German MacBook Pro in Australia

[Ariyala]

Hi,

I own a MacBook Pro (Late 2007) from Germany and am currently in Australia.
For the Power-Problem I bought the Traveler Kit from Apple and just put the Australia-Adapter on my German Power Adapter - works so far.

But, the case of my MBP seems to be electrically loaded.. when I am working for a few hours my left hand becomes a strange feeling. And if I sweep slowly over the case with a finger I can feel the electricity...

I googled a bit and thought it may be a problem with the Power Adapter.
People say, this can happen if the Power Adapter is not grounded.

I am not sure how the Power works in Australia, but the Power Plug here has 3 pins.. I think one for plus, one for minus and one for ground.

The Travaler Adapter Kit does only have two Pins - so I think the Ground Pin is missing.
This could be, because maybe the Traveler Kit is meant to be used with iPhones only.. and they don't need this ground-pin.


So now I am wondering, would it help to buy a new Power Adapter for Australian MBPs?

http://store.apple.com/au/product/MC556X/B?fnode=MTY1NDEwMQ&mco=MTc0NzA0MjY&s=topSellers#overview

This looks like the one I would need, but:

1) Will it work with my MacBook Pro (Late 2007)? Or can I just use my old Power Adapter and just switch the long cable?

2) Will this solve my problem? Does this Adapter have the third pin for ground?

Thanks a lot,
Ari

 

[mccad]

My MBP was purchased in Australia and does the same thing.
Don't waste your money on another charger adapter.

The charge you feel isn't harmful but a bit annoying.

 

[Ariyala]

Mh but for me, my left hand feels itchy and numb after I used the MBP for about 10 hours.. and this feeling keeps on for the next day, so I think that's not ideal...

So, does your Power Adapter has this third pin?
Maybe the electricity in your case is lower than in mine?

Thanke,
Ari

 

[mccad]

My plug only has 2 pins also.
The transformer connection that the adapter slides into only has 2 pins (no ground pin) so having 3 pins on the plug wont make any difference.

I usually unplug the charger when battery is full and work off battery until it goes flat. This reduces the time that you will feel the charge in the case.

 

[Ariyala]

just one more question: Do you use the long power cord or the simple short adapter?

In Germany (and the US i think), the short adapter too don't have a ground pin, but the long power cord has one. Is it the same in Australia?

 

[mccad]

I just use the short adapter, however I checked the longer cable and it has 3 pins on the plug but still only connects to the transformer with 2 pins. This means that there is no way to get an earth (ground) connection to transformer on charger.

I'm not sure what voltage is used in Germany but it is 240 volts in Australia so might cause a higher inducted charge in the case here.

Sorry I cant give you a solution.

 

[encomium23]

Australian Power

Hey guys. Here down under we use AC 240Volt 10Amp 3 pin:
active/ neutral & earth. the earth is the bottom pin.

HOWEVER the earth pin should have no bearing on your problem as the charger itself is a "class 2" electrical device, that basically means double insulation or reinforced insulation is provided, so there is no provision for protective earthing or reliance upon installation conditions. There are only 2 pins (active / neutral) for such class of equipment. 85W magsafe power adapter inclusive.

I would imagine that any current you may feel from the MBP itself should be the regulated DC voltage and not a threat to your health. But for the MBP... There should be no sensation of any kind other than the joy of using a Mac...

At what point does the conversion take place? is it a german AC/DC charger with just the power point adapter (universal pin adapter?)

 

[Ariyala]

Have a look at this thread:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2326848

Just found it and it describes my problem realy well.
So I think using the cord should solve my problems (specially on the last page is described why for me the problems may be bigger than for you).

Hopefully I can buy such a cable somewhere, cause it seems on the Apple Website they sell only the short adapter

Ari

 

[Nermal]

I just use the short adapter, however I checked the longer cable and it has 3 pins on the plug but still only connects to the transformer with 2 pins. This means that there is no way to get an earth (ground) connection to transformer on charger.

The US adapter for a 2006 MBP has a metal "knob" that the extension cord slides onto, and that carries the ground. I have an NZ 2011 MBP too (same as the AU one, I believe) but the adapter's at home so I can't check it at the moment to see whether it has the "hidden ground" too.

 

[encomium23]

The US adapter for a 2006 MBP has a metal "knob" that the extension cord slides onto, and that carries the ground. I have an NZ 2011 MBP too (same as the AU one, I believe) but the adapter's at home so I can't check it at the moment to see whether it has the "hidden ground" too.

Unless the polarity is incorrect, the pin configuration should have no bearing on the problem as the adapter does not use the earth. its common for double insulated equipment to have 3 pins as the manufacturer may have more than one type of equipment, and buys X amount of plugs at a set cost. the 3rd earth pin is redundant and does not connect to anything...

Do you have apple care? its international. take it to your nearest apple store and get it either replaced or have the MBP looked at... I don't recommend playing with electricity...

 

[mccad]

I just checked my longer cable for the transformer and it does have the hidden ground that Nermal referred to (my bad).
I attached the longer cable to the transformer to compare and the "charged" feeling of the case has disappeared.

Sorry I gave you a bum steer earlier.

 

[Ariyala]

Just got a cable yesterday in the Apple Store (for free! Apple is great! ^_^) and now I don't get shocked anymore..

The cable is grounded, the short adapters are not! So, I would recommend everyone whos using the short adapter to switch it for the long cable.

Even though you may not notice anything or it doesn't bother you.. there is electricity flowing trough your hand all the time when using it, and I would not recommend this

I think the short adapters were mainly ment to be used with iDevices where they don't need the ground-pin, same for the MacBooks - the plasic case will never shock you like the alimunium case will.

Ari