12V Proscan TV and Sony Blu-ray Modification

[Wardster]

When I first bought my Northern Lite TC and joined this and other forums, I read a few posts from people who had wired up a Blu-ray player directly to their 12V system. Since I couldn't find a 'how to' I figured I would share how I successfully wired up a 23" LED Proscan TV as well as a Sony Blu-ray player using a simple 12V accessory plug.

In order to do this mod you need to find a TV and/or Blu-ray player that uses a 12V wall wart for power. The TV I bought was a 23" LED Proscan that I picked up at HH Gregg on sale for $99 TV Clicky. The wi-fi ready Blu-ray player I bought is made by Sony, which I picked up at Walmart for ~$80 Blu-ray Clicky.

The following is a list of other items I used for this mod:

- 12V Accessory Plug (5A) - Walmart



- 2 Pole Flat Plugs - NAPA



- Wire Cutters

- Heat Shrink Tubing

- Heat Gun

After removing the 12V accessory plug and 2 pole flat plug from their packaging, I proceeded to prepare them for splicing. I cut the 2-pole flat plug in half and stripped the insulation from the wires.



The next step was splicing the wires and protecting them with heat shrink tubing. I used smaller diameter tube to protect each splice individually, then slid a larger tub over both to seal it up completely. Just remember to slide your tubing onto the wires before you make the splice.







Repeat the same procedure with the 12V wall wart making sure that you match the polarity on both it and the 12V accessory plug. The final step in this procedure is attached a 2 pole flat plug to the power supply for the TV and another to the Blu-ray player. Again, pay attention to polarity when you make your splices.



Using the 12V accessory plug for power, check to make sure everything works. I used the 12V power from my 4-wheeler to test the TV out.



Success!

Here's how the connections look on the Blu-ray player. Since you want your 12V accessory plugs to be interchangeable, make sure that the polarity is the same for both/all.

Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width

[work2fish]

Wow, that is a pretty impressive antenna. Not sure I have a place for this in my pop up. I tried one of those flat indoor wall antennas and locked onto dozens of digital channels here in the Denver metro area. I imagine my reception will be much worse in camping areas, but I thought I could try the amplified version in that case.

[westend]

which HDTV antennas have folks found to work best?

I made one of these Gray-Hoverman arrays in an afternoon. They have the greatest gain for centered UHF reception.

[work2fish]

There was a bit of hesitation from me in terms of putting a TV in my camper. As a Manager in a technical field, I like the notion of unplugging from technology completely when I'm camping. However, some buddies and I are going to try using my camper for tailgating at the CU games (Go Buffs!) this year and a battery powered TV to check in on the sports before the game would really come in handy.

Thanks for your tips, I ended up making the cables for this 12V 24" Insignia LED TV purchased from Best Buy. Worked like a champ and one unanticipated feature is that I will be able to use the box to store the TV in my camper even when the TV has its stand on.

My camper is a popup and so I don't have a lot of fixed mounting options, but I am curious which HDTV antennas have folks found to work best?

[hedge]

I did the same thing a few years ago with an Insignia tv and also a Sony Blu-ray player. It's plugged into the 12v receptacle that was there without a regulator and no issues so far. I believe this is the 3rd year of running it like this.

[Wardster]

I intend to plug it directly into the 12V accessory outlet that's fed from the distribution panel. That's what the entire 12V system is being fed from, so I am assuming that the voltage is fine.

[atperci]

Hey Wardster! Great minds think alike! I just received a very similar Sony Blu-ray player (mine was a refurbished model that is wired instead Wi-Fi.) It has a 12v wall wart as well. The Jensen RV DVD/Stereo was dying a slow, miserable death in our motorhome and the kids would probably "die of boredom" if there isn't some form of entertainment available.

However, I'm concerned that the feed from the battery (+ input from Solar charge controller or battery charger) would be too much to feed directly to the player, causing it to prematurely die. Especially since it is normally fed by a nice steady 12.35 VDC (I checked the open circuit with my multi-meter.) Have you had it hooked up to your camper yet? Did you experience any problems with a higher voltage?

My solution is going to be to hook up a voltage regulator/stabilizer like the DROK Stabilizer on Aamzon . I'm just not sure if the battery voltage starts to drop below 12v, if the output will drop below 12v.

Please let me know what your experience is with Blu-ray.

Thanks,
Tom

[diveman52]

Nice but you really need to learn the proper technique for soldering.
That's got to be the worst job I have ever seen.
Sorry for the negative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQvxXMlhOeo
Not the best tutorial but notice how he heats the wire and lets the solder flow over the whole joint.

Better one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoD2aUvnQXg

[SkiSmuggs]

Nice! Being less electrically inclined, I went with this:

Bestek 300W Inverter

I just purchased a Samlex 600W PSW inverter for permanent installation when I get a round tuit, but the Bestek has served me well for 3 years.