50hz versus 60hz

Hi,

Im new to this stuff....I just bought audio amplifier rated at AC 50hz, the problem now is that my AC line is 60hz.

What would happen to my AMP? Can it be damage? Would the amp produce too much heat?


Please Help....

 

sounds like this unit came form europe. All they use is 50hz.

You will definitely shorten the life of the unit. It should work though.

 

Don't believe it. Your unit will last longer because it will actually run a little cooler at 60hz than it did at 50hz especially if the unit has a transformer type power supply.

 

Why cooler at 60hz if your transformer is 50hz?

Then is it hotter if 60hz transformer is used on 50hz line?


Please enlighten me....any documentation, books, papers to support this...?

Regards...

 

A basic electronics equation says that the closer to DC a transformer runs the more current it will draw and the hotter it will run. Zero hertz is DC. 25 hz is further away. So is 50hz and then 60 hz. If anything, the power supply in your amp may be slightly underpowered at 60hz. I doubt that you will even notice it though. Your amp may be powered by a DC to DC converter. Many of those are designed to work with either 50hz or 60hz because in today's global economy you have to be able to sell world wide. A large portion of the world uses 50hz as their standard. North America uses 60hz. Companies design their equipment so that it can be used anywhere.

Electrical equipment using transformers designed to use 60hz would indeed run some hotter when operated on 50hz. I would be surprised if the amp was manufactured in the last 10 years that it wasn't tested and/or specified to use either 50 or 60 hz. Most equipment made these days are.

 

I spent three years in West Germany. Bought alot of electronics gadgets from there. The only thing I noticed when I brought it all back was that the digital alarm clock was slow. The stereo runs perfect, it is still running great after 18 years. My razor works fine as well. Just items that keep time seem affected by 50 to 60 hz change.

 

Did you notice anything on your stereo? Excessive heat? or your electric bills did not go high...?

I was confused of this stuff also...Jughead has a good input anyway...Right now im still searching about this 50 and 60hz stuff...

Thanks guys...

 

The amp might have ran a touch hotter. Guess it didn't hurt it none though, considering it's almost twenty years old. I had so much stuff in the stereo cabinett that I had a small fan mounted in the back to ensure air flow. No, the electric bill was fine.

 

A couple of basics. A device is designed to draw a certain amount of current to operate which is proportional to the impedance (ie-resistance) of the circuit. In a device like a transformer or motor, the impedance is inductive in nature. In laymans terms, the impedance (or opposition) to the current flow is from the magnetically inductive field created by the windings, not by the physical resistance of the copper wire. This impedance is directly proportional to the frequency. (Something like 2 x pi x inductance in Henry's x frequency equals the impedance in ohms if anyone really cares.)

Anyway, if you plug a 50 hz device into a 60 hz circuit, the frequency is higher than the unit was designed for. Therefore, the impedance is greater and there is less current flow and it operates a little cooler.

The reverse is just the opposite. A 60 hz device in a 50 hz circuit has a lower impedance, draws more current, and operates hotter (if it doesn't burn up altogether).

Where you may have problems is if the fequency is used for timing, as it is in a clock. Most clocks sync on frequency....if they are designed for 50 hz per second and get 60, then the time will be off.

 

There is basically no significant effect on the unit. The only part of the stereo that will really notice the difference is the power supply, and you can really only see it in the filtering circuit. 60Hz is better than 50Hz because of how the filterering and smoothing circuits work. Higher frequency = less rms ripple current.

 

This is what I get base on the reply of the forum:

1. The transformer does not produce excess heat when 50hz use on 60hz line.
2. The electric bill will not be affected.
3. After conversion of AC60hz to DC, the DC ripple width is short because of high freq.

Conclusion: It is safe to use 50hz transformer to a 6ohz line.


Any comments?

 

After all my thoeretical stuff, I've never done it myself. Weebee has with no ill effects, so I would say that is your best answer.
It may all operate a little less than optimum.

 

Just remember though, if you have a timer or clock on your stereo it will not keep proper time. I had a nice timer for mine, but when I got back to the states I junked it.