AC/DC Adapter (Power Pack) - Cloverleaf Power Cord Question

[pinkymadam]

EDIT: Blue text is my original post, before I did a bit more research. Please (and thank you if you're reading this) just skip and read the bit in bold black font.

I just bought my first ThinkPad (first laptop) and one of the reasons I could afford a ThinkPad and a W510 at that, was the fact that it will be imported (from USA to UK). I'm excited (biggest purchase of my life, and hopefully it will last 4 years through university).

Now, I'm a n00b when it comes to this particular area, so my apologies if I make stupid assumptions or have silly ideas...

I won't get a UK (mains) plug, obviously.

Now I know the power pack can be used worldwide, and have been told I should use a transformer.

However, because the power pack itself has both UK and US voltages, I don't know if I need a 'transformer' which I believe would be used for stepdown/stepup to convert voltage - is this right? Do I just need a plug adapter for UK (US to UK) sockets?

Going a bit further, would I be able to just cut off the US plug and fit a UK plug? (Replace NEEMA with BS 1363)
I would not do this myself, obviously, but it would still be free (electrician).
-------------------------------

Third, can the plug section be detached from the rest of the power pack? (like on some other devices, e.g. my external hard drive).

It can: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 74503.html

Can I buy this power cord separately - does it have a name?

"Cloverleaf".

Am I right in thinking that all I need to buy is a cloverleaf (C5) UK power cord?
Is there a certain amp fuse I need or anything like that?

Any advice, explanations or links would be greatly appreciated - it would allow me to get my ThinkPad up and running when it arrives on Saturday!

[jdhurst]

First, you do not need a transformer. Thinkpad Power Bricks work from roughly 90 through 250 volts.

Second, you can always by a new cloverleaf cord, but I do not bother. I just purchased the plug adapters (many years ago) and they can always go with you.

... JDH

[jdhurst]

I should have looked harder - since you are in the UK, you may well want a proper UK cord that will plug into the power brick. ... JDH

[pinkymadam]

First, you do not need a transformer. Thinkpad Power Bricks work from roughly 90 through 250 volts.

Second, you can always by a new cloverleaf cord, but I do not bother. I just purchased the plug adapters (many years ago) and they can always go with you.

... JDH

Thank you.

There's no reason I can't buy both!

I wanted to avoid the slight additional bulk of an adapter when travelling (to and from university, not to the coffee shop), that's all.

The bag I have isn't very big and the W510 and it's power supply is - it's a good bag though (a PacSafe bag - was the person who gave it to me trying to tell me something about London?)

Thank you for your help.

[jdhurst]

No problem.

Now if you are always in the UK, you can travel with just one AC cord, right? So you travel just like me: Thinkpad, AC Adapter and a line cord. Mine is a two prong cord and yours is a UK-plugged cord. That would be the only difference?

I think I purchased one of the last T61p's available, and I did so because it has a 4:3 14-inc screen, weighs just under 5 pounds and fits (just) in my wonderful bag I purchased over a decade ago.

... JDH

[TTY]

A British cloverleaf cord won't be of much help when trying to use the AC adapter that comes with your notebook. The AC adapter that comes with your notebook will be a 2-pin AC adapter. You can't plug a cloverleaf (3-pin) cord into that. You could probably use a plug adapter, but i don't know whether such a solution is compliant with UK legislation. If you want to use a 3-pin UK power cord, you would need to get a 3-pin AC adapter, P/N 55Y9325.

[pinkymadam]

A British cloverleaf cord won't be of much help when trying to use the AC adapter that comes with your notebook. The AC adapter that comes with your notebook will be a 2-pin AC adapter. You can't plug a cloverleaf (3-pin) cord into that. You could probably use a plug adapter, but i don't know whether such a solution is compliant with UK legislation. If you want to use a 3-pin UK power cord, you would need to get a 3-pin AC adapter, P/N 55Y9325.

Sounds like bad news, and we'll see for sure tomorrow, but I don't know what you mean.

From what I've understood, I thought the power cord varies, not the (adapter) 'brick' itself - different power cords (detachable) can go into the same 'brick' because it can be used worldwide (universal input).

I expect the power cord to be a 2 pin (into the wall/mains) US cloverleaf (into the 'brick'), so I just need it to be 3 pin.

This is the exactly the same on other notebooks - from the various laptop power supplies/adapter I have found at home.

Also, someone at Lenovo told me to use a cheap adapter/transformer, instead of buying a new power pack for the UK, so the adapter/'brick' itself must be fine for UK use.

[jdhurst]

Go to Lenovo -> Support and at the top, pull down United Kingdom. I see AC adapters for UK and Ireland, so you should be able to get an AC adapter that uses a three-wire line cord.

You live in United Kingdom, right? ... JDH

[pinkymadam]

Go to Lenovo -> Support and at the top, pull down United Kingdom. I see AC adapters for UK and Ireland, so you should be able to get an AC adapter that uses a three-wire line cord.

You live in United Kingdom, right? ... JDH

Yes, UK. And thank you for your help.

I should have it in a few hours, so I'll know/say then.

I know I can buy a new AC Adapter for the UK, but it's not cheap.
From what I had seen in pictures of the adapters and also other notebook adapter I have around the house (not any of mine), I though the US AC adapter was:
a) compatible with voltages worldwide with a suitable plug adapter/transformer (i.e. 2-pin to 3-pin, etc.)
b) used a removable/replaceable power cord (from the adapter brick to the wall socket), which happened to have a cloverleaf fitting at the adapter (other notebook power adapters I have seen are like this too, or use a two prong C7 fitting, but same principle)

Because of BOTH (a) and (b), I thought it would suffice to replace the power cord itself, for one with a UK 3-pin plug - as opposed to using a plug adapter/tranfomer at the wall socket. I thought you agreed, yesterday.


Anyway, I'll know in a few hours either way. Thank you for your help, it's appreciated.

[TTY]

Also, someone at Lenovo told me to use a cheap adapter/transformer, instead of buying a new power pack for the UK, so the adapter/'brick' itself must be fine for UK use.

A plug adapter is the easiest solution. As jdhurst already mentioned, you don't need a voltage transformer. If it's legal - and it might well be - go for it.

From what I've understood, I thought the power cord varies, not the (adapter) 'brick' itself - different power cords (detachable) can go into the same 'brick' because it can be used worldwide (universal input).

The bricks vary too, the US adapters have a 2-pin inlet, the UK adapters have a 3-pin inlet. The worldwide compatibility refers only to input voltage, these adapters can handle anything from 100 V to 240 V.

[pinkymadam]

The bricks vary too, the US adapters have a 2-pin inlet, the UK adapters have a 3-pin inlet. The worldwide compatibility refers only to input voltage, these adapters can handle anything from 100 V to 240 V.

I thought that's what you might have meant. I haven't seen any pictures of two pin/prong (C7?) inlets on ThinkPad power supplies, but there aren't that many and they use mainly stock photos (so a store selling the UK version might have a photo of the US version).

However, the issue remains just as small (and cheap) - I need a UK power cord with a C7 (figure fitting (if that is indeed the one). I have more than one spare.

Thank you again. If I didn't have one, I would have ordered one now.