Re: Electrical Power in Australia and NZ

Plug is the same in NZ and Aus.

No, in NZ the plug is the same as used in Australia, and, to be pedantic, the voltage is 230V +/-6% 50Hz.

-- Regards Malcolm Remove sharp objects to get a valid e-mail address

indeed. although +/- 6% is laughable when at the end of a long dangly wire. back in my videogame days in the 80s we used 2kVA 10% or 15% boost autotransformers to drive the arcade games in places like murupara, where I have measured line voltages as low as 180Vrms

Cheers Terry

Ah, but the regulations actually say

They don't define 'momentary', but it is well known that in Murupara time is measured on a different (slower) scale. So therefore 'momentary' also has a meaning that covers the situation you experienced :-)

-- Regards Malcolm Remove sharp objects to get a valid e-mail address

Thanks very much. Anyone know for sure about NZ?

whereas in Aus it is 240V +/- 6% 50Hz

Thanks very much.

Yes, thanks, I know. As I said, I have an adapter.

To be really pedantic, Aus has harmonised it's voltage with the Europeans and your supply is now specified as 230V +10%-6%, the same as the UK. The practical effect at present is zilch and your nominal supply remains 240V, but the lower limit of acceptable is now 216V. See

and for how one supply authority handles it, see page eight of

By contrast, NZ has always been 230V.

-- Regards Malcolm Remove sharp objects to get a valid e-mail address

LOL :)

(and momentary in that case was a few years)

Cheers Terry