Overseas projector power (ae100)

tummybunny · 13-03-2002, 12:29 PM

Has anyone bought an ae100 overseas and used it on their local power supply? Did they just use a standard power cable and everything worked fine?

I trust it's ok to ask questions like this here. Please feel free to delete the thread if it's not, I'm new.

Thanks!

Shockabuku · 13-03-2002, 12:55 PM

That's what the forum's for mate, don't worry.

Obviously, it depends whether the voltage is different. I'm pretty sure the Panasonic doesn't have a switchable psu, in which case you'd need a step-up/down converter as appropriate. These are easy to source from whichever chain of electrical parts shops you have in Aus. Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know which voltage you use in Australia.

13-03-2002, 2:37 PM

we use 220v in Australia, so I think we need a voltage converter

Shockabuku · 13-03-2002, 2:44 PM

Depends where you're buying from! UK will obviously be ok as we're 220v. I believe Hong Kong is also 220v. USA is 110v though of course.

Timh · 13-03-2002, 2:57 PM

The instuction book states it is compatible with the following power supply.

100 v-240 v ~, 50 HZ/60HZ

It probably auto switch's.

I believe the UK is closer to 230 Volt's.

Shockabuku · 13-03-2002, 3:04 PM

I think most psu's will have a tolerance within 10-20v even if they're fixed. Auto-switching sounds a bit scary though....I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I wouldn't want to test the theory with my PJ

Grubert · 13-03-2002, 3:19 PM

I think tummybunny is referring to the THAE100, the Japan equivalent of the Panasonic PTAE100, which can be bought at ridiculously low prices from a Japan retailer.

AC in Japan is 100V/60Hz.

According to specifications and manual, the PSU of the THAE100 only accepts 100V. Apparently, if Japanese customers read that a device is multivoltage, they feel ripped off.

But the THAE100 has multilanguage menus and supports PAL and NTSC, so it makes no sense that they make exactly the same model except it has a single-voltage PSU.

But (and that's a big but): who's going to dare plug the projector directly into a UK socket and risk frying his PSU?

Regards.

tummybunny · 13-03-2002, 9:57 PM

Yes, that's right. I've ordered one from Japan.

I was planning to just switch cables and switch it on, I've actually never heard of a projector that wouldn't work this way. Just thought it'd be nice to double check that someone else has done it too.

Joe Fernand · 13-03-2002, 11:39 PM

tummybunny

This must be a joke - correct!

You are knowingly going to plug a 100v projector into the UK 240v mains to 'prove a point' that you believe it will in fact have a multi tap transformer.

Keep hugging the trees.

Regards

Joe

Timh · 14-03-2002, 5:31 AM

tommubunny

it's in the trees, it's coming.

tummybunny · 14-03-2002, 10:08 AM

'Tree people out there? God bless you! I'm singing for you too.'
If you recognise the quote then like me you're getting on a little.

To Joe: Boom?

Thanks for the opinion, even if it's a tad negative, but thanks also for clearly identifying your perspective on the issue. I'm sure that UK dealers provide plenty of services to justify the price premium charged for the AE100 there compared to other parts of the world but in an increasingly global marketplace they are not the only store in town, so to speak, for anybody. There are certainly pros and cons to any purchasing option and so long as people make informed and legal choices then good luck to them. Knowledge is power.

I'm hoping to replicate the uniformly happy experiences of some of my friends and relatives in importing projectors but yep, the 'save 45%' experience does come with some added complications and responsibilities. And heart palpitations every time you switch it on and nothing happens too, just before you realise the power point isn't switched on.

It would be nice to hear of someone using this exact same model with non - Japanese / non - USA currents, but if that doesn't happen then a good long look at the circuitry would seem to be in order. If this model seems different to all the other imports I've seen and possibly demands 100v then a transformer might be in order.

I don't happen to live in the UK but I wish you guys over there all the best whatever you decide to spend your cash on. And any reports from fellow Japanese importers would of course be of great interest.

Knowledge is power.

Grubert · 14-03-2002, 10:51 AM

For what it's worth, I'm with you, tummybunny. I hope everything goes all right. Anyway, look before you leap.

If you find a definitive answer and post it here, you'll have my deepest gratitude.

Regards

Joe Fernand · 14-03-2002, 11:09 AM

Tummybunny/Grubert

I'm not trying to say 'you must purchase from a UK dealer' - that was not the issue; the issue is will you blow up your new projector.

