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Insignia TV Direct to 12v

bdosborn
Explorer
Explorer
Best Buy was having a sale and I pulled the trigger on a 24" Insignia LED TV. I made a direct to 12V adapter using a type "M" DC adapter it seems to work fine at a charged battery voltage of 12.8V. I measured the wall wart output and it 12.28V. I've done some measuring using the Trimetric and the system draws 4.4A when the TV and a WDTV Streaming box are fed from a Morningstar PSW inverter. Connecting everything to direct 12V (including the WDTV) reduces the draw down to 2 amps. Needless to say I'll be running it direct to 12V when boondocking but I'm nervous about what happens when the battery is getting charged. Anyone smoke their new TV by running it at 14.4V?

Bruce
2010 6.5'X11' TTT - Boxcar
Custom Frame, Poptop, AC, Espar Diesel Furnace, HW Heater, Sink, Shower, 12V-120V, LED Lights, TV and XM Radio, DVD Player, 300W PV Panels, PD 9140 Charger, Tongue Box, Filon Exterior, 1000W Generator, Patient Wife
Boxcar Build
8 REPLIES 8

bdosborn
Explorer
Explorer
smkettner wrote:
Read posts of increasing brightness on 14.4 but never a failure.


Just what I wanted to hear. 🙂

tenbear wrote:
If you are really worried, use one of these..


Bought one to experiment with. Thanks for the tip.

Bruce
2010 6.5'X11' TTT - Boxcar
Custom Frame, Poptop, AC, Espar Diesel Furnace, HW Heater, Sink, Shower, 12V-120V, LED Lights, TV and XM Radio, DVD Player, 300W PV Panels, PD 9140 Charger, Tongue Box, Filon Exterior, 1000W Generator, Patient Wife
Boxcar Build

tenbear
Explorer
Explorer
If you are really worried, use one of these..
Class C, 2004/5 Four Winds Dutchman Express 28A, Chevy chassis
2010 Subaru Impreza Sedan
Camped in 45 states, 7 Provinces and 1 Territory

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Read posts of increasing brightness on 14.4 but never a failure.

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
As I see it now, you want people to answer whether
1) your home made adapter will not go up in smoke when there is 14.4 charging voltage in the circuit, and
2) What happens to 12V TV if home made charger doesn't go up in smoke and will output not 12V DC but some unknown voltage because there is more than 12.7V input 🙂 ?

camperpaul
Explorer
Explorer
My 19" Vizio runs on the 12V battery with no problems.
Paul
Extra Class Ham Radio operator - K9ERG (since 1956)
Retired Electronics Engineer and Antenna Designer
Was a campground host at IBSP (2006-2010) - now retired.
Single - Full-timer
2005 Four Winds 29Q
2011 2500HD 6.0L GMC Denali (Gasser)

Dusty_R
Explorer
Explorer
We bought a Vizio that uses a 12 volt wall wart. I got a cord that plugs into a 12 volt outlet, and never worried about the actual output of the 12 volt outlet.

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
There have been many posts on this type of thing in the past on assorted forums, Some people seem to feel that 12 volt means 12 volt and that the higher charging voltage of the batteries may damage your TV.. I do not happen to be among them.

Others feel that the regulation on a wall wart or in-line brick power supply likely sucks like the Honda Vac on the commercical (Hey, it is funny) and thus the odds are the higher voltage won't bother. (I happen to be among those).

Now, THe one thing I do question is who made that TV.. I have one Insignia product here. Turns out it's a re-labeled Zenith (It is not a tv by the way) and Zenith is now an LG brand, that's Lucky Goldstar, because you are LUCKY if a Goldstar product works properly.. I've never been that lucky. This one is no exception,, Same for my Dometic by LG Microwave.. Of course now that it is a WA8YXM custom Microwave.. it works properly.. I fixed it.
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

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
You are the one that usually tries the latest inventions 🙂 ... Not many people have 12V TV.

If charged with solar, chances are that the voltage will drop from 14.4. With generator - don't know.