Forum Discussion

qtla9111's avatar
qtla9111
Nomad
Nov 30, 2013

Antena/12V Outlet

We have been learning a lot since installing our solar this year. I was hoping to avoid a permanent install of a large inverter as we use little power.

Today I bought a 150W inverter that looks like a small power strip. We have two table lamps that use LED bulbs at 7 watts, and our television which is 60 watts (changing to a 35W LED).

I have the strip plugged into the entertainment center where the antenna/12V outlet is. Things work great but then they blink and go off and sometimes back on again.

After some investigation, it is the antenna/12v outlet. It's cheap and you have to really push the inverter plug in or fiddle with it. Is there a better quality antenna/12v outlet available and can you post a link?

We are headed back home to Mexico for the winter and want to take advantage of our system. Thanks in advance.

The outlet we had in our other rv was a piece of junk too!
  • tvman44's avatar
    tvman44
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2013
    Those outlets are all junk. Get a automotive socket, most big box auto part stores have them. :)
  • 4aSong's avatar
    4aSong
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2013
    You may want to try a boat or marine store as I had heard others have purchased marine 12 outlets which are a bit more durable. Just what I have heard so still be careful what you purchase at a marine store as they may also be junk.
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Nov 30, 2013
    Hi,

    I'd suggest getting an anderson connection and installing it with an appropriately sized fuse for the inverter. 150 watts running flat out can draw 15 amps. The wire for the tv outlet is not adequate for that many amps.
  • qtla9111's avatar
    qtla9111
    Nomad
    Dec 02, 2013
    pianotuna wrote:
    Hi,

    I'd suggest getting an anderson connection and installing it with an appropriately sized fuse for the inverter. 150 watts running flat out can draw 15 amps. The wire for the tv outlet is not adequate for that many amps.


    A novice with this. Could you expand a bit more on the anderson connection? I did a search and not sure I understand what to do with it.

    (From my antenna outlet with 12V cigarette plug, I have a 150W inverter connected)

    Thanks in advance.
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Dec 02, 2013
    Hi,

    You would run a new thick wire from the battery bank to an anderson connector. Make sure to fuse it near the battery. #10 wire would work nicely for a 150 watt inverter and would run up to a 300 watt safely.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Dec 02, 2013
    The 12 volt outlet in the TV plate is not a high current device, Normal current to that switch is on the order of LESS THAN ONE AMP and many are thus wired with fairly small wire and a very small fuse, With a 100 watt inverter, i'm surprised you did not blow said fuse, i'd fuse it at about half that if I were designing.

    Suggestion.

    Replace the wall plate with a Sensar Pro (Way better at sucking in ATSC broadcast TV, and put in a dedicated 20 amp line (at least 10ga wire) and outlet. Run the 10 GA all the way to your fuse box and put in a fuse just for it, or if the box (unlike mine) is fully populated, run it to the battery and put in a fuse there.
  • Keith_Haw's avatar
    Keith_Haw
    Explorer
    Dec 02, 2013
    I don't have the Sensar Pro, yet, but did the same with the 400w inverter we use for TV/sat setup. I just bought a 10ga 25' extension cord that I cut both ends off of, I liked the extra insulation. Ran it from the battery, fused at 15a, inside the frame rails and up through the floor into the cabinet where the inverter is. works great. TV and Dish are the only things we use an inverter for so couldn't see installing my big 2500w to power the whole TT.
  • azchuckmo's avatar
    azchuckmo
    Explorer
    Dec 16, 2013
    The wire AWG should be based on length of run, is the run in open air or in a cable bundle, and the max current expects to carry.The socket is rated at 15Amps. All the wire AWG charts i've seen shows 10awg has a max of 55Amps, any cable down to 18AWG should work since 18AWG has a max of 16Amps in free air.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Dec 16, 2013
    ONE other thing... If you plug 120 volt LED lamps into an MSW inverter powered outlet,,,

    Well there is a thread about that around here somewhere..
    Search terms would be LED and FIRE

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