This weekend I installed a digital TV/DVD in the camper. On AC it worked well, pulledin lots of TV stations and the DVD worked well. However, when I switched to 12 volts I had some problems. I have two different inverters, both I suspect are modified sine wave inverts as they didn't cost much and just plug into the lighter socket.The 150 watt fanless one played the DVD but the TV had a hard time getting signals. Only the strongest channels came through and the others had pixelation or the TV complained about a weak digital signal.The 140 watt one has a fan that runs all the time (very annoying). Everything worked fine with it however.My questions, - Are some msw inverters better than others? How do you know? - I suppose I could get a pure sine wave inverter but most of these seem to be overkill as the whole TV unit only draws 65 watts. I was hoping for something small, quiet, and inexpensive. - bottom line, any recommendations for this situation?Thanks

Put the inverter closer to the batteries, where you can't hear the fan, and run an extension cord to the TV. With a little planning you can make it look good.

I would not use the modified sine inverters on electronic items... Too much of a risk. The pure sine wave inverters don't cost as much as they used to. With the PSW type you don't have to worry at all what you plug into them. The PSW type inverter also don't produce as much RFI signals which is probably why the TV didnt work as well as it should have when being operated from the MSW Inverters....I started out with just a 150WATT PSW Inverter and things worked so well I kept adding 120vAC units to the inverter and purchased a 300/400Watt PSW Inverter and finally ended up with a 600WATT PSW Inverter. Of course Inverters like to eat up a bunch of battery power so expect to add enough battery capacity to operate your Inverter for the time period you are going to use it.We do alot of camping off the power grid and the 600WATT PSW Inverter works very well for the things we like to do. My battery bank is a 255AH setup and I have planned it all out to have all of the 120VAC items we want to have running form our 600WATT Inverter and all of the 12VDC items we want to run direct connected to the battery bank.The game plan for us is to run all of these items in a one day/night camping run off the batteries and then recharge the batteries the next morning with the trailer connected to my 2KW Honda Generator using a RV30A-15A long adapter. Using the trailer smart mode technology converter/charger I can re-charge my battery bank to its 90% charge state in as little as three hours of generator run time. Once charged back up to the 90% charge state I can run it down to it's 50% charge for 10-12 cycles before doing any harm to the batteries. I have to recharge my battery bank to a full 100% charge state after 10-12 cycles otherwise it will do harm to the batteries.this makes it pretty successful for us to camp off the power grid for many days.Here is typical trailer layout I have followed in my use of PSW Inverter. just my thoughtsRoy Ken

brholt wrote: - Are some msw inverters better than others? How do you know?You don't. Now that most items are made in China, even with a well known brand there is a risk to get poor MSW, with RF noise or poorly filtered wave. brholt wrote:I suppose I could get a pure sine wave inverter but most of these seem to be overkill as the whole TV unit only draws 65 watts. I was hoping for something small, quiet, and inexpensive.Samlex 120W PSW costs $100 on Amazon. Not sure about "quiet", very few inverters in that range are fan-less and those cost more. Place it closer to battery, ex. in through-storage, then you won't hear the noise. Inverter actually has to be close to battery. You can add a remote switch in the room somewhere, though small inverter can idle 24/7, its idle draw is low.

I recommend GoPower 150w or 300w sine wave. $150 - $180http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/gopoin.htmlI have and use the 300w. Low idle draw, provision for remote switch, temperature controlled fan that never comes on with my 19" tv/dvd. You can wire it into the 120v circuit with a small transfer switch if you get bored with the connection logistics.

smkettner wrote:I recommend GoPower 150w or 300w sine wave. $150 - $180http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/gopoin.htmlI have and use the 300w. Low idle draw, provision for remote switch, temperature controlled fan that never comes on with my 19" tv/dvd. You can wire it into the 120v circuit with a small transfer switch if you get bored with the connection logistics.X2, I have a 300W Go Power hard wired to the batteries in a basement compartment. Yellow box is my inverter.

