Thinkpads Forum

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).
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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!

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

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

jdhurst wrote: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.

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

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.

TTY wrote: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.

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

jdhurst wrote: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.

pinkymadam wrote: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.

TTY wrote: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.