DonB Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 If I used a 12V regulator to supply a 14" LCD TV would it take a lot less out of the battery than using a 150watt inverter? If so can anybody tell me what type of regulator I would need and possibly a supplier's name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 You can get regulated 12 volt input power supplies from most car accessory outlets, we use one for the laptop as it needs a fairly consistant supply, so when the alternator is running and putting out 14.8 volts then the supply output from the regulated unit stays at a constant 12 volts. If I remember, we paid about £25.00 from one of the shows. Also, the one we bought is a multi plug multi voltage (8 - 19v). Hope this helps, I'm pretty sure the drain on your battery would be less using this as opposed to an inverter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigrem Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 There are other suppliers no doubt, the one we have is from: http://www.amperordirect.co.uk/ Cannot remember price as we have had so long. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi Don, as a rough estimate and from my own tests you would use about 15-20% more power to run the TV through the inverter than by using a voltage stabiliser. The Amperor unit is one of the best known in the leisure market and retails at around £40. They're available either directly from Amperor or via Roadpro or any of their agents (myself included :D ), probably from a few other agents as well. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I am puzzled by the need to use a voltage regulator, my 12v LCD TV runs straight off the 12v socket (and my sat receiver etc) whether or not the engine is running. I haven't had any problems with this arrangement. 13.8v would be an approximate figure for the maxiumum voltage on charge from the enigine so should be OK for a nominal 12v TV. Perhaps you need to up the voltage from a low battery, but again my TV will work down to about 10v without problems, and at 10v it's about time for a charge. Of course if you are running a 40" plasma screen thats a whole new ballgame! Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 hallii - 2008-08-05 7:13 PM I am puzzled by the need to use a voltage regulator, my 12v LCD TV runs straight off the 12v socket (and my sat receiver etc) whether or not the engine is running. I haven't had any problems with this arrangement. 13.8v would