Power Strips

[Specially_K]

Are there any restrictions on NCL ships for using a power strip in your cabin? We will be on the Jewel in April.

[BirdTravels]

While there are no posted restriction, they should be non-surge protected power strips. Keep all of the phones and cameras charges!

[Gershep]

No restrictions.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

I'm a newbie to cruising. I have a few questions leading on from the OP?

 

Can I please ask why it can't be surge protected? :confused:

Are there any other dos and don't rgarding plug sockets? E.g. E.g. Max power allowed? And will I need an adaptor as I'm from the UK (using a three pin plug)

Sorry I don't know the proper terms-

I just know that the charger for my iPhone isn't powerful enough for the iPad but I'm concerned about overloading the electrics :eek: :eek:

 

Thank you :)

[tjt87]

I'm a newbie to cruising. I have a few questions leading on from the OP?

 

Can I please ask why it can't be surge protected? :confused:

Are there any other dos and don't rgarding plug sockets? E.g. E.g. Max power allowed? And will I need an adaptor as I'm from the UK (using a three pin plug)

Sorry I don't know the proper terms-

I just know that the charger for my iPhone isn't powerful enough for the iPad but I'm concerned about overloading the electrics :eek: :eek:

 

Thank you :)

 

Don't know about the surge protector, but you will a USA to UK plug adaptor or 2,

Also I was on the Escape last year and they had USB ports in the cabins which was useful. I don't think the older ship have them though.

[triptolemus]

 

Can I please ask why it can't be surge protected? :confused:

 

Simply stated, most surge protective devices were not designed to function on a ship's electrical system. They represent a fire hazard in most situations.

 

Here are further details:

 

http://www.uscg.mil/tvncoe/Documents/safetyalerts/SurgeProtectiveDevices.pdf

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=49780767#post49780767

[chengkp75]

I'm a newbie to cruising. I have a few questions leading on from the OP?

 

Can I please ask why it can't be surge protected? :confused:

Are there any other dos and don't rgarding plug sockets? E.g. E.g. Max power allowed? And will I need an adaptor as I'm from the UK (using a three pin plug) There will be a European 220v outlet (Shuko, type C, E, F compatible), so you will need a plug adapter for this (Shuko to UK). The US outlet is 110v, so while most electronics will charge on this (check that they are 100-240vac), for some older electronics or hair care appliances, you may need a travel voltage converter (110/220v) that also has a plug adapter (US to UK) As for max power, unless you are powering a hair dryer or curling iron, you won't come anywhere near the limit for power. However, if one or two cabins on either side of yours have ladies running mega hair dryers at the same time, it may pop the circuit breaker.

Sorry I don't know the proper terms-

I just know that the charger for my iPhone isn't powerful enough for the iPad but I'm concerned about overloading the electrics :eek: :eek: You can't "overload" your electronics. Your iPad charger is designed to produce more amperes of current than your iPhone charger, but that has nothing to do with either the input power from the ship or how much you plug in.

 

Thank you :)

 

Triptolemous has provided one of my many posts on surge protectors.

 

Regarding the other topics, see comments above in red.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate it.

I'm def on an older ship- The Spirit, in May. So I'm guessing we won't be lucky with USB sockets.

 

I'll be sure to take a power strip and some adapters. Thanks again.

[Visigoth]

OK...let's talk ship electrical systems. Unlike shore based power, ships utilize ungrounded electrical systems. On shore you have a live (110V or 120V) conductor, a nuetral, and a ground. On a ship, grounding to the hull would cause additional electrolysis that damages the hull. So ships use 2-60V legs to achieve 120V. (both sides of the plug are "hot") Since shore based electrical strips only fuse the hot (120V) leg the power strip is potentially dangerous if the fuse in the strip opens. It isn't surge protection that is the problem but any fused strip has the problem. That being said, I believe the Coast Guard rules on this item are not strictly enforced by the Cruise Lines.

