I am just asking out of curiousity , but has anyone taken their 110v small appliances like hair dryer to MENA and had it work normally with a power converter...

I know this sounds werid, but while I was in Algerie I really wished I had my hair dryer with me. To buy one would have costed more then I would have wanted to spent... but I am just curious...as I took my laptop, digial camera and other electronics there...which worked fine with the $3 converter I bought from Travel 2000.

Also I know a few people in Algerie that could use baby monitors, etc... that I am curious would they even work there with the converter?!

Does anyone have any experience with this..and what types of electrical items have you all taken and been to use...

I read a few posts here recently where people said they had their items melt because they got too hot, and to make sure not to buy a cheap converter, but I'm not sure how one would know whether they had a cheap converter or not. I don't have much I'd need a converter for but i have the same question. I'd hate to have things die or melt because of the converter.
Good question.

I think some hairdryers come with a little switch that lets you set the voltage they are on- 220V or 110V, so you don't acutally need a voltage converter just the little plug thing.

Here....Ill go ahead and give all you ladies a taste of what my 3$ converter did to me....

A nice sunny afternoon in Jordan, I was informed we were going to Khalee Noors for dinner...Wanting to look good of course, I started to 3 barrell curl my hair.....midway thru getting my hair done, I noticed brown, burn marks allll throughout my hair....I rubbed the spots to see if they would go away, and my hair started fallign out in clumps....handfuls, enough to make wig upon wig.....for months my hair would fall out in piles, to the point where my thick, long blonde hair, was sooooo thin, fine, and damaged....thank god, 9 months later, i have got it back to normal, but, oh how it could have been avoided had i spent a little extra on a converter...

my wife tried her hair drier and it just burnt from inside and smoke came out of it .
so i had to get her a new one haha.

hope that doesnt happen to my laptop when i use it in the us.

A hair dryer is a high-watage device and requites more than a simple $3 plug adapter, most modern electronic devices like laptops, and digital cameras have power adapters that can work on voltages from 100-220 volts and work anywhere, just a simple plug adapter.

Devices that are marked 110 volts only need voltage transformer that convert 220 volts down to the 110 folt level or you will destroy the lower voltage device, simple electronics like baby monitors are the type of device that need a transformer.

High wattage devices like hair driers need more than a simple transformer, they need a high wattage converter they sell for $40. If you try to use a low wattage converter with a hair drier you will damage the converter and/or the air drier.

Places like Brookstone and Radio Shack sell Low and High wattage converters.

http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.as...amp;prodtemp=t1

I had to read that twice but it makes sense, thanks.

I think the only thing I actually need it for is my battery charger (for the digi cam batteries) and my toothbrush, though I can always use a manual toothbrush on the trip.
Thankfully I don't use hair dryers or curlers.

dollface41601, I'm glad to hear that your hair is finally back to normal. That must have been such a nightmare for you!!!

Thanks everyone for the info...I think I will invest in a better convertor...also I was wondering b chance does anyone know if I bought like a baby monitor, mini food processor as gift for my family would it work there with the convertor...or should i just get them something else.

The baby room monitor may violate local laws for use of unauthorized radio frequencies. Not all countries allow the same frequencies in the same way that the United States dose, the FCC set aside specific frequencies for things like cordless phones, and room monitors, but those same frequencies may be used in the other country for government departments like police, and emergency uses, and devises like that can cause interference.

Electronic appliances tend not to be good items as gifts when voltages are different, as well as other standards like broadcast frequencies, and transmission standards.

Thanks YuandDan for the FYI...ok then back to the drawing boards for more gofts ideas!

Just a quick note of what NOT to do when you don't have a power converter for your hair dryer. My fiance was very sweet to try to get my hair dryer to work for me while I was in Algeria. He constructed an adapter from a mosquito repealent plug in. Well, it got power but it turned into a blow torch.

I do know Radio Shack has some very good power converters, but they are expensive.

