Customer Reviews

Powerline By Original Power 0900-27 Global Power Travel Kit

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This item offered here (PowerLine 0900-27 Global Power Travel Kit) is actually two different converters built into one package. At LOW setting (up to 50W), it uses a small AC transformer to convert 220V sinusoidal waveform into a 110V sinusoidal waveform. This is the preferred approach which works well for any low power appliance.

To handle higher power, however, the AC transformer must be made bulkier and heavier (around 20 pounds just for 1000W). This makes it impractical as a travel voltage converter for large-wattage appliance. Therefore at HIGH setting (50-1600W), this converter simply uses a solid-state switch inside to chop off part of the input 220V sinusoidal waveform. This is exactly how an incandescent lamp dimmer works. However, its output waveform is highly distorted and is far from an 110V sinusoidal AC voltage.

A purely resistive appliance (such as travel iron or water heater) will work just fine regardless of different voltage waveform. But if you ever try to power an electronic appliance (such as TV, computer or battery charger) with this distorted 220V waveform, it will probably be fried in an instant! My advice is to stay away from this potentially destructive product - unless you are really, REALLY careful about what to plug in.

If you have to bring electronic appliances with your oversea trips, make sure they are rated for universal voltage of 100-240V AC. Power supplies for most portable electronics (laptop, camcorder, cell-phone, electric shavers, etc.) are already designed to accept universal voltage, although some of them may require you to physically flip a voltage selection switch - check the user manual or the AC input plug of your appliance to make sure. If that is the case, all you need is a set of plug adapters, which you can purchase separately without a converter.

I would not recommend this product at all. We bought it new for a trip to New Zealand just to have an extra for my husband's laptop. The 3rd time he plugged it in, we went out for a bite to eat and came back to find our hotel room smoky and smelling like an electrical fire. The converter literally melted; we had to use the ice tongs to pick it up. Imagine if we'd stayed out with friends! I'm buying another Franz. Had mine for years and never had a problem.

The design of this product is sadly lacking.

First - the voltage converter plugs into a module that then has the correct pin arrangement to plug into the wall. In practice the weight of the voltage converter causes it to dangle at an angle which obscures the other electrical outlets on the box & also tends to make it susceptible to inadvertent disconnection.

Secondly and most sadly - the heat dissipation features are sadly ineffective. The converter can get very hot. I used mine in Korea and the outcome was that it completely overheated (on the 50 watt setting) after a week. The external case "bubbled" from the heat and the internal circuitry failed. This was a brand new converter purchased specifically for this trip.

Thirdly - the documentation is poor. There is a strong warning that the higher (1500 watt) setting should not be used for "electronics". It is unclear in my mind if this includes top computers which have a step down ac to dc converter between the plug and the computer. I ran mine only on the low setting because I did not want to scorch my computer. The 50 watt setting is insufficient for the computer to work properly and the result in a constant cycling between the battery and the external power. the screen flickered and so I turned it off and did not use external power to operate it anymore. This may mean that I am just too stupid to understand that the 1500 watt setting will not harm a computer but I did not want to take a chance on being even more stupid. The major reason I had purchased this equipment was so that I could use my computer overseas and I did not trust it enough to do that.

spend the money on a better product.

I purchased this product in July 2008. One trip to London was successful with this product using various items - following the directions.

December 2008, my second trip to London, I awoke in the middle of the night to the smell of burning plastic. The device was melting as it was plugged into the wall. The plastic smell was overwhelming and caused a stir at the hotel. I had to remove the unit with a towel, and once removed, I realzed it was so hot the thick plastic was very pliable. The wall and outlet were hot.

Needless to say I strongly advise you to NOT purchase this product - spend a little more money and buy something reliable - protect yourself and your property. THIS IS NOT SAFE.

Be warned.

used in Germany...room started to smell, then heard a pop and converter smoked. Threw away. Be careful. read reviews and buy another brand

We used this on our recent trip to the UK. We visited England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Wales. We used this at every stop. Hooked a 1600 watt blow dryer, a 1200 watt curling iron and even used it to recharge my camcorded battery. This little unit never gave me the first problem.

Really not a good product. I've had plenty of these over the years and usually wind up lending (read giving) them to friends and family when I have not inadvertently left them in a hotel room somewhere around the world.

First, this one is fairly heavy and a larger package than I thought it would be. My last one (lent to a friend who is still traveling in India) was from Radio Shack and was an all-in-one unit that was smaller and lighter, but did not come with adapters.

I got this one from Amazon to use in Israel to power my phone and iPod. I read the instructions carefully and plugged it in without an appliance attached for an hour just to make sure it would be fine (a good idea for any similar item). I thought it would.

Then, within 20 minutes of plugging in my iPod, I smelled something burning. It was extremely hot to the touch and clearly fried. Thankfully, the iPod was unharmed.

I know it was not the outlet because I used another converter for the rest of the stay in the same hotel using the same outlet and everything worked out fine.

I am returning this one and do not recommend it.

Bought this based on another review. What a mistake! First the storage box did not stay closed from the begaining. It worked fine for charging the cell phone and camera batteries. It made my wife's flat iron so.... hot it fryed her hair and blew up her $100.00 flat iron. The box says for curling irons. My wife has used another brand and never had a problem. The only reason we bought a new one is she dropped the old one and it broke.
Think twice before buying this.

DANGER!!!!

Mine too smoked after getting too hot in a few minutes and tripped all the fuses in my room in the UK...

Throw it away if you have one and get something that works.

I have had this now on 2 trip to Switzerland and Germany. I did not use the voltage converter, only the plugs. The adapters worked great, although trying to figure which ones you need so you only pack the correct ones is not easy, the "manual" in the package is no help. The plastic case is cheap and broke while in my suitcase during the flight over. The adapter however are great. They have traveled well and some, the ones I have used, stack together for storage and creating a longer plug if I need it.

If you are looking for just the adapters this is a good value. I can't comment however if the voltage converter works.