Now this is strange.

[Larry and Gayle D.]

Originally Posted by Uplander

Alan H asks about TV size, brand and cost. The one I got for the Trailer was a Black Friday special two years ago at Walmart....19 inch screen, 720i (whatever that means), full HD...lots of plugs in back....only $97.... Great sound and picture ....perfect size for trailer.
Happy (high tech) Camping!!!

If m guess is correct you bought a TV, as did I, called an "Element". 97 bux at Walmart, 19" screen. I noted that when I bought the TV it was powered by an AC adapter which reduced to voltage to 12 vdc.

I tapped into the 12 vdc wiring to a light and cut off the adapter and wired the TV directly into the 12 volt system. My signal amplifier also ran through an ac adapter, so I did the same with that.

Now I can run my TV boondocking through the 12 volt system and with LED lights, I have suffered no problems.

I don't know how long the TV will play off the battery, since I don't watch much TV at a Walmart parking lot, but it will work.

YMMV

[gordon2]

Now we know why Scamp will not make LED lights standard equipment, despite being soundly criticized for being so far behind the times. Scamp installed lights just work!

(That being said, I literally just five minutes ago placed a $100 order for LEDs for my Scamp, but I will save the incandescents in case I need to watch TV)

[Ron1943]

Originally Posted by Uplander

We have a small HD Flat screen TV in our camping trailer with a new HD TV antenna on the roof. When everything is working the picture and sound quality is fantastic and depending on location we get an amazing amount of HD television broadcast stations.

Now here is where it gets "strange". From time to time we go from a perfect TV signal and many stations to a statement "on screen" that states "signal strength low" and no picture or sound. Then one night we discovered something very strange. If we turned off our LED lights the signal returned! We tried it both ways and every time we turned off the LED lights the signal returned 100%.

Any technical wizard out there that can explain that to me.
Note if we are at a campground with a cable TV connection the LED lights have no effect on the TV's ability to product a clear picture and sound. This strange loss of signal only happens when we are tuned to an over the air broadcast


signal.....strange....very strange!

Had similar problem where I had tapped a light circuit to power my antenna and tv. Fixed the problem by running a separate and direct circuit direct to the TV/antenna Good luck

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Now we know why Scamp will not make LED lights standard equipment, despite being soundly criticized for being so far behind the times. Scamp installed lights just work!

(That being said, I literally just five minutes ago placed a $100 order for LEDs for my Scamp, but I will save the incandescents in case I need to watch TV)

Wonder if it may be possible to order a Scamp with LED's these days as they are now offering them in their parts store.

I have a 19" flat screen in my trailer and LED lights right beside it and I have never had a signal drop on it even when using the over the air Leaf Antenna.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Wonder if it may be possible to order a Scamp with LED's these days as they are now offering them in their parts store.

I have a 19" flat screen in my trailer and LED lights right beside it and I have never had a signal drop on it even when using the over the air Leaf Antenna.

Like I said earlier all LED lights are not equal. The configuration comes in several variations.
1. No regulation at all. Lights will dim when the furnace comes on.
2. Analog regulator. Lights even output until the voltage drops too low. Disadvantage you burn up some power in heat from the analog regulator.
3. Switching regulator. These are the most efficient. Drawbacks include rfi (radio frequency interference) if there's no built in protection.
3a. There's two type of rfi one comes in on the power line. Can be controlled with ferrite beads in the power lines, usually inside the module.
3b. Rfi that is transmitted through the air. The is controlled with shielding.
The problem is unless you know what you're looking for it's really hard to tell what you're got. As was pointed out earlier an AM radio tuned off of any radio station will tell you if you're getting air born rfi. You might be able to tell if you're getting power line rfi by putting the antenna close to the power distribution center. But no guarantees there.

Carol, as you said you don't have a problem, neither do I. I have ham radio gear that is pretty sensitive to rfi and no problem.
Rfi can be a real tricky thing to deal with. Manufacturers that care spend lots of money and time to make sure their device doesn't produce rfi and their device it pretty immune to rfi. Those that don't care will put stuff on the market that really nasty.

How to protect yourself. Make sure electrical devices are FCC Part 15 certified. That includes plug in power supplies. That would include most everything that plugs into 12 volt or 120 volt power. Most stuff has a processor in it or switching supply or both.

[redbarron55]

I wonder about the LEDs getting dim with low voltage. Most LEDs will not dim without PWM dimmers. They are usually either on or off. Low voltage produces the same output until they reach the point where they quit completely. The regulator for dimming or controlling the current is what makes the RF noise for the TV.
Of course there may be bulbs available that have some sort of dimmer/regulator built-in, but I am not aware of them.
I usually deal with LEDs that are not packaged as "bulbs".

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Bob in Mb]

Since this occurs only when the signal booster is used it seems to me that the booster and something else in the cicuit is not compatible. A simple solution may be to run the booster directly from the battery.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

I wonder about the LEDs getting dim with low voltage. Most LEDs will not dim without PWM dimmers. They are usually either on or off. Low voltage produces the same output until they reach the point where they quit completely. The regulator for dimming or controlling the current is what makes the RF noise for the TV.
Of course there may be bulbs available that have some sort of dimmer/regulator built-in, but I am not aware of them.
I usually deal with LEDs that are not packaged as "bulbs".

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

I have designed LED circuits for as long as LEDs have been around. First LED brightness is controlled by current usually some where between 10 and 30 miliamps. If the voltage drops the current drops thus dimming the LED.

The regulator for dimming or controlling only makes noise if it's either a triac or SCR or a switching regulator.

Many of the bulb replacements have some sort of regulator built in.

[Uplander]

My solution will be simple. Turn off LED Lights....enjoy television...problem solved...no degree in electronics required.

This high tech world will drive us all nuts if we let it.
Camping should be simple...not a high tech adventure.
Oil lamps do not drain your battery or create "rf" interference !
Not much on TV worth watching except "Blacklist" and "Last Man Standing".
Light campfire and mix adult beverage....camping as it should be.!

Happy Camping!

[Byron Kinnaman]

My solution is though the television away.