The ACUPWR Papers

Noise Annoys

If you don’t like the sound of electrical hum, then don’t buy a Chinese-made voltage transformer/converter. They hum—loudly, something we’ve noticed in our own tests but also mentioned throughout reviews on Amazon and other marketplaces. Because of the cheap, corner-cutting build quality that goes into making them, and factoring their cheap parts such as aluminum wiring in their transformer coils, it shouldn’t be surprising that they buzz away excessively. Try plugging in an American-made ACUPWR voltage transformer next to a Chinese model; the noisiness of the latter is huge contrast with the quietude of the ACUPWR model. Our voltage transformers/converters are hand-built with the finest parts and materials, resulting in noise-free operation. Our engineers also have the understanding about what...

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Who Uses ACUPWR International Voltage Transformers/Converters?

ACUPWRs voltage transformers/converters are the best, safest, and most reliable choice for anybody requiring electrical current to be converted to another voltage. Most often, our customers require a way to use their appliances and devices designed for US and Canadian markets (where the AC voltage is 110-120 volts) in countries where the AC is 220-240 volts, and vice-versa. We also manufacture transformer/converters for counties using 127-130 volts and the 100 volts (used in Japan only). (See a complete list of countries and their particular voltage standards here.) And, they’re made in the USA with premium components and build quality. Our customers include a diverse group of leisure and vacation travelers, business travelers, manufacturers, and…. Military and Government throughout the world, such...

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A Brief History of Transformers

The electrical transformer deserves credit as one of the most important inventions of the industrial age, which along with steam power, running water, gas lighting, includes the harnessing of electricity. In fact, the latter would not be accomplished without the transformer.  At its essence, the transformer lives up to its name by transforming (or converting) electrical energy from a higher voltage to a lower one. There are hundreds of different transformer types designed to handle extremely high voltages and lower ones and everything inbetween. The complexity of transformers run deep, with models designed to handle different electrical types (single or multiple phases) and applications that include radio transmission. The voltage transformer and converter that we make at ACUPWR are step up and step...

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Rush Voltage Explained

We received an email recently from a customer whose ACUPWR voltage transformer didn’t immediately turn on and do its thing. Instead, fuses were blowing in his audiophile-quality CD player. Turns out our customer was dealing with a normal situation called rush voltage (more commonly known as inrush voltage). Here’s how we explained it for him. Our transformers have a few hundred feet of electric wire that is coiled around a steel magnet inside. When you plug the transformer into the wall outlet for the first time, rush voltage will occur. (It’s entirely normal and something that you should expect will happen.) When the transformer is turned on after being dormant for a significant period—let’s say a week or more—electricity will...

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Why is ACUPWR More Expensive?

If you compare American-made ACUPWR voltage transformers and converters with Chinese models, you’ll notice our products are more expensive than every other brand. There’s a good explanation for this: Simply, ACUPWR’s products reflect the price of a superbly built, solid and dependable voltage transformer/converter--not a poorly manufactured, Chinese-made model (compare their features against ours). We can mention things like supreme American workmanship and premium components. But it’s not only about quality; all Chinese models make claims can't deliver. For example, the Chinese-made Lite Fuze LT-1000 110/120 to 220-240 volts (and vice-versa) step up/down transformer claims to handle loads up to 5000 watts, and retails for $185.99. This model is designed to work with the typical, 15-amps maximum household wall socket common in the USA/Canada. While the LT-5000 models...

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