TELEVISION SIZE & POWER USAGE?

smkettner wrote:
Look up the model numbers and compare. Look for LED back lighting for highest efficiency.
Otherwise 200 to 400 watts of solar could make a big difference if you get any sun.

How does he do this? :) Right on all points. Again.

OP - you could make it with 32"-36" LED screen. Look for lower wattage listed.
And, you should get in touch with the guy in Ashland OR. Maybe he's got some odd controller laying around after the business closure. Those were the best controllers in 400-500W range. Though he must've retired when closed the shop. Get solar anyway. Yours is pretty sunny area if you drive a little South of Portland.

MNtundraRet wrote:

NinerBikes wrote:
14.4V on the Samsung brick, if it's like my 24" model

You bring up an important point.

Most people assume the power brick will convert 120V,AC, to 12V,DC (TV would need to operate down to around 12.0 volts).
Not true! Most newer televisions require 13 to 15 volts DC.

Since fully charged RV batteries are only 12.6 to 12.8V (depending on type) they will fail to run the television, or only for a short time.

The only method that is sure to work is to use an Inverter connected to your battery-bank to supply 120V,AC, and plug in the brick. The television will get the correct voltage. Using a smaller inverter will have less overhead and give you a longer time on battery.

Before switching to HD TV in 2006 (for RV), I had a 9" TV, labeled 12 volt type. After reading manual I found in the specifications that the television needed a minimum of 12.5 volts to operate. That in reality was only about an hour or two of television before the picture failed.

That's when I purchased my first 300 amp inverter. Television worked just fine after that.

Get a buck booster, and correct for 14.4V. Drok buck booster. See Salvo's current thread on the subject.

NinerBikes wrote:
14.4V on the Samsung brick, if it's like my 24" model

You bring up an important point.

Most people assume the power brick will convert 120V,AC, to 12V,DC (TV would need to operate down to around 12.0 volts).
Not true! Most newer televisions require 13 to 15 volts DC.

Since fully charged RV batteries are only 12.6 to 12.8V (depending on type) they will fail to run the television, or only for a short time.

The only method that is sure to work is to use an Inverter connected to your battery-bank to supply 120V,AC, and plug in the brick. The television will get the correct voltage. Using a smaller inverter will have less overhead and give you a longer time on battery.

Before switching to HD TV in 2006 (for RV), I had a 9" TV, labeled 12 volt type. After reading manual I found in the specifications that the television needed a minimum of 12.5 volts to operate. That in reality was only about an hour or two of television before the picture failed.

That's when I purchased my first 300 Watt inverter. Television worked just fine after that.

correction: I meant 300 Watt Inverter. Not Amp.

14.4V on the Samsung brick, if it's like my 24" model. I still just use a 100w inverter to 120V for the brick to plug in to. Works just fine, draws 19 to 22 watts most of the time, according to my Kil-A Watt.

As an aside, I am soooo happy with that little Samsung 1080p 24" TV in my little 21 foot travel trailer. Great unit, great reception with the bat wing, it just works very well.

SkiSmuggs wrote:

tenbear wrote:
My 22" TV draws 1 amp at 12v. It had an adapter, 120vac to 12vdc. I removed the adapter and run the TV directly off 12vdc.

Perhaps you could find an appropriate sized TV with an adapter to remove for smaller current drain. :h

My new Samsung 32" has a power brick. I need to check the output to see if I can just get a 12vdc cord for it. Thanks!

The output voltage should be marked on the brick.

tenbear wrote:
My 22" TV draws 1 amp at 12v. It had an adapter, 120vac to 12vdc. I removed the adapter and run the TV directly off 12vdc.

Perhaps you could find an appropriate sized TV with an adapter to remove for smaller current drain. :h

My new Samsung 32" has a power brick. I need to check the output to see if I can just get a 12vdc cord for it. Thanks!

Copying an old post of mine on this topic:

Posted: 12/05/11 12:50pm Link | Print | Notify Moderator

Compared the draw with our new "RV television" with the previous one, now moved to be one of the "house tvs"

Both TVs are 32" 720P LCDs, but one is also LED. LED/LCD one is a LG and the LCD is a Samsung.

The LG has more picture mode options, so first to compare the watts draw on a 400w inverter's watts read-out (says 100w for a 100w bulb in a lamp) for the three comparable picture modes.

Mode, LCD, LED:

Dynamic/Vivid - 120w, 65w
Standard- 80w, 50w
Movie/Cinema- 70w, 35w

The LED has an "intelligent sensor" picture mode which brightens the picture if room lights are bright and dims the picture in dark rooms.

Lights on, 65w; lights off, 25w

I think many here need to understand "real world" labeling of TV, furnace, refrigerator, etc. wattage labeling.

For TV's the number represents the lowest power settings for the TV. Most of us want the best picture. That can be more than double the labeled wattage.

Furnaces use a "duty cycle" based on around a reaching around 70F for a high. That number can double or triple as nighttime temperatures drop to 32F or lower. Refrigerators will use more power as temperatures go higher.

Now if your camp using shore-power you can ignore all of this and use what you want.

If you are dry-camping it helps to just check the amps with a clamp-on, or built-in ammeter. That way you will see total draw for whatever is being used at the time; lights, ref., furnace, TV and antenna amplifier, or any other toys. That number times the hours the items are used represents the AH depleted from the battery-bank.

It's easy to see why some have dead batteries the next morning. Their choice is to either run the generator most of the day, get an electric site, or go home.

Most of us after getting more experienced know what we can use for how much time to get by when dry-camping. I get by with 300 AH of battery (separate 85AH battery for the TV). I get by on 2 hours of generator use each day. The house batteries have a built-in multi-stage converter/charger, and I have a portable 40 Amp multi-stage charger for the TV battery. That's enough to get back to 90 to 95%soc. The last day is always on an electric site to fully recharge the batteries.

Our MH is always stored without shore-power, so two 9 watt panels keeps all topped off until next trip. My Trojan batteries last 10+ years.

MNtundraRet wrote:

road-runner wrote:

My 32" Insignia LED TV uses around 25 watts. My clamp -on meter registers about 4 amps per hour of use.

Sorry I don't know how to say this without sounding crabby. Don't mean it that way. "4 amps per hour of use" is meaningless. "Amps" is an instantaneous measurement. A rough water equivalent statement would be "4 gallons per hour per hour". 25 watts suggests a draw of about 2 amps at nominal 12 volts, which would result in using 2 amp-hours per hour from the power source.

My TV and a second RF amplifier run off a separate battery when off grid. Any amp reading is instantaneous but means 4 amps per hour when done without any changes in usage. So what's your problem?

I have been doing this way since the eighties (different TV,s, inverters, etc.,) without ever running down batteries. As mentioned earlier TV power needs change with how the TV options are set up for watching. Using a clamp-on meter at any given time is best way to make sure you don't deplete your battery.

If you are saying your current draw is 4.0A and will remain steady then you will be comsuming 4 Amp hours in a one hour period or 8 AH in a two hour period (since you multiply the current by the time) not 4 A per hour. Battery capacity is rated in Amp hour not Amps per hour that is why it is much less confusing to readers on the forum if you use the correct terminology so that we are all on the same technically correct page.

Dick

My 22" TV draws 1 amp at 12v. It had an adapter, 120vac to 12vdc. I removed the adapter and run the TV directly off 12vdc.

Perhaps you could find an appropriate sized TV with an adapter to remove for smaller current drain. :h