buy a new TV or an Inverter?

[timemachine]

I want to run the small 15 inch tv in the cabin off battery power so should i replace it with a 12 volt tv or get a small 150 watt inverter and use that. I mostly watch movies and the dvd player is already 12 volts. I am worried about battery draw and no one can really tell me if a 12 volt tv or a 120volt tv running thru and inverter will draw more off the batteries? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Alegria]

I would go with the inverter as long as the small 150W one works with the TV. It will draw more amps from the 12 V source..

P/V = I So if your TV is 10W 10/120V - .08 amps vs 10W/ 12V = .8 amps. So you will draw more from your 12 V source. So you have to also consider the other loads you will have on the battery bank. Lights, refrig, + your TV inverter. Then make sure the batteries can handle it (capacity wise). I assume you have a genny on board so dead batteries are not an issue as you most likely have the genny off another battery that the inverter won't run down so you can start the genny and charge batteries is needed...

 

[Scottbenson]

Another thought: You could buy a combo flat screen / DVD player that is all in one unit that would take up less space and be a lot simpler than two separate units. That is what I run in my RV and it works out great. Would probably draw less amps than two singles too. If you look for a combo unit that has a seperate power converter that plugs into AC, check to see what the step down voltage is. If you find one that steps the AC down to 12V DC you can buy a 12 volt plug from Radio Shack that will plug into the TV just fine. This will lower your cost for the TV about in 1/2. I found a 19" at Walmart that is a "Poloroid" brand and was a little worried about the brand. I have used it two years without any probs and it works great on 12V. Paid $289.

 

[tdschafer]

Another option I've been seeing on other posts here are the new LED tv's. The one I found on a post here is a 12v Dc. Draws lttle amps and is very thin & light. Good Luck!

 

[JV II]

Inverter will lose some efficiency (ie use more current) vs. a new DC TV. Get a new cheap digital TV. That way you also save yourself the cost and complexity of wiring a converter too. By the time you figure the cost of an inverter and converter you are near the cost of a new digital LCD.

 

[UncorkNUnwind]

I'm considering the same thing, but also need to replace the fridge. So.. bigger inverter + 2 LCD/Dorm fridge vs 12V LCD/Fridge (a little expensive).

Pro's/Cons?

 

[David Morgan]

Find a low power 12VDC television. Inverters are not 100% power efficient.

I assume you want to be able to sit at anchor for long periods of time with the generator off.

One poster seems to be confusing current with power. Power usage is what matters and the units for power are watts, not amps. Current is only a relevant measure of power consumption if you are comparing it with something of the same voltage. Its a common mistake.

 

[tobnpr]

I'm considering the same thing, but also need to replace the fridge. So.. bigger inverter + 2 LCD/Dorm fridge vs 12V LCD/Fridge (a little expensive).

Pro's/Cons?

I think you'll find that a 120v "dorm" fridge is going to pull a lot more juice on the 12v side through an inverter than a dual-voltage fridge.

I'd suggest to the OP to replace the set with a digital LCD, cut off the power brick and wire it directly to the boat's 12v system.

 

[Hellman Huddle]

Has anybody converted over their tv to digital so that you can recieve through antenna. I have a flip down and don't want to buy a whole new tv. Any ideas on the best way to do that?
thanks

 

[Nacho Boat]

Inverter will lose some efficiency (ie use more current) vs. a new DC TV. Get a new cheap digital TV. That way you also save yourself the cost and complexity of wiring a converter too. By the time you figure the cost of an inverter and converter you are near the cost of a new digital LCD.

+1:thumbsup:

The cost of new "digital" LCD is very reasonable. I just bought a nice Coby 15" Digital LCD for $140 delivered (Amazon.com). I got tired of the digital converter box that worked fine for over the air, but always had to be swapped out when we hooked into CATV at the dock. Plus the picture is much better on the new TV.

Time to upgrade!!!!

 

[timemachine]

I looked at that Coby on Amazon but is it 12 volts DC?

 

[tobnpr]

I'm not aware of any small LCD tv that's not 12v.
Cut off the ac/dc converter and wire it directly to the 12v system. Of course- double check whatever you decide on, and be careful not to reverse polarity when connecting.
Do a search, lots of discussion on this.

 

[Four Suns]

The small Toshiba LCD TV's I bought a few years ago for the boat had the 120v plug directly in the TV. Basically, some of the TVs will make the brick/transformer internal to the set... They all run on lower voltage but it's just a matter of where the manufacturer put the transformer.

 

[go-hokies]

The small Toshiba LCD TV's I bought a few years ago for the boat had the 120v plug directly in the TV. Basically, some of the TVs will make the brick/transformer internal to the set... They all run on lower voltage but it's just a matter of where the manufacturer put the transformer.

Agreed..... The "brick" or external ac to dc transformer is getting harder to find. Most new TV sets take the AC into the back of the TV and transform to dc internally. I did find a nice Polaroid 19" with DVD built in that had an external "brick" It was on sale for $275 at Target and for $17 more bucks I was able to get 2 year extended warranty. using at home now, this spring it will be mounted in cabin directly to DC... Saw some of this online for $179 refurbishedm but went with a new unit fo peace of mind since will be using in the cabin of the boat during humid summer...

Mike