Should I Bring electronics from US

However we use those appliances that have a low voltage motor powered up by a rechargeable battery Refurbished Tools For Sale.

Yes, Aisha806 - you can bring them from the UK. I'm not sure about the TV, though. . .hopefully someone else can confirm this for you.

Hi,

Will it be okay to bring electricals from the UK? If it will plug into a socket just fine, then I can bring it instead of buying new stuff?

Aisha

Absolutely the shipping of the items like the TV an the printer would be a bigger task than searching for a power converter, though you got to have one for every appliance. It's not that it isn't possible but not as easy as selling the big items there and buying it here.

atomic alarm clock

Bring the Wii man. The Wii has its own power brick, similar to a laptop. You can buy the 220v version of that brick here. So bring it.

As far as your Sony LCD, I'd take a look at the back or the manual. I know a lot of tv's are dual voltage these days. The only thing I'd be afraid of is getting it here in one piece. That alone would make me leave it behind ;-)

All your other small stuff. Leave it. You can pick that stuff up here. Just pack light and don't forget your passport, lol.

OK, now I can report that I was at a friend's house and he has bought a pre-modded Wii. He had both NTSC and PAL games burned on DVDs, i.e. not originals. And they both worked perfectly on a North American Wii and LCD television set.

But I'm not sure if a PAL game would work on an unmodified Wii. If they would, why are there NTSC and PAL versions?

Albundy,thanks. my sister has bought the Wii and for just $105!!!!!my kids are now looking forward to playing it!

Enid Blyton! And I did get them back, you just have to find the confiscated items building (an unmarked portocabin on a roundabout) and they happily hand them back. I think it's random, they just take a sample to check. If you ship though, don't send any delicate books, I think mine must have been left outside for a while, they were very dirty as if they had been on the ground out of the box.

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing Jasmine. I have a list of things I want to bring or ask about on this forum before leaving. One item is books. My books are dear to me but I guess I'll be putting them in storage here as I don't want any to be confiscated.

Let me guess: Harry Potter and Narnia? :)

Or maybe Winnie the Pooh and Bridge to Terabithia.

As long as somebody who could could open up the case and put it back together and solder very fine points is available, I don't see why not.

You'll have to buy the part or parts from some online site. You have to know the exact model of your Wii as Sony kept changing specs everytime a hack was available. Anyway, you should be able to find that information on the Web too. There are some chips that come pre-installed on a special clip that clips on to the DVD player's electronic board and there's no need to solder anything. At the same time and place you can also get the special screwdriver that opens the case. It's cross-section is like the Mercedes logo, 3-winged.

After that, you'd need to find the Homebrew software for Wii and install it using a USB or SD card into the system.

Again, you should be able to find all the information on Wii or game hacking sites. Do a search for Wii Mod Chips.

Remember, hacking your Wii is legal since you paid for the machine and it belongs to you. It may (most probably will) void your warranty, though, if it's still under warranty. What is not legal in most countries that are signatories to the copyright agreements is the purchase and use of copied games. But you should be able to copy your own purchased discs and use the copy in order to safeguard the original.

Also, Aramex Shop and Ship is invaluable for buying online from Uk and US, I receive most of my purchases in Doha within the week. It's not too expensive either.

We brought loads of electrical from the UK and hit 2 problems. First we had to pay tax on them and second the computer was delayed while the hard drive was checked. We wish we hadn't bothered, everything is the same price or less here. However, apart from the hassle, if it's a deal breaker then bring the things close to your heart. I brought 300 books because they meant a lot to me (2 were confiscated, both childrens books!). My husband brought his 7 year old (broken) laser printer for some reason. Just remember if you ship them, it will be a while before they clear customs.

Good luck jj

do you think a Wii purchased in the US can be hacked here?

I can't profess to be a guru with regard to Wii, but here's what I do know.

As for voltage, looking at the transformer that comes with it, here in NA it says only 120 volts, 60 Hz. It's not multi-voltage, so you'd need a new transformer if you take your Wii from NA.

As for discs, my "understanding" is that even original non-NA discs don't work. I base this understanding on two observations:

1. on the NA discs it says "for use only in USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin America."

2. In an unhacked Wii's disc reader (or DVD player) anything other than a NA game disc produces an error message. Once hacked (hardware AND software) you could play DVD movies in it too.

Since it's a DVD player, it has to be configured to work with the proper region and thus I believe it won't work with a region different from where it was purchased.

Albundy, do you mean ,even original games bought here wont work? how can that be? or are you referring to pirated versions only?

i am curious about the Wii too, as my sister is getting it for me for less than $200 but my major concern is whether it will work here or not. Is voltage the only issue or are there other technicalities as well?

Yes, Sueno's and Rany's posts are right on. And here's my two cents.

Basically, you should be able to bring electronic appliances but not plainly electric ones.

Most electroninc appliances, like your TV, computers, Wii, are either automatic multi-voltage, or have a switch in the back that can switch between 110-120 to 220-240 volts.

