tv, crt v. lcd

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

just checked our new 16" lcd bought for use in 'van, its mains only rated 50W.
plan is to use on hook up or via an invertor off 'van's battery.

checked old tv wiitch is a boxy vcr combi of 10" screen, states on panel is 240V,
12V 50W.

Is Wattage constant then as would have thought lcd would use less power than
the old crt unit. LCD seems high as pc's 19" lcd is rated at 42W.

Suppose the lower voltage will need more current.

Power = Current x Voltage

thinking 50W / 240V = 0.21A 50W / 12V = 4.2A

was concerned tv flattened battery at weekend but suspect was over use of
blown heating really, any one know what a blower is rated at.

[lacroupade]

any one know what a blower is rated at.

Guess it depends whats generating the heat...typical desk fan is only 50-60watts so can't imagine blower fan would be much different?

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

just found in CC guidebook, on mains 4.3 to 8.7 Amp presume including
heating element, on 12V gives 1.5A just for blowing, also tv@3.5-4A
as per my maths. Cassette flush 2.3A, just as well only occasional
and no fun when battery flat as no manual option! - well apart from
jug of water...

[lacroupade]

solar it is then... :rolleyes:

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

solar panels anyone? seen a one in a suitcase design, about £100 gives 10Ah
charging ability. should keep battery topped up when no hook up.

[(RIP) PLANK]

I have never had any success with solar panels i do have a few and they dont see to be much use.

I have a 15 lcd tv with builot in freeview (ALDI £159) it runs from a 12v power pack so easy to use on a leisure battery too

and recently i have aquired a small (9inch?) DVD palyer with a flip up screen laptop style, this is brilliant uses next to no power at all! it does make good background noise when the littel un is asleep, and keeps her quiet when she is not, without draining the battery too much or needing to run the generator!

[Paul]

solar panels anyone? seen a one in a suitcase design, about £100 gives 10Ah
charging ability. should keep battery topped up when no hook up.
Was talking about them over the weekend, almost everyone said the same as Plank, ok for slowly keeping the l/batt topped up & thats about it,one van had one on the roof that had cost almost £400 :eek: and was not alot of use he said..:nenau

[gadgetsyd]

Hi TTT2, If your are thinking about a solar panel get at least a 40 Ah. I have been down that road with a 15 Ah, it puts virtually nothing in when cloudy even in full sun less than 1Amp. A 50Ah will give 3amp in sun 1/2 amp in cloud. My 50Ah is permanently fixed on the roof of the caravan. A 110Ah battery will only give about 3-4 hrs TV on a full charge.

[andrewk]

I have never had any success with solar panels i do have a few and they dont see to be much use.


The problem is that the ratings quoted when you see these things advertised are optimistic at best and downright misleading for most folks.

The ratings shown are generally for the panel in full sunlight and exactly square on to the sun, both vertically and horizontally. Over a typical week in summer, you'd be lucky to average much more than the equivalent of 1.5 full sun hours per day (yes the average sunshine hours are more than that, but unless you keep repointing the panel, it will not point directly at the sun for long).

I use a 5W one for keeping the caravan battery topped up in storage - works fine. I haven't done the sums yet but for our lifestyle when away in the van, I reckon I'd need an enormous array of very expensive panels.

Cheers
Andrew

[CaptLimey]

Hi to all

In support of Andrewk, having had some experience of solar panels in a sunny environment, I can confirm that solar panels - a. only provide the claimed advertised output when the sun is clear and at close to 90 degrees to the flat surface and b. you need a large array to provide usable power for constant running of voltage consuming equipment.

Smaller panels are usually only suitable in a less sunny, (e.g. U.K. type environment) for keeping an occasionally used battery topped up, e.g. in a long-term parked vehicle/caravan.

In the U.K. climate a relatively small panel will not be adequate for maintaining a battery subject to frequent/constant useage, e.g. one used on a caravan to run a TV/DVD/fridge/water pump/lights daily.

