Date   : Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:21:16 +0100
From   : philb@... (Phil Blundell)
Subject: Leccy @ Acorn World '09

On Tue, 2009-09-01 at 01:19 +0200, Rick Murray wrote:
> At least it is "usually" 230VAC, so stuff works (back in 
> the dark ages France was 220V and UK was 240V, I think everybody is 
> trying to standardise on 230V). 

That's true, though this harmonisation is mostly just on paper rather
than in practice.  The new EU-wide mains voltage is specified as 230V
+/- 6% and, conveniently, both 220V and 240V fall within that allowable
range.  The UK generators now have a bit less leeway for high-voltage
excursion than they used to, but in reality most people are probably
still getting 240V.

> My laptop PSU, for what it is worth, 
> will autorange down to 90VAC. Who the hell is running 90V? American 
> Hicksville with wiring even worse than rural Spain?!? :-)

Japan uses 100V nominal.  I'm not sure what the tolerances are on that
but I could imagine 90V might not be unthinkably low.

p.