Things to bring from USA

[sazzistic]

My wife and I are moving to singapore and wondering what all we need to bring?

- Furniture?
- Bicycle?
- Electronics?

Thanks

[x9200]

The skill of using search engines. This question was asked probably a few dozens of times.

[PrimroseHill]

everything and adaptors

[beppi]

None of the above.

[JR8]

No 'King size' furniture.


People are smaller, everything is smaller here. Bummer to ship over some giant sized bed to find you can't get it in the bedroom.


p.s. and a couple of 110-240v transformers (one for any hi-fi stack in the lounge, one for US kitchen appliances you'll want to keep on using here, ?)

[zzm9980]

No 'King size' furniture.


People are smaller, everything is smaller here. Bummer to ship over some giant sized bed to find you can't get it in the bedroom.


p.s. and a couple of 110-240v transformers (one for any hi-fi stack in the lounge, one for US kitchen appliances you'll want to keep on using here, ?)

On that, bring clothes if you're a 'King Sized' American. Nothing will fit. I wear a 'M' size in the US for shirt, but 'XL' in local shops.

And really, use the search engine. Someone asks this questions once a month and there are tons of lists and rational.

[Strong Eagle]

Don't bring anything that won't run on 240 volts. Transformers are a pain... except for the smallest of devices... a hundred watts or so.

[JR8]

Don't bring anything that won't run on 240 volts. Transformers are a pain... except for the smallest of devices... a hundred watts or so.

I posted a weblink a few months back to a site that sells them. So you can see what kinds you can get, and read a summary of their suggestions/suggested uses.

When I moved to the US, I think I took a 2-3kW 'up/down' transformer to run my hi-fi through. But as I noted previously they are big, ugly, and extremely heavy things ...

p.s. another thing to keep in mind is the difference with US TVs. AFAIK, unless it's changed, they won't work here. And with DVDs, you'll need one that switches Regions for playing discs from both home, and those bought here.

[Tanuki]

When I moved to the US, I think I took a 2-3kW 'up/down' transformer to run my hi-fi through. But as I noted previously they are big, ugly, and extremely heavy things ...

With all the design efforts that go into most everything used around the home, I wonder why the step up/down transformers never get there. They're always BUMF things (Big Ugly MotherF***er)...

p.s. another thing to keep in mind is the difference with US TVs. AFAIK, unless it's changed, they won't work here.

Not sure why you say they won't work here. If you're talking about using the internal tuner on a TV, that might be true. But who uses that? Just plug the cable box into the HDMI port on the TV and you're good to go. My LG TV also runs on 100-240v, so all is good.

Tanuki

[Strong Eagle]

^^^^^^

I didn't say that... you got your quotes all mucked up.

[JR8]

My comments, not Strong Eagles.

Not sure why you say they won't work here. If you're talking about using the internal tuner on a TV, that might be true. But who uses that? Just plug the cable box into the HDMI port on the TV and you're good to go. My LG TV also runs on 100-240v, so all is good.
Tanuki

There used to be a whole issue over US TV being broadcast with 'x-lines' of image data vs other regions that used '1.5x-lines'. I.e. if you were from the EU and went on holiday to the US, the picture quality appeared of a poorer quality [PAL/Secam/NSTC etc?]. That might have all changed with the advent of digitial TV... I don't know.

Switchable voltage clearly is required too, but is a quite recent phenomenon on appliances bought in the mainstream (non-ex-paty) domestic market

I'm no techie, and technology changes. I suppose an overiding generalisation though, is - Ensure it will function here before shipping it over.

[Tanuki]

My comments, not Strong Eagles.

There used to be a whole issue over US TV being broadcast with 'x-lines' of image data vs other regions that used '1.5x-lines'. I.e. if you were from the EU and went on holiday to the US, the picture quality appeared of a poorer quality [PAL/Secam/NSTC etc?]. That might have all changed with the advent of digitial TV... I don't know.

Switchable voltage clearly is required too, but is a quite recent phenomenon on appliances bought in the mainstream (non-ex-paty) domestic market

I'm no techie, and technology changes. I suppose an overiding generalisation though, is - Ensure it will function here before shipping it over.

As long as your device can do 1080, there is no more issue about PAL/NTSC/Secam or other display methods as far as I've seen. I've used a Japanese TV in the states, and a US TV in Singapore. All via HDMI connections from the cable TV company box (comcast and starhub) that worked great. So I think the only concern now is to make sure you have a step up/down transformer if the device is not capable of 240v here in the red dot. I've only been here a few months, so I can't say how long the transformers will hold up...

Tanuki

[JR8]

Interesting, thanks and noted.

The advice used to be to get a trannie that was at least 130% over-specified for what you're drawing through it. I'd go further, if you're spending every evening, running the TV through one, I'd maybe go for double the capacity (?). The cost increment is minimal, maybe from US$50-65 ??

As suggested do a specific search on sites that sell them, and see what they suggest.

p.s. Mine lasted just fine for the few years I had it. There are no moving parts, so little to go wrong. Later when back home, during a spring clean, I simply threw it away as it was big, heavy and brutally ugly, and I no longer had any use for it.

[Tanuki]

Interesting, thanks and noted.

The advice used to be to get a trannie that was at least 130% over-specified for what you're drawing through it. I'd go further, if you're spending every evening, running the TV through one, I'd maybe go for double the capacity (?). The cost increment is minimal, maybe from US$50-65 ??

As suggested do a specific search on sites that sell them, and see what they suggest.

p.s. Mine lasted just fine for the few years I had it. There are no moving parts, so little to go wrong. Later when back home, during a spring clean, I simply threw it away as it was big, heavy and brutally ugly, and I no longer had any use for it.

Agreed on the capacity of the box. I went with double the wattage to help them last longer. Amazon in the US has them pretty cheap and there's a good variety of wattages. Much easier than lugging the damn things back from a store! You can get them at Sim Lim here, but it's twice the price or more. The 3000 watt box was something like SGD 500. Yikes!

[JR8]

Agreed on the capacity of the box. I went with double the wattage to help them last longer. Amazon in the US has them pretty cheap and there's a good variety of wattages. Much easier than lugging the damn things back from a store! You can get them at Sim Lim here, but it's twice the price or more. The 3000 watt box was something like SGD 500. Yikes!

Nah. The one I had was more in this price range, maybe £40 back then. But it wasn't pretty-fied in a housing, it was just a bloody great bare-bones transformer/coil unit, with a plug socket at either end.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Transformer ... B002DRG9VC

The above, £50, and inflation adjusted is cheaper than my old one, and certainly prettier, and much easier to handle.

p.s. Yes @ Sim Lim, if you want to invite the cross-hairs, I can imagine a solely expat product, is the way to do it ...