TELEVISION SIZE & POWER USAGE?
Most nights while camping, often bookdocking, we watch one movie before bed. With out twin group 27 batteries we are good for three nights until a charge is needed. We run a 19 inch LCD and DV playe...
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
