Can a small inverter be installed to the 12VDC

Pseudomind

Pseudomind

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Jul 1, 2008
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Jacksonville, FL
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2011 Hurricane with Magic Tilt Trailer
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Can a small inverter be installed to the 12VDC connection located above the freezer in the 380. I already have the CRT type television gone

I can purchase a Samsung 19 inch TV with DVD/CD player for around $270.00, but it is not a multi-voltage type, only 120 VAC. I myself do not see any reason why it should not work.

The tv accepts the DVD from the rear left side, and I want to put it on a swivel mount so I could then use the space behind it for storage. I plan on installing a piece of something like expanded metal in the rear so the refrigerator/freezer can vent, yet nothing will fall down behind.

I have to research to what the smallest inverter is as this would be the only use I would have for it, a 500 watt should work just fine I would think, maybe even a 300 watt.

Thanks

:thumbsup:
 
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You might want to consider a dual voltage model and nix the inverter. The inverter will draw a lot more current then a normal 12V DC model will and then all you have to do is put in either a dedicated 12V line to the TV or a lighter plug to plug into... It will save your battery bank for sure.

Since I only need it on the hook for DVD's for the kids I just got a 12V extention cord from Radio shack and use that to power it when i need it. TV on the hook is a bit harder as I need the Glowmex amp and that is AC only so it does not work..

I got a 15" dual voltage model NAXA from overstock.com, fast and cheap shipping..

http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Supersonic-SC-190-19-inch-HDTV-DVD-Combo/3937172/product.html

Check it out!
 
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I use an inverter and it works fine. I use the Cig Liter for the unit 450W inverter for my TV / DVD player and when I have 120V power I just plug it in direct.
I also have a 1000w inverter which i use for only for short time for the Blender,Small 850W Toaster ect... ( Hey, whats boating with out a blender )
I have the 1 - 2 - Both Selector swith so I don't kill both batteries.
JG
 
I got a 75 W invertor at Radio Shack for around $15 - $20.
Works great......
 
Pseudomind said:
I have to research to what the smallest inverter is as this would be the only use I would have for it, a 500 watt should work just fine I would think, maybe even a 300 watt.
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The somewhat difficult part will be determining what the lowest wattage would be. Just because the TV specs say one thing doesn't mean an inverter near that number will be sufficient. I ended up using a larger inverter than the specs of my TV specs required (a Toshiba 19" DVD/LCD combo). I believe it only listed needing 67 watts but a low-end 100 watt unit would not sustain it during the startup cycle. That and the nearby 12vdc outlet wasn't intended to support that much of a current draw. So it was necessary to pull larger gauge wire. I opted for to use a 200 watt inverter instead and it's working great now. The larger unit ran a bit cooler and didn't kick on it's fan.

Check to see how much voltage drop is present at the TV's wire presently, while it's powering your existing TV (if you can). Compare that against the reading at the batteries. If there's more than a volt drop then it may be worth considering new wire too. With luck it won't be required. An inverter powered off too low a voltage and too small a gauge wire won't be nearly as efficient and will usually generate more heat. Proper gauge wire and decent ventilation will keep things working more reliably.
 
I cut the wall- wart off the 19" LCD TV I bought and wired it direct to 12v.....works great.
dscf0091s.jpg
 
How did you wire your tv to the 12v power supply, I have the same tv and was wondering the best way to install it, I dont have a generator so I need to run it off the batteries or the shore power.
 
Well if the TV has a "wall wart" it is 12v. The "wall wart" converts 110v to 12v. So I cut the converter off and wired it to a fuse block I installed. Works perfectly. Confirm your model is the same and make darn sure you get the polarity right the first time (the power cord polarity was marked). Here is a shot of the fuse block I installed although you would not need a block, just a fused line to 12v positive and a good ground. This is in a protected area behind an access panel.
12vcircuitsig2.jpg
 
You need to look at the tv to see exactly what the power draw is.

A 500 watt inverter will pull close to 50 amps from your battery at full load.

No way an accessory receptacle has the wire size capable of handling that type of load.

Don't forget the battery capacity either...
 
Most inverters are terribly inefficient, if you can hard wire it to 12v you are better off rather than inverting 12v to 110v then it gets converted back to 12v when it enters the TV (for most models).
 
My 230 DA is wired for 12V with no shore power option. I have been contemplating installing an inverter in order to run a 15 to 19 in TV/DVD combo and just ran across these threads that may mean I have to do nothing. Just find a 12V TV.

Have I understood and interpreted the various responses correctly.

Also I have not had much luck sourcing a 12V TV and would very much appreciate any advice or links available.

Thanks
Ken
 
ks65609 said:
My 230 DA is wired for 12V with no shore power option. I have been contemplating installing an inverter in order to run a 15 to 19 in TV/DVD combo and just ran across these threads that may mean I have to do nothing. Just find a 12V TV.

Have I understood and interpreted the various responses correctly.

Also I have not had much luck sourcing a 12V TV and would very much appreciate any advice or links available.

Thanks
Ken
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I have been using (and so have a few other guys on here), the insignia LED tv. They work like a charm.
 
Sea Sparks

Thankyou very much for the quick response. I will start my search for the unit you have suggested.

Thanks
Ken
 
ks65609 said:
Sea Sparks

Thankyou very much for the quick response. I will start my search for the unit you have suggested.

Thanks
Ken
Click to expand...
I Think most Best Buys carry them. The last few I have been doing have been coupled with a Jensen 12v DVD player. It's hard to find a better setup :)
 
Thanks Sea Sparks. Your info helps me very much as now I know the models to look for.

Ken
 
SeaSparks said:
I have been using (and so have a few other guys on here), the insignia LED tv. They work like a charm.
Click to expand...

Does anyone know of a 26" TV with an external power brick which can be wired directly to 12V? I've seen 19", but not 26.

Could not tell if the insignia 26" had the brick or 120V connector.
 
SeaSparks said:
I Think most Best Buys carry them. The last few I have been doing have been coupled with a Jensen 12v DVD player. It's hard to find a better setup :)
Click to expand...



Well, to date I have searched both Canada and US Best Buy, Sams Club , Costco, Future Shop etc and have been unable to source a 12Vdc television. An RV dealer in my area can order a Jensen 19" unit for $650.00 cdn however his recommendation was to go the inverter route with a AC tv unit. The other item he mentioned was to get a pure sine wave inverter which apparently works better with flat screen LCD screens. Pure sine wave inverters are considerably more expensive but if I am going to go this route I want to do it properly.
Here again I am looking for more input and if links are available to outlets that carry 12V units I would be forever thankful for that information as well.

Thanks
Ken
 
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