HELP w/ electric converter!!

I need a converter for my wife to use her hair dryer, and for us to also charge our digital camera and video camera.

Where did people buy them and typically how much are they?

Thansk in advance.

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I would definitely try to find one at the airport (especially if you want a US-Europe adapter) rather than look for one in Paris - you can usually find multi-country adaptors in international airports but they%26#39;re not that cheap.

Otherwise, try enquiring at whatever hotel you%26#39;re staying at - a lot of the smarter hotels around Europe have plug adaptors to lend to their guests.

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Most newer cameras will automacticly convert the power. Look on the camera at the power conect point (the plug in) it sholud give you the power useage capabilty. It should read

100 V to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz

All you need is a plug adapter. Walmart sells these, simply plug your camera in the the right adapter then into the power point at your hotel. As for the hair dryer....most are now the same way.......just look. Remember most hotels have hair dryer in the rooms so may be your wife could just leave her%26#39;s aat home. I never travel with a dryer now days.

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The answer for the camera part of your question is pretty much correct but the hair dryer is going to be a different story unliess it too a dual voltage unit right out of the box.

You must be able to pick up a dual voltage hair dryer almost anywhere.

Target, Walmart, even a good grocery store has a pharmacy or beauty section.

Buying a special adaptor for the high current draw of a hair dryer isn%26#39;t needed. Dual voltage dryers are everywhere.

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Does 1 converter work for everything-like camera batteries charging, curling iron use etc....

thanks!

Veggie

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BJB --

In the spirit of the eternal rule %26quot;When all else fails, read the directions%26quot;, drag out your manual and read - many cameras are dual voltage these days, also. Check your manuals and look at the hook up point for recharging. If it doesn%26#39;t show both voltages, you%26#39;ll need a transformer.

Check out Target and Walmart. Buy at the airport as a last resort, as like everything else you buy there, the prices are outrageous in comparison. Be sure to buy the correct plug adapter, in fact buy two or three, in case you can recharge one item without the transformer.

My video cam will operate on AA batteries, so I just pack about a jillion of those rather than worry about recharging. My bag gets lighter and lighter as my trip goes on, and I have no worries about power surges, etc.

As far as the hairdryer is concerned, buy one in Paris. At Monoprix or one of the other chains in Paris you%26#39;ll find them at affordable prices and it will make the untimate souvenir of this trip, particularly if you purchase one that is dual voltage as well as the plug adapter for North America. On the other hand, I never bother with one. My time in Paris is too valuable to be wasted on a chore than Mother Nature will do for me.

Bon voyage.

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I bought this hair dryer to take to Paris on the recommendation of a friend who travels there frequently: www.110220volts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc…

We do enough traveling that I decided it was just easier to buy/bring the proper voltage.

As has been said, converters can be purchased just about anywhere - Target, Walmart, Radio Shack and the like.

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P.S. You%26#39;ll have to cut/paste the URL to see it as I don%26#39;t know how to make it a live link on this site.

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A converter is NOT an adapter is NOT a converter.

A converter converts voltage, in this case from 220V to 110V. You do NOT want one. They are heavy, expensive and of dubious value.

An adapter is used to deal with the fact that electrical outlets in different countries have different arrangements and shapes of pins. You plug your US dual voltage appliance into an adapter with pins that will fit into a French outlet and use it just as you would at home. Most small appliances do not need to be switched to use the higher European voltage. On some you will have to slide a small switch *before* you plug the unit into the wall outlet. If you want to use more than one appliance or charger simultaneously you will need more than one adapter. They are inexpensive and easy to find.

If you *must* carry a hair dryer — and even inexpensive hotels will almost always have them — either buy a dual voltage appliance before you go or buy a cheap one after you arrive. But first check with your hotel to see if they supply them

Almost all small electronic appliances these days — iPods, laptops and the like — are universal, i.e. dual voltage. Check the label on the appliance and/or the manual that you have kept for just this reason. (You did keep it and you do know where it is, right?)

Most inexpensive battery chargers in the US are single voltage and MUST NOT be used in European outlets. Dual voltage battery chargers are easy to find. (Best Buy carries a model made by Monster Cable for example.)

This issue has been covered many times. If you want more info use the search box above the posts and either adapter or converter as the keyword.

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