Will 120V 60 Hz elec. device in a 115V 50 Hz country work?

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Furthermore, when you look on the Power Supply, you should see a list of acceptable voltages. I've noticed that most power supplies that ship with computers and Cellphones are universal types which run on all voltages; --This will be listed on the PSU Brick or wall wart. Example,(From the computer I'm using to post this)

Input/Entree: 100-240V~1.0A 50-60Hz.
Output/Sortie: 16V---5.0A

This info is going to be on the first line of the PSU specs.

The only thing you will need is either an IEC cable with the appropriate plug for the country that you're in, or barring that, a plugin adapter that works with the plug on your cable and the socket you plan to plug in to.


Also FWIW, some couintries have multiple voltages,(Hello Brazil!) or use sockets identical to North American triple prong plugs, but run at 240VAC instead of North American standard 120VAC.

Actual voltage is rarely a nice, round number. It's not uncommon for 110 V to actually be 108 V or 114 V, for instance. Most devices today are built as dual voltage systems, which means that they can be used across the entire globe. A couple of years ago, technology built to be as small as possible were not, though (the oldest Mac Minis are an infamous example; they could easily become expensive fireworks if plugged into a foreign outlet).

In your case you are good to go. However if the device has a transformer for the ac mains and is only rated for 60hz, running it on 50hz CAN be a BIG PROBLEM. It can cause the transformer to overheat. However a transformer designed for 50hz can run on 60hz with NO problem, it will just run cooler. So unless it has BOTH 50hz and 60hz ratings, it can be a problem!! !! I know this from working on vintage electronics especially radios. Interesting read explaining why this is:

Transformer Frequency Issues

I thought I forgot something here. But your right, core saturation can cause a transformer to overheat and lose efficiency.

If it charges by a USB cable, you can probably find outlet->USBSocket that the internal transformer was tuned for 50Hz instead of 60 Hz.

I have noticed that a Nook HD does NOT charge by cigarette lighter adapter - it needs its own wall wart. (It was dirt cheap, you can't get them any more. Nook HD+ is not a bad price and it runs Android, and you can cyangmod or whatever its called it to stock Android).

That 207 could use some explaining. I think electricians call it 240 High Leg.

Imagine an equilateral triangle with 240 as the length of each leg. You could put a dot in the middle of the triangle, and that could be your ground reference point. But you could also put the dot in the middle of one of the sides. Then the two end points of the triangle would be 120 away from each one. A picture would come in handy, but oh well. Now, if you do sqrt(240^2 - 120^2), the length of the line from the mid point to the third corner of the triangle, you get 207.8.

So with this setup, you can get two 120Vacs, or if you take three wires, you get three phase 240Vac. You shouldn't be taking the 208Vac for anything, but if you stick a meter in the 240Vac three phase outlet, one in the high leg, and the other to ground, you will see that 208Vac (and think wtf, until someone explains it to you).

You also need to balance out the current draw between the 120's and the high leg. That is the job of a licensed electrician. I am not licensed to work on that, I just have learned of it.

Most modern devices like this use switching supplies not linear supplies and in general the 50/60hz thing does NOT apply. It is mainly with regard to the old linear supplies and few devices have them as the cost of the transformers is prohibitive. Most of the switchers (modern devices in the last 10+ years) use tiny toroidal transformers working at much higher frequencies and don't care what the mains are frequency wise.