Food Drive is a Success!

Congratulations, delegates! You made a significant contribution to the foodbank, and it is appreciated. James and Austin got to stock the shelves with your contributions. The rest of us can thank them for their additional efforts when next we see them.

i-Pods

While on the topic of electricity (see my next two posts), I wanted to tell you about a product I recently "field tested." For years I had an MP-3 player I really enjoyed, if for no other reason than it ran off of AA batteries and didn't have to be plugged in to be recharged, like everyone else's i-Pod. Well, my MP-3 player finally gave uo the ghost, so to speak, and I broke down and bought an i-Pod.

I just worried that my i-Pod's battery wouldn't run out on me "mid-flight" when I couldn't plug it in to re-charge it.

Recently, I found an item at Costco which takes care of my concerns. It's called the Duracell "My Pocket Charger." It's an alternative battery pack for an i-Pod which uses two AA batteries to either run or charge your i-Pod. Costco's item number is 328370. It comes in a package of two for about $20. You'll only need one of them, so if you and a friend want to go in together, you can get a unit for about $10. I've used it, and it works.

Electricity!

No, I'm not referring to the excitement about our travel plans. At the last meeting many asked about the electrical requirements for Australian plugs. Australian electrical outlets use 220-240 volts, unlike our 110-120 system here in the U.S. That I had correct. Their plug configuration, which I had wrong, is similar to ours, but with two flat plugs that are not parallel, as ours are, but at 45 degree angles to each other, like this: /\

This link to the Radio Shack website will show you a picture of what the plug looks like:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104182

Remember: you must also make sure your appliance can take 220-240 volts! If any item you want to plug into an outlet in Australia doesn't take 240 volts, you'll also need a transformer. No, not a toy figure that changes from a car to a robot, but a device which "transforms" the electrical current from 240 to 110 volts. Here is a link to a site selling them:
http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/elect.htm

While I like the name (walkabout is very Australian, if you don't know that by now), I'm not sure about the price. I remember paying much closer to $20 for a similar kit, but that was some time ago. Maybe I'm just living in the past. If anyone finds a similar product, on-line or in a "brick and mortar" store, please let me know and I'll pass the information along!

Not sure if your electrical item can handle the voltage difference? Check your owners manual! Many items, such as camera battery and i-Pod chargers can handle the voltage with just a plug adaptor. However, know that if your appliance cannot convert the voltage, the first time you plug it into an Australian outlet might be just AFTER the last time you use that appliance! Also remember that a unit which can accept the higher voltage will do you no good if you can't plug it in.

New Rules on Batteries

The TSA has announced new rules for batteries on aircraft. Here is a link to their site:

http://safetravel.dot.gov/tips.html

Please take a moment to read the information!