France is 230V 50Hz like the UK. apart from the tolerances there should be no difference between the UK and there.
A laptop power supply will typically be rated between one or two amps I think. I have just looked at a few and these examples were all rated at 1.5A. However this figure is for a supply that works on anywhere between 100V and 240V. The 100V setting by-the-way is for Japan who as far as I can tell seem to have the lowest voltage in the world (leaving out areas where the voltage is supposed to be more but isn't). Because the power supply can cope wit this voltage it means that the typical laptop could consumes no more than 150W (1.5A X 100V). This is because the maximum current rating would have to be what it consumed with the minimum voltage.
As a check I have just measured my laptop then for actual consumption and it is drawing anywhere between 23W (screen brightness low) and 28W. However this is with the hard disk idle and with the battery fully charged. If it was charging then I would expect this figure to go up considerably but it would remain below the 150W. Now, continental mains was 220V when we were 240V but we have all standardized on 230V. This is the nominal voltage but being in the countryside and at the end of some long underground cables plus add in your own lead to the trailer would mean that you should expect less than the full 230V. I would think maybe 220V. Assuming a very safe 200V then (surely they cannot be lower than this!) the maximum draw for 150W would be 0.75A. Less than one amp. Now to put this in perspective very little equipment draws less power than say a lightbulb, perhaps a small radio would be below this or a clock but little else nowadays. This value of 0.75A is equivalent to just two or at most three standard light bulbs - ie not that much.
UK pitches seem to be rated at 10A or 15A I believe (I have no direct experience but maybe someone can confirm this). So I would be really surprised if any hookup were rated at less than 1A anywhere, even in France. That would mean the circuit would trip if you put more than two standard lights on it which is not very much at all!
I think that is the question then, are French hook-ups rated at less than 1A? If they are rated at more than this then the supply will support at least the laptop.
What to do if you want to minimize your laptop's consumption then? There are two things you can easily do. First, turn the screen brightness as low as you can (brightness not contrast). The lights in the screen are probably the largest draw of power that can be changed easily by the user. Next remove the batteries. On many laptops this is no issue but check if your laptop is OK with them being removed and running with them removed. Now when you plug in you will find that the consumption will be a lot lower than the maximum rating. As I said mine is less than 30W or about half a lightbulb but it does register 50W at start up while the disk is whirring and it is working a bit harder.
Post last edited on 16/02/2008 18:10:55
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Topic: Electrical Power for Computer in FC
