# Argos TV



## devonidiot (Mar 10, 2006)

Anyone seen the latest offer from Argos?

15" LCD TV for £79.99. Thinking of getting one for the van.


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

Sounds good, is it 12v/240v though?

Bear in mind if it goes wrong its a throway job and get a new one.

Cheap as chips if you can use it as a PC monitor as well.


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

These are a scoop purchase. The details on the Argos website say DC socket so it is possible that it is 12V. No PC monitor socket. It looks like one from a famous factory in Turkey, if it is then it doesn't have 12V DC. I shall check our sample in the morning to see if it is the same.


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## 107493 (Oct 7, 2007)

If you have a 240V TV can you use a transformer to use on 12V?


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Rightz, you need an inverter to run a 240V Tv on 12V. Unless you have a means to top up your battery it will die quite quickly.

The Argos TV is an older version of a new sample that the manufacturers brought to us yesterday. Simple answer is that it is OK. Our evaluation engineers passed it for purchase. Picture quality is acceptable, but then on a 15" screen it would be difficult to be otherwise. At least if it fails in the first year you will get your money back, and if it goes past the first year you are quids in. I would certainly rather buy one of these than the overpriced units in Caravan or Motorhome dealers.


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## dbh1961 (Apr 13, 2007)

I have TVs that were bought as 240V models, and weren't advertised as being 12V.

They were all handpicked, by me looking at the spec for the transformers they came with, and picking ones that ran at 12V.

Then, it's just a matter of breaking into the wire from the transformer to the item, and putting a 12V plug on one end, and a 12V socket on the other. That way, they work on 12V or 240V, as available.

We also have 2 sets of christmas lights, a Karaoke m/c, a satelite receiver, and a freeview box, - all done the same way.

The Argos one PROBABLY is 12V, as it says DC input. You can alwasy buy one to see - they do have a money back policy.

For a TV that's not 12V, an invertor would work, but it depends what battery power you have (we have 370Ah + solar). Invertors tend to be wasteful of power, although some are better than others.


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

also saw Tv from Argos.Seem a bargain but are they Digital?


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Bought one today. Good value. Works well with my Maplins portable Sat/TV gear. No it's not digital.

Aaronsdad


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Further to my earlier posting. This is a 15" TFT LCD TV with stereo, fastext, multicolour on screen display, child lock, sleep timer, scart socket, remote control, headphone socket, AV input and audio line out. It is 230v so if you want to use it as a 12v then an inverter will have to be used. A great piece of kit for the money.

Aaronsdad


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi this is a very simple guide to 12v tvs you may find usefull -if anyone wants to add anything to it feel free 
Terry
SIMPLE GUIDE TO 12 VOLT LCD TV FOR MOTORHOMES
LOTS OF TVS WORK OFF 12V---ASDA, TESCO, COMET, CURRYS ETC.
MAKE SURE IT SAYS 12V ON THE BACK
MAKE SURE IT HAS A PLUG TYPE AS IN PICTURE not four pin etc,


THESE PLUGS ARE READYLY AVILABABLE OFF GAMES CONSOLES ETC,
YOU CAN USE YOUR 240 LEAD ON HOOKUP OR MAKE UP A LEAD FOR 12V VIA CIG LIGHTER OR CROC CLIPS (PORTECT WITH IN LINE FUSE)
OR WIRE TO YOUR ARIEL PLUG

IDENTIFY POSS AND NEG THEN MAKE UP YOUR LEAD
IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN PROTECT WITH A VOLTAGE STABILIZER
OR AS IN MY CASE JUST WIRED DIRECT TO ARIEL PLUG.
IF USING VOLTAGE STABILISER YOU MAY FIND THAT IF VOLTAGE DROPS TO 11.5V IT WILL NOT WORK, BUT IF NONE USED YOUR TV MAY WORK AS LOW AS 10.5 V (LONGER)
AS VOLTAGE DROPS THE PICTURE WILL GO OFF BUT STILL HAVE SOUND, SO PLENTY OF WARNING TO CHARGE YOUR BATTERY BEFORE ANY DAMAGE OCURS.


