Showing posts with label electrical plug adapters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electrical plug adapters. Show all posts

Friday, July 20, 2007

Info on traveling with your laptop to Italy and abroad

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 4 APRIL 2015)

Here are some links on traveling with your laptop to Italy and abroad:

INFORMATION
LAPTOP ACCESSORIES
COMMENTS / OBSERVATIONS
CONNECTIVITY
CUSTOMS
MISCELLANEOUS
* = Blog entry has been updated.

COMMENT/OBSERVATION

When traveling to Italy with your laptop, there are 2 essential adapters you will need. They are the following:
  1. Electrical plug adapter required to convert USA plug to work in Italian electrical outlet. Depending on the age of the building you are in, you may need a 2 or 3 prong adapter. For further information, please read appropriate section(s) of the blog entry titled, Info about electrical plug adapters, power strips and voltage converters for Italy
  2. Telephone plug adapter required to convert the RJ-11 plug to work in the Italian telephone outlet. Please scroll down to the word "Italy" in the following web sites:
Caveat #1: One last thing to know, some hotels and offices in Italy may use a digital phone system (pbx) or multi-line phone system that may have an over-current on what may appear to be a "normal" RJ-11 telephone plug that will burnout your PCMCIA or PC card modem in your laptop. Most modern hotels and offices have telephone plugs that will cause no problems. However, there are a few that may cause you laptop modem to fail. Before plugging into the telephone outlet, be sure to ask if its safe to do so.

Caveat #2: Another thing to remember when traveling with your laptop to Italy and abroad, backup your critical documents and files to DVDs, CDs or an on-line storage somewhere and either place them in a secure location away from your laptop or someplace safe. You do NOT want to to lose your only copy of a dissertation, digital photos, research paper(s), project files, thesis or whatever because your laptop got stolen or damaged.

### END OF COMMENT/OBSERVATION ###

For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using Google .

The above links as of this date are/were current. If anyone has any suggestions for any other additional web sites and/or links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry.

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request any further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

NOTE: If you want to leave a comment, please leave it in ENGLISH.

Broken links: Since November, 2005, I have written over 550+ blog entries with 1,000's of corresponding links/URLs for Moving2Italy2, covering a varied and wide range of topics. In the event if you come across a broken link or a non-functioning link/URL, please post a comment and report the non-functional link. I wish to thank you in advance for assisting me in the ongoing maintenance and the updating of this successful and informative blog.

Please note: I do NOT represent or endorse any of these links nor do I receive payment for listing them in my blog.


That's it for Friday, 20 July 2007: venerdì, 20 luglio 2007.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb / saying, author unknown.

"Patti chiari, amicizia lunga."
"Clear agreements, make for good friends."

When you have a free moment or two, please read my wife's interesting and entertaining blog about our life in Italy with photographs: Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.


(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 4 APRIL 2015)

 © Benjamin H. Licodo, 2005 - 2015, All Rights Reserved.


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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Info on the Blog Postings/Entries for February, March and April, 2007 About, For or On Italy

Here are the titles for my blog postings/entries About, For or On Italy:

