# LCD tv



## Pollydoodle (Aug 18, 2005)

Thinking of buying an LCD tv that runs on 240v/12v. How long would the battery last if not being topped up with solar panel - (we do have one.) We only have one leisure battery although we think we have space to carry another tucked out of the way behind the drivers seat. But after reading previous posts it seems that to link them we would need to buy 2 new ones for that method to be efficient and to run just off the second battery in situ the wires would need to run about 8ft which we have been told is too far to be of any use - a drop in voltage. We do run our current LCD 240v tv off a spare battery using an inverter but had hoped to do away with having the battery stuck in the way - and for my husband having to lump it around - he is an OAP of several years standing!

any advice please


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## fridgeman (Jul 11, 2007)

i have just had a new one, 12/240v, there now 7 in one, tv,freeview, fm radio,cd and other bits you might not use, i think its great, the issue of 8ft being to far for another battery sounds not right to me, if you put larger cables in to connect it too the existing one[10mm] as a guess it will be fine, what i would say is the LCD screens need to be viewed more or less streight on otherwise it goes dark or worse,so positioning realy does matter.


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

Remember you also need power to run your lights, water pump, blown air heating etc so difficult question to answer really. A 50W TV would draw just over 4 amps so with a single 85 AH battery that would be 21 hours in theory with no other power being taken and running the battery totally flat which is not advisable or indeed possible. I would say a more realistic figure would be about 8 hours. Less in winter when your lights are on longer. 

Trevor


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## taildj (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi Pollydoodle
In respect of you querie about 12v TV. Although this doesn't answer your queries directly it could save you some money. If you seek to buy a dedicated 12v and 240v TV you are likely to pay through the nose. However, many Flat screen TV's available and sold as 240v actually convert that voltage through a transformer to 12v. You should be able to pick up a decent one for about £150 - ASDA, Tesco and other superstores that sell TV's are a good source for a such a TV at such a price. You just need to look for one with a transformer. Then you need a good electrician to make up a connection to the 12v on your m'home.

Finally, and on a completely different matter - the silverscreens. I have received your cheque, the silver screens are packaged and will be in the post to you tomorrow. I was quite surprised having not used them for a while just how small they are. i.e. thin , but please do not worry about this. The material used in authentic silverscreens is very high tech and consequently they are very efficient, erradicate condensation, and are an excellent insulater. Furthermore, if and when you change your motorhome silver screens will give you a significant discount by exchanging them


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## Pollydoodle (Aug 18, 2005)

thank you taildj

will look forward to the post


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

fridgeman said:


> i have just had a new one, 12/240v, there now 7 in one, tv,freeview, fm radio,cd and other bits you might not use, i think its great, the issue of 8ft being to far for another battery sounds not right to me, if you put larger cables in to connect it too the existing one[10mm] as a guess it will be fine, what i would say is the LCD screens need to be viewed more or less streight on otherwise it goes dark or worse,so positioning realy does matter.


Sorry to contradict 

Old/cheap LCD TVs do need to be viewed head on else the image darkens and looks poor. Modern/good LCDs can have a viewing angle a lot bigger. I *Think* my home TV is 178' !!

Also I bought a £59.99 10.4" LCD TV with built in freeview and was expecting a pants picture. (linked elsewhere for www.unbeatablegadgets.co.uk ). It is actually really very good and has at least 120' viewing angle with good colour....

Other Q's

Even if you could put a 2nd battery 8 feet away
1 - is the place ventilated well enough?
2 - yes you would need good and large cable...
3 -... but would you want to run it? A cable run of that length would be a pain and potentially risky if damaged IMO....

Also - your TV - be careful of shop models that have 12v tansformers. Leisure batteries can give off between 10 and 14.x volts depending on their state of charge. This is almost 20% up/down on 12v - and unless the equipment is designed for it you may find it won't actually work perfectly....

HTH - sorry to differ slightly from other answers - as with all forum responses (including this one!!) - its not worth the paper its written on!

(editted to correct web link)


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## devonidiot (Mar 10, 2006)

I'm glad that you got the LCD TV from Unbeatablevalue otherwise I would have thought it was a 'come on'. I see that they are out of stock, surprise surprise! I wonder if they had more than one in stock when they advertised, it is amazing that they can alter their advert to say 'Out Of Stock' but can't take the advert of their page.