It really is a simple matter of doing the sums, i.e. estimating the amp/hour consumption of all the 12 volt equipment you propose to use and balancing it against the rated output of the solar panel(s) in amps/hour, combined with the realistic number of hours of direct and clear sunlight that will fall on the panel at a near 90 degree angle (e.g. 11:00hrs - 15:00hrs). This will give you an estimate of the amp/hours being used and what your proposed solar panel will realistically feed to your battery bank to replace it.

Regards CL

[gadgetsyd]

I totally agree with Andrewk and CL, we don't use a TV generally, but remember a CD player uses quite a lot as well. If you use a lot of electricity go on a hook up, a lot of sites restrict genny running.

[lacroupade]

Surely it must be easier to get yourself a 15" or 17" laptop with a USB TV card - many modern, budget lappies will give 5 hours of battery life if you're not using too many ancilliaries and you can charge them in the car while you're out from a cheap £25 200w inverter. If, like me, you either download a lot of video in Divx format, or can convert your DVDs to Divx (which reduces them from about 4.8Gb to 700 Mb) then you will get max battery time watching films too, as you're not using the DVD drive which consumes a lot more power.

Then get a decent sized MP3 player and a set of battery powered squeakers (which you can also plug into the lappy for films) using rechargeables and your set for minimal power usage...

[Liam]

Surely it must be easier to get yourself a 15" or 17" laptop with a USB TV card - many modern, budget lappies will give 5 hours of battery life if you're not using too many ancilliaries and you can charge them in the car while you're out from a cheap £25 200w inverter. If, like me, you either download a lot of video in Divx format, or can convert your DVDs to Divx (which reduces them from about 4.8Gb to 700 Mb) then you will get max battery time watching films too, as you're not using the DVD drive which consumes a lot more power.

Then get a decent sized MP3 player and a set of battery powered squeakers (which you can also plug into the lappy for films) using rechargeables and your set for minimal power usage...

You spend too much time in your truck ,Paul. http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/046.gif "Oi! Redhead just going out to the truck to watch a few videos,see you in about five hours"http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/042.gif

[zippy656]

sounds like a good idea,


i could watch what i wanted when i wanted..

[mully]

i agree with Lacroupade a latop is the best way,ive used one for watching telly in van for the last 2 years on no electric campsites with no problems at all

[lacroupade]

i agree with Lacroupade a latop is the best way,ive used one for watching telly in van for the last 2 years on no electric campsites with no problems at all
absolutely, laptop TV card with Freeview cheap as chips!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270352670189&cguid=888eb5d411f0a0e203d5d9c5feefa2c3

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

got a lappy, seen a twin tuner card at maplins for about 25 quid, or was in their sale.

personally loath gennies so thought whilst spending x on one could go solar. interesting quoted 4 hours at best as thats figure towsure use in their maths in catalogue.

my other plan is a second leisure battery kept in car on a split charge. then charges on
day trips, and van plugs in to use 12s line when car there but has its own battery for
essentials if car away.

could put in second battery position in t2 engine bay, not sure about other trucks or
in boot in a bog straped down, or just have one of these decent jump start units as
an auxillary for car and van.

have been toying with this for sometime;>

[lacroupade]

"Twin tuner card"? wossat?

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

"Twin tuner card"? wossat?

a usb tv card with 2 tuners, ok? picture in picture etc.

[lacroupade]

a usb tv card with 2 tuners, ok? picture in picture etc.

aah - interesting thought...I take it thats so you can hide the pron channel when the missus comes in...... Thanks for telling me AFTER I just forked out for one! But having said that, £18 for the usb, remote control and a mini-aerial....I can't go wrong can I! Just no pron :(

[CaptLimey]

Hi Lacroupade

That surely is a good looking deal for only eighteen quid! In fact it looks too good to be true! Has anyone experience of one of these gizmos?

Before I splash out a mere 20 Euros (i.e. the equivalent of six bottles of half decent French plonk) I'd like an opinion of someone who has tried and tested one. Is there anyone out there?

Regards CL