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Topic: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts! (Read 865 times) previous topic - next topic

Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

I found this 19" LED LCD TV with DVD player on Amazon as an inexpensive replacement TV for the bedroom as I did a bit of remodeling.  Seems a lot of TV for $128.  A warning...sound from the speakers on these small sets isn't concert quality. Amazon.com: Sceptre E195BD-SHD 19-Inches 720p TV Combo - Black: Electronics

Anyway, when I installed it, I discovered that it came with a power supply that converts 120 VAC to an output of 12 VDC, 3A.  The plug is a standard round plug.  I tried plugging it into a 12 volt outlet and it works fine. 

When I go to sleep at night, I always used to leave the inverter on solely to keep the rear TV powered.  Now I am going to install a 12 volt plug in the vicinity instead, so that I can turn off the inverter when I go to bed and have the sleep timer take care of the TV.  I've tended to be a worry-wart if I wake up in the middle of the night, wondering what the inverter is doing to my battery level while dry-camping (most of my nights).  Just one less thing to be concerned about, and it is certainly more efficient than converting the 12VDC house battery power to 120VAC via inverter, only to convert it back again to 12 VDC to run the TV.

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The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #1 –
Brad,

BE CAREFUL.  It might operate on exactly 12 VDC, and not be tolerant of 11.8-14 VDC from your coach electrical system.

If you are going to do this, look into a 12... VDC to 12 (exact) VDC converter.

At a minimum, contact the manufacturer to verify the RANGE of acceptable voltage.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #2 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Brad,

BE CAREFUL.  It might operate on exactly 12 VDC, and not be tolerant of 11.8-14 VDC from your coach electrical system.

If you are going to do this, look into a 12... VDC to 12 (exact) VDC converter.

At a minimum, contact the manufacturer to verify the RANGE of acceptable voltage.

Brett
Thanks Brett.  I will do that.
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #3 –
I took the original Panasonic TV out of the back bedroom location and replaced it with a couple of shelves to hold a ream of paper, an HP airPrint capable printer/scanner/copier/fax machine (HP Envy 110E), a DVD player and a 19" Vizio LED TV and a Wilson Electronics cell phone boost amp.  All of these are plugged into an easily accessible switchable power strip that provides surge protection.  I just shut it off when we are not using this stuff. 

All of the stuff up front (TV, Blu-Ray player, Bose system) is on a switched set of outlets as well.  All off unless we are using them.

Next up is a switch for the Bose base speaker in the bottom of the kitchen cabinets.  A 3 amp draw all the time.

All of this you shut off when not using it means more time w/o being plugged in or running your generator. 

Roger

Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #4 –
Searching online, I found: 
"Many electronic appliances such as TVs and laptops are not designed for such a wide variation of input supply and cannot tolerate this level of swings in voltage. It can be frustrating when watching a favourite TV programme and the TV switches itself off, just because a water pump is operated. Worse still, manufacturers of LCD TVs advise that models which nominally operate on 12V are damaged by voltages over about 13 volts. TVs that should last for years are being severely damaged within a few months. Such is the problem that some TV manufacturers are saying that their warranty is void if their TVs are used on unregulated 12-volt supplies. "

So it looks like I'll need to find a 12 volt regulated supply.  It won't be the $81 version where I found that quote.  Thanks for the warning, Brett.  I expected that it could endure same variation that my Amateur Radio equipment does when run mobile, but apparently the TVs are more sensitive.
 
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #5 –
We had a cigarette lighter plug in the bedroom (presumably for a tv at one time, although no tv was there when we bought the coach). Using the Kill A Watt I determined that the 26" Samsung LED HDTV draws less than 60 watts on AC. Bought a Pure Sine inverter from Amazon that plugs into a cigarette lighter plug and delivers up to 180 watts of AC in pure sine-wave form. Inverter was $79. Runs both a BluRay and the HDTV. When you're done watching TV just turn off the inverter (or unplug it).

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #6 –
Well, Brett...here is the response I got from Sceptre:
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting us, we apologize for any inconvenience.
Unfortunately you will not be able to use the TV in the motor home because it is not designed to tolerate such voltage fluctuations.

Best Regards,
Sceptre Technical Support Group

So where might I find a 12 volt to regulated 12 volt supply?  I didn't have much luck in my searching for such a critter.
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #7 –
Brad,

Sorry, don't know of a good source, just knew that many of these were quite voltage sensitive.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Rear Replacement TV...12 volts OR 120 volts!

Reply #8 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Brad,

Sorry, don't know of a good source, just knew that many of these were quite voltage sensitive.

Brett
Thanks anyway for the warning.  Guess I'll just keep the adaptor and leave it on 120 for the foreseeable future.
The selected media item is not currently available.Brad & Christine Slaughter
Was:  1990 U280 36'
Was:  2002 U270 36' (With a bathroom door) Build #5981
Is:  2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder 24RL
2015 Jeep JKU, 2003 S10 QC 4x4 or 2017 C-Max
Lake Havasu City, AZ (or Gillette, WY)