February, 2007
  1. Info on the Blog Postings/Entries for November, December, 2006 and January, 2007 About, For or On Italy , dated Thursday, February, 01, 2007
  2. Info on Italian slang , dated Friday, February 02, 2007
  3. Info about Sicilia (Sicily), Italy *, dated Tuesday, February 06, 2007
  4. Info about Jewish Genealogy and Ancesty for Italy , dated Friday, February 09, 2007
  5. Info on Comunes in Italy , dated Tuesday, February 13, 2007
  6. Info on Italian Citizenship via Jure Sanguinis *, dated Friday, February 16, 2007
  7. Info on the 20 Regions of Italy , dated Tuesday, February 20, 2007
  8. Info on Consulate Jurisdictions for the Embassy of Italy and Consulates General in the USA , dated Friday, February 23, 2007
  9. Info on Italian Citizenship via Marriage , dated Tuesday, February 27, 2007
March, 2007
  1. Info on the Blog Postings/Entries for February, 2007 , dated Thursday, March 01, 2007
  2. Info on viewing and following 2007 ACC Basketball and March Madness in Italy , dated Friday, March 02, 2007
  3. Info on Regional Tourist Offices and Web Sites in Italy , dated Tuesday, March 06, 2007
  4. Info about Telepass.it (electronic toll collection system) in Italy , dated Friday, March 09, 2007
  5. Info on Travel Guides and Information for Italy *, dated Tuesday, March 13, 2007
  6. Info on Search Engines utilized for information about, for or on Italy , dated Friday, March 16, 2007
  7. Info on Olive Oil in Italy *, dated Tuesday, March 20, 2007
  8. Info on Italian Food Festivals in Italy , dated Friday, March 23, 2007
  9. Info on shipping your vehicle to Italy , dated Tuesday, March 27, 2007
  10. Info on Visa and Entry Requirements for Italy *, dated Tuesday, March 30, 2007
April, 2007
  1. Info on the Blog Postings/Entries for March, 2007 About, For or On Italy , dated Sunday, April 01, 2007
  2. Info on Housing & Rentals for Italy , dated Tuesday, April 03, 2007
  3. Info about the Portale Immigrazione (Immigration Portal) for Italy , dated Friday, April 06, 2007
  4. Info about electrical plug adapters, power strips and voltage converters for Italy *, dated Tuesday, April 10, 2007
  5. Info about Flea Markets in Italy , dated Friday, April 13, 2007
  6. Info about Driving License for Italy *, dated Tuesday, April 17, 2007
  7. Info on Low Cost Airlines with Flights out of and to Italy , dated Friday, April 20, 2007
  8. Info on Italy in the off-season *, dated Tuesday, April 24, 2007
  9. Info on Connecting/Setting up Utilities (electricity, gas, water) in Italy , dated Friday, April 27, 2007
* = Blog entry has been updated.

The above links are current. If anyone has any suggestions for other sites, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry. For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using Google .

Please note: I do NOT represent or endorse any of these links nor do I receive payment for listing them in my blog.

The reason that I list these links is to provide information for individuals who are dreaming, considering a move or traveling to Italy. It is my intent to share these links (web sites) with like-minded individuals who are in the process of considering, have made the decision to move or travel to Italy for whatever reason. I have attempted to group these links and to categorize them.

These blog postings and entries are not static. As I come across new information, I'll update the appropriate blog entry periodically.

I have found in my research on the Internet that by changing the wording of the search argument or the order of the wording of the search argument on a search engine, e.g., Google, you may get different results. There is so much information to choose from on the internet. Unfortunately, there's a lot of junk that clutters up one's search. I believe in my presentation format that it eliminates the need for one to do multiple searches. Also, I believe this information is a baseline or starting point for an individual to conduct their own search and they do not have to reinvent the wheel or start from scratch.

I am open to suggestions and solicit comments from the readers of this blog entry for your feedback.

That's it for Tuesday, 1 May 2007: martedì, 1 maggio 2007.

Ciao, Ben

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

"L'amore domina senza regole."
"Love rules without rules."
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Info about electrical plug adapters, power strips and voltage converters for Italy

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 16 JANUARY 2015)

Here are some links about electrical plug adapters, power strips, surge protectors and voltage converters (transformers) for Italy:

