TV changeout for dry camping

[weldergc]

We do mostly dry camping and I am going to change out my TVs. I currently have 2 12v tvs and I am wondering if I should go with 12v again or 120v and an inverter.

I am always looking to save some battery power so I want to know what would be better for power savings...

I have an 02 coachman lepprecon 35' or so.

[RandD]

The last time I looked, there were only a few LCD TVs available that operate directly from 12V DC. If you can find one, it _should_ be slightly more efficient than the same LCD TV operating on an inverter. This is due to the overhead requirements of the inverter. Every little watt saved can add up. For our needs, I do not think the difference is significant enough to worry about and would choose a TV that fits the space and personal preferences. I use a 600W pure sinewave inverter for all our entertainment equipment.

Regardless of your choice, here is something to consider with ANY LCD TV. The backlight for the LCD panel consumes a significant amount of the power consumed by the TV. Set your backlight to the lowest level that still is viewable. I run mine on 1 or 2 (on a 1-10 scale) and it still looks fine. This one thing cut my power consumption more than in half. Every TV is a bit different, but if you have a Kill-A- Watt meter, you can measure the effect your self on 110V. If you have a clamp on ammeter that measures DC amps, you can also measure the reduction on 12V.

Good luck finding the right TV for you!

[mrschwarz]

Would a TV backlit with LEDs be more efficient?

[RandD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrschwarz Would a TV backlit with LEDs be more efficient?

Interestingly enough, that depends on the TVs design. I would guess that LEDs would be more efficient, but if they use a bunch of them, maybe not. The devil is in the details - or mfg. specifications.

One thing remains constant regardless of the type of backlight used in an LCD TV, if you turn down the backlight level. the current draw of the TV goes down and the difference can be surprising!

Randy.

[weldergc]

I found a 22" tv dvd that is 12 volt. With shipping it goes for around $370. I am going to give it a try. It will be here later this week.

I am going to install it and will be heading out the last week in October.

It seems like it should be a power savings since TV's run on 12 volts and have to be converted to 120v. Then we invert it from 12v to 120v to make it run in our motorhomes.

I'll let you know how it works out. Found it at roadtrucker.com.

[dolphin03]

How do you set the back light? I canged out my 26" CRT for a 32" LCD, but didnt check the power draw.

[RandD]

Welder - I will be very interested to hear how it works out for you!

Dolphin - On the 26" Sharp we put in the motorhome, the backlight adjustment is in the System menu. On my Sony 46" @ home, it is in the picture settings. Every manufacturer seems to put the same thing in a different place so you may need to look around in the adjustment menus for your particular set.

[weldergc]

The TV turned out to be a big hit.

The kids love it and it has a great picture. We were gone for a week with no ill battery effects, and no inverters (except to charge the laptops).

It works out nice since we use the sleep timer at night and then don't have to worry about an inverter being on all night draining the precious volts.

I will be getting another one for the back bedroom before too long. After I work out some mounting kinks on the front set.

[moreforles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by weldergc We were gone for a week with no ill battery effects, and no inverters (except to charge the laptops). It works out nice since we use the sleep timer at night and then don't have to worry about an inverter being on all night draining the precious volts. I will be getting another one for the back bedroom before too long. After I work out some mounting kinks on the front set.

I'll be looking for a LCD about 20" wide to fit on the side of the refrigerator, and trying to figure out how to put it on a hinge, so I can swing it out to face the rear of the rv when necessary. but mounted on the side of the refrigerator, it can be seen from the swiveling high back chair, or the dinette.