Will I be able to use my stuff on the Chinese electric grid?
China is 220 volts at 50hz. Some things can deal with that and some can’t. Best to look closely at each device to see what it can deal with.
Can I get some sort of converter to guarantee that my devices will work?
Yes, just go down to your local electronics store and tell them you want the adapters that will let you plug your stuff into Chinese outlets. I would avoid plugging in any device that’s not able to accept 220 volts. I just returned from China and had no problems with plugging in the essentials – shaver, digicam, videocam, laptop, …
There are two kinds of “converter” here. You can get one which will just convert the pins on the plug from the Chinese system to the US system, but which will deliver the Chinese voltage to your US appliance. That may not be a problem: look on your appliance and see whether it will take 220 volts as well as 110 volts.
The other kind of converter would be a transformer, which would convert 220 volts AC to 110 volts AC. Typically this will weigh a bit more than a simple converter of plugs, and will cost more as well, but it’s the only solution for an appliance that will only work at 110 volts.
There are generally three types of conveters.
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There are plug conveters. These do nothing to the voltage or frequency they are just fixtures to change the plugs. Most recent digital gadget things will work at 110V to 220V 50 to 60 Hz. But you should check the plugs they will say. My cell phone, My wifes cell phone our laptops her Ipod my Iriver all work with both only needed the plug converter.
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There are transformers that will convert 220V to 110V but leave the frequency the same. The wife needed this for her tivoli radio and electric tooth brush. These have wattage ratings so you have to check how much power things use. Most things should work with 50 or 60 Hz fine.
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Conveters that output 110V at 60Hz. I have not actually seen one of these but they exist I am not sure what would need this besides really really old clocks.
I am going to be bringing a whole lotta stuff with me, computer system with expensive speakers and the new 30 in. dell screen, plasma TV and other home theatre components, tablet PC, etc.
As others have stated, your computers should be OK with either voltage. If it’s a desktop computer there will probably be a 110/220 switch on the power supply. For laptops with “wall-wart” transformers, they will most likely work with any voltage between 100 - 250 volts.
Another concern will be with your TV. The problem there goes beyond electrical compatability. Unless you are planning to only watch DVD’s that you bring with you, the actual TV signal and frequencies used for assigning channels are very different in China than in the US. Your TV’s tuner will not be able to receive or decode the local TV channels.
You didn’t say how long you are planning to stay in China, but for some items you may be better off to leave your nice stuff at home and buy something locally for while you are there.
Bear in mind, also, that there are two different types of voltage converters. One is cheap, solid-state device intended for use with high-wattage, non-electronic heating type appliances such as hair dryers, some coffee makers and travel irons. This type converts 240 VAC to 120 VAC by lopping off the top half of the AC sinewave, making a 1/2 voltage squarish wave. This works fine for things like the appliances I mentioned above, but plays havoc when applied to the transformers found in most electronic devices. For these, you’ll need a more expensive transformer converter. These are heavier and use a step-down transformer to convert the 240 V to a nicely sinusoidal 120 V that your electronics will like. These are available with power-handling capabilities up to a couple kilowatts, but will be rather heavy and expensive at the higher end. Smaller units which handle about 50 watts are considerably less pricey. Most notebook computers and other electronics powered by switching power supplies can be plugged directly into 240 V with no problem; you may need an appropriate plug adapter. Check the power supply for something that looks like “Input: 100-240 VAC, 50/60Hz”. If the input voltage range includes your destination mains voltage, you’re good to go.
Computer stuff is generally designed to work anywhere in the world. The rest of your electronics - forget it. Converters are not real practical and you need one converter per device. If you’re pulling a lot of juice like a washing machine, you need a pretty heavy duty converter. Someone’s already pointed out your TV won’t work here anyway.
I second the suggestion of buying stuff in China to use while you’re here
A year or more.
Where can I find examples of these converters?
Also, will Chinese gas and bicycle parts be compatable with my vehicles?
Aw, heck. Maybe you should just tell me what of my American stuff I will have A hard time using and maintaining in China.
Converters are available in Chinese department stores. You’ve got to know your amp ratings.
Chinese gasoline is a lot dirtier than in the US. All the automakers have issues at first with their engines buring this gas and eventually do some re-engineering. I would not bring over motor vehicles.
China makes and exports a huge chunk of the world’s bicycles. You can probably find what you need unless it’s something really specialized. search on “giant” bicycles - actually taiwanese but they OEM a huge amount of bikes in the US and are all over China.
Basically, the advice I have is to leave your prized US possessions in the US. Especially if it’s only a year. The shipping and customs duties to bring that stuff over and back to the US is mucho expensive. If as is likely your company is paying for it, get them to give you an allowance instead and buy stuff here.
Don’t bring over electronics wired for US voltage. Don’t bring a TV. Don’t bring something that runs on gas.