ELECTRICAL PLUG ADAPTERS
POWER STRIPS
  • Powerstrips – Source: Quail Electronics – "is a world leader in domestic and international power cord supplies for the OEM market. Our power cords, cord sets, adapters and power strips are in use across every industry and are available from stock items or as a custom-made product."
  • Universal Power Strips – Source: Wonpro / EuroPlugs
    • Detachable Power Cords – country specific and sold separate from the above mentioned Universal Power Strip
SURGE PROTECTORS
VOLTAGE CONVERTERS/TRANSFORMERS
ELECTRICITY IN ITALY AND EUROPE
GLOSSARY/DEFINITION OF TERMS
COMMENTS/OBSERVATIONS
  • FORUM/DISCUSSION
  • OBSERVATIONS
    • TIPS
      • When traveling to Italy and/or another foreign country from the USA, you do NOT need to buy multiple country specific electrical plug adapters for each AC adapter that you bring with you, i.e., battery chargers for digital cameras, laptops, iPod or MP3 players, medical equipment, etc. You can buy just one country specific electrical plug adapter and a USA 3-way plug/triple tap. Then, you can plug up to 3 USA electrical devices into one country specific plug adapter. NOTE: Your AC adapter from the States MUST be dual voltage (110V/220-240V).
        • PLEASE NOTE WHEN BUYING COUNTRY SPECIFIC PLUG ADAPTERS:
          • In Italy, the electrical plug adapter comes in 2 sizes: 10A and 16A. In newer facilities, you will usually find 16A electrical sockets/receptacles. In older facilities, you will find 10A electrical sockets/receptacles. If you get to Italy and find out that the plug adapter that you bought in the States does not fit into the electrical socket/receptacle, you can buy another plug adapter than will convert your 10A plug adapter to fit into a 16A electrical socket/receptacle or vice versa. Besides the electrical plug adapter being available as 10A or 16A, you will also find them having 2 or 3 male prongs.
          • In the United Kingdom/Great Britain, their electrical plug does NOT fit into most electrical sockets/receptacles in Europe.
          • In Germany, the current electrical plug configurations are usually 2 prong, 16A male plugs.
          • Personally, when I have traveled in Europe, the Middle East and China, I carry a ziplock bag containing various size electrical plug adapters that I have picked up over the years.
      • When traveling to Italy and/or another foreign country from the USA, consider bring an extension cord. You will find out that there are fewer electrical outlets in a room in Europe than you'll find in the States. Where you may want to use your electrical device from the States, it may not be near the electrical outlet in the room. For instance, I use a medical device to aid and assist in my sleeping. Many times, when I am traveling, the electrical outlet is not close to the bed. By having an extension cord packed with the medical device (cpap device for sleep apnea), I always have a solution for this type of problem and situation. The same situation may exist for using one’s laptop computer.
      • PLEASE NOTE: When using a dual voltage an electrical hair dryer or curling iron outside of the bathroom, please exercise extreme caution because the electrical socket/receptacle may not be rated for the wattage required to power the electrical hair dryer or curling iron. This may cause a circuit breaker to be tripped or depending on the age of the facility, a fuse to blow.
      • These triple taps from the USA are available in various shapes and sizes. They can be bought from Lowes or Home Depot or any DIY (do it yourself) store or your local hardware store. Since these triple taps are being plugged into 220V electrical sockets/receptacles, I would highly recommend and strongly suggest buying the heavy duty rubber ones rather than the cheap and inexpensive plastic ones.
INFORMATION
RELATED
MISCELLANEOUS
* = Blog entry has been updated.
For your specific interest, please search the web for further information using Google .

The above links as of this date are/were current. If anyone has any suggestions for any other additional web sites and/or links for reference, please feel free to post your comment and I'll update this blog entry.

Please note: If you want me to reply to your comment or request any further information by email, please include your email address in a separate comment. I will NOT publish any comments with an email address in it.

NOTE: If you want to leave a comment, please leave it in ENGLISH.

Broken links: Since November, 2005, I have written over 300+ blog entries with 1,000's of corresponding links/URLs for Moving2Italy2, covering a varied and wide range of topics. In the event if you come across a broken link or a non-functioning link/URL, please post a comment and report the non-functional link. I wish to thank you in advance for assisting me in the ongoing maintenance and the updating of this successful and informative blog.

Please note: I do NOT represent or endorse any of these links nor do I receive payment for listing them in my blog.

