Installing an inverter to run my TV and DVD player

You can't use the 12v plug for your inverter to power the TV and DVD. The reason is if you read the fine print (I read mine last night) it says using the 12v plug will only produce 100 watts of power. You will need to run 6 gauge wire directly from the battery to the inverter. Then you should be good to go.

First your needs are simple and a small inverter will work fine. But for an inverter, any size, you need adequate wiring from the battery to the inverter. I don't think the antenna wiring is going to be adequate.
I'd suggest running 12 ga. wire directly from your battery (fused) and grab the negative at the closest point to the inverter or directly to the battery also. OR: if the TV and components are on a dedicated circuit, you could mount the inverter close to the battery and run a smaller wire to the wires that now feed the AC to the TV. Just make sure you interrupt the circuit so you don't have the possibility of two 110v circuits trying to power the same item.

Calicajun wrote:
You can't use the 12v plug for your inverter to power the TV and DVD. The reason is if you read the fine print (I read mine last night) it says using the 12v plug will only produce 100 watts of power. You will need to run 6 gauge wire directly from the battery to the inverter. Then you should be good to go.

I was using my inverter plugged into my 12v outlet in my pervious TT with no problems running the LED tv and DVD player.

You were lucky.

I have to disagree. I run my 22" Vizio LCD/LED TV and the separate DVD player from my 21 year old, 250 watt Statpower inverter. I plug the inverter's cigarette lighter plug into a dash outlet and run a 6' household extension cord up to the back of the TV - DVD player and "Voila" movies, as many as you like. While this means I am running off of the engine battery on a 6.8L V-10 there is more than enough capacity to handle such a small load.

LCD TV's, especially LCD - LED TV's don't draw squat and most simple DVD players are the same. While I prefer to draw from my house bank (2 group 27's), for DC loads (like my C-Pap), the house bank fed outlet I installed is located on the backside of the dinette and running the extension cord from the dash of our C is just a shorter/simpler connection.

Some of the more sensitive electronics (TV's, computers and C-Pap's to name a few), will caution against using anything less than pure sine wave. Be sure to read owners manual before hooking up to a non sine wave inverter. A Pure sine wave 300 watt, dual outlet inverter should set you back about $60. As far as wire size just look at the voltage drop charts and size your wire/in line fuses accordingly. For small loads and relatively short runs you will rarely, if ever, need more than 12 gauge.

IMHO: Lots of folks end up buying way more inverter than they actually need which is usually supported by way less battery power than the inverter needs. A simple stove top coffee pot will make your morning coffee and a small inverter will charge all of your phones, camera's, hearing aid's etc., as well as running the TV/DVD player and other misc electronic toys.

Works for me.

:B

Same here..

I run two 75 ah 12 volts. I have two 12 volt outlets...

I run an inverter 100 watts at each plugged in..

Stanley...

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-PC1TG09-100-Watt-Inverter/dp/B001U04N34

Runs my led vizio tv 21 watts and a box fan on low 21 watts at one location. Other location is for charging phones, computer, lantern etc,,,


Now if I want to run micro, coffee pot. or toaster I will need to get bigger and back feed the panel somehow...

But dont think I want to kill batterys like that...

We get by fine with perc coffee and using oven...

I wired my small inverter behind the electric panel. Use the main battery connection for 12v power. Use a small transfer switch to power the single 120v branch circuit. No wire to pull just make connections.

Might be handy for other stuff too.

300w GoPower SW inverter $172

KISAE 15a transfer switch $50

I use a 300 watt MSW inverter to run my 19" Vizio & Panasonic Blu-Ray.

But, they are run from a single 35amp AGM battery, dedicated for that purpose.

I installed a 750 watt harbor freight inverter in the battery compartment and wired the ac side to its own circuit on the electric panel where half of the outlets are. We leave the inverter on the entire trip and can easily run 2 flat screens and DVD players phone chargers and a small air filter. And starting and stopping the Gen set has no affect.total cost was less than 40 dollars. I also set the fridge up with DPDT ON OFF ON rocker switch so I can switch from shore power to gas to inverter

get the real numbers..

how much power for TV
same with DVR, DVD.... phone charger, computer chargers

Add them up.. add 25 percent for safety.... get converter that can handle that number... and UNPLUG the Tow vehicle when parked ...to prevent that battery from going dead.

my opinion..