SIMRAN 200 WATTS DELUXE STEP DOWN VOLTAGE CNVERTER MODEL SMF-200 FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL.

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Product Reviews

(3 stars) - Be careful! This is only a 2 amp device!
I received this device today and am quite disappointed in it, as it's only rated for 2 amps, is heavy, and the advertisement on the website doesn't state the amperage. So, buyers beware!

To explain my extreme disappointment, you should understand what the traveling and power conversion requirement is and how it works. US/Canadian power is 110/120 volts, and Europe/The Rest of the Universe is 220/240 volts. That's approximately twice what our US/Canadian devices can handle; so you have to get a power converter to step the voltage down to something your devices can handle without getting fried into expensive doorstops or paperweights...or burning your lodgings down with you in them!

The simple solution to the problem is to buy a power converter. But various converters are rated for different outputs. The one I'm reviewing is rated for 200 WATTS maximum, or 1.6 AMPS. This is barely sufficient for my laptop, which has an input power requirement of 1.5 amps. (See your device's power supply for the INPUT AMP REQUIREMENT.) And you can forget a hair dryer - not enough power available!

And because I did not know how the conversion of numbers (from watts to amps) worked, I got caught with my proverbial shorts down when I bought this item.

LET ME EXPLAIN HOW POWER CONVERSION MATH WORKS SO YOU CAN DO THE MATH YOURSELVES:
Watts are a measurement of consumption. The wattage of a device tells you how much power it requires. But you likely have amperage requirements on your device power supply...so how much wattage or voltage do you need in the converter?

It's simple math, thank goodness. Here are the formulae, which I wish I had earlier:
WATTS / VOLTS = AMPS. So, if you have a 200watt converter, you divide by the volatge (120) and get the result of 1.6 amps.
VOLTS x AMPS = WATTS
WATTS x AMPS = VOLTS (not particularly useful, as voltage should be constant)

And, now that I know what to look for, I have found far better options than this item for approximately the same price.

(A big thank you to my electrician friend who explained this to me.)

(1 stars) - Unit died after minimum use
I purchased this unit for a trip to Ireland. I used it for my curing iron and on the second use it died and can not be brought back to life. It is cheap and is a waste of your money. It is also heavy, I packed it into my carry on during the trip to Ireland and it was added weight I could have left at home.

I am very sorry I decided to buy this item.

(5 stars) - Great!
Worked great-
I used it for a trip to Greece. It worked well with my Iphone charger, camera, and even my hair straightener. Kinda chunky and big but not as big as other ones I've seen.
Definitely do not regret this purchase.

(2 stars) - Don't take this if you'll need it for more than 2 weeks
I bought this product for a two-month stay in Europe last summer. It worked well for about two weeks, but then, it would only work if I held the plug in the converter at a certain angle. After about 4 weeks, it started sparking whenever I plugged things into it, and that was the end of that.

To be fair though, I did abuse it somewhat. It specifically says on the box not to use it with items that heat up (such a blow dryers, irons, toasters, etc.), and I admit that I used it to plug in my straightening iron.

If you need it for heated items and plan on using it for a while, I would suggest you get something else. Actually, even if you're not heating anything up, I still suggest you get something else. My suggestion: go to Brookstone.

(1 stars) - didn't last long. Waste of money
seller shipped accordingly, but product did not last long and under performed. waste of money if you are traveling.

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