[triptolemus]

It isn't surge protection that is the problem but any fused strip has the problem.

 

Surge protection is definitely a problem. Take a look at the following post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48102515#post48102515

[chengkp75]

OK...let's talk ship electrical systems. Unlike shore based power, ships utilize ungrounded electrical systems. On shore you have a live (110V or 120V) conductor, a nuetral, and a ground. On a ship, grounding to the hull would cause additional electrolysis that damages the hull. So ships use 2-60V legs to achieve 120V. (both sides of the plug are "hot") Since shore based electrical strips only fuse the hot (120V) leg the power strip is potentially dangerous if the fuse in the strip opens. It isn't surge protection that is the problem but any fused strip has the problem. That being said, I believe the Coast Guard rules on this item are not strictly enforced by the Cruise Lines.

 

This is quite true, and is discussed in the USCG Safety Notice, and unfortunately, the USCG is not real clear about there being two issues involved. So, if one leg of the power strip opens on the "fuse" where does the current come from that continues to flow in the "unfused" leg? It must be coming from the ground wire. Well, what connects the "neutral" wire to the ground? In a non-surge protected power strip, nothing, so no power can continue to flow. In a surge protected power strip, there are the MOV semi-conductors that connect the hot and neutral to the ground. These MOV's don't conduct any current until the voltage from hot or neutral to ground exceeds the clamping voltage, and then they turn on and become a short circuit, in one direction (hot or neutral to ground, not the other way) which is what they are designed to do. However, let's say an outdoor light fixture fills with water, so that current runs from the screw base of the bulb to the ground via the water. This could be anywhere on the ship. Then you have 110v (this is a 220v light on ships) between the bulb screw (neutral) and ground. So, now your ground wire is at a higher voltage than the neutral, or the hot, so the MOV in the surge protector is seeing voltage in the reverse direction to what it is designed to see. This reverse voltage causes the MOV to fail and possibly go into thermal runaway. In the thread triptolemus linked, see post #10 where CaveDiving explains reverse voltages and thermal runaway.

 

We still don't use surge protectors for any equipment on ships, but we do tend to use 220v european power strips, because both legs are protected by the circuit breaker.

[Visigoth]

No ground wire...just two conductors that each have a 60 Volt potential, each side is120 degrees out of phase (one side at the top of the sine wave when the other is at the bottom. Together they give you 120 V with no ground. If one side is open you have one hot leg at 60 V and no completed circuit.

[Visigoth]

I meant 180 degrees out of phase with one another.

[chengkp75]

No ground wire...just two conductors that each have a 60 Volt potential, each side is120 degrees out of phase (one side at the top of the sine wave when the other is at the bottom. Together they give you 120 V with no ground. If one side is open you have one hot leg at 60 V and no completed circuit.

 

In actual fact, the outlets have a ground wire, it is just that the ground is not the hull. The ground wire goes back to the neutral point of the generator winding, to provide shock protection, without using the hull as a conductor.

[mypleasure]

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate it.

I'm def on an older ship- The Spirit, in May. So I'm guessing we won't be lucky with USB sockets.

 

I'll be sure to take a power strip and some adapters. Thanks again.

 

You lucky people. The Spirit was built to sail in Asia and actually has one UK 3 pin socket in every cabin. Usually one the wall behind the coffee maker table among the other sockets. I have sailed on her 7 times and as a Brit I have found this to be a godsend. I do also bring another adapter so I can use the European style socket as well since I have a few things, none of which is a hair drier, to keep charged up.