Inverter and TV | Good Sam Community

big_whitey
Explorer
Jun 05, 2013
mena661 wrote:
smkettner wrote:
I recommend GoPower 150w or 300w sine wave. $150 - $180
http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/gopoin.html

I have and use the 300w. Low idle draw, provision for remote switch, temperature controlled fan that never comes on with my 19" tv/dvd. You can wire it into the 120v circuit with a small transfer switch if you get bored with the connection logistics.
X2, I have a 300W Go Power hard wired to the batteries in a basement compartment. Yellow box is my inverter.

X3 on the 300w go power.
time2roll
Nomad
Jun 04, 2013
Almot wrote:
smkettner wrote:
No need to disconnect converter if just the branch circuit to the tv is connected. Assuming the converter is a different breaker ;)

Wait a second. These are parallel branches. 120V in any branch will find its way to 120V input of converter, unless you do something to prevent this.

I always assume a transfer switch would be used. Nothing will go backfeeding the main panel if the transfer switch serves one branch circuit.
brholt
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2013
camperguy99 wrote:
I wonder if the problem really is the modified sine wave inverter? Everything worked when plugged into the 120V AC but not the inverter? Where was the antenna getting it's power from. You know the little switch you have to push before you can get any channels? I'll bet the antenna doesn't have any power.

No, the antenna is directly powered by the 12-volt powe system. When turned off I get nothing.

Based on the recommendations here I ordered a 150 watt pure sine wave inverter.
Almot
Explorer III
Jun 04, 2013
smkettner wrote:
No need to disconnect converter if just the branch circuit to the tv is connected. Assuming the converter is a different breaker ;)

Wait a second. These are parallel branches. 120V in any branch will find its way to 120V input of converter, unless you do something to prevent this.
camperguy99
Explorer
Jun 04, 2013
I wonder if the problem really is the modified sine wave inverter? Everything worked when plugged into the 120V AC but not the inverter? Where was the antenna getting it's power from. You know the little switch you have to push before you can get any channels? I'll bet the antenna doesn't have any power.
mena661
Explorer
Jun 04, 2013
64thunderbolt wrote:
I have bought 2 300w pure sine wave inverters from "the inverter store" on ebay and they both have performed flawlessly. Very reasonably priced also. TV works just like on shore power.
Great info!!

The Inverter Store Ebay
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 04, 2013
brholt wrote:
This weekend I installed a digital TV/DVD in the camper. On AC it worked well, pulledin lots of TV stations and the DVD worked well. However, when I switched to 12 volts I had some problems. I have two different inverters, both I suspect are modified sine wave inverts as they didn't cost much and just plug into the lighter socket.

I have seen this many times in the forums.. The MSW inverters are very "noisy" electronically, they may have "Harmonics" that extend into the television band but more likely they are hitting the digital decode frequency (What we computer types call baud rate) and interfering with digital decode.

You might be able to filter.. But a True Sine inverter is highly recommended.. AS I TYPE this I'm watching a TV show recorded via a TRUE SINE WAVE inverter.
64thunderbolt
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2013
I have bought 2 300w pure sine wave inverters from "the inverter store" on ebay and they both have performed flawlessly. Very reasonably priced also. TV works just like on shore power.
time2roll
Nomad
Jun 04, 2013
Almot wrote:
SMK, what for is the transfer switch that you mentioned - for disconnecting the converter from 120V?

No need to disconnect converter if just the branch circuit to the tv is connected. Assuming the converter is a different breaker ;)

Transfer switch would allow utility power to flow through when plugged in and use as normal. Then switch to inverter when needed. Transfer switch prevents back feeding the panel and causing a hazard.

http://www.bestconverter.com/Xantrex-Prowatt-SW-Inline-15-Amp-Transfer-Switch_p_457.html#.Ua2BO6fn_L8
Almot
Explorer III
Jun 04, 2013
SMK, what for is the transfer switch that you mentioned - for disconnecting the converter from 120V?

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