Regards

Joe

tummybunny · 20-03-2002, 10:58 AM

Good news! Indications here are that the Japanese model does have a universal power supply.

Good thing too, as I'm finding that 100v converters can be pretty scarce on the ground.

Grubert · 20-03-2002, 4:05 PM

Wow, some people do have a pair of yarbles.

Thanks for the information. Now the harder part: persuading the home management...

Regards.

Joe Fernand · 21-03-2002, 6:34 AM

Tummybunny

Good to see you are making progress through research and not in the lab - boom

One small point you may want to note being that this projector if purchased in the UK (Europe) will carry a Three year European Warranty whilst it only has a Two Year World Wide warranty!

I still can't get an official price out of Epson or its distributors - we have to become an official Epson Home Cinema dealer before we get let into those secrets; we are awaiting our chip implantations covering the whole of the Epson range before we get the official nod!

Best regards

Joe

tummybunny · 29-03-2002, 2:48 AM

I can confirm that Japanese TH-AE100 works just fine in Australia using the supplied cable and a simple plug adaptor for the local outlet sizes.

We use 240v, 50hz here. No transformers should be needed for anybody, anywhere to run this projector.

Good news indeed!

Mine works wonderfully. Early impressions are very impressive, even after trying to forget how little it cost. Biggest concerns were black levels and dead pixels and I couldn't be happier on either count. Great, and zero, respectively.

05-04-2002, 2:55 PM

tummybunny
thanks for the great news, I live in OZ too, and that should save me about $50 for not having to buy a coverter!

Bert Coules · 05-04-2002, 3:18 PM

I've been following this thread with interest.

It would never previously have occured to me to buy AV gear directly from Japan (and in truth I'm not at all sure that I'm brave enough to do so) but - just out of interest! - how would I go about it?

And don't such matters as import duty and delivery charges go some way to reducing the bargain factor?

Thanks in advance,

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

09-04-2002, 10:48 AM

Hey my TH-Ae100 arrived the other day, and I pluged the power cable right into the power point (Australian) without any power converter, and it worked like a charm! just like tummybunny said.

To Bert :

well yes you have to Pay tax on it I believe if you live in UK and import from Japan, it's something like 17%(!) isn't it from what I've read here. I suggest you buy from dealers in UK anyway as its price is pretty good consider you are getting warranty! I had to pay 10% GST(tax) on mine projector = around AUD$300 just for the tax

if you want to import it just visit eg PriceJapan and they will tell you the rest, bascially you pay them, they send you the projector, they are very realiable.

Gavin_Hall · 09-04-2002, 6:40 PM

Does anybody know what the current import duty is for a projector, I've look at hmce.gov.uk and that was as much help as a chocolate teapot! ??

Looking at the $ price of a AE100, it roughly equates to £970, but you've obviously got to add the import duty and VAT @ 17.5% on top.

Say Duty is 8% ( a wild guess ), which equates to around £80, added to the base price = (970+80) = 1050. Then add the VAT (£183) leaves an end price of £1233. Not that far off the online price of a UK dealer.

I guess it all depends on the import duty as to whether this is wortwhile or not.

Bert Coules · 09-04-2002, 9:31 PM

Gavin, I believe I'd be willing to pay the extra purely for the relative peace of mind of buying from a UK supplier. Japan is an awfully long way to send a faulty unit back, not to mention an awfully long way for something as potentialy vulnerable as a projector to be shipped out from in the first place...

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

13-03-2002, 2:37 PM	#3
Bluecgi Guest Posts: n/a	we use 220v in Australia, so I think we need a voltage converter
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05-04-2002, 2:55 PM	#18
Bluecgi Guest Posts: n/a	tummybunny thanks for the great news, I live in OZ too, and that should save me about $50 for not having to buy a coverter!
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09-04-2002, 10:48 AM	#20
Bluecgi Guest Posts: n/a	Hey my TH-Ae100 arrived the other day, and I pluged the power cable right into the power point (Australian) without any power converter, and it worked like a charm! just like tummybunny said. To Bert : well yes you have to Pay tax on it I believe if you live in UK and import from Japan, it's something like 17%(!) isn't it from what I've read here. I suggest you buy from dealers in UK anyway as its price is pretty good consider you are getting warranty! I had to pay 10% GST(tax) on mine projector = around AUD$300 just for the tax if you want to import it just visit eg PriceJapan and they will tell you the rest, bascially you pay them, they send you the projector, they are very realiable.
	Quote