Televisions

[Steve Dunkel]

BIG MISTAKE choosing the inverter and AC only TV. I tried the setup this evening and the fan noise coming from the inverter is loud. Before scrapping the idea entirely, are all inverters this way or did I just choose the wrong one?

[Mr. W.]

I think all of them that are big enough to power a TV are probably that way. Many smaller inverters are silent, using the aluminum housing as a heatsink, but larger ones depend on air movement, so they have fans, and they usually aren't high-end silent fans. Can you mount the inverter somewhere, like under one of the benches, so the noise isn't a problem?

[Steve Dunkel]

I think all of them that are big enough to power a TV are probably that way. Many smaller inverters are silent, using the aluminum housing as a heatsink, but larger ones depend on air movement, so they have fans, and they usually aren't high-end silent fans. Can you mount the inverter somewhere, like under one of the benches, so the noise isn't a problem?

Thanks Paul, you gave me an idea that might work. Just so happens the refrigerator is on the other side of the wall where the TV sits and there is already a factory opening between the two compartments (service side of frig.) to allow the audio/visual cables to pass through. That might be out of the way enough to deaden some of the sound.

[Patrick Mc]

I did not want to use a inverter and wanted 12 volt operation and built in DVD with a digital tuner and bought mine from bundlecity.com Target has them online also.Skyworth TV/DVD combo 12 volt

Shane,

Which TV at BundleCity did you get and how do you like it? I'm looking for a 19" but I was hoping for a little more than 500:1 contrast.

Pat

[Carolyn Patterson]

After reading the 2 pages of postings, I got to thinkin' maybe I too needed a tv for my trailer as I'm going to be doing the "Workcamper" job for the summer starting this Thursday and hopefully will have my evenings free.. I ended up going with this one:

http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Skywo...ci_sku=11997185

and bought the 2 year replacement warranty for $35.00. So all total, with shipping, it came to $231.93. Won't get it by this weekend, but that's ok...

I have a BOSE radio that's refurbished and about 7 years old with no problems, so I'm going to give this a try...30day return policy if I don't like it..

Anyone have this mount? http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Mounts-FLIP-...=pd_sim_dbs_e_4 and if you do, do you recommend it? I HATE the thought of putting holes in the fiberglass...but if it frees up some counter space/table space..it might be ok..

[shane n]

That is the mount I used and one of the image's and reviews on amazon is mine hanging in my Casita. It is a great mount and you can adjust the "swing" tension. That skyworth is a good TV and you got a great price on it. I was looking at it when I bought mine and it was well over $300 at the time. DC is defiantly the way to go, You should be very happy with your choices.

[Gina D.]

Mine arrived just as I was getting ready to pull out5.

I have nothing but extreme Kudos for it!

1. Light as a feather.. can lift with my index finger.
2. Xlnt picture quality
3. Audio quality.. not bad. You can make basic adjustments to frequency response, unlike most of the portables I have seen, and the menu is easy to find/follow.
4. enuff in/out patch points to make everyone happy.
5. small footprint.. I am leaving mine on the stand so I can move it when I want to watch in bed.
6. remote is large and easy to use.
7. LOW POWER CONSUMPTION. I watched 3 DVDs in one nite, with only a teeny dent in my battery. (I'll have to actually measure what it uses.. or.. gasp.. read the specs)

Overall, I am pleased as punch. Time will tell about durability.

[ronsmith100]

Mine arrived just as I was getting ready to pull out5.

I have nothing but extreme Kudos for it!

1. Light as a feather.. can lift with my index finger.
2. Xlnt picture quality
3. Audio quality.. not bad. You can make basic adjustments to frequency response, unlike most of the portables I have seen, and the menu is easy to find/follow.
4. enuff in/out patch points to make everyone happy.
5. small footprint.. I am leaving mine on the stand so I can move it when I want to watch in bed.
6. remote is large and easy to use.
7. LOW POWER CONSUMPTION. I watched 3 DVDs in one nite, with only a teeny dent in my battery. (I'll have to actually measure what it uses.. or.. gasp.. read the specs)

Overall, I am pleased as punch. Time will tell about durability.

I have a wide screen dell laptop that I use for TV. It seems to draw very little current but I don't do too many DVDs... mostly just for antenna, cable, or direct tv. I can do my computer work and keep a little TV screen going in one corner or make the whole screen a TV and just hot-key back and forth between applications.. The sound is not very good but the real killer for me is the inverter draw for the DTV receiver... I cant keep that going for more than three hours without having to switch batteries (deep cycle trailer batteries). The marine industry has a 12v DC DTV receiver but it is waaay costly.

[Ed Harris]

I have a wide screen dell laptop that I use for TV. It seems to draw very little current but I don't do too many DVDs... mostly just for antenna, cable, or direct tv. I can do my computer work and keep a little TV screen going in one corner or make the whole screen a TV and just hot-key back and forth between applications.. The sound is not very good but the real killer for me is the inverter draw for the DTV receiver... I cant keep that going for more than three hours without having to switch batteries (deep cycle trailer batteries). The marine industry has a 12v DC DTV receiver but it is waaay costly.

Ron
A lot of the converter boxes are running on 12vdc internal and use a switching power supply to run from 120vac.

I have operated on the RCA for example and by simply bypassing the supply inside you can run it from 12vdc.

Worth looking into for sure.

Ed

[Steve Dunkel]

I'm stubbornly sticking to the notion of using an inverter with an ordinary 12VAC LCD TV. I returned the cheap and noisy 400W inverter purchased earlier and was told that a better quality, higher capacity inverter wouldn't be as noisy, something to do with a heavier aluminum case acting as a heat sink and the fan only running when needed. Anyone have any suggestions for a good quality low noise inverter?

[Ed Harris]

I have several inverters both cheap and not so cheap.
In general cheap or not they tend to get rid of heat generated during the inverting by using big noisy fans.
While you may be able to find one with a less noisy fan,I do not know of any of significant wattage that relies on passive cooling alone.

This is why finding a good place to stick one where the noise is masked or muted is the easiest solution probably.
Unless you can listen to them before buying while they are under load you are just going to have to get lucky I guess.

The TV should have a sticker on it telling the wattage requirements and if you just find an inverter that has a safe margin above that you should be fine in general.

Some electronics do require a better true sine wave than others and no cheap inverters really produce anything like a true clean sine wave.

Isn't this fun?

[Gina D.]

Ed is absolutely correct (And yeah.. it's fun now that I don't have to do it all day for a living anymore... LOL!)

By the time you buy a decent quality sine wave inverter.. you might as well have spent the few extra bucks on a 12v tv in the first place. I have several small inverters for wot nots.. lamps, battery chargers etc.. stuff that isn't picky, and 1 true sine wave one.. at a measly 100w, for my computer and one of my old TVs, which was really sensitive (And small!) It cost over 120 bones. (And that was cheap in comparison to others)

However, the advantage is that the inverter is available for other stuff besides the TV.

I do however, stick to my rule.. if it can be had in 12v to start with, I run direct whenever possible. It's just cleaner and more efficient.

[ronsmith100]

Ron
A lot of the converter boxes are running on 12vdc internal and use a switching power supply to run from 120vac.

I have operated on the RCA for example and by simply bypassing the supply inside you can run it from 12vdc.

Worth looking into for sure.

Ed

You're HIRED! were do I send it?
If I wasn't heading to Alaska soon I'd try it.. Or pay someone else to try it! LOL
Actually I will loose the bird a few hundred miles into Canada so it matters not but thanks for heads up.

Ron