Updated 21 May 2007: Recently, I have read on some travel web sites about which electrical plug adapters to buy for use in Italy: 2 prong or 3 prong? Please be aware that you can only use the 3 prong electrical plug adapter for Italy in an electrical outlet that has an 3 prong FEMALE power outlet receptacle. Whereas, the 2 prong electrical plug adapter can be used in an electrical outlet that has a 3 prong FEMALE power outlet receptacle and in other European countries. Remember: an international electrical plug adapter does not convert electricity! It just connects your USA 2/3 prong plug to the electrical plug configuration used in Italy. One more item to be aware of concerning the USA electrical plug. Many international electrical plug adapters only accept a 2 USA prong (Male) electrical plug UNLESS you buy an electrical plug adapter with a 3 prong (FEMALE) receptacle on it. This may be confusing to some folks and I suggest posting a message and I'll reply to it. ### – End 21 May 2007 update.

There are two schools of thought about bring your USA 110v appliances to Italy and Europe. The first school of thought is to leave them and buy new 220v appliances. The second is bring it all and run these appliance off of voltage converters (read transformers).

If you can afford it and you are planning to be in Italy or Europe for at least 2 years or more than go this first route. Also if this is a corporate or company sponsored move, there may be an allowance to buy new 220v appliances to replace your 110v appliances. A few years ago when I was transferred to Germany, part of my relocation package included a replacement appliance allowance and I was given a 220v clothes washer and dryer for my apartment for the duration of my assignment in Germany.

In the States, to protect my electronics and computer equipment, I have a UPS and several surge protected power strips. I use a UPS for my printer, laptop and desktop PC. In addition, I have a power strip connected to the UPS with my cable modem, 10/100 ethernet switch, cordless phone, a stand-alone CD burner and an external 160 GB disk drive. I have separate surge protected power strips for my stereo equipment, TVs and VCRs, refrigerator and various A/C adapters for cell phones, etc. When I move to Italy in September, 2007, I plan on having a similar setup. Buying a 220v UPS's and surged protected power strips are a small price to pay to protect my laptop and other associated electronics.

It should be noted that power strips come in 2 flavors: surged protected and non-surged protected (inexpensive). Whenever I use a non-surged protected power strip, I usually connect it to a UPS. An alternate approach would be a non-surged protected power strip connected to a surge protector plugged into the power outlet in the room. Please note: a non-surged protected power strip offers NO protection to whatever is plugged into it! If you value your electronic component whatever it is, ALWAYS plug it into a surged protected power strip or a surge protector or a UPS or some combination of these devices.

While I have listed certain companies that offer 220v products to world travelers, it has been my experience that their prices are usually higher than if you comparison shop among other vendors. However, if the time is short before your trip or overseas relocation, you may not have sufficient time for this option. For instance, I have seen an electrical plug adapter for use in France, Germany or Italy as low as .75 cents and as high as $8.00 each in the States. It gets no better in Europe or Italy. If you forgot to pack or buy an electrical plug adapter for your laptop power adapter, cell phone battery charger, etc., you'll pay the going price wherever you are. Remember whether you have a 2 prong plug or a grounded 3 prong plug and buy the right electrical plug adapter for your device.

Also remember the exchange rate as of this date is $1.34 for 1 Euro! If you can buy it here in the States before you depart, do it today and save.

That's it for Tuesday, 10 April 2007: martedì, 10 aprile 2007.

Ciao, Ben

Moving2Italy2 – #1 source of links About, For or On Italy for those individuals moving, traveling or already living in Italy.

Today’s quote is an Italian proverb, author unknown.

 "Ambasciator non porta pena."
"Don't shoot the messenger."

Please read my wife's blog about our life in Italy:
Friends and Family in Italy

Going to Spain, read my new blog:
Info About, For or On Spain – a source of links About, For or On Spain for those individuals traveling or already living in Spain.

(LAST EDITED/UPDATED: 16 JANUARY 2015)
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