A full range of stepdown voltage transformers: http://www.voltage-converter-transformers....ransformer.html

range from 100 watts - $8.99 to 15,000 watts - $339.99

if your hairdryer is 1500 watts - the transformer is $49.99

but ... a 1500 watt transformer weighs 22 pounds

Yep, I am thinking it is not worth buying one . . . think of all the stuff you can't pack and the possibility of being way overload on the way home . . . after buying all the great stuff/gifts to bring to friends/family when you return home . . . over weight baggage charges are going up now and last year I paid $25 for that heavy bag (darn coins and beads on those hip scarves, hehe).

Not sure you want to leave the transformer behind . . . but if you do buy one and you plan to go many times ( leave with relatives till you return), then maybe buying one will be worth it. OR you can buy the hairdryer made for that system after you arrive and leave it with the relatives.

I have learned to live with the frizz while traveling . . . .

a general rule of thumb, if the item does not list the watts it uses, is take the voltage times the amps = approximate wattage
example: 110 volts x 2.1 amps = 231 watts.

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about drying my hair when I go. The house will be full of women! Yay!

Just buy a dual voltage hair dryer. I have one from Sharper Image that worked fine in Egypt. I just had to use an adapter.

I normally buy those gifts in the country where I am going to be. That way I don't have to travel with it nor do I have to mess with power issues.

Joel

I agree, I wouldnt get anything where they would have to deal with a converter. They tend to overheat and cause issues so its simply not worth it IMO. Chocolates, candy, clothing, make up, etc always make great gifts.

I always take jumbo flour tortillas to Ukraine. Make HUGE burritos for everyone. They LOVE them!

Joel

Now that is unique! I tried to make some Guacamole while I was in Jordan, damn near impossible to find Avocados. Costco and Sam's Club usually have great gift ideas.

ye syou are quite right, but the country I am traveling I have not seen baby monitors...and know of coulpe pregnant family members who would really appreciate this gift. Also hair dryer for myself would be a great idea since heat is not always an option in Algerie... my husband has one electric heater which he using only for the room he is in. So drying my wet hair after showers I thought would be a good idea.

Well anyway I guess I could forget the baby monitors... and just try to pick up a hair dryer in Germany... just thought to get all this done in the US...but with the convertor thing..forget it..way too much hassle.



Jp you are also right,those are my stand-by gifts but when you got like 30 ppl to buy for ...snaps...it is hard ... cos if you buy for one, have to buy for all...gifts cost more then the airfare...LOL so I think this upcoming trip I am forgoing the big spending...getting something just for the husband....

You know Henia, since you are returning so quickly I really don't see a need for gifts and I don't think anyone will ask for them or even expect them. I would simply call your husband and his immediatle family and ask them if they want anything. Thats pretty common in our culture.

By the way, I have seen baby monitors in Jordan so I'm sure they are out there somewhere.

Yep, I took mine hair dryer and my flat iron to Egypt and it worked just fine. I also used my converter to charge up my cell phone

Thanks JP...yes I think I will call some people I know there and ask them to check out if baby monitors are availible since I have not seen any...and if they are..probably more cheaper anyway!

Cool also abou tthe gifts...I hate to look like a cheap skate...but money is kinda tight considering I just got here and trying to go back fast too...

Any news on your AP Jp?

I need sleep

You know about the baby monitor thing, it could be that they also don't know what to look for. I don't think its a commonly used item in some places.

You are not going to look cheap at all, if anything they will look greedy. I went over a year ago and if I returned I would only bring gifts for my immediate family and not what I did the first time around. Another thing is when you go to visit people you can just simply stop at a sweets shop and buy them some sweets. We did that alot in Jordan and now especially with the weight limits being reduced on luggage I think I would it would be harder to bring gifts.

I posted about my AP in the daily thread but here is the dealio. So he got called to go give full prints, he went, and the digital prints system was down so he gave ink prints 2 weeks ago. Last week they called again and asked him to come in tonight (his morning) and give digital prints because they wanted to expidite his case. So in about 2 hours he will be off to the embassy again to give full prints. They told us we could get results in as little as 3 days with the digital prints. Either way it doesn't matter because he isn't coming until March.

His brother got engaged and the wedding is in February, soooooooo I will be on my own until then.

I know tha twhen I went to buy a converter at Best Buy that there where two different kinds. One was for the laptop, digital camer and any non-heated items. The other was for heated items and it was around $40. I looked it up online and then went into the store. Hope this helps.