Help with S/African plug adapter
Discussion
Dull question, I'm afraid...
Does anyone know if I can use a 2-pin Euro plug adapter in a South African domestic socket (which is a rounded 3-pin design)? - I'm wondering if the top pin is not necessary for charging phones and the like.
Google throws up so much info which is hard to scan in my hurried state.
Cheers
Does anyone know if I can use a 2-pin Euro plug adapter in a South African domestic socket (which is a rounded 3-pin design)? - I'm wondering if the top pin is not necessary for charging phones and the like.
Google throws up so much info which is hard to scan in my hurried state.
Cheers
No the round pins of a South African plug are much greater diameter than a European plug. They're around 7mm IIRC where a European one is more like 4mm. They're also spaced wider apart. The Rolling Luggage shops in most airports will sell a proper South African adapter.
ETA: I was close: South African M-type (live and neutral) pins are 6.9mm in diameter and spaced at 25.8mm and European E-type pins are 4.9mm in diameter and spaced at 19mm.
ETA: I was close: South African M-type (live and neutral) pins are 6.9mm in diameter and spaced at 25.8mm and European E-type pins are 4.9mm in diameter and spaced at 19mm.
Edited by _rubinho_ on Wednesday 29th September 15:45
_rubinho_ said:
No the round pins of a South African plug are much greater diameter than a European plug. They're around 7mm IIRC where a European one is more like 4mm. They're also spaced wider apart. The Rolling Luggage shops in most airports will sell a proper South African adapter.
Agreed, the pins on the SA plugs are massive, much larger than the pins on even a UK plug. They almost look like comedy plugs.I think SA is changing over to Euro-style plugs, from memory all newly built places have those I think. Google it, I might be talking absolute tosh, but I was there in early 2009 and I think it was a mixture of the two types, whereas on my earlier trips it was all the large diameter comedy ones.
Otto said:
Take the Euro one anyway - many hotels have multiple types of outlet (occasionally including UK style), and even out in the boonies, one place had a razor plug in the bathroom (i.e. euro style) that I managed to adapt for my phone charger.
however the bathroom sockets often don't have enough juice for anything big. For example I couldn't get one to charge my laptop once.tontoro said:
Otto said:
Take the Euro one anyway - many hotels have multiple types of outlet (occasionally including UK style), and even out in the boonies, one place had a razor plug in the bathroom (i.e. euro style) that I managed to adapt for my phone charger.
however the bathroom sockets often don't have enough juice for anything big. For example I couldn't get one to charge my laptop once.ewenm said:
tontoro said:
Otto said:
Take the Euro one anyway - many hotels have multiple types of outlet (occasionally including UK style), and even out in the boonies, one place had a razor plug in the bathroom (i.e. euro style) that I managed to adapt for my phone charger.
however the bathroom sockets often don't have enough juice for anything big. For example I couldn't get one to charge my laptop once.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


