Can a small inverter be installed to the 12VDC

[HUMPH]

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.

Close in size and has an external power supply. You should be able to get a cord that has the 12v connection at the TV pretty easy. I am looking at the 19" model but I am also thinking about this size. i figure if I remove the existing TV and do something else with the space I can make a heavy mount for the base of the TV and move it from the cabin to the cockpit when I want and not have it maounted permanently. Has anyone seen this done before?

 

[ks65609]

Adding a TV is something that's on my "to-do" list, just not right now. But, a quick google search for "12v tv/dv combo" returned this:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=12v+tv/dvd+combo&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

This is the first link on that page that I looked at:

http://www.12volt-travel.com/12-volt-televisions-c-684.html

I only looked at the links for a few seconds, but it seems like the info you're looking for?

Dennis, thankyou very much. This information is exactly what I have been looking for but missed since I was simply searching retail outlets.

Thanks again
Ken

 

[ks65609]

Dennis, thankyou very much. This information is exactly what I have been looking for but missed since I was simply searching retail outlets.

Thanks again
Ken

Dennis, if I may ask, will you be installing a 12Vdc set up ?

Ken

 

[Lazy Daze]

Dennis, if I may ask, will you be installing a 12Vdc set up ?

Ken

At this point, Ken, my thought is to go with a 12v model. Cutting off the "wall wart" as mentioned above is something I never thought of doing, so that may expand my options of what TV's I can eventually pick from.

My thought process is that... if I use a 120v, I'm limited to when I can use it. I won't be able to use it away from shore power w/o a genny. A 12v can always be used - on the hook or at a dock where I can then have the battery charger turned on.

I don't really see the need to go through the extra work of installing an inverter to be able to use a 120v model off of 12v. I'm not saying it won't make sense for someone else, I just don't get it. But, maybe I'm not seeing the "big picture". If there's a legitimate reason why that would make sense, I'd be open to hearing it. It just seems much simpler to me to keep it 12v.

 

[ks65609]

At this point, Ken, my thought is to go with a 12v model. Cutting off the "wall wart" as mentioned above is something I never thought of doing, so that may expand my options of what TV's I can eventually pick from.

My thought process is that... if I use a 120v, I'm limited to when I can use it. I won't be able to use it away from shore power w/o a genny. A 12v can always be used - on the hook or at a dock where I can then have the battery charger turned on.

I don't really see the need to go through the extra work of installing an inverter to be able to use a 120v model off of 12v. I'm not saying it won't make sense for someone else, I just don't get it. But, maybe I'm not seeing the "big picture". If there's a legitimate reason why that would make sense, I'd be open to hearing it. It just seems much simpler to me to keep it 12v.

Dennis, my thoughts (although I am a total amateur) are similar to yours particularly since my boat already has the 12Vdc outlet in the galley. However since I am getting close to replacing my home desk top computer, I am also considering purchasing a laptop or even an Apple desktop, which could double as my on board DVD player and even TV with a couple of accessories. For this application I would need to go the inverter route. The double duty is beneficial to me since I would get the use of my expense 12 months of the year. I would need to design a secure mounting arrangement on the boat for the desk top but I think that is solvable. I did find a 12Vdc TV/DVD unit with the link you provided that will certainly satisfy my requirements if I do head in that direction.

Thanks
Ken
ps out of ignorance I must ask what the "wall wart" refers to ??

 

[sb in gp]

ps out of ignorance I must ask what the "wall wart" refers to ??

The "wall wart" is the power brick that comes attached to many TVs and most laptops and other electronic devices. The wall wart is a power inverter from 120V AC to DC.

What I've learned on this board is that most (if not all) LCD TVs are 12V and have an inverter either built inside the cabinet or as external "wall wart". So if the unit has an external inverter, you can just cut off the inverter and wire directly to 12V.

Now what I'm not sure of is how well different TVs can handle the fluctuating DC voltage that is present on your boat. Someone stated that the he has had luck with the Insignia brand handling a pretty wide range of voltages.

I am not an electronics expert, so I'd appreciate correction on any of my points above.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yup, to the above. Check out post #10. That's where I learned these things are called "wall warts" :lol: Silly me, I always called them "transformers". :smt001

If you look at the "wart" used on a lot of the electronics around your house, you'll see "input = 120v, output = 12v".

An inexpensive, cigarette lighter-type inverter would probably be fine for your laptop. Typically computers need a pretty clean signal, but friends and family members have used them for their laptops in the car with no problems.

Or, maybe you just want to get a portable DVD player (Target, etc). Those might even come with a 12v power cord (I'm not sure about that - but it seems like they would).

 

[sb in gp]

Close in size and has an external power supply. You should be able to get a cord that has the 12v connection at the TV pretty easy. I am looking at the 19" model but I am also thinking about this size. I figure if I remove the existing TV and do something else with the space I can make a heavy mount for the base of the TV and move it from the cabin to the cockpit when I want and not have it maounted permanently. Has anyone seen this done before?

I went to Best Buy and Costco today to see what the biggest LCD TV I could find with the external inverter (aka wall wart). I found that anything over 22" does not have an external inverter. I ended up buying the 22" Insignia LED TV for $270 from Best Buy.

I like the LED because it uses less power and is thinner, so it should be less of a head-hazard on the bulkhead of my 320. I plan to cut off the external inverter and wire it directly to 12V.

The Insignia also has a VGA input so that I can connect the output from my Garmin 4208 Chartplotter to it so that the crew below deck can see our progress while underway. I plan to split the signal from the aft cabin DVD player and connect that to it also.

 

[Quint4]

Just another reminder.....get the polarity right the first time. The positive lead should be marked if you look closely (mine was...Polaroid brand). Also be sure to fuse the positive side.