I am wanting to take a TV when I go away for a week in the caravan. Can anyone tell me whether Id be best buying a 12v TV or can I buy an invertor for my 14inch portable mains tv? But I have no idea what inverter I should buy!
An inverter is convenient as you could run other items from it other than a TV. However, you need to check the power requirements of your TV. I have a 150watt inverter which will charge my laptop, but that's about all. It will not run a 15" LCD tv. I would think that you need around 300 watts to reliably run an LCD tv, and significantly more for a CRT one. Larger inverters are available, but are not cheap. it would probably be cheaper to buy a 12 volt TV. A 12 volt TV would last much longer on your battery too, as inverters are a very inefficient way of running. Alternatively, you could use a mains hook up if available or the dreaded generator.
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My LCD TV is 12volts, via a 240 - 12 volt transformer which came with it. I just got a lead yith a plug on wone end and cigarette lighter plug the other. £100 in Woolworths. You will pay more than that for an inverter.
Just bought a 15" LCD TV/DVD combo from Currys for £150, runs off a 12V - 240V power supply, so hoping to make a lead up and run it direct from the 12V leisure batts.
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I bought a 300watt one from maplins, cost about £40.00. though be careful i first used a portable on mine it had a high start up current ie pulled more than stated 5 amps on the spec. the inverter blew the fuse due to over load.......once the tv had charged the main capacitor inside the tv it was ok, a flat panel tv wont give this problem. so if you get one and the inverter makes a warning sound when first switched on this is because its over loaded, but may find once you switch it off an back on again it will be ok.
If you get a TV that runs from a 12V-240V power adapter, you won`t need an invertor !! Just sort the lead out and run it from your 12V plug socket in your caravan / camper / MH or run it from the 240V system in your `van when hooked up.
Simple
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