12V TV

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brians

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Finally bowing to pressure and will put a TV on the boat. Probably 12V, 19" screen.
I want to get 'home quality' reception of both picture and sound.
What kit will I need to install to achieve this? Boat in Solent.
Is any particular make of TV designed for boat use?
 
You will find that many 'good' brands such as LG and Samsung in this size range run off 19v.
Buy a TV from somewhere with a good guarantee. Buy a 19v buck boost converter from ebay and off you go.
No conversion losses through an inverter and 12v to 19v is pretty efficient.

Tony
 
If you stumble upon a suitable 19v TV please do share the details, I need to do the same and this sounds like an excellent solution.
 
Easiest way is to look at the back in Currys or similar, the low voltage cables are clearly not conventional mains leads.

Also, you could run a 19v bus and run your 19v laptop!

Tony
 
I bought a used 22" Bush TV/DVD Freeview combo off Ebay a few weeks ago for £35. This came with a 240-12V PSU with one of the small round type low voltage connectors that plugs into back of TV.
Draws 3 Amps when used, so be careful of your current consumption when watching TV or DVD's!!
Ran a lead from fuse panel (5Amp fuse) and then on to companionway bulkhead to TV. Haven't yet plumbed in the aerial but the DVD side of it works fine.
If you trawl Ebay, look at the pictures of the cheaper types of sets (Bush, Alba, Technika and own brand types) and if they have a PSU with them, ask for a picture of the socket for the power lead, it will always show the voltage used there.
 
Mine is a 32inch flat screen, running off a 125w inverter without any problem. It's connected to a Glomex flying saucer shaped antenna which comes with a booster and loads of coax. I left all the coax on as it was my intention to hoist the antenna through a hatch and up the mast on a spinnaker halyard if the signal was poor. In truth I've never needed to do that. Thoughout the Solent the signal has been strong enough to leave the antenna hanging from the hatch handle and I get all the free view channels. As for the power usage, it is minimal. Not an issue for me but maybe you are different. Mine gets lots of use with Grandchildren. The whole lot TV and everything cost less than a 12v tv alone.
 
We have an Avtex, not the cheapest but very good, runs directly fro vehicle 12v without any stabiliser and has a good quality screen with a wide viewing angle. Digital TV receiver works in all European countries, including Portugal has a builtin DVD and there are versions with satellite receiver.
 
I have been very happy with Cello, and made in the UK believe it or not. I had a problem when the inverter board failed, but their UK based parts department supplied a spare for around £20. Excellent service. Incidentally, I believe that this board failed since the TV is designed to run at 12 volts, but my alternator or shore charger could reach 15 volts, so whatever make you buy, if running from 12 volts without an inverter or other converter, but a stabilised supply!
Angus
 
cello has been excellent for me . no invertor needed but used with a glomex multyidirectional aerial easily tuned on our trip to Scotland Wales England Northern Ireland and IOM . .
 
As an alternative approach: If you already have a laptop on board you could just get a USB digital TV receiver.
Lots available cheaply via eBay.
Not a dedicated TV, but loads smaller (the largest item is the remote control) and absurdly cheap. Reception in the Solent is good enough that the puny aerials supplied with the dongle are good enough - but you might want to to splash out another couple of quid to get an extension cable allowing you to put the antenna outside the cabin.
Just a thought.
 
yotter said:
I have been very happy with Cello, and made in the UK believe it or not. I had a problem when the inverter board failed, but their UK based parts department supplied a spare for around £20. Excellent service. Incidentally, I believe that this board failed since the TV is designed to run at 12 volts, but my alternator or shore charger could reach 15 volts, so whatever make you buy, if running from 12 volts without an inverter or other converter, but a stabilised supply!
Angus
Click to expand...

Some retailers do supply a stabilised power supply with Cello TVs
 
SAPurdie said:
Curiously, our home Samsung LED tv continues to function with whatever voltage the power company stuffs into the electric strings when there is a power cut. Quite spooky, but no doubt telling as to the versatility of modern electronics.
Click to expand...

I have a 22" Samsung on the boat which says 14V. I've run it on 12V for a year or so, and 15V once I got an adaptor for a couple of years. It's been fine. I also have an LG 24" which is 19V and works fine with 19V via an adapter.

As above, look at the backs of the TV in Curry's for the input. I've seen some 40" Sony TV which have 19V inputs.
 
Some great stuff here.
I think it important to emphasise that you mustn't take a TV with a mains to 12v power supply and wire it in to the boat 12v which will run up to maybe 14.6v.
The power supplies that come with the TV are quite precisely regulated and those TV's need a 12v feed.
Obviously if the TV is made for the leisure market, caravans etc, it will be designed to run off a battery under charge, 14+ volts.

Tony
 
Jabs said:
Some great stuff here.
I think it important to emphasise that you mustn't take a TV with a mains to 12v power supply and wire it in to the boat 12v which will run up to maybe 14.6v.
The power supplies that come with the TV are quite precisely regulated and those TV's need a 12v feed.
Obviously if the TV is made for the leisure market, caravans etc, it will be designed to run off a battery under charge, 14+ volts.

Tony
Click to expand...

I have a 12VDC Telefunken LED TV and it runs happily an 14+ volts on my boat. I do have a digital TV receiver that crashes is the voltage reached 14 VDC or above but I simply use a DC-DC converter to maintain the into to the digital TV receiver to 12 VDC so the same could be done with a 12VDC TV if you are concerned.
 
Jabs said:
Some great stuff here.
I think it important to emphasise that you mustn't take a TV with a mains to 12v power supply and wire it in to the boat 12v which will run up to maybe 14.6v.
The power supplies that come with the TV are quite precisely regulated and those TV's need a 12v feed.
Obviously if the TV is made for the leisure market, caravans etc, it will be designed to run off a battery under charge, 14+ volts.

Tony
Click to expand...

Like most things yes and no. Certainly Avtex run straight from the boat/vehicle 12v socket and are designed to do so, some retailers of Cello sets which, are also heavily promoted in the leisure market, supply a stabiliser and I have a small Asda Polaroid set that has run of the motorhomes 12 volts for years with no problems.
 
A few years ago I bought a telly from Aldi. I use it with a 600w inverter but it has an external power supply which produces 12v. I use the inverter as I have never got around to finding a 12v-12v stabilised power supply. I've also seen that various 12v chargers etc. use the same current as 240v ones fed from the inverter.
I've always been amused when watching telly in a marina. 240v from shore power to about 12v from the charger to 240v from the inverter to 12v from the power supply!
Allan
 
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