Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!rex!ukma!husc6!lloyd!kent
From: kent@lloyd.camex.uucp (Kent Borg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Can I take a Mac to Australia?
Message-ID: <469@lloyd.camex.uucp>
Date: 11 Aug 89 21:36:55 GMT
References: <11457@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <392@usage.csd.unsw.oz> <7303@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: kent@lloyd.UUCP (Kent Borg)
Organization: Camex, Inc., Boston, Mass USA
Lines: 26

In article <7303@microsoft.UUCP> stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart Burden) writes:
>In article <392@usage.csd.unsw.oz>
>rees@usage.csd.unsw.oz (Rees Griffiths) writes:
>>The voltage problem is a minor one.  A separate transformer
>>will do.  It may not be strictly legal, but there you go.
>
>The Mac has a switching Power Supply.  You do not need a transformer, Rees.
>

Ah, but not the Macintosh Plus.  For the Plus (or earlier) you either
need the 220v version, or a step down transformer.

Another point: "switching power supply" does *NOT* mean that it
automatically switches between different input voltages.  It refers to
how it steps the volts down to what your ICs want.  It does just so
happen that it is easier to make switching power supplies accept
liberal input voltages, than with convertional supplies, but that is
not how they get their name.  There are plenty of "switching power
supplies" which will go up in smoke if you plug them into 220v.  Like
the US Macintosh Plus power supply, for instance...


Kent Borg
kent@lloyd.uucp
or
...!husc6!lloyd!kent