Reply To: JCCC3 – Questions for the Site Inspection Cruise?
Depends upon your AC-to-USB power supply. If it’s a switcher, it ought to handle things just fine. If it’s a linear with a regulator, it’ll heat up if the line voltage is too high (it might or might not blow out) and just fail to produce enough voltage if the line voltage is too low. If it’s a linear without a regulator, its output will go up and down with the line voltage, which could cause trouble.
I’d just make sure that your AC-to-USB power adapter says it’ll handle a wide range of voltages (e.g. 90-240V), in which case you can safely assume it’s a switcher. I normally travel with one like that, plus plug adapters for foreign outlets. On our trip, we’ll hit St. Martin, which is schizophrenic: it uses French/German outlets and voltages on the French side and US-style ones on the Dutch side. St. Thomas uses US-style outlets and voltages everywhere. A switching power supply will work on any line voltage and frequency so long as you can make the plug fit.
A few years ago, I walked into a cybercafe near London College in London, England (right around the corner from King’s Cross Station), confidently pulled out a UK-to-US plug adapter, and started to power up. The owner said, “You’re American, right? Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I just showed him the fine print on the power supply that said it’d work on 240 volts.