The ACUPWR Papers

Introducing the ACUPWR AJ-EUD Series: Japan Gets Bigger!

The world is a big but shrinking place and Japan is but a single country among 194 others. It’s also the lone wolf when it comes to international voltage, being the only country in the world that uses 100 volts as its standard. Two-thirds of the world, meanwhile, uses AC voltage set to 220-240.   The fact is, many great appliances and electronics are built for Japan’s 100-volt standard and of course 220-240 volts. Among Japan’s offerings are kitchen equipment and some great bread makers, particularly the Panasonic SD-BMT1000 which has garnered a following among bread heads across the globe. Many manufacturers of high-end appliances don’t make available 100-volt, Japan-market versions of their products.   For this particular voltage conversion...

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Cheap Transformers: Why You Get What You Pay For

When there’s a smidge of downtime at ACUPWR, we like to peruse Amazon and read the negative reviews posted about our competition because it reminds us that our transformers are infinitely better than the cheap, foreign-made models made by Goldsource, Rockstone, Power Bright, Simran, Pyle, ELC and other “brands,” made in the same factory (and packaged in the same black boxes). If only these Amazon customers knew about ACUPWR, they wouldn’t have had the misfortune of breathing in toxic smoke and watching their cheap-o voltage transformers go up in flames. Our American-made transformers are the safest, most technologically advanced, and reliable products of this type available anywhere. Here’s an example of negative reviews for we found for a Power Bright...

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The Twenty-Percent Power Trip!

ACUPWR international voltage transformers are known for safety and reliability, the result of impeccable build quality (and premium parts) and our thermal protection circuit that automatically turns the unit off when it overheats. The combination of excellent quality and the thermal protection circuit helps ACUPWR transformers do something that our competition doesn’t: we deliver the actual wattage that’s stated on the unit. So, if it’s our 500-watt  AD-500 model, you can really plug in a 500-watt appliance for safe, reliable, and continuous voltage conversion. A 750-watt ACUPWR transformer will deliver true 750-watt power. Plus, ACUPWR transformers provide a 20-percent cushion beyond their stated wattage. So 1000 watts can actually handle 1,200 watts, 500 can handle 600 watts, etc. This feature...

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About That “Two Times the Wattage” Rule

ACUPWR’s voltage transformers are made in the USA with premium parts workmanship. Our competition, however, is manufactured overseas using cheap labor and cheap parts such as aluminum wiring (notorious for catching on fire) and cartridge fuses as circuit breakers. The safety and reliability issue is a big one as these transformers are legendary for breaking down well under their stated wattage. For example, an Amazon.com review reports how a Goldsource model rated for 500 watts began to smoke when a 325-watt appliance was connected. To skirt the safety and reliability issues of their products, manufacturers and sellers of the cheap, foreign-made transformers use a gimmick worthy of a FTC investigation: it’s called the “Two Times the Wattage” Rule. Here’s an...

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ACUPWR Makes the IEC Connection

More and more electronic devices, from desktop computers to home theater amps to musical instrument amps to LED TVs, use IEC C13 receptacles and a detachable cord for the electrical connection to the wall. The detachable cord features an IEC C14 plug compatible with the device’s C13 receptacle and an input plug for the wall socket. Of course, that input plug can be one of the 15 different types used throughout the world with the only requirement being compatible voltage with the appliance.   The convenience of the IEC C13/C14 receptacle/cord arrangement is a no-brainer for manufacturers not to mention end users. For one thing, having a detachable cord is a great thing especially if you don’t want to trip...

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