Charging the iPad Air when planning a trip to Ethiopia

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet with the USB Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Europlug Type C USB charger, how to power the iPad Air using a 2 pin Type E power adapter and powering the iPad Air using a two pin Schuko Type F USB charger

Ethiopian power outlet

Complicated combinations of frequencies and region codes can often be confusing when planning on visiting another country for the first time traveller. These instructions have been specifically written to prevent you worrying if you'll be able to charge your iPad Air when travelling to Ethiopia.This page has step-by-step instructions showing you how to supply power to the iPad Air when you're visiting Ethiopia using the types E, C, F or L 220 volt 50Hz plug outlets. If you are visiting Ethiopia from another country ensure your iPad Air can be charged using a 240v supply. If it originated in a country which uses a lower voltage (for example 110v) ensure that your iPad Air is dual-voltage (marked with a 100-240 volt notation) else you may need to use an additional power converter to stop the device from being damaged when charging it. If you plan to stay in a place such as Addis Ababa or Dire Dawa we also suggest reading the Wikipedia entry about Ethiopia [1] for more details. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPad Air.

Charging the iPad Air in Ethiopia

Can you use the iPad Air in Ethiopia?

You can use the iPad Air in Ethiopia.

What is the best power adapter for the iPad Air in Ethiopia?

When travelling to multiple countries and bringing along more than your iPad Air then the best travel charger for Ethiopia to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are four standards of wall outlets in Ethiopia (E, C, F and L) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type C.

Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable plugs and handle from 100 to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your type of iPad Air is compatible with Fast Charge (please note not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from faster charging times with one of these types of travel chargers, plus additional support for more power demanding devices like tablets. Unlike other travel chargers this will allow you to power more than one device at once without needing to bring seperate travel chargers or occupying additional wall outlets. Only packing a single lightweight USB travel charger will help keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage. Because of their versatility these types of chargers can be used when back at home so when you’re not travelling they can sit overnight charging multiple phones, tablets and e-readers without using up an additional plug socket.

We recommend buying an adaptable travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power adapter illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully for charging multiple USB devices in numerous different countries around the world with perfect reliably.

Alternative travel adapter for Ethiopia

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world wanting to charge devices using USB, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power adapters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is necessary for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover both Ethiopia and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling portable power adapter for travellers originating from North America visiting Ethiopia.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This gives almost the same functionality as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet for almost half the price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers a more flexible 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it perfect for most travellers from around the world visiting Ethiopia. [11] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for the iPad Air in Ethiopia?

Charging the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet with the USB Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Europlug Type C USB charger.

  1. If you want to power your iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet you will need to buy a Type C USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], usually supplied with your iPad Air.
  2. Start by taking the Type C USB power plug adapter and plugging it in the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply (sometimes called the Type C power outlet [3]) is identified by the 2 circular adjacent holes for live and neutral pins.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Apple Lightning power cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Air. The iPad Air lightning connector can be found at the bottom of the iPad Air.
  4. Switch on the Ethiopian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the tablet will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Air is powering up and takes around 1-4 hours to recharge. [AD]
Charging the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

Powering the iPad Air with an Ethiopian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type E USB adapter

Using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type E USB charger to recharge your iPad Air with an Ethiopian power outlet.

  1. To charge the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet you'll need a Type E USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (this USB cable is normally already included with the device by Apple).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type E USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. You can recognise this plug supply by the two 4.8mm round adjacent holes for live and neutral pins and a single metal earth pin protruding in the top in a triangular configuration.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Apple Lightning cable into the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Air. The iPad Air lightning connector can be found at the bottom of the iPad Air.
  4. Switch on the Ethiopian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the tablet will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Air is powering up and takes around 1-4 hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Air with an Ethiopian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type E USB adapter

Charging the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet by using a two pinned Schuko Type F USB adapter

Instructions showing how to recharge the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet using a Lightning connector with a Type F Schuko power adapter.

  1. If you want to power your iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet you'll need a Type F USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (this USB cable is normally already included with the device by Apple).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type F USB power plug adapter into the Ethiopian power outlet. You can recognise this plug supply by the two large adjacent holes next to each other where the twin pins slide into along with two metal grounding clips above and below.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Air. The iPad Air lightning connector can be found at the bottom of the iPad Air.
  4. Switch on the Ethiopian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the iPad will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad is charging which should take roughly 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet by using a two pinned Schuko Type F USB adapter

Powering the iPad Air with an Ethiopian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type L USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet with the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type L USB charger.

  1. To charge the iPad Air from an Ethiopian power outlet you'll need a Type L USB power plug adapter [10] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple will typically supply the cable with the iPad Air).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type L USB power plug adapter in the wall supply. You can identify the squashed hexagon shaped power supply by the three circular holes forming a line. Note that there are two types of Type L wall outlet rated for 10 and 16 amps. The 10 amp wall outlet has 4mm thick pins spaced 5.5mm apart, and the 16 amp version has larger 5mm round pins which are spaced 8mm apart.
  3. Connect the USB end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Air. The iPad Air lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Air.
  4. Turn on the Ethiopian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Air screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the tablet is charging which takes roughly one-four hours to completely recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Air with an Ethiopian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type L USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia entry about Ethiopia
  2. Apple - official iPad user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type C power outlet
  4. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type E power outlet
  7. Type E USB power plug adapter - Meeting CEE 7/5 and CEE 7/6 standards, the Type E USB power plug adapter uses the Schuko standard with two round pins and an earthing hole. It adapts European outlets such as Germany to USB-standard ports for USB device charging..
  8. iec.ch - Type F power outlet
  9. iec.ch - Type L power outlet
  10. Type L USB power plug adapter - Earthed Type L USB chargers comprise of three 4mm pins placed in parallel 5.5mm apart used in Italy.
  11. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..