Moving to London - Power Converter and Protection

[Flyinace2000]

We are moving to london in a few months and after doing an inventory of my AV setup i have a few devices (Plasma, AV Rec, etc) that require voltage adapters. The total power required is about 950 watts. I am going to buy a 3000 watt adapter from amazon for $140

LiteFuze LR-3000 3000 Watt Heavy Duty Voltage Regulator w/ Voltage Converter Transformer - Step Up/Down 110/120/220/240V (Free Euro Plug) - Patented Universal Output Sockets - LITEFUZE

My question is should i put some sort of conditioner or even a UPS between the voltage converter and my devices and if so what kind? I am looking to spend $200 or less. The following on Amazon looked ok, but not really sure what to look for.

Belkin PureAV® PF30 Home Theater Power Console
[URL="http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-AP41300fc10-PureAV-Theater-Console/dp/B001541R5W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1326235968&sr=1-1"]Belkin AP41300fc10 PF60 PureAV Home Theater Power Console - Black[/URL]

 

[TLS Guy]

We are moving to london in a few months and after doing an inventory of my AV setup i have a few devices (Plasma, AV Rec, etc) that require voltage adapters. The total power required is about 950 watts. I am going to buy a 3000 watt adapter from amazon for $140

LiteFuze LR-3000 3000 Watt Heavy Duty Voltage Regulator w/ Voltage Converter Transformer - Step Up/Down 110/120/220/240V (Free Euro Plug) - Patented Universal Output Sockets - LITEFUZE

My question is should i put some sort of conditioner or even a UPS between the voltage converter and my devices and if so what kind? I am looking to spend $200 or less. The following on Amazon looked ok, but not really sure what to look for.

Belkin PureAV® PF30 Home Theater Power Console
[URL="http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-AP41300fc10-PureAV-Theater-Console/dp/B001541R5W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1326235968&sr=1-1"]Belkin AP41300fc10 PF60 PureAV Home Theater Power Console - Black[/URL]

You will need a new TV as the US is NHSTC and the UK is PAL.

Also the FM tuner in the receiver will not work properly as Europe is 50 msec de emphasis and the US 75 msec.

If you do buy a transformer, make sure it meets the KVA spec of your devices and the true wattage, including starting currents.

Also you will have to check that your equipment is OK with 50 Hz AC, the US is 60 Hz. Most equipment, but not all is fine on 50 or 60 Hz.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You will need a new TV as the US is NHSTC

Newport Hills Swim and Tennis Club ??

I believe he mean to say NTSC

Check with you TV first if it does support PAL

Power transformers are pain in the butt, but the simple rule I try to follow - the heavier the better

 

[jinjuku]

Check with manufacturers and see if they have used global power supplies in any of your equipment.

 

[Flyinace2000]

Check with manufacturers and see if they have used global power supplies in any of your equipment.

I basically checked the tech specs of all my current equipment for what was universal and what wasn't. Then added up the wattage requirements and tripled it to get to the 3000watt converter.

As for PAL vs NTSC, i currently have a 720p Panasonic Plasma. We don't have cable now and didn't plan on getting it once we were then. right now we do OTA so i was thinking of getting a USB OTA PAL receiver.

Either way, the plan was to sell my TV and get a new 50" Panasonic Plasma since the costs is so much less here than the UK.

 

[TLS Guy]

I basically checked the tech specs of all my current equipment for what was universal and what wasn't. Then added up the wattage requirements and tripled it to get to the 3000watt converter.

As for PAL vs NTSC, i currently have a 720p Panasonic Plasma. We don't have cable now and didn't plan on getting it once we were then. right now we do OTA so i was thinking of getting a USB OTA PAL receiver.

Either way, the plan was to sell my TV and get a new 50" Panasonic Plasma since the costs is so much less here than the UK.

You have to consider the hazard of shipping a plasma TV.

It is generally better to buy the TV in the UK. Then you can use over air signal. There is usually a good over air signal in the UK, especially in the London area.

Whereabouts are you going to be living in London?

I basically advise against shipping a plasma TV to the UK from the US. It is usually more hassle than its worth.

The other issue will be space. Do you have a place to live yet? Living spaces are much smaller in Europe than the US.

My eldest son had a posting to the UK just over a year ago. He is in the lovely Surrey town of Godalming, working in Liphook Hampshire.

They have rented a classic late Victorian, two up/two down.

This is where he works at Bow Hunt Manor. Headquarters of IML

The grounds.

You should have a very good time. The cost of living is much higher than here in the US, which my son never stop telling me. They are however having a wonderful time in the UK.

 

[Flyinace2000]

Not sure about living arrangements yet. Looking to rent (lett) a 2 bedroom place. The moving company is being paid by her company so the costs of moving all our stuff is null.

But you make a good point. We love OTA right now. I am think i agree with you and should buy the TV when we get there. Then we just sell it when we come home.

As for cost of living, it is high, but we live in the NY metro area so it isn't that much higher than what we are "used" to. Ugh...should of moved to Vermont!

-Will

 

[TLS Guy]

Not sure about living arrangements yet. Looking to rent (lett) a 2 bedroom place. The moving company is being paid by her company so the costs of moving all our stuff is null.

But you make a good point. We love OTA right now. I am think i agree with you and should buy the TV when we get there. Then we just sell it when we come home.

As for cost of living, it is high, but we live in the NY metro area so it isn't that much higher than what we are "used" to. Ugh...should of moved to Vermont!

-Will

I think that would be best. I was not concerned about the cost of moving, but whether the TV would be damaged in transit. The risk of damaging a plasma has to be high.

I hate to say this, as a UK expat, but you have to be a little careful where you live in the London area now.

You also need to consider the cost of transport to and fro work. A car is virtually useless for getting to and fro work in London. Public transport is excellent, but expensive. Most people have to budget in the neighborhood of 7000 GBP a year for work transport costs.

With the cost of the London congestion charges, cost of fuel, parking etc, public transport is by far the quickest. The trains are fast. I was over recently. On the journey from Kings Cross/St Pancras to ebbs fleet, the journey was only twice as long as walking from the train platform to my car! The journey was just over 20 miles with one stop, so you see how fast those Javelin trains travel.

 

[Flyinace2000]

Yeah, no car for me. Selling my current ride to my father and we will just get metro passes while we are their. I barely use my car as it is.

Here is my setup:
"Liz's System"
AVRant Home Theater Podcast » Listener Systems
The only update is the rear surrounds are now the EMP E55wi

-Will

 

[TLS Guy]

Yeah, no car for me. Selling my current ride to my father and we will just get metro passes while we are their. I barely use my car as it is.

Here is my setup:
"Liz's System"
AVRant Home Theater Podcast » Listener Systems
The only update is the rear surrounds are now the EMP E55wi

-Will

Nice system.

Let us know how things go with the big move.

Just be aware that there is huge pressure on rentals inside the M25 beltway. This also applies to quite a large extent in the home counties.

The nearest housing my son could find was 15 miles from his work and that is quite away outside the M25. He bikes to work, up and down some crushing inclines in the Surrey Hills.

 

[lsiberian]

The nearest housing my son could find was 15 miles from his work and that is quite away outside the M25. He bikes to work, up and down some crushing inclines in the Surrey Hills.

That's a long bike ride.

 

[Flyinace2000]

I haven't gotten my boots on the ground yet, but from what i can find online there seems to be a lot of good rentals. Granted, who knows how they look in person, that is what our house hunting trip is for!

My original question i think stands. Is there any other power conditioning i should do after the power converter? Battery or Conditioner?