Japanese Electricity

[Alan Roberts]

Has anyone here got any experience with taking amps, lights or cameras to Japan? Were you able to use your equipment there, or do they operate on a different electrical/voltage system? Any info or links to info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Craig Vecchione]

It's very rare, being possibly the only country with voltage this low. It's 100v, with Eastern Japan 50 Hz (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Yokohoma, and Sendai); Western Japan 60 Hz (Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima).

 

The outlets/plugs are standard Edison. Compatibility of electronic gear with US 120v/60Hz really depends on what you're using. If the nameplate voltage/frequency range falls within what's available, you're okay. Incandescent and halogen lights will work, but may appear a bit dim and will draw higher current.

[Alan Roberts]

Other than the lights possibly being dimmer than normal, will the fact that they're drawing more current pose any problems? Could using a step-up transformer be a solution?

[Prog]

Most, if not all, of your gear should work fine.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Other than the lights possibly being dimmer than normal, will the fact that they're drawing more current pose any problems? Could using a step-up transformer be a solution?

 

 

 

It's hard to be specific without seeing the specific devices, but in general current draw won't be a big issue other than that you can't run as many devices on a given amperage circuit, and the aforementioned lower light output.

 

You really don't want to get involved with step-up transfomers. You'd be better off running a genset if it's even possible to find anything reliable and voltage/freq compatible over there.

 

All things considered, if this is a short-term trip, rental of local products and services is probably a good consideration.

[6Imzadi]

DO NOT plug a clock from the US in there and expect it to wake you on time.

 

[Alan Roberts]

Ummmm....OK - Why ?

[6Imzadi]

when you plug a clock in to a source that provides 50hz, a 60hz clock from America will run slow... 10 minutes per hour slow.

 

Been there, done that, got in trouble for it, too.

[Alan Roberts]

Did you have problems getting any other electrical devices to work properly?

[Keyrick]

A B3 would be flat!

[Prog]

Very few devices use the 60Hz as a timing signal. Perhaps an old analog clock, but certainly no clock/radio/whatever type clock in the last 20 years.

[agedhorse]

I design audio equipment for all countries, and Japan is indeed a big issue for many products since power supplies are designed to accomodate a range of voltages, but the range can't be too large or power dissipation in linear regulators or output stage/filter cap breakdown can be a problem.

 

With 100 volts and 50Hz, it's a double-whammy because many power supplies will drop out of regulation and can become quite noisy, and it's made worse by the lower filter cap refresh rate that 50Hz provides. Also, 50Hz requires a larger transformer core (given equiv. material) to prevent saturation. Also, the low line voltage condition of -10% gives a 90 volt min operating reqt, so compared to the high line condition here of 132 volts (+/-), that's a 40 volt input range to deal with. To accomodate this will cause a power dissipation of almost TWICE the normal design amount, requiring extra parts/heatsink capacity. The normal solution is a special 100V primary transformer for Japan.

 

An alternative that will work very well is an auto-transformer the will step down the voltage, or a boost transformer (transformer with a boost winding of approx 12 volts or so to the input voltage.

 

I have built several 2kVA units that have toured all over. Mark has one of my truely isolated boost transformers that is a 115 volt to 230 volt, 2kVA device running a PM-3k console I believe.

 

It's important that you know what you are doing when it comes to this stuff though.

[Al Poulin]

I design audio equipment for all countries, and Japan is indeed a big issue for many products since power supplies are designed to accomodate a range of voltages, but the range can't be too large or power dissipation in linear regulators or output stage/filter cap breakdown can be a problem. With 100 volts and 50Hz, it's a double-whammy because many power supplies will drop out of regulation and can become quite noisy, and it's made worse by the lower filter cap refresh rate that 50Hz provides. Also, 50Hz requires a larger transformer core (given equiv. material) to prevent saturation. Also, the low line voltage condition of -10% gives a 90 volt min operating reqt, so compared to the high line condition here of 132 volts (+/-), that's a 40 volt input range to deal with. To accomodate this will cause a power dissipation of almost TWICE the normal design amount, requiring extra parts/heatsink capacity. The normal solution is a special 100V primary transformer for Japan. An alternative that will work very well is an auto-transformer the will step down the voltage, or a boost transformer (transformer with a boost winding of approx 12 volts or so to the input voltage. I have built several 2kVA units that have toured all over. Mark has one of my truely isolated boost transformers that is a 115 volt to 230 volt, 2kVA device running a PM-3k console I believe. It's important that you know what you are doing when it comes to this stuff though.

 

 

That was all Japanese to me.

[6Imzadi]

 

Very few devices use the 60Hz as a timing signal. Perhaps an old analog clock, but certainly no clock/radio/whatever type clock in the last 20 years.

 

 

Well I was there in 1980-1983. The clock I brought was a electric analog that I had received as a gift. I threw it away after I woke up late for work. (After explaining what happened to my boss, he laughed, and I got in trouble anyway.)

[Alan Roberts]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the help and advice.

[The Real MC]

 

A B3 would be flat!

 

 

Depends where it was made. UK Hammonds have different motors to run on 50hz. Although they will need a transformer to convert 100VAC to 220VAC, it is much easier than converting the line frequency.

[Inaband]

In my experience with incandescent lights, if the line voltage is reduced, so is the current draw. With switching power supplys, the opposite is true, lower voltage will increase current draw from the line as the supply tries to keep the output constant.

[Craig Vecchione]

In my experience with incandescent lights, if the line voltage is reduced, so is the current draw. With switching power supplys, the opposite is true, lower voltage will increase current draw from the line as the supply tries to keep the output constant.

 

 

Ooh, good catch, thanks for correcting this.

[agedhorse]

 

In my experience with incandescent lights, if the line voltage is reduced, so is the current draw. With switching power supplys, the opposite is true, lower voltage will increase current draw from the line as the supply tries to keep the output constant.

 

 

Yes, this is correct for SMPS's that have feedback regulation by increasing the PWM duty cycle. Not true for unregulated SMPS's though, and the output voltage will fall with input voltage.

[Inaband]

QUOTE]Not true for unregulated SMPS's though, and the output voltage will fall with input voltage.

 

I have not experienced an unregulated SMPS. Granted most of my work has been in the home entertainment field. I guess in the industrial side, looser control of the output is tolerated?

[agedhorse]

Often, unregulated works better with dynamic loads because you don't need to worry about the regulation control loop stability. It can also be quieter EMI-wise due to the fixed 50% duty cycle. Regulated can be done, but there are a lot of potential "gottchas" to avoid.