FM Towns Marty and 120V

[Rygar]

Hi all,

I bought FM Towns Marty and since Marty needs 100V and in Europe the voltage is 230V i bought an 220V-110V step up & down transformer DT-500VA. When I test transformer 110V output with multimeter I get around 121V-124V. Did this is safe for Marty? For start i just want test Marty 20-30 min to see did everything work like seller say. Is it safe to test the console with this transformer?
I read peoples in USA use Marty on 120V without any transformer, but I would like to be sure.

Thanks!

[Cyothevile]

Hey Rygar!

You can use a Marty or an FMT computer on 120V. That very slight deviation should be fine. However the Marty and FMT power supplies are not regulated.

For example during the time I was trying to come up with FMT tower PSU replacement I found the 5V line running at about 7V when plugged into the wall here in USA. There is some overvoltage. Since Marty doesn't have a stand by power I think you will be fine short term.

The computers in the other hand are a different story.

Hopefully you can game on now!

[Rygar]

Thank you for help, then i do not need to worry, internal regulator will do all the job.

My fear was because most of the people I know who use Marty at 120V are collectors who haven't played a console for more than an hour. Question is how long the internal regulator can survive on several hours of playing each day.

[Cyothevile]

Thank you for help, then i do not need to worry, internal regulator will do all the job.

My fear was because most of the people I know who use Marty at 120V are collectors who haven't played a console for more than an hour. Question is how long the internal regulator can survive on several hours of playing each day.

For short term checks it's fine. Marty doesn't have a standby voltage unlike the computers. You can leave it plugged in fine. Long term try to grab a 100V stepdown. The computers really should be using stepdowns because like I said, they're not really regulated.

[Rygar]

Thank you Cyothevile, for now I will be a happy just to test my Marty, and for sure for the long term I plan to take 100V stepdown.

[Rygar]

Because I'm still scared i found one Sanyo Step down transformer 220V 110V to 100V. It's power is TOTAL: 300VA MAX: 3.0A. Did this is good for Marty, and in future did will be enought for X68000?

[incrediblehark]

Honestly for me in my personal experience I have noticed a difference in using a step down converter with my Japanese systems/computers that run 100V. Haven't noticed specifics with the FMT series but I've found it benefits my Neo Geo CDZ and Hi-Saturn among other systems. My house is pretty old and I've also gone as far as using a Furman Power conditioner with all of my older gaming stuff. Although that may be overkill for some.