Electric appliances need transformers and it's generally not a good idea to use transformers on anything that uses more than 500 watts/h. Televisions and fridges are ok, hair dryer, grills, vacuums definitely not.

You also have to consider that transformers can cause interference or noise on some appliances like televisions.

you can bring your television and Wii but the system might not work here. For example, your tv works with the NTSC system, or 30 frames per second, in NA (yes, in the case digital tvs the term still applies although technically it's an analog term) and I think in Qatar they use PAL (25 frames per second if digital). So, if you subscibe to cable in Qatar, it may not work with your television, unless it's a multi-standard television.

Also, if your Wii is the original and has not been hacked, you can only play NA discs in it and if you buy games here, they wouldn't work on it.

Finally I can answer the questions that matter the most to my kids. Thank you for this thread, everyone! For some reason, this seems to be the deal maker/breaker for my daughter(18).

Be careful, a voltage converter will allow you to convert electric current from 110V to 220V.

It is ok for apliances such as TVs, computers, LCDs, etc.

But a voltage converter cannot convert frequency from 60Hz (in the USA) to 50 Hz (the norm here in Qatar).

Since you cannot convert frequency (don't try), you cannot use any appliance that has an electric motor.

Therefore, blenders, juicers, food processors, washing machines, may be even microwave oven due to the small motor that spins the inside tray => will either not work, or malfunction (spin faster, burn out, etc.)

You can however use appliances that have a low voltage motor (say 24V) powered up by a rechargeable battery (example: rechargeable cordless power tools), in this case a converter is fine.

One last tip: look at the back of your appliances, if they happen to be export models, they will have the following indication:

110~220 V

50~60 Hz

It means you can use them anywhere in the world.

Laptop computer chargers are usually made that way.

Cheers!

I'll probably order the KitchenAid food processor and have it shipped to you. . .unless I can get Cuisinart to answer my email inquiry!

When will your shipment be packed? (and are you paying for it?)

Bring what you can and you will get the rest from here, no probs. Good Journey..

mjamille28 thanks much.

Sueno... I've not been able to find a cuisinart food processor 220v version yet, but I did see a Braun for around $110, my understanding is tghar Braun is also a very good brand... what do you think?

uzee, at Jarir Bookstore, you can either buy a Wii + Mario Kart with Wheel for 1419, or a Wii + 2 games bundle also for 1419 QR...

mjamille28 - thanks a lot for the Wii info, can you pls tell me where could I get it for QR 1500?

Expat Sueño - thanks as always for all your advices and suggestions. I cant appreciate enough how much time you take to provide details. We will bring the cordless phones for sure...thanks for the food processor and mixer prices, it definitely would be worthwhile to get them from US if possible, and I dont have any problem in bringing one for you - seriously... I dont know how QL works, but let me know how we can get in touch and we'll go from there. We are planning to come around end of Sep. or beginning of Oct.

Thanks again everyone...

If you need an Iphone it is much cheaper in the US. And I plan to buy an Acer notebook when I get back to the States in a week or so.

Mandi

the Nintendo Wii costs about 1500 QR.. it even comes with a free game..

Here's the info I received reg. a Kitchenaid, in case it is of interest to you:

Product Type: Stand Mixer

Brand & Model: KitchenAid - 5K5SSWH

Quantity Ordered: 1

Color: White

Unit Price: $379.00

Plus shipping $25.00

We DO NOT ship products overseas

TVs really aren't that much more here, at least that was our experience. I have heard that the new flat-panel TVs can be fairly fragile, so it might be worth a small incremental cost to just purchase it here.

If you do get one at home, though, be sure to check the actual box of the unit that you purchase to ensure that it is dual voltage and multi-system. We purchased one in Australia that was supposed to be DV & MS. . .the display unit was, but for whatever reason our unit (same model number, etc.) was not. We don't think it was an intentional bait-and-switch, but it was a real bummer nonetheless upon reaching the U.S. with a suddenly worthless (to us) TV.

I used my 110V Cuisinart this weekend and would definitely recommend purchasing a 240V version. It works on the transformer, but after a few minutes you will smell the motor burning and it will quit for a while. Apparently the Hz are different here as well.. .sigh. I won't be using my 6 qt "professional" Kitchenaid for the same reason.

There are websites in the U.S. that allow you to order 240V appliances - definitely KitchenAid mixers (will you get one for me?) and KitchenAid food processors. I'm hoping to find a 240V Cuisinart since I have heaps of blades to go with it, but might have to settle for a Kitchenaid brand instead. If you google "240V kitchenaid" and things like that then you'll come up with a couple of websites. I would do it now but I'm supposed to be running out the door to pick up my kids :p

FYI, in Doha the Kitchenaid food processor will set you back US$500 and the regular-sized Kitchenaid mixer (4qt, not professional) will cost you US$612 - both at least double of what it would cost in the U.S. Definitely best to bring it over if you are even thinking about having one. . .and if you change your mind then you could sell it for full price.