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## 98742 (Apr 18, 2006)

Personally I've never advocated using any device on an unregulated supply unless it was specifically designed to work on 12v.
However, if you are going to do so DON'T cut the power adapter lead. If your TV (or whatever) does fail and you take it back under warranty the supplier will be within their rights to reject it. 
If you don't wan't to go to the expense of buying a regulator (and at the price of this tv who can blame you!) then make up your own adapter. Maplins will probably have the correct connectors.

Regards
Doug


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi just to add, it is my understanding after speaking with my mate who used to repair tvs etc that a lot of voltage stabilsers are anything but stable and he says 12v battery is much more stable so why waste money
terry


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

maddie said:


> Hi just to add, it is my understanding after speaking with my mate who used to repair tvs etc that a lot of voltage stabilizers are anything but stable and he says 12v battery is much more stable so why waste money
> terry


The so called 12V supply from you battery will vary from around 11 volts (very low on charge) to over 14V when on charge.

I hardly call this stabilised.

My CAMOS monitor that i use with a reversing camera states that it will work on any voltage from 12 to 16V so it obviously has its own voltage regulator built in.

Having said that I have used several LCD TVs straight off the 12V supply in my caravan/motorhome without any problems.


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## some-where-in-oxford (Apr 18, 2006)

Today I took my Swift 630L to Fish Bros in Swindon for Fiat re call work to be done.

Spent all day in Swindon and eventually ended up in Curry's, I noticed a lot of their small TV's had 12 volt transformers, some with built in DVD player.


There was a pile just inside the door for I think, about 70 quid.


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi djchapple I think he meant that the battery will not spike? and most tv's internals run at 5v ish so can cope with10v to 14v easy if that makes sence, as you say / Having said that I have used several LCD TVs straight off the 12V supply in my caravan/motorhome without any problems.////-- I think this was the point he told me about when doing all the wiring in my van---I left all this to him only pulling and feeding cables for him,but I did run some trunking under the bed :lol: 
terry


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## 98742 (Apr 18, 2006)

maddie said:


> Hi djchapple I think he meant that the battery will not spike? and most tv's internals run at 5v ish so can cope with10v to 14v easy if that makes sence, as you say / Having said that I have used several LCD TVs straight off the 12V supply in my caravan/motorhome without any problems.////-- I think this was the point he told me about when doing all the wiring in my van---I left all this to him only pulling and feeding cables for him,but I did run some trunking under the bed :lol:
> terry


I have to say this is NOT my experience. One of the biggest complaints we hear about is TVs losing the picture or turning off completely. In our experience it's nearly always due to low voltage caused by voltage drop on the vehicle wiring, state of battery charge and sudden current draws such as heating or water pumps coming on.
A lot of electronic devices run at 5v internally. What they actually get depends on how they reduce the input voltage. In many cases it's a straight correlation. 12v in, 5v out. 10v in 4v out and that's not enough.
Please also bear in mind that internally current is 5amps at 12v and is fused for that. Drop the voltage to 10v and now your fuse needs to cope with 6 amps.
It's often the UNDER-voltage that pops fuses and not over-voltage.

Doug


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

devonidiot said:


> Anyone seen the latest offer from Argos?
> 
> 15" LCD TV for £79.99. Thinking of getting one for the van.


*The offer has now expired.
The price has gone up to £99.99*


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi Doug,as said in earylier post the picture goes but it still has sound giving plenty of warning that your batts are low! This seams to confirm what you say.I trust Pauls judgement on all matters electrical as I don't know much on that side of things only what works for me, ie tv ondigi and dvd player
terry


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Hi, 
I too use an lcd combi tv-dvd, sold in asda for home use but looking behind it I found that it was transformed down to 12v DC, great job and much less expensive than anything I could find on camping or MH sites. Two words of caution, get the polarity right or you may damage the tv and be aware that some are very voltage sensitive so that if you are using lights water pump etc. at the same time it may go off due to the voltage dropping, not too big a problem but a bother if you are watching a dvd as you you will have to reload every time this happens, 
Alan


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