Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 November 19

= November 19 =

Charging US 110V electronics in the UK
Can I use a UK hotel bathroom 115V "shavers only" socket to charge my US cell phone with its simple 110V charger? —Preceding unsigned comment added by OSFHFS (talk • contribs) 07:07, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I have to ask OSFHFS, why you want to? Is it because of the difference in 'Mains' power voltages/frequencies between UK(220V/50Hz) and US? (110V/60hz)? If your phone uses a switch mode 'plug pack' or adapter, and it can safely plug into, or with an adapter will fit UK power sockets, it should work. This is because 'switch mode' power supplies can work with a wide range of supply voltages and frequencies. I have one in front of me now, an Australian socketed (2 angled pins) 'Switcmode AC Adaptor' that specifies 100-240VAC 50/60 Hz. There is no technical reason, allowing for physically different connectors, that I could not use this adaptor in the UK or US. ♦ Short answer, yes you should be able to use the shaver socket if your plug is compatible, and if you have a switch mode charger for the phone. ♦ An adapter that uses a 'simple' transformer, rectifier and voltage regulator circuit, will not be useable in a country with different mains voltage/frequency. Addendum: Unless it is designed to be so, possibly with a 110/240 selector switch. See also Linear power supply  - 220.101 talk\Contribs 09:06, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * If it says "shavers only", how can they know that you are not using it for other purposes? Quest09 (talk) 17:10, 19 November 2010 (UTC)
 * They can't. But it will have current rating that doesn't support heftier devices, and will probably trip if you put something on it which draws too much current. I know the shaver socket in my bathroom in college 30 years ago was rated at 85mA. --ColinFine (talk) 17:39, 19 November 2010 (UTC)
 * The "Electronics Police" in the UK are extremely capable. They can even tell if you are watching the telly without paying a fee. How much easier to tell if you are powering something else (A drill? a charger? a vibrator?) from the "Shaver Only" outlet. Edison (talk) 03:53, 20 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Phone chargers tend to draw only small currents (similar to shavers, my charger is 30mA at 240v) so there should be no problem. The cut-out is often thermal, so it will just switch off after a few minutes, then come back on, if it is slightly overloaded.    D b f i r s   12:59, 20 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Are you sure its 115v? There's a high risk that its just the normal 240 volts, and your equipment will be fried. You can buy hand-crank rechargers - they would be a lot safer. 92.15.27.119 (talk) 19:01, 20 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Hotels in the UK often have dual-voltage shaver sockets, labelled as such. ==ColinFine (talk) 00:55, 21 November 2010 (UTC)


 * British mobile phones usually come with chargers able to accept input voltages from 100-240V. DuncanHill (talk) 01:06, 21 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Most (maybe all) UK hotel rooms come with a shaver socket in the bathroom like this one. The 115V is supplied by a small transformer, but I very much doubt the 50Hz AC frequency is converted to 60Hz and I would expect the current to be rated at just a couple of amps (ie. more than the 85mA mentioned by Colin).  However, if it is not labelled as outputting 115V, I wouldn't trust a likely looking socket.
 * In theory, such a socket could be used for things like a phone charger as well as an electric shaver. But, as others have pointed out, your phone probably has a charger that is marked "110-240V 50/60 Hz" and should therefore work in pretty much any socket in the world with just an adapter plug.  Astronaut (talk) 01:46, 21 November 2010 (UTC)
 * The sockets are dual voltage 115/240, the frequency is 50Hz for both and the only one I could find a rating for (short of taking mine off the wall...) was at http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/RDP17.html which quotes 20VA.  Ron h jones (Talk) 02:02, 21 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes, definitely 115v at 50Hz (though it could be 120v in practice), usually from the left socket of the pair, or with the switch to the left (BS 4573 -- see our article on AC power plugs and sockets for one type. The small transformer has a thermal cut-out to prevent overload.  The socket is desiged to accept American plugs.    D b f i r s   10:44, 21 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Of course, the easiest way would be going to Tesco or wherever and buying a few new phones. Mine cost something like £12, and had £10 credit free already, my dad apparently just got one for £8, I think you can even switch your old number over to the new phone, then when you get somewhere you can recharge the old phone, switch it back. 148.197.121.205 (talk) 10:18, 22 November 2010 (UTC)

Cassette problem
I have a large collection of C60 and C90 audio tapes. Sometimes a tape will stick in the mechanism of my Sony player. The heads are cleaned regularly with a commercial cassette head cleaner. The tapes all seem to be in good condition and play normally until they stick. What could be the problem (and solution) please?Froggie34 (talk) 10:18, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Cleaning the heads will not make much difference. You need to clean the rubber pinch wheel inside the player with a damp cotton bud, and I also find it helps to firmly tap the offending cassette, flat, onto a hard surface. However, this is a common problem inherent in the technology and I suggest you copy any valuable recordings before they get mangled.--Shantavira|feed me 12:56, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * As above. Tap and also run through without playing to loosen up spiral.  Could be that your tapes are suffering from the Sticky-shed syndrome. Have a look at Tape baking too.--Aspro (talk) 16:25, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

In my experience the culprit is almost always the player and not the tape, except when the cassette is obviously physically damaged in some way. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 23:15, 20 November 2010 (UTC)

Contact info for migraine surgery articleShawn42981 (talk) 13:38, 19 November 2010 (UTC)
Good morning! I am a severe migraine sufferer and I read this article about migraine surgery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine_surgery I was wondering if there is any contact information I can have to ask what doctors perform this surgeryShawn42981 (talk) 13:38, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Sorry, but Wikipedia is probably not the best place to obtain referrals for a medical procedure. You would be better off asking your doctor about whether surgery is a good option for you. --- Medical geneticist (talk) 15:44, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

Game Link Cable Questions
I have two questions; 1) what is the bandwidth rate of a Game Link Cable, and 2) the Game Link Cable article says that "The Game Link Cable socket and connector design influenced the design of IEEE 1394/FireWire" however the reference is a PDF which I can't view on the computer I'm using right now, and FireWire article doesn't talk about it and I can't find any other references with goggle. Is it true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.171.190.107 (talk) 17:15, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * For (2), the PDF is like a PowerPoint presentation (it's a bunch of bullet points) and the statement is presumably "Connector based on Nintendo Gameboy". That's all it says, and there is no reference or supporting documentation.  I call dubious, only because it's 5 words written by "some guy" with no support.  (The connectors do look superficially similar.)  Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:01, 19 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I've taken the liberty of renaming this thread. We have an instruction at the top to not call questions "Question" or "Query" or similar (for the obvious reason that every question is a question, and if we let everyone call their question "Question", the whole website would just implode within minutes, and we couldn't have that, could we). Turns out your "question" was 2 questions anyway. --    Jack of Oz    ... speak! ...   18:46, 19 November 2010 (UTC)