Going to Africa.. what can i do to power my macbook pro?

thriii said:

I have a 2007 Macbook Pro and i would like to take it with me to africa.. what do i need so i can power my mbp? do I need some kinda adapter? What kind of sockets do they have over there?

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Africa is kind of a big place.
There are lots of different sockets in use.

So where exactly in Africa are you going?

However lest I seem pedantic: Yes, you will need a very universal adapter.

thriii said:

The Gambia!

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In which case, check this site:
http://www.adaptelec.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=15&products_id=209

Is your plane ticket America>Africa?

the MBP does all the power switching, you just need the right 'head' on the adaptor so that you can plug it into the wall socket

thriii said:

since it says american sockets r 110-120 volts and The Gambia sockets r 220-240 volts do i need some kinda converter?

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You Powerbook will be fine.
Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC (From the Apple site…)

However power surges are a danger. Electricity supply can be somewhat erratic.

You could also grab a Solar powered external battery?

thriii said:

i didnt even think about bringin a surge protector.. so should i be fine if i connect a surge protector to the adapter? or is there a better option?

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Hi,

Without a properly grounded electrical service a surge protector is useless. I've heard that even a grounded surge protector is useless at protecting electronics.

s.

Pressure said:

You could also grab a Solar powered external battery?

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Now that'd be awesome.

Or this, for the plane ride;
http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-External-MacBook-Battery-and-Car-Charger-s/91.htm

I've done a lot of work in a variety of countries on the African continent. You'll run across a large variety of power plug types given how many different types of construction exist over there. I've seen US-plugs in quonset huts and all varieties of European plugs as well. I suggest you take a complete set of adapter heads with you or better yet.....

FAR more important, in my opinion, is that you take a surge protector. Given how many generators are in use for power in Africa, regulated power is a luxury in many areas and spikes are very common. I've watched my colleagues laptops totally fry due to power spikes while mine just tripped my surge protector. My personal suggestion is that you go and get one of these:



Lots of companies make that same model and I've used it in over 80 countries. The plug adapters are all built-in and you just have to 'dial up' the right pin arrangement from the device itself.

I also carry a very small travel surge protector with me to use with it so I can plug in more than one device at a time....just be sure to observe the limits. I use this one from Targus, but there are several others out there as well.

Pressure said:

You could also grab a Solar powered external battery?

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Going with the solar idea it might be better to get a solar charger instead so that you can use if for all your electronic devices. There are many types out there but here is an example from Amazon.com

As suggested you should definitely get an outlet adapter travel kit and a surge protector but if you are in a place that doesn't have a reliable electricity source then you are out of luck. This is why I suggest getting a solar laptop charger. It will also be useful when you are back home because a solar charge will allow you to use your laptop outdoors away from buildings for long hours.