Small 220v:110v transformer - where to buy?

[simon43]

I remember Amorn (under Big C), used to stock these, but not any more (I checked and also asked them).

Nor do Watsadu and HomePro...

I bought an ornamental garden arch from the USA on Ebay - it has a 'net' of white LED lights that require 110 volts supply.

So I need to buy a small (low wattage) step-down transformer, but can't find a supplier.

Of course, I can buy some 220v LED lights, but the net of lights is integrated with the arch and I prefer not to rip them out.

These are LED lights on a string, so the overall power consumption is low. (They are not wired in series but parallel, so that if one light fails, the others still work).

Any ideas where I can buy this type of transformer in Phuket?

[hansgruber]

Go back to ebay. US voltage has caught me out a few times when I bought a game console for my brats. nowhere had one in Phuket but I was made aware later they have them at the games shops in Bangkok but triple the cost of eBay.

[KarenBravo]

You could try Keesin on the bypass road.

[hansgruber]

You could try Keesin on the bypass road.

It's very hard to find in Thailand in general.

All appliances here are 220v whilst US runs 110v so what he is looking for isn't available.

Try a gaming shop, Central and big C have one.

I'm pretty sure you can buy one there but will have to cut the cable and rewire it to his LED strip.

[hansgruber]

Simon.

Does your LED strip have a plug or just wires?

I can confirm that the gaming shop in Big C has a 110v adapter for Nintendo 3DS. Just cut off the plug for the device and rewire it for your strip.

My wife got one there after my son couldn't charge his game. 250 baht.

[simon43]

...so what he is looking for isn't available.

Amorn used to stock a range of converters, from low wattage up to hefty size. But apparently no longer - presumably the customer demand is too low.

I'll try Keesin.. or I could always wind my own transformer (written with my electronics hat on)

[hansgruber]

...so what he is looking for isn't available.

Amorn used to stock a range of converters, from low wattage up to hefty size. But apparently no longer - presumably the customer demand is too low.

I'll try Keesin.. or I could always wind my own transformer (written with my electronics hat on)

You don't need a hefty big transformer to run a LED strip. It's overkill.

How many watts does the LED strip draw?

Edited January 29, 2015 by hansgruber

[daveAustin]

Keep an eye out for 110v shaver sockets.

[fester the benevolent]

Hardware section in main Supercheap is probably worth looking at, they have all sorts of odds-n-sods in there too.

[hansgruber]

Keep an eye out for 110v shaver sockets.

That will work. LEDs draw very little wattage so he doesn't need a transformer.

[LivinginKata]

Amorn stock has spirled badly downhill these past 2 years. Try the place on Krabi Road, road behind the Thai Airlines office in central Phuket Town. Name something like 'Dynatech'.

[Valentine]

Amorn stock has spirled badly downhill these past 2 years. Try the place on Krabi Road, road behind the Thai Airlines office in central Phuket Town. Name something like 'Dynatech'.

Southern Dynatech run by a real good guy.

[surangw]

if it is running the lights off a "wall wart" type plug, it might be easier ( and safer) to just buy one that runs on 220 vac and puts out the actual dc voltage to run the lights.

[DrDave]

I remember a few years ago, Amorn had a lot of different wall wart type adapters - lots of different DC output voltages and current ratings. Now, they seem to have none.

As for AC step-down transformers - the last time I looked, they had only one. 220V -> 110V, but I don't recall the wattage. From the size, I'd guess it was 500 - 700 watts. About 2,000 baht (twice the cost of a similar unit in the US that can step up from 110V to 220V as well as step down).

[Sandman77]

Have 2 in my home in eu land very massive built have 3 kg postage will be high around 30 € to thailand

Some of them sold has very bad quality better ones are stable with 300 watt

That one with bad quality burn up in fire when you use a device that takes higher use

[digitalchromakey]

You could try Keesin on the bypass road.

It's very hard to find in Thailand in general.

All appliances here are 220v whilst US runs 110v so what he is looking for isn't available.

Try a gaming shop, Central and big C have one.

I'm pretty sure you can buy one there but will have to cut the cable and rewire it to his LED strip.

Kee Hin do sell 220:110V transformers (they are not cheap and not small).

However the main reason for a 'step down' transformer is where motors are involved as over voltage would burn then out.

The LEDs themselves will use next to no power; get some one who understands electronics to rig up for you an external load unit which would drop the supplied 220v. The actual LEDs only drop a few volts and the rest of the voltage is dropped by an internal load resistor, the current drawn is relatively constant.

Edited January 30, 2015 by digitalchromakey

[DrDave]

Here's an update on 220V -> 110V StepDown transformers, in case anyone is interested:

Amorn (in the basement under Big C), actually does have an assortment of these - they're just generally not on display.

I picked one up today, and had them show me every size they had in stock, along with prices.

300 Watt - 850 baht

500 Watt - 1,150 baht

800 Watt - 1,450 baht

1600 Watt - 2,200 baht