American Electronic to Australian

[Susan Westlake]

I have purchased a turntable from America and i know i need to purchase a converter or transformer however i can't work out what i need to buy. My item shows 120V AC, 60Hz, 3W. I'm thinking i need a Step Down Transformer for the 240V (Australian) to the 120V (American) however after some research i am now confused as some places are talking about the wattage and not the voltage. I'm not all technical or electiral so any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[davenn]

My item shows 120V AC, 60Hz, 3W. I'm thinking i need a Step Down Transformer for the 240V (Australian) to the 120V (American) however after some research i am now confused as some places are talking about the wattage and not the voltage

wattage and voltage are important

240VAC down to 120VAC transformers are readily available ... bought one just a few months ago for a 120VAC unit I got off Amazon ... they didn't have a 240V model

ALTRONICS is one of the better easy access component places to buy from
Their part # M8181 should do you fine

one thing you may not have thought about tho, is the difference in mains frequency between the USA 60Hz and Australia 50Hz

you may find that things run at a slightly different speed ... or maybe your particular model has a variable drive speed and that adjustment will solve the problem

 

[Susan Westlake]

Thanks so much Davenn. Appreciate it.

 

[Minder]

As mentioned the speed will differ, Ella Fitzgerald will sound like Louis Armstrong!
I was briefly a Service manager for a large Co once and we would obtain a replacement pulley for frequency conversions.
M.

 

[hevans1944]

You might also consider visiting (or calling or sending an e-mail to) the manufacturer of your turntable to get their advice on (1) using a step-down transformer and (2) determine whether the difference in power line frequency is a problem. As Minder suggested, sometimes just the change-out of a pulley is all that is necessary, but you need to know which pulley and where to get one. It would help if you could provide the name of the manufacturer and the model number of your turntable.

Welcome to Electronics Point!

 

[Chemelec]

Some Turntables use a DC Motor.
If yours does, Then the Frequency is not a problem.

 

[Susan Westlake]

Ok i have some more specifications:
Audio-Technica AT-LP60-BT Wireless Turntable
Motor = DC Servo-Controlled
Power = 120V AC, 60 Hz, 3W
Do i need to worry about the Watts or Frequency? Do i need to get a Pulley something?

 

[duke37]

The motor runs on DC and is servo controlled for the correct speed so the input AC frequency should not matter.
However the power transformer will be designed for 60Hz and will have a harder time on 50Hz. Check that it does not overheat. If you have choice of 120V or 110V, then go for the lower voltage.
3W is diddy power and should not be a problem.

 

[davenn]

Power = 120V AC, 60 Hz, 3W
Do i need to worry about the Watts

Again, the unit I stated before is good

 

[davenn]

or Frequency? Do i need to get a Pulley something?

till you have the unit and see if the drive speed can be varied or you contact AT, you wont know

I note the many bad reviews for this turntable

 

[shrtrnd]

I've tried to stay out of this, but I'll jump in here with my input.
I've used US turntables (60Hz) in overseas (50Hz) systems.
The turntable spins slower at 50 Hz.
As davenn has tried repeatedly to help with this, I'm reiterate that along with the voltage difference, the
50Hz/60Hz difference will be a factor.
My 1970's era turntables are high-end, and specifically built with voltage/Hz switches to work either/or.
If you're still in the dark about what to do, I'd email the manufacturer and ask for their advice. I'm sure you
are not alone in your situation.
On a side-note, davenn's advice is always spot-on. The Moderator advice on this website trumps the rest
of our helpful hints.

 

[davenn]

On a side-note, davenn's advice is always spot-on. The Moderator advice on this website trumps the rest
of our helpful hints.

hahaha thanks, but I wouldn't always say that
I royally screw up periodically

 

[shrtrnd]

We have some really smart and experienced people on this website.
Nobody knows everything, but a lot of guys here are amazingly knowledgeable about specific areas of their specific expertise. This is a great place to obtain information.
Somebody will offer good general information, and later, other forum members will provide excellent detailed information with more specific help.
davenn, *steve*, and Harald may not know everything, but periodic screw-ups are pretty darned rare. You're hard-pressed
to find any of them actually wrong about their advice. (something not unusual with some of the rest of us).