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Battery power TV use

walthallm
Explorer
Explorer
We are going to spend one night on a parking lot dry camping on our way to Gulf Shores. My question..What is the best way to run a regular TV in the bedroom on battery power? We are in a fifth wheel with no generator.
19 REPLIES 19

Redsky
Explorer
Explorer
camperpaul wrote:
12 Volt TV set.


We gave up after three 12v TV sets. These are the mostly cheaply built and yet most expensive you can buy. The last one was dead within a week and we shipped it back and it was repaired and shipped back and the repaired TV died in less than a week. I dropped it off at the local electronics recycle depot.

Get a 110v AC TV and use a small inverter. Check the power demand of the TV and find a quiet inverter that can handle the Watts needed. Our Toshiba takes only 24 Watts and we use an inverter that has been used for 15 years on airlanes to power laptops but works fine to convert power for the TV.

PennyPA
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you, Don (Pianotuna) for your answer. It helped me.
COPD and LVRS
On the Road Again

My Home - 2002 Glendale Titanium, 32/37DS with a basement slide.
Our Home's Leader - Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel Dually

Our Leaders - Sam(Bird), Chirp(Bird), Nellie(FAT cat), Lucy(Kitten), Willie(Dog) & Daisy(Dog)

Unyalli
Explorer
Explorer
walthallm wrote:
We are going to spend one night on a parking lot dry camping on our way to Gulf Shores. My question..What is the best way to run a regular TV in the bedroom on battery power? We are in a fifth wheel with no generator.

Do you want a long or short term solution? Are you sure you only want to do this once or will this become the norm?

Long term for just the television and phone charging? Samlex 300 watt Pure Sinewave inverter.

Upgrade to the 600 watt and you can power more and you can get remote on/off.

This guy did a 1000 watt install and the video has some ideas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLB9uBfFSdw

Another good source for RV electrics is best converter.

Jeff
2016 Cougar 26RBI
2015 Ford F150 CC 3.5L Ecoboost Max Tow

tenbear
Explorer
Explorer
There have been several posts about 20-24" TVs that are actually 12-14v tvs and use an adapter (wall wart) to run on 120vac. These work very well on the RV 12v supply. Just connect the 12v to the tv without using the adapter.
Class C, 2004/5 Four Winds Dutchman Express 28A, Chevy chassis
2010 Subaru Impreza Sedan
Camped in 45 states, 7 Provinces and 1 Territory

rbp111
Explorer
Explorer
I would like to offer an alternative. Buy a little TV/cassette player that is battery operated. It is small, fitting on your lap. I have one, for when we are camping out in the desert for a while, say more than 5 nights.

I don't recall the brand, but I got mine at Sam's Club. I don't remember the cost, but it was relatively inexpensive (around $100). It works on getting some stations OTA. The stations are fewer than the regular TV, but it works. Or, I have movies which I play on my cassette player.

I checked on the unit about a month ago, and Sam's still carried them. But then, I got my unit on sale.

A thought.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
It's gettin' snarky up in here.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Chris_Bryant
Explorer
Explorer
Mfar1234 wrote:
Guess you just don't get the purpose of these sites do ya - maybe you shouldn't renew


Thank you so much for your kind pointer. I hesitate to admit, but in the short time I have been here, I have yet to renew. I certainly hope my interweb subscription is not in jeopardy. Could you provide an "interweb link" for the renewal process (if I am still allowed).
If you think I should not renew, would you have pointers to cancelling what I do not renew?

I was unaware of the serious nature of this interweb site, and certainly beg forgiveness if I have transgressed the accepted norms of my non-renewed membership.
-- Chris Bryant

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Hi,

Parasitic loads average about 24 amp hours, or 2 amp-hours per hour.

2 golf cart batteries average about 232 amp-hour at 12 volts.

50% is useable if you wish to have long life.

116 - 24 = 92 amp-hours for the tv

assuming 10 amps per hour, you can run the tv about 9 hours.

Recharge time, unless the charging path has been beefed up, would be 10 hours at highway speeds.


Mfar1234 wrote:
How much viewing time would you get out of two (2) 6V fully charged?

Cant one put on an isolator on the truck and re-charge the batteries -- how long would you need to run the truck to fully recharge both batts?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Chris Bryant wrote:
Somebody has to say it..... just read a book ๐Ÿ™‚
A book about powering your tv from a battery.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
I have two TV's in my bedroom (one doubles as a computer monitor)
One can run on 12 volt direct off a handy 12 volt outlet I installed (Radio Shack sells cords for the job if your TV did not come with one)

And the other runs off the Inverter (In my case a 2000 watt true sine wave but you can get by with one of the smaller ones, like a 100 watt plug in job though those tend to be MSW and may interfere with weak signal reception).

Direct power is more efficient
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

Mfar1234
Explorer
Explorer
Guess you just don't get the purpose of these sites do ya - maybe you shouldn't renew
:C
Mfar1234
40' 2002 Alpine Coach, 400 ISL Cummings/3000 6sd Allison
2006 Dodge Ram 4x4
Brodie - Lab Mix and Baylee - Border Collie

Chris_Bryant
Explorer
Explorer
Somebody has to say it..... just read a book ๐Ÿ™‚
-- Chris Bryant

Mfar1234
Explorer
Explorer
How much viewing time would you get out of two (2) 6V fully charged?

Cant one put on an isolator on the truck and re-charge the batteries -- how long would you need to run the truck to fully recharge both batts?
:C
Mfar1234
40' 2002 Alpine Coach, 400 ISL Cummings/3000 6sd Allison
2006 Dodge Ram 4x4
Brodie - Lab Mix and Baylee - Border Collie

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
There's no best way, the ONLY way is with an inverter.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman