I have a Nikon Coolpix P80 that takes a flat square lithium battery. I bought a voltage convertor to take on my trip to Europe. On the back of the convertor package it says WARNING: do not use with battery chargers. Does anyone know if this warning is correct? If I can't use a voltage convertor/adaptor to plug in my battery charger what am I supposed to do? I would appreciate any advice.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
All you probably need is the plug adapter rather than the voltage converter. The plugs in Europe are different than those in Great Britain. You can pick them up travel stores. Also, I think that someone said that Target has them. But this will be a lot easier than the voltage converter. Pam
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23296 posts
Of course, the warning is correct. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT use the voltage converter on your charger. It will burn it out. A battery charger uses very little current and most likely will be compatible with the 220v. Look on the charger for a tag or sometimes should input voltage. Should read something like 120-240 and a wattage. As long as it says 120 - 249 you will be fine with just a plug adapter.
Posted by
OP
Texas
59 posts
Frank,
My charger says 100-240V, but my ac adapter cord that plugs into the wall says 125V on it. Should this matter? Can I still use the same AC cord?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32214 posts
Melissa, The warning on the back of the Voltage Converter was absolutely correct! It's very likely this is a high wattage solid-state Voltage Converter, and these can cause "unfortunate consequences" when connected to solid-state Battery Chargers. The only type of Voltage Converters that should be used with Battery Chargers (or other electronic products) is a Transformer Voltage Converter. These typically only have a 50-watt capacity, which is quite adequate for Chargers and other low-wattage devices. It's not a good idea to assume that all electronic products are designed for "world operation". EACH product that you're travelling with must be checked to verify this, and you've done that. As your Charger is rated for operation from 100-240VAC, you'll only need inexpensive Plug Adapters. Note that the Adapters for continental Europe are different than those of the U.K. Have a look at This Website for a look at the various Plug Adapters. The 125V rating on the cord shouldn't be a problem. However, I'd suggest not leaving it connected for long periods of time (ie: when you're out touring in the day). In my experience, most Camera batteries charge fairly quickly so that shouldn't be an issue. Happy travels!
Posted by
Chicago, IL, United States
4 posts
Hi, I say plug adapter is all you need you dont need voltage converter for this items because your item is already dual voltage, check htpp://www.voltageconverterguide.com