I would bring your phones. They're more expensive here and I haven't seen the units that come with three or more handsets like you find in the U.S. You'll need to put them on a transformer, which does shorten their life a bit because the batteries run on a different HZ (or that's how it was explained to me). . .but they work fine otherwise. We've done this for all three of our 240V expat assignments and it has worked well for us.

Hope that helps :)

Expat Sueño

P.S. I'm only half-kidding about asking you to bring one over for me - when will you be coming?

Hello,

If you want to bring your TV, other than the voltage issue make sure that it supports "PAL" standard, wgich is the TV standard in Qatar. In USA/Canada the standard is "NTSC".You can find it in the TV manual.If I were you, I would not plan to bring the TV. Good luck.

Cheers

I am with Expat Sueño on this..

*********************

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

always bear in mind that there is a difference in voltage from US and Qatar

US - 110V

Qatar - 220v

so if you'll bring them here you'll need a lots of stepdown transformers.

Expat Sueno... WOW! Thats all I can say, thanks so much for the detailed reply and I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond earlier.

1. On the TV you said to skip it, from my research it looks like a good brand 46" LCD HD TV would cost me over $2000 or almost twice of what I paid, is that correct? should I be prepared to spend that much in Doha as I don't have a choice?

2. On Wii I'm still researching but chances are that I will leave it here just to avoid the hassle.

3. On food processor, etc... You are spot on... we do have a cuisinart food processor and we use it a lot... I guess we will buy it there, cause like you said, any heavy usage of an appliance on a transformer is not a good idea.

4. We'll leave the hair dryer, etc.. as per advice

5. LCD monitor, it is dual voltage so I'm good

6. HP ALL-in-one printer, that too is dual voltage... lucky me...

7. Indoor electric grill... good advice we'll leave it here.

You also made a very good suggestion on cordless phones that I forgot to ask. I recently bought a panasonic with 3 handsets. Its not dual voltage but like any cordless phone only requires a AC-DC adapter to work. Correct me if I'm wrong, couldn't I just buy an adapter in Doha with the right pin that would take 220v AC and output 9v DC for example, since the phone only needs the DC it shouldn't care what is coming from the wall...?

Thanks again

uzee

just bring with you a bottle of anti depression med.. or if you can bring a medicine to avoid going crazy then bring a sack load of it

1. Sony 46" 1080p LCD TV (bought for $1200 US)

Definitely skip the TV

2. Nintendo Wii (bought for $250)

Not sure about this one - could be more expensive here, but you'd need to ensure that your US Wii worked with the TVs here

3. food processor/juicer/blender (cost: $175/$50/$50)

Leave at home. Maybe bring the food processor, though - it sounds like you have a Cuisinart or equivalent. If you use it a lot then it might be worth purchasing a new one here, but they're pricey. If you use it occasionally then I'd bring it and use a transformer for it. You can get cheapie food processors here, but they won't be as good as the Cuisinart-type.

4. hair dryer/straightner (cost: $50/$75)

Leave at home - high-heat appliances don't work well on transformers. If you have a good-quality straightener then you'll want to skip the ones available in the stores here and opt for a professional-quality one.

5. 22" LCD Computer monitor ($200)

I'd bring it if it's dual voltage.

6. HP All-in-one printer ($250)

I'd bring it - probably not dual-voltage, but easy to use with a transformer. Bring some extra toner to tide you over until you can find it locally.

7. Indoor electric grill ($150)

Skip - another high-heat appliance. If your employer is paying for shipping then you might want to purchase an *unassembled* BBQ grill and bring it with you - they're expensive/junky here.

Using transformers is no big deal. You can purchase them over the internet in the U.S. and bring them with you (if the company pays for the weight - they're heavy). Transformers are not a one-size-fits-all thing, so you'll want to make sure that you have the right size transformer for the amps/volts of your electronic thingy.

Don't discount the PITA factor of finding what you need in Qatar. If the company is paying then it's definitely easier to bring it and pop it onto a transformer than it is to run all over Doha looking for something that you would take for granted in the U.S.

This is our third int'l posting and we've used transformers for plenty of things. They don't work for digital alarm clocks and they will eventually (after a few years) not work for your cordless phones, but otherwise we've had good luck with them. They also don't work as well for high-voltage appliances (skip using it for your vacuum cleaner), but for most of your sit-on-the-counter stuff they're fine. We've used it for our semi high-end stereo equipment for all three postings.

Hope that helps :)

UFC is on Showtime

If it's multi voltage AND your company are paying shipping them bring it.

Thanks MagicDragon.

Thanks AbuAmerican, I agree hooking everything up through a converter would be a pain and trust me I would like to avoid it too if the price difference is not big.

My major concern now would be on the 46" Sony LCD TV ($1200) and the Nintendo Wii ($250). Any ideas how much these would cost? I've heard the Wii costs around 2000QR ($500+) but no idea on LCD TVs...

Thanks once again!

(BTW, looks like you're a MMA fan as well, I just watched UFC101 last night... do you know if UFC is available to view in Qatar, what are the options?)

Sell them. Everything is available here. A 22"LCD monitor is around 600 QR ( less than 200 $). Good luck.