We are moving to Australia in a few months. I would like to benefit from the group’s wisdom on what equiment I should bring, sell or buy before the big dive under. Transport is paid for.
Australia: Current is 240 V at 50 Hz (instead of 60 Hz in US)
My tools: I have no stationary tools. I have most needed handheld powertools. All are exclusively 120 V. Half of those are 5060Hz and the other half is only 60Hz. I also have my handtools.
Specific Questions:
1) Can I use a 120/240 transformer? How well does it work? What happens if I use my 60Hz instruments on the 50 Hz current? I was planning to bring everything and make it worked over there.
2) Any specific purchase I mustshould do ln the US before leaving?
3) We will live in the Melbourne area. Do you know any club/wood shop I might use?
Thanks for your help!
Gil
Replies
Gil,
Critically, check the requirements of the Visa that you're in here under - you could be required to pay for [compulsory] education of kids (traditionally free in a public school). This could eat up to 35% of your before tax income, depending upon what you do and how many school age kids you have. This has caught a few people we know out.
The culture will be a bit of a difference - a lot closer to Canadian than US culture. This is a student site, but has some good advice:
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/international/melbourne/cultural_adjustment.html
[edit: read through the sidebar menu that comes up with this one - a lot of good info]
As a nation, we believe in fairness and that all are equal, and tend to ignore those that talk about themselves or put themselves as being superior - you'll see that when you get here. Our sense of humour is dry and laconic - a lot of the movies made here with the US market in mind have the jokes (in our eyes) as being spelt out/explained to the point where they're not that funny anymore.
But, having said this, I'm sure that your employer is preparing you for this anyway.
Melbourne is more a friendly city, where each suburb has its own identity (european style) than Sydney, which can be impersonal.
re: tools, bring the ones you want to across (tools rated at 60Hz run slower and hotter at 50Hz) - you'll need a conversion adaptor - if it dies, it dies; but then you'd have had to buy the tool anyway.
There's a lot of woodworking clubs down there - try posting this request again on:
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au
Cheers,
eddie
Edited 3/19/2005 7:51 pm ET by eddie (aust)
Eddie,
Thanks a lot for this information on Australia and woodworking. The site is very helpfull.
Sincerely
Gil
Hi Gil,
My wife and I lived in Sydney for 2 years right after we got married. We didn't like it for the first 6 months. After 11 months were up, and we were scheduled to leave, we chose to stay a second year. We really like the people there, and the attitude of most of them.
Moving back to the USA was fun, but only because we have family and friends here.
Now we have friends in both places.
We bought a fairly expensive converter ($90USD) and it was alright. It had a scary grounding problem, but worked will with the small appliances that we had brought with us. We ended up just buying the stuff there because it was easier, and I felt safer.
One thing to remember, you can bargain with almost anyone...in the shopping centers, retail stores, markets...they won't give you stuff for free, but cash is liked.
I didn't get a chance to confirm this, but i don't think a CRT TV that will work here, will work there. It's a different Hemisphere, so different magnetic fields. (I only heard that, didn't test it.)
Melbourne is nice...beware of the hook turns.
Things to get? It's silly, but maybe a slang dictionary.
It will do three things; 1. give you something to read on the plane there. 2. Aussies like to see what slang they are missing out on (at least my friends) 3. it might help you understand someone sometime.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Bryan
Oh, if you choose to sell items.. i'm looking for some to help my growing shop.
I lived on the NSW coast for a couple years in the early 1990's. I had an elecrical services shop in San Diego make me two big transformers - I think one was 15 amp and one was 20 amp - before I left to go over there. All of my power tools ran fine. I still have the 60 Hz circular saw and router that I ran over there and they both still work. Most of my Makita tools were 50-60 Hz. Ran a US-style television and VCR off the transformers as well as stereo equip from the US. Ran a large Fender electric guitar tube amplifier off the transformer and I think the switch from 60 to 50 Hz actually made the tone more interesting. Experienced the same thing in Japan running on 50 Hz in 1997-98. Good luck. Ed
P.S. The cheap little "travel" voltage converters will all eventually break. I didn't have a single one that lasted through two years.
I moved to Melbourne from Vancouver, Canada in 1988. We (my wife and two daughters) intended to stay for a maximum of 5 years - well here we are 17 years later. Even for a Canuck it took us a few years to adjust to the culture - every country is different. It's the million, little, slightly different things that arise that require adjusting. I used to explain to my friends that everything seemed to be out by a 1/2 degree. But now we love the place and the people. We now have Aussie grandchildren. Wow! Who would have imagined it - certainly not us.
As for bringing electrical stuff - forget it! It's just too much hassle. We purchased expensive transformers - it worked OK sometimes but not others. We burned out quite a few things - If your company is covering expenses, leave your US electrical tools with your family and have their replacement costs in Ozz covered by your employer. It's only fair!
As for the comment about things costing more here - they do relative to an Aussie standard income. But many US expats continue to receive their US income, so it balances out.
Good luck.
If you cut too many corners, you will be going around in circles.
I was there long time ago.. I won a Cricket.. Boy.. were they mad at me! I never played it before then!
Aussies are GREAT folks! Sort of like Americans and Canadians but talk funny English!
Thanks a lot, guys! I will probably end up keeping my equipment and using converters, replacing tools as they burn. Sorry Cidio, no tools but we have a lovely house that would look stunning over your shop!
Cheers!(working on the slang already)
Gil
If you intend to stay here then bring your 120V stuff otherwise, if possible leave any power tools behind for your return. The exception is cordless tools as putting up with a tranny on a charger isn't a big deal in a workshop. I just think that transforming current on some, if not all tools would be a dead loss when you are working - its bad enough swapping power cords on the one voltage.
Don
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