[asubaru]

A question for you, chengkp75: is it safe to use a 2 outlet extension cord for curling iron and hairdryer? I would unplug when done and not use for charging (meaning, wouldn't leave extension plugged in)

 

 

This is quite true, and is discussed in the USCG Safety Notice, and unfortunately, the USCG is not real clear about there being two issues involved. So, if one leg of the power strip opens on the "fuse" where does the current come from that continues to flow in the "unfused" leg? It must be coming from the ground wire. Well, what connects the "neutral" wire to the ground? In a non-surge protected power strip, nothing, so no power can continue to flow. In a surge protected power strip, there are the MOV semi-conductors that connect the hot and neutral to the ground. These MOV's don't conduct any current until the voltage from hot or neutral to ground exceeds the clamping voltage, and then they turn on and become a short circuit, in one direction (hot or neutral to ground, not the other way) which is what they are designed to do. However, let's say an outdoor light fixture fills with water, so that current runs from the screw base of the bulb to the ground via the water. This could be anywhere on the ship. Then you have 110v (this is a 220v light on ships) between the bulb screw (neutral) and ground. So, now your ground wire is at a higher voltage than the neutral, or the hot, so the MOV in the surge protector is seeing voltage in the reverse direction to what it is designed to see. This reverse voltage causes the MOV to fail and possibly go into thermal runaway. In the thread triptolemus linked, see post #10 where CaveDiving explains reverse voltages and thermal runaway.

 

We still don't use surge protectors for any equipment on ships, but we do tend to use 220v european power strips, because both legs are protected by the circuit breaker.

[triptolemus]

A question for you, chengkp75: is it safe to use a 2 outlet extension cord for curling iron and hairdryer? I would unplug when done and not use for charging (meaning, wouldn't leave extension plugged in)

 

It's fine, yes.

[uneamie]

So the bottom line is ..........you can use a power strip but make sure it is not one with a surge protector! Do they even sell them without that? Hmm :confused:

Edited February 14, 2017 by uneamie
missed a word

[don't-use-real-name]

The outlets in the bathrooms are designed for low voltage items i.e. shavers electric toothbrushes - - -

BUT NOT for hair dryers and Cpap machines - so don't plug these in there !

 

Use the available outlets in or near the TV and desk table with the coffee machine.

Remember that your cabin attendant may need the use of one of the outlets for cleaning (vacuuming) your cabin.

 

Have too many folks using a lot of *tricity all at the same time and somthin gotta give way - the circuit breaker blows

and may affect just your cabin or a few more on the same circuit - won't be a pleasant situation until a crew member

resets the breaker(s).

 

Triptolemus and Chengkp75 are the resident experts in these fields - believe what they say about crossing wires

and alternating the alternating current or something bad is going affect you directly !

Don't get wired up with unapproved wired gear !

When you flip that switch the light is supposed to enlighten you and not fade to black !

[chengkp75]

A question for you, chengkp75: is it safe to use a 2 outlet extension cord for curling iron and hairdryer? I would unplug when done and not use for charging (meaning, wouldn't leave extension plugged in)

 

It would depend on the cord and the appliances. While I don't like the flat "lamp cord" type extension cords, they are way more handy than the heavy duty round "outdoor" or "workshop" cords. Check the cord's label and see what amperage it can carry, the lamp cord type are usually rated 15 amps. Then look at your hair dryer and curling iron. What wattage do they list? (most won't list amperage, but some do). 15 amps at 110v equals 1800 watts. If your hair dryer is listed as that many watts or less, then you will be fine, but go too much higher and you risk overheating the cord. If you are planning on plugging both in at the same time, add the wattage of both units and compare to the cord's capacity. This really applies to all extension cords, at home or while travelling.

 

Also, as I mentioned before, if a couple of cabins are running high wattage appliances at the same time, it may trip the breaker that feeds those cabins.

 

Now, just to confuse things a bit more, if your hair dryer and curling iron say on the label "100-240vac", then you can plug these into the 220v outlet with an adapter. Using 220v input voltage cuts the amperage in half for the same wattage, so you could plug 3300 watts of hair appliances into the extension cord and still draw only 15 amps. It will also help to prevent tripping of the circuit breaker.