It seems very similar to the Tesco advert for their £59 LCD TV, their advert also stated 'Out Of Stock' a few weeks ago. I registered to be informed when they received a new batch, after three weeks I got an e-mail stating that I had been taken off the notification list due to length of time. Lo and behold soon afterwards I got an spam e-mail from Tesco in which was an advert for an LCD TV for £59. The e-mail arrived overnight, when I opened it at 9 am the item was marked 'Out Of Stock'. Sold out between 8 am and 9 am?

I wonder why I'm so sceptical about these 'offers'.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Do not use the TV directly into 12 volts. Run it through an inverter. The 12 volt system in your van is simply not stable enough to run a TV safely. I was informed this by SHARP's technical helpline. If an inverter is not used your warranty will be invalid.


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

devonidiot said:


> I'm glad that you got the LCD TV from Unbeatablevalue otherwise I would have thought it was a 'come on'. I see that they are out of stock, surprise surprise! I wonder if they had more than one in stock when they advertised, it is amazing that they can alter their advert to say 'Out Of Stock' but can't take the advert of their page.
> 
> It seems very similar to the Tesco advert for their £59 LCD TV, their advert also stated 'Out Of Stock' a few weeks ago. I registered to be informed when they received a new batch, after three weeks I got an e-mail stating that I had been taken off the notification list due to length of time. Lo and behold soon afterwards I got an spam e-mail from Tesco in which was an advert for an LCD TV for £59. The e-mail arrived overnight, when I opened it at 9 am the item was marked 'Out Of Stock'. Sold out between 8 am and 9 am?
> 
> I wonder why I'm so sceptical about these 'offers'.


I was very sceptical especially as it was paid via Paypal...

But it arrvied in a week.

I have to say it has one fault with it - the screen "white outs" on power on - but a gentle tap sorts this out  Its a loose connection. I've spoken (yes on the phone) to them and they are happy to swap within 12 months if I require.

The unit is so good I am happy to live with tapping for my next holiday and sort it when I get back.

The TV does really funky stuff: VGA in (for laptop) 640x480 only but great for films; EPG (puts image in corner of screen and details what is on and other info); 9-screen thuimbnail views of channels so you can see what is on each channel. Sound is exceptional (for a small unit - still crap compared to home - but for a small unit surprisingly good).

NOTE ALSO - the £59.99 is EX VAT. (sneeky I know...)


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## Pollydoodle (Aug 18, 2005)

gelathae said:


> Do not use the TV directly into 12 volts. Run it through an inverter. The 12 volt system in your van is simply not stable enough to run a TV safely. I was informed this by SHARP's technical helpline. If an inverter is not used your warranty will be invalid.


Doesnt this mean that having a 12 v TV is pointless? I thought the idea was just to plug into the designated socket (not ciggy lighter)


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Pollydoodle said:


> gelathae said:
> 
> 
> > Do not use the TV directly into 12 volts. Run it through an inverter. The 12 volt system in your van is simply not stable enough to run a TV safely. I was informed this by SHARP's technical helpline. If an inverter is not used your warranty will be invalid.
> ...


I believe that response was only for "home" TVs which are 240v via a 12v transformer; NOT TVs designed for camping that have a 12v input and are designed for the variations a leisure battery can give


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Ryan Jones. You are correct. The fact that someone bought an LCD TV for £59 suggests that this is a "home" TV and could not be run safely on 12 volts without an inverter.


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

gelathae said:


> Ryan Jones. You are correct. The fact that someone bought an LCD TV for £59 suggests that this is a "home" TV and could not be run safely on 12 volts without an inverter.


Aha! That someone was me.

And I can assure you - it is designed for 12v leisure and comes with a cigarette lighter in the same box . It is totally designed for it - and was £199 reduced to £59.99 including freeview built in... 
Bargain


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

Hi Guys

The situation is: If the TV is supplied with dual leads 12volt DC and 220 volts AC it can be used on either, safely guaranteed!

The problems that have occurred in the past that have been highlighted here and other forums is that people have looked at the AC lead and realised that there is a transformer that converts and drops the voltage down to a regulated 12 volts DC. Chopped the transformer off, and wired a cigar plug on and run it from the motorhomes 12 volt circuit, which is not either 12 volt (all of the time) or stable enough.

So, if the manufacturer gives you a mains lead and a 12 volt lead your fine. If there is only a mains lead in the box, buy yourself a small cheap inverter and you will have no problem.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Eddie


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