English A1200 PSU handle 110v US?

[blakespot]

The plug will be different, but do American and English / Euro A1200s have the same PSU - can take either 110 or 220? If so, is there a simple wall plug adapter avail to switch form factor from UK to American?

Tnx.



bp

[Matt_H]

No, US PSUs are 110v only, European PSUs are 220v only. So it you have a Euro PSU, you need a full step-up converter, not just a physical plug adapter. RadioShack should sell them.

[freqmax]

If it's transformer based then look for a switch "110 - 220". If it's switchmode based then look for what the specifications says like "90 - 250 V AC" etc.

[psxphill]

If it's transformer based then look for a switch "110 - 220". If it's switchmode based then look for what the specifications says like "90 - 250 V AC" etc.

I think A1200's came with switch mode power supplies that are not dual voltage. I don't know what would happen plugging a 240v into 110v, but plugging a switched mode 110v power supply into 240v is only fun for a few seconds.

[mechy]

The plug will be different, but do American and English / Euro A1200s have the same PSU - can take either 110 or 220? If so, is there a simple wall plug adapter avail to switch form factor from UK to American?

Tnx.



bp

No commodore psu's were dual voltage that i have ever seen(or power supplies in big box amigas). plugging a 240v psu into 120v will likely see half the voltage out or won't work. plugging a 120v psu into 240 will fry it most likely.

you cant use the european 240v psu without a step up converter as mentioned above in the usa.

[blakespot]

Ok - thanks.

Step-up converters are noisy on the signal right? I always had a notion that they lead to early equipment death.

I want to grab a clean Amiga 1200. I am in the US (NTSC), but I'd love a unit that's PAL by default. Makes way more sense for how I use the machine -- I'm always in Degrader on my NTSC Amigas, here (or altering settings in WHDLoad icons).

Is it possible to get an A1200 that's PAL default and with the American style keyboard ($ rather than pound), etc? Thanks.



bp

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Is it possible to get an A1200 that's PAL default and with the American style keyboard ($ rather than pound), etc? Thanks.

I had a PAL A1200 for years, just ran it off a regular old NTSC power brick.  The keyboard did have those couple of extra keys, but honestly I don't remember - I think it had a $ symbol as well as a pound symbol, at least I don't recall ever having a problem that it was missing $, LOL.  You could always just swap the keyboard, too.  

[blakespot]

How easy is it to find a NTSC PSU for the A1200? I see only one on eBay, with a BIN of $250 or so.

Do any of the vendors sell them? Thanks.



bp

[mechy]

Ok - thanks.

Step-up converters are noisy on the signal right? I always had a notion that they lead to early equipment death.

I want to grab a clean Amiga 1200. I am in the US (NTSC), but I'd love a unit that's PAL by default. Makes way more sense for how I use the machine -- I'm always in Degrader on my NTSC Amigas, here (or altering settings in WHDLoad icons).

Is it possible to get an A1200 that's PAL default and with the American style keyboard ($ rather than pound), etc? Thanks.



bp

A step up transfer is just that a simple transformer with 2:1 winding. it  shouldn't really introduce anything bad unless its a poor quality one.it wont affect the life of equipment... perhaps you are thinking of something like a modified inverter?(many ups's are not true sinewave output).
Honestly i would just find a A500 american psu. they are not hard to get and the A500 psu is rated 4.5 amps on 5v,which is more than the 1200 version.

You can swap out the keyboards on the 1200 with an american one..i dont care for the chicken mcnugget return keys on non-us keyboards lol.
the pal model is best for games.

there is no NTSC/PAL psu. they are just psu's with different inputs. any american psu in american can be used on any amiga pal or ntsc. all the amiga cares about is the +5,+12,-12 coming out. all you need be concerned about is 110v psu is on 110v and 220v on 220v.

[mechy]

How easy is it to find a NTSC PSU for the A1200? I see only one on eBay, with a BIN of $250 or so.

Do any of the vendors sell them? Thanks.



bp

i spoke too soon, seems they used to be plentiful on ebay!
amigakit sells a adapter cable to use a regular pc atx psu for the 500 worst case

some guy selling one here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AmigaKit-Commodore-Amiga-2000-ATX-Power-Supply-Adapter-Switch-/200867787122?pt=US_Vintage_Computing_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ec4a73172

[freqmax]

Watch out for that 50 vs 60 Hz difference. That should be the only real obstacle to run PAL Amiga in USA (120 V 60 Hz).

The display may have difficulty dealing with PAL 50 Hz or being run with 60 Hz in some cases. In particular if it's a CRT.

[danbeaver]

Watch out for that 50 vs 60 Hz difference. That should be the only real obstacle to run PAL Amiga in USA (120 V 60 Hz).

The display may have difficulty dealing with PAL 50 Hz or being run with 60 Hz in some cases. In particular if it's a CRT.

I'm afraid that the voltage into the A1200 is DC (direct current) and there is no Hz involved as there is in AC (alternating current -- which by definition has a time frequency for the wave-to-wave changes). Theses AC frequencies were set over 100 years ago to the time a generator spun its magnet 360 degrees -- the thinking in the US was that it would help in making an electric clock; in the 1890's use AC as a time signal for TV was unimaginable.  The monitor may have issue with the frequency as by definition, the transmission of the video signal was sync'd to the AC current; remember there were no other oscillators in the 1930's to lock a signal to; the first digital watch used a small tuning fork, not a quartz crystal).

"World Monitors" with lax parameters such as the A1084 were designed this way; but now you will likely look for a monitor that really syncs to those frequencies. I would look for recommendations online.

[freqmax]

In a thread at abime.net I found this pinout for A1200.

abime.net - Amiga 1200 PSU.pdf (134 kB)

Pins: +12V, -12V, +5V, Shield, GND

So you are right. I had C64 TOD in mind.

That leaves the monitor. I'm still unsure how affected CRT ones are. LCD screens usually make 12-24V DC and thus has no mains frequency that path.

It seems the critical component is the input module and screen circutry inside the display unit. In particular input circuitry could be tuned to a specific frequency. Not even HDMI escape this issue..