That would be really dumb. The power supply would run really hot on 240V and nice and cool on 120V.
In fact the converter you describe that generates the higher frequency AC will be adjusting itself so that the transformer output is more or less the same voltage no matter what the incoming mains voltage is.
"Brian Gregory"
** The OP simply has to make sure any varistors are rated at 275VAC, suppression caps have the same voltage rating and are marked class X1 or 2 - oh, and neon lights must have series resistors of 180 kohms or higher.Varistors must only be wired from active to neutral, never to ground.
If in doubt, just remove the lot with side cutters.
Dead simple.
.... Phil
What's dead simple is that you should NEVER used stuff rated for a max of 120v on higher than 120V...PERIOD. Emphasis on the DEAD. Whether it works is irrelevant. It's ill-advised, dangerous, prone to fire, illegal, probably voids your insurance...and then, there's that dead part.
It's not a self-regulated process that rids the world of idiots. When you burn the place down, your reckless incompetence seriously affects others. Get properly rated equipment...PERIOD!!
Take it from someone who was completely burned out by the idiot in the adjacent apartment.
All true, but that's a lot of work to avoid buying a 240V power strip. A lot of the lower cost strips can't be easily opened either.
I like this one which gives you three U.S. outlets and 2 USB ports that provide a total of 1.5A. Enough current to charge a tablet and a phone though not enough to be using the device at the same time as it's being charged. Very compact. Still need a plug adapter though.
It's actually none of those.
A "properly rated" 240V power strip would have thinner conductors. It would be no more dangerous because it would also have a lower amperage circuit breaker.
Whatever caused the fire it was certainly not someone using a 120V power strip on 240V.
As many others have pointed out, the power strip is actually safer on
240V because the current is much lower for the same wattage.However the downside is that it would be possible to overload the 240V circuit, which is probably not a 15A circuit, and the circuit breaker in the power strip would not blow (but the circuit breaker in the breaker panel would trip).
Must be nice to know everything for CERTAIN.
It's people like you, making grand declarations based on PART of the problem that cause so much grief in the world. There are many people who will actually believe that you told them it was safe. The other issue is that the internet is forever. Years from now, some newbie does a google search and sees your missive out of context.
What is it about doubling the voltage on a system and routing it to sockets that invite you to plug in devices rated at half the voltage do you think is a good idea?
Think back about all the screwups in your past. The things you thought about and carefully analyzed are usually NOT the things that caused you grief. It's the things you didn't consider that cause most of the problem. Must be nice to be all-knowing.
Sorry about the tone. I get upset when people advise stupid things that might result in harm to others.
** My post was basically facetious - pointing out that one has to be expert in identifying components like varistors and X1 caps in order to " .. check there is nothing that might not like 240V in it ". ** Well, all the parts I mentioned would fail quickly if not rated for 240V operation.
There might be a loud bang, but definitely no fire hazard.
** That must have been very distressing..... Phil
And exactly where does it state it is useable for 240 volts? The USB port power supply may very well NOT be rated for 240, to start with.
Every electrical plug on board Carnival's ships (and a lot more) will accept both 240 euro (round pin), Japanese 240 (parallel blade) and American 120 volt parallel blade plugs.. They are labeled 240 volts only.
So do the same with the power bar. It is NOT a safety issue unless it becomes a stupidity issue.
Virtually EVERY safety regulation is about preventing stupid people from doing stupid things that might hurt themselves or others.
If you need something done right, look no further than Carnival Cruise ships.
Next time you get pulled over for speeding, explain to the cop that the other guy was speeding too. See how far that gets you.
Just because someone else does it, doesn't make it a wise thing to do.
The attitude expressed here is common. I've had to beat it out of virtually every engineer I've trained.
How hard is it to teach someone to push a broom?
Phil is in Oz.
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