Stepdown Transformers For Japanese Consoles?

Joe Musashi

I thought Japan used the same voltage as America but they don't. Transformers for American items seem easy enough to get but not sure about transformers for Japanese items.

I'm wondering if I should be able to get one in one of the shops locally and roughly how much they cost?

Apparently a MD1 power supply will work with a Super Famicom, so I may just buy one transformer and switch those two around. The other console I have is an N64.

Pyongyang

Try Peats or Maplin. Failing that eBay will come up trumps every time. Should run you anywhere between €10-€20+. You get what you pay for though and I personally would rather pay more for a good quality transformer that won't fry my precious consoles.

Retr0gamer

I'm pretty sure they do use the same voltage and current? I got my transformer for my jap saturn from Peats, probably your best bet. Just go into the shop with the consoles power requirements, power, current, frequency and voltage.

o1s1n

I use a MD1 power supply with my Super Famicom. Can definitely confirm that works.

I also use a standard step down for my Japanese Saturn. Exactly the same step down I use for American consoles.

CiDeRmAn

Be careful when choosing a step down.
If the device is pulling too much current the stepdown will heat up and slag.
Happened to me with a jap Gamecube.
Guy who sold it to me gave me a pretty standard step down and I plugged it in.
After an hour or to playing Waverace and Luigis Mansion I smelt burning plastic and found the casing of the stepdown melting, like the face of that nazi at the end of Raiders.
Turned out the GC was trying to draw too much current through the step down, resistance leads to heat, heat leads to loss of life, home, console collection, not in order of importance.

Pyongyang

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Be careful when choosing a step down.

100% agree. Save, but don't scrimp.

o1s1n

Feck, that's pretty scary.

All the step downs I've had do heat up a bit, but I've never come across that.

Pyongyang

I suggest this kind of setup if you want a proper step-down transformer. Just to be extra safe like:

o1s1n

Pyongyang's wife -'Why is there a Japanese man in our living room?'

Pyongyang - 'He's my step down transformer engineer'

Pyongyang's wife - Why do you have him wrapped in a cellophane bag?'

Pyongyang - /sniff sniff

Pyongyang

o1s1n wrote: »

Pyongyang's wife -'Why is there a Japanese man in our living room?'

Pyongyang - 'He's my step down transformer engineer'

Pyongyang's wife - Why do you have him wrapped in a cellophane bag?'

Pyongyang - /sniff sniff

That made me almost spit coffee over my desk! :P

Having said that, do you not smell your stepdown transformers? Ahhhh, the smell............of investment! :pac:

CiDeRmAn

The one I have powering my Nuon is like something robbed out of college lab!
It's a big block, with a lovely big switch that makes the same noise, almost, that the unlicenced particle accelerators make in Ghostbusters, probably more fun to be had turning on the stepdown than there is to playing the console

And stepdowns smell of.... Ozone!

Make a few airholes there for the Nipponese tech guy, we've all been there before, no fun to be had burying another one...

7sr2z3fely84g5

You could google the make of your system and add psu to search terms,usually something can be found to substitute it,instance as mentioned md to famicom,or snes/nes psu to VB.

Console goods also sells bulky psu for most jap machines.

You could get something like this-

http://www.airlinktransformers.com/japanese-transformers.asp

Same page has choosing the right transformer- http://www.airlinktransformers.com/transformer-guide.asp

80s Synth Pop

For most consoles you are better off buying the PAL PSU and don't bother with the steps down. Some consoles give humming and flicker interference when used with a step down.

All my consoles are NTSC and only those with an internal PSU need a step down. (However, please note that those console with INTERNAL PSU like playstation1 you MUST use a step down!! or else boom!)

SNES, Genesis, NES, N64 all have EXTERNAL PSUs - e.g.: your NES NTSC PSU will take in 110v 60hz and output 9v so rather then get a step down for it, just get the NES PAL PSU that takes in 220v 50hz and outputs 9v.

elekid

Can anyone who's running an American PS2 recommend a particular step-down converter? I bought a PS2 in Canada recently (to play Suikoden 3!) but there are so many powers options out there I'm finding it hard to figure out what will actually work safely. I don't mind spending the money to make sure my PS2 doesn't blow up.