Print

[nilaygoyal]

Hi,

I have a Xbox1.6 with a PSU supporting 110v and want to use it 240 volt power. I have a 240v to 110v step-down transformer with 1000 watts. Will the combination work?

Thanks,
NiLaY

[deadparrot]

I don't see why not.  1kW is MORE than enough to run an Xbox  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[nilaygoyal]

well... I plugged it in (n i was scared) with the 1000 watt step-down and I saw smoke!!!

What could be wrong? The Xbox reads "110v-120v 2.1a 50/60Hz" and the transformer says "240v to 110v 1000w". Did I blew anything up?

Thanks,
NiLaY

[nilaygoyal]

QUOTE(nilaygoyal @ Dec 5 2007, 12:59 PM)

well... I plugged it in (n i was scared) with the 1000 watt step-down and I saw smoke!!!

Missed to mention, smoke was from the Xbox (from near the power point and the cooling fan).

Thanks,
NiLaY

[obcd]

Hi,

smoke is never a good sign. If you disconnected quickly when you saw it, you have a very small change that things still might work.

You might check the transformer with a simple inexpensive device first like a lamp. A 220V lamp should burn at a low intensity if it only gets 110V. Measuring the output voltage of the transformer is even better, but if you don't have the equipment for it, the lamp can already give you a good indication.

Are you sure that the xbox was in good condition before you did the test? Sometimes the solderings of the power connector come loose. Those can start sparking and that can also cause smoke.

Are you sure you didn't misconnect your transformer? If you feed it 220V at the 110V side, it will produce 440V at the 220V side. That's a bit too much for a 110V xbox supply. If you do the lamp test, it will burn very bright for a very short time, or just burn trough immediatly with a nice flash.

regards.

[nilaygoyal]

Thanks for the reply.

I *did* disconnect it quickly (fingers crossed), hope everything is fine in there.

As for the transformer, I'm very sure that plugged it correctly. I'll put the transformer through the lamp/multimeter test and post the result here.

By the way, is it not possible that the 1000w was a bit too much for the Xbox PSU?

Thanks,
NiLaY

[deadparrot]

QUOTE(nilaygoyal @ Dec 5 2007, 11:58 AM)

By the way, is it not possible that the 1000w was a bit too much for the Xbox PSU?

No.  The Xbox will only draw as much power as it needs.  The power rating is only an issue if it's too low.

You should check the pins where the mains lead socket is soldered to the underside of the xbox PSU.  It's entirely possible that these have come loose (a frequent occurrence) and need re-soldering.

[DarkMatter]

You really need to remove the power supply from the X-Box and inspect it very closely.
You need to have a good look at the varistor. This is usually located near the mains fuse and is colored either tan, yellow or blue and is disk shaped.
Also have a good look at the main filter capacitor to see if it has bulged at its top. The main filter cap is the largest cylindrical component on the PSU. Its colored black, with a voltage rating marked on it of around 250 volts.
If you have a multimeter that reads AC, then set it for maximum volts and shove the probes onto the active and neutral sockets of the transformer output. That will tell you what voltage is being outputted by the transformer.
There is also a small chance that the transformer you have is an isolation type, and not a step-down type. You'll be able to confirm this when you test it with the multimeter.
Please let us know how you get on.
Regards,
DarkMatter

[nilaygoyal]

Thanks for your replies.

Okay, I'm back with the multimeter test: it read 90v on the multimeter, which i guess was the reason for all the problem. I'll get another transformer and will post the results.

In the mean while, I've removed the PSU of the Xbox to make sure things lay fine there. Things look ok for me, but will post images here for reviews from you people here.

Thanks,
NiLaY

[nilaygoyal]

I went looking for a converter (220v to 110v) but the ones with more 50w are getting hard to find. Is there a minimum wattage of power I should be looking for? Will 50w be enough?

Is it "P = V x I" (P=power, V=voltage, I=current)... in which case, it comes out to 231 watts (at least) ?

Thanks,
NiLaY

This post has been edited by nilaygoyal: Dec 8 2007, 07:24 PM

[obcd]

Hi,

my 1.0 xbox is consuming between 70 and 80W when it is on. It is a 220V version. Maybe your supply efficiency will be a bit different. I would at least go for a 100W transformer. If it's rating is to low, it will heat up.

regards.

[nilaygoyal]

QUOTE(DarkMatter @ Dec 6 2007, 06:59 AM)

You really need to remove the power supply from the X-Box and inspect it very closely.
You need to have a good look at the varistor. This is usually located near the mains fuse and is colored either tan, yellow or blue and is disk shaped.

.....

Regards,
DarkMatter

Yes, the varistor is toast (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) ... But, I'm still wondering, if the step-down transformer is giving out only 90v, how could it possibly burn the varistor?

Nevertheless, need suggestions whether I should :
1. fix the PSU (currently only varistor looks bad and I'm armed with soldering skills) and buy a $30 (approx cost of the one with 300w) transformer.
OR
2. look for a PSU replacement (with 220v support). Heard mod-chip.com are reliable, even with international orders, are they? or any other place to look for a PSU?

This post has been edited by nilaygoyal: Dec 9 2007, 08:49 PM