Chopper

[Bliss]

Well speaking of 24Vdc and being a moron... I once was ... I wanted to test out our Quicksilver (mac) PSU.. and I had a brainfart. I couldn't remember if the power-on lead on the ATX type PSU went to ground, or to the Stand-By lead to turn the PSU on, and I connected it to the Stand By lead.... with the aggravation that on the Quicksilver, it's almost an ATX PSU but not quite, and appart from some rewiring (same voltages, in other possitions) in the connector, the Stand By voltage is 30Vdc not 5Vdc as in ATX... I burned that PSU good, and being so exclusive I had to pay thorough the nose for a new one :'(

When my band toured the UK we ran into all sorts of problems, even when we had the "right" adapters for our equipment we brought over from the US.

It could've been the cycles. Appart from different voltages, Europe uses a different cycle ratio than the us... if I'm not wrong, the US is 60Hz, europe is 50Hz... it shouldn't affect normal equipments, but audio equipment will be probably. sensitive to it. Trouble is that voltage is pretty easy to convert, but cycle speed can only be converted if you rectify the incomming current, and then pass it thorough a inverter.

[AdvancedFlea]

Er... no. Europe works on 230V just like the UK.

*clicks on it*

...I stand corrected. Thanks

[BaristaTrav]

to be perfectly honest... for me that was the hardest thing to get used to during my two weeks in Europe... everything else seemed normal to me except those funky power plugs... well that and the people weren't as uptight as most of the people I know in the states.

When my band toured the UK we ran into all sorts of problems, even when we had the "right" adapters for our equipment we brought over from the US.

[smileyeagle1021]

Er... no. Europe works on 230V just like the UK. Sure, the plugs are a different shape, but it's still the same voltage and frequency.

Here's a map.

to be perfectly honest... for me that was the hardest thing to get used to during my two weeks in Europe... everything else seemed normal to me except those funky power plugs... well that and the people weren't as uptight as most of the people I know in the states.

[Chromatix]

europe works on 110Volts. the UK works on 230

Er... no. Europe works on 230V just like the UK. Sure, the plugs are a different shape, but it's still the same voltage and frequency.

Here's a map.

[Sonoma]

It is.

Was working in a computer store once and we got a shipment of brand new 400W power adapters.

Boss: Puts them in, turns them on and puff... weird...
Boss: Puts in next one... puff.
Boss: "Ok.. what the hell?"
Boss: Next one.. puff.
Boss: Burned through 5 of them.
Me: Are those from the US?
Boss: Yes, why?
Me: Try flipping that little switch.
Boss:

When I worked for (printer manufacturer), we'd occasionally produce 240v units for South America. Switching back to US units got interesting when they would mistakenly put some 240v power supplies into the 120v US units. Didn't get noticed until they got to the Print Test area, where I worked. Running one on the wrong voltage for about 15 minutes resulted in lots of smoke & burned plastic smell.

[AdvancedFlea]

it would have not only burnt my hand before and breaks hit but i would most like had caught my wooden desk of hell on fire

it caught fire on the tech because in an electronics store the breakers are designed to be a lot less sensitive. when you turn on a mass of electronic equipment it tends to cause a surge that anything a to d would not be able to take. Electrical fires are caused by an over-current (which could be caused by techs re-wireing a computer wrongly, or electricity flashing to ground or any number of things) if it had have happend in your house, your more senstive breakers would have just snapped to the off position.

It's just very sad to see people try to get the upper hand on a trained and tenured veteran of that industry.

it always makes me laugh when customers try to go for Alison...who has more experience of this ki8nd of thing than all of us put together. she throws them down in one punch

[Elevator]

I love these stories when customers make these threats and try to put the onus on the clearly superior and more product-aware employees. It's just very sad to see people try to get the upper hand on a trained and tenured veteran of that industry.

[Sliceanddice]

but so far as your safety is converned, all houses use D-Type circuit breakers. they would have cut the power long before the computer actually caught fire on you

where it cauhgt on fire almost burnt the techs hand, it would have not only burnt my hand before and breaks hit but i would most like had caught my wooden desk of hell on fire

[DGoddessChardonnay]

He also didn't think we would check the machine

Another reason why criminals or scammers are stupid:

They don't think the plan through. Which in the end makes them easier to catch and for us to laugh at.

[AdvancedFlea]

I must get British citizenship so I can work at the same store as you

(isn't Europe on a 240V system compared to the US's 120V?)

after the day I have had, spending half of it wedged between a patch panel and a wall, you don't want my job

and not quite ^^; europe works on 110Volts. the UK works on 230

.

Only reason I can think of is he must have been thinking if the PC was damaged enough that the warranty would replace it with a newer (and faster) model for free.

He also didn't think we would check the machine

well to be clear, my computer burst into flames because the people who where fixing it when my motherboard died where idiots
i was lucky it didnt burst into the flames at home.

I get the feeling you took it to our store in merry hill lol

but so far as your safety is converned, all houses use D-Type circuit breakers. they would have cut the power long before the computer actually caught fire on you

[Sliceanddice]

XD I have had customers computers burst into flames on me before now. you can tell when it's been a genuine electrical fire and when it's not

well to be clear, my computer burst into flames because the people who where fixing it when my motherboard died where idiots and cut the power lines then put them back wrong.
so it wouldnt power up
i was lucky it didnt burst into the flames at home.

[Calud]

now it's my turn to say I fucking love you... seriously, I must get British citizenship so I can work at the same store as you



darn... and I thought you were going to say something like it had to do with it being on the European power sytem (isn't Europe on a 240V system compared to the US's 120V?)

It is.

Was working in a computer store once and we got a shipment of brand new 400W power adapters.

Boss: Puts them in, turns them on and puff... weird...
Boss: Puts in next one... puff.
Boss: "Ok.. what the hell?"
Boss: Next one.. puff.
Boss: Burned through 5 of them.
Me: Are those from the US?
Boss: Yes, why?
Me: Try flipping that little switch.
Boss:

[DGoddessChardonnay]

My brain is sitll trying to wrap around that logic, but fails miserably . . .

Only reason I can think of is he must have been thinking if the PC was damaged enough that the warranty would replace it with a newer (and faster) model for free.

Even so, the only person he screwed in the end was himself.

[smileyeagle1021]

My job is to examine, fix and pwn customers who try to pull the wool over my eyes.

now it's my turn to say I fucking love you... seriously, I must get British citizenship so I can work at the same store as you

No. no new standard. I just couldn't remember if it was +12 or +24 so I guessed

darn... and I thought you were going to say something like it had to do with it being on the European power sytem (isn't Europe on a 240V system compared to the US's 120V?)