[chengkp75]

So the bottom line is ..........you can use a power strip but make sure it is not one with a surge protector! Do they even sell them without that? Hmm :confused:

 

Yes, they are quite common. Anything from Home Depot or WalMart in the $5-6 range will not be surge protected. Don't confuse the lighted on/off switch/circuit breaker for surge protection. Also, if the packaging does not mention "joules of protection" or "clamping voltage", then it is not surge protected.

[diamondj]

There was a 3 pin socket on Dawn in Jan, will there be one on Star when we sail in September (assuming she makes it back from Australia ok)

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

You lucky people. The Spirit was built to sail in Asia and actually has one UK 3 pin socket in every cabin. Usually one the wall behind the coffee maker table among the other sockets. I have sailed on her 7 times and as a Brit I have found this to be a godsend. I do also bring another adapter so I can use the European style socket as well since I have a few things, none of which is a hair drier, to keep charged up.

 

Brilliant! Thanks for the info. I think I'll do the same and take a European adapter - but leave the hairdryer at home, or at least get a small, less powerful one!

[cpufrost]

It would depend on the cord and the appliances. While I don't like the flat "lamp cord" type extension cords, they are way more handy than the heavy duty round "outdoor" or "workshop" cords. Check the cord's label and see what amperage it can carry, the lamp cord type are usually rated 15 amps. Then look at your hair dryer and curling iron. What wattage do they list? (most won't list amperage, but some do). 15 amps at 110v equals 1800 watts. If your hair dryer is listed as that many watts or less, then you will be fine, but go too much higher and you risk overheating the cord. If you are planning on plugging both in at the same time, add the wattage of both units and compare to the cord's capacity. This really applies to all extension cords, at home or while travelling.

 

Also, as I mentioned before, if a couple of cabins are running high wattage appliances at the same time, it may trip the breaker that feeds those cabins.

 

Now, just to confuse things a bit more, if your hair dryer and curling iron say on the label "100-240vac", then you can plug these into the 220v outlet with an adapter. Using 220v input voltage cuts the amperage in half for the same wattage, so you could plug 3300 watts of hair appliances into the extension cord and still draw only 15 amps. It will also help to prevent tripping of the circuit breaker.

 

Common lamp cord is SPT. Plugs may be polarized (safer). The round cord may or may not have a grounded conductor. Commonly type SJ is found. It's common to see this used for heavy duty extension cords and power tool cords. Coffee pots and heaters use a cord similar to lamp cord in that it's dual conductor but the type is HPN. It's rated for higher temperatures as at 13 amps it tends to get hotter.

 

60/60 for 120VAC is commonly referred as delta power on ships.

It's also used in studios providing balanced power resulting in less interference and hum in audio equipment.

 

And to be clear an adapter changes gender or plug type whereas a converter has the ability to change voltage and (sometimes) frequency. The former is passive, latter active. BIG difference here.

 

Never seen a curling iron with 100-240vac input. They are resistive loads and can be operated on higher voltage but in the case of doubling a 200W iron to 400W. How fast do the ladies need to get ready for dinner again? :)

 

Switching mode power supplies on laptops, cell phone chargers, etc. will allow 50-60Hz 85-250VAC. They will also run on DC of the same voltage too. VERY versatile, eh?

And most of these two wire "bricks" have MOV devices on the input.

 

The best power strips will use an aluminum or steel chassis and discrete electrical sockets. They are usually equipped with a button style circuit breaker in case they are overloaded.

 

The WORST strips are the ones costing a few dollars made of plastic. They don't even have sockets but slots for the blades to go in and brass blades to make contact. These are JUNK and IMO not recommended to be used ANYWHERE. And if you plug an electric heater into one of these you are really asking for it!

[Richpontone]

I thought Norwegian cabins have an electric hair dryer in the bathrooms. No hair curler though.

 

As for electric extension cords, i did ask for and got one from my cabin steward on my last cruise on the Gem.