A 110V mains supply

Japanese computers and games consoles that require a 110V AC mains supply.

I thought Japan used 100V rather than 110V (or are these "US" versions of Japanese games, or just a case of 110V is 'close enough'?)


If you're going to have several devices on the same supply then you'll need something pretty 'stiff' to cope with the switch-on surges (a.k.a. inrush currents) - otherwise you'll likely find that switching one on causes all the ones already switched on to crash or restart as the supply voltage momentarily collapses. Older PSUs where particularly poor in that respect - often drawing many tens of times their nameplate rating when switched on.


If the 110V socket outlets are going to be part of the fixed installation then you'll probably find that most traditional "foreign" types don't meet UK safety regs for domestic use (mostly due to not being shuttered) - although if you look hard enough it's usually possible to find shuttered versions these days (I think they're just becoming a requirement in the US now).


Be careful too about how the secondary is arranged. Many UK 110V systems will be 55-0-55V centre-tapped Reduced Low Voltage systems (RLV), but US style 110V equipment will usually expect N to be at close to earth potential and so may have single pole switching etc in the L only. Even US style 2-pin plugs are polarized (by the rather subtle method of making the N pin slightly wider than the line) and socket terminal screws are often identified by different colour metals (brass for L, tinned for N) rather than any obvious L and N markings that you might have expected.


  - Andy.

Japanese computers and games consoles that require a 110V AC mains supply.

I thought Japan used 100V rather than 110V (or are these "US" versions of Japanese games, or just a case of 110V is 'close enough'?)


If you're going to have several devices on the same supply then you'll need something pretty 'stiff' to cope with the switch-on surges (a.k.a. inrush currents) - otherwise you'll likely find that switching one on causes all the ones already switched on to crash or restart as the supply voltage momentarily collapses. Older PSUs where particularly poor in that respect - often drawing many tens of times their nameplate rating when switched on.


If the 110V socket outlets are going to be part of the fixed installation then you'll probably find that most traditional "foreign" types don't meet UK safety regs for domestic use (mostly due to not being shuttered) - although if you look hard enough it's usually possible to find shuttered versions these days (I think they're just becoming a requirement in the US now).


Be careful too about how the secondary is arranged. Many UK 110V systems will be 55-0-55V centre-tapped Reduced Low Voltage systems (RLV), but US style 110V equipment will usually expect N to be at close to earth potential and so may have single pole switching etc in the L only. Even US style 2-pin plugs are polarized (by the rather subtle method of making the N pin slightly wider than the line) and socket terminal screws are often identified by different colour metals (brass for L, tinned for N) rather than any obvious L and N markings that you might have expected.


  - Andy.