Question about Nikon MH-18a quick charger

[HVACman]

I'm going to the Philippines for a much needed vacation and I'm trying to figure out if I need a voltage converter. They have 220v, 60 htz power over there. on the back of the charger it lists two different power ratings:

Input: 120 V

and in another box it says,

Foreign input 100 - 240 V

I guess whats got me confused is if the charger is dual voltage, why are they listing it separately? Why not just list it as 100 - 240 V input like my laptop charger does?

What say you?

[SwissJon]

It's designed for the American Market, so it tells you the native voltage just so that the 90% who won't travel will know that it works in their plugs and won't ring Nikon and say "it says 100-240v but my voltage is 120v.. I've been supplied with the wrong product".. The European version says 220-240v on it, but works with 100-240v also (it's the same product)..

Don't you just love being treated like an idiot by manufacturers

[OsmosisStudios]

Almost all chargers now are dual voltage: you only need an adaptor, not the converter.

[jdepould]

When I went to Africa, I just put an American surge protector on a power converter so I didn't have to deal with all the various connector bits.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by jdepould

When I went to Africa, I just put an American surge protector on a power converter so I didn't have to deal with all the various connector bits.

Excellent suggestion, actually. One I had never thought of.

[SwissJon]

Fortunately this kind of two pin plug works accross Europe and most of Asia (The bits I've been to anyhow) so I just bring power cables with these fitted, works for anything that doesn't need earthing (Your laptop and chargers for phones etc are included in that) You can even fit it into the English Square pin plug if you hold fown the little trigger that's in the earth hole with a match or something while you push it in. It's all I ever take with me when I travel anywhere except the US and Canada.

[Jim Bryant]

Get a plug in wall adapter.