60Hz
2. Output 9v AC 2000 mA

We run on 220v, much higher than them.
Will an ordinary travel adapter do the trick or will it not work...or worse still, will the voltage here damage the new unit? it cost me about €350!!!

Any decent electrical retailer will sell a voltage adapter into which you plug your US style plug but make sure it is a voltage adapter and not just a 2x3 pin adapter, (The US style plug has flat pins that won't fit them anyway)

Liam Byrne

You MIGHT also be lucky - lots of professional-level electronic equipment is either capable of sensing the voltage in use or has a little 110-220 (sometimes marked 115/230 or 120/240) switch on the back that allows you to switch.

NOTE THAT THE ABOVE IS SOMETIMES THE CASE - DON'T TAKE THE ABOVE AS A GIVEN WITHOUT READING THE MANUAL, ETC, AND IF IN ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE AND GET THE ADAPTER THAT bmaxi MENTIONED

Sorry for shouting, but it's important - better safe than sorry! I heard a story of someone who had equipment shipped with the switch set to 110 and blew the crap out of it - hard to get any comeback in that case, as there's little proof as to whether (a) it should've been shipped set to 220 or (b) whether someone accidentally shifted the switch while unpacking or connecting it up.

Liam90

buy a voltage transformer. i heard maplins sell them. just make sure you buy one that is powerful enought for you product, check the wattage of your product and then get a voltage transformer that is 20% higher than that.

The Doktor

Your POD XT does not run on 110V, it runs on 9V. So you do not need to step down the mains voltage to 110V. All you need to do is get a Power Supply to convert your mains voltage to 9V. The same power supply that you use for all your pedals will do that job. The only problem with most of those is that they will not provide the current that you will require for your larger POD XT.
If you go into Maplin I am sure they will have somthing to do the job.
They will have ones that you have different output voltages which are switchable (6v,9v, 12v etc), all you have to do is make sure the output current is over 2A (2000mA).
A quick search on maplin found this. Dont mind the "worlwide" bit, its just the cheapest PSU that showed up with the correct current rating.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=48908&criteria=mains%20adapters&doy=30m12

Also, the only thing that would happen if you plugged in your POD power supply is 1. It would work (doubt it) or 2. You blow the **** out of it, but only the PSU, not the POD XT itself.

darrenw5094

Thanks for the replies.
I don't have the small POD XT red kidney bean.
It is the newer floor based POD XT Live - black floor unit running on 120v.

By the way...i bought a voltage adapter for €20 (220v to 120v) and is working fine.

Thanks...keep it real,
Darren.