Need help with voltage conversion!

[Super.Nova]

Hello, Tempers!


I often buy many (if not all) my electronics from the US and I always need to use a voltage converter in order to use them.

Why buy all the way from the US?
Because local stores are greedy bastards whom often sell for %1000 the original price...... no, seriously...

Anyway!
Does anybody know how I can change voltage requirement by tampering with the insides of a given device?

For example: I bought remote controlled power switches to use on my Air-Conditioners (it's freggin' hot here in the Middle East!).
I forgot about the voltage thingy and I'd like to use them rather than returning them.
Is there a way to permanently convert their power input requirements to use on my local 210-250 volts power grid?

That's not the only example, but one of many.
I'm not exactly a professional when it comes to soldering but it wouldn't hurt to try (except when it comes to burns!).

 

[uyjulian]

Use a transformer, or change the internal power supply (try ebay or alibaba), if you don't see the required voltage on your power transformer.

Most electronics are universal 100-240v, so they should work mostly everywhere.

If the grounding prong/contact (most plugs have the ground on the side, in the middle, or the bottom) isn't connected properly (for example you are using 3 to 2 adapter), unplug your stuff whenever lighting is going on.

 

[Super.Nova]

Use a transformer, or change the internal power supply (try ebay or alibaba), if you don't see the required voltage on your power transformer.

Most electronics are universal 100-240v, so they should work mostly everywhere.

If the grounding prong/contact (most plugs have the ground on the side, in the middle, or the bottom) isn't connected properly (for example you are using 3 to 2 adapter), unplug your stuff whenever lighting is going on.

In the example I mentioned, wouldn't I need multiple power supplies for each remote plug???

 

[Jack Daniels]

most sytems works on either 19vdc/12vdc/5vdc
19vdc is for most laptops.
12vds is for most other computers.
5vdc for most usb powered devices.
when in watts a power supply is higher it'll still work with the lower devices just it won't shut fast if there's a short circuit.
the other way around can kill your power supply...
not all is standardised though, there are custom made products, so allways check...
i rather would have the products from my location since the risk of getting a burned house is each time you add those frquency and voltage modders to your net a bit higher.

 

[Super.Nova]

most sytems works on either 19vdc/12vdc/5vdc
19vdc is for most laptops.
12vds is for most other computers.
5vdc for most usb powered devices.
when in watts a power supply is higher it'll still work with the lower devices just it won't shut fast if there's a short circuit.
the other way around can kill your power supply...
not all is standardised though, there are custom made products, so allways check...
i rather would have the products from my location since the risk of getting a burned house is each time you add those frquency and voltage modders to your net a bit higher.

Touché.

EDIT: also, just remembered that (since they're in the 110 volts range) no matter what I do, it'll affect the power going to the AC and probably wouldn't work as it should

 

[FAST6191]

A lot of devices these days will be dual voltages as it is easy enough to build a switch mode supply to handle it. Bonus seems to be that Saudi supply is 230 V @ 60 Hz rather than 50Hz (surprising to some 50Hz is actually harder to handle/harder on electronics than 60Hz, to say nothing of things that do timing from input frequency rather than onboard clocks or something).

Anyway the simpler way is drop the power. I understand there is a bit of building work going on out there so you can probably get some building site transformers pretty easily. Other supply dropping tricks might include toroidal (I see them from time to time in higher end lighting where they are used instead of triac based dimmer switches)

If you are going to be soldering though then you get to look at what goes first.

The trouble with power switches is they are switching power and if they are designed for air conditioners then it is a lot of power. It might be that you only need to have a little transformer for the control side and change a relay to handle the greater voltage, or it might be something more if it does something more exotic. You could do something like dual switch supplies and have the controllers trigger a further relay but I am worried there might be some current sensing going on -- I don't know full US air conditioning power regs (it is a long book and I have never been that bored) but they can have some odd things and thus be harder to modify than cheapo basic as it comes, and possibly not so great efficiency, but ultimately bombproof design Chinese crap.

Anyway if you can then can you open them up and get some photos of the PCB.

Otherwise as Jack Daniels said a lot of other things ultimately run on DC so you can often change the supply and get the required voltage, it might involve some internal fiddling for some things and if it is a custom connector then soldering that on but it is still ultimately DC.

 

[Super.Nova]

@FAST6191, @Jack Daniels, @julialy
I've got pictures of the plug in question in case any of you knows what could be done with them...

Direct upload isn't working, so I uploaded them to G-Drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By8OR0LVMK0sVnduMzQtTkY4c0U/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By8OR0LVMK0seEVKaGVCb25FazA/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By8OR0LVMK0sMnhnQnoxS3AwOUU/view?usp=drivesdk

Strangely enough, third picture shows a part that has "250V" on it...
What is this part???

 

[FAST6191]

Second and third pictures are asking me to log in.
With the one I can see (just the back of the thing) model number did not get me far but add https://gist.github.com/larsks/a6d43b630d9f6534d1ab to your bookmarks as it appears to be the codes for the remote and those can be useful for all sorts of things.

Looking at the design this could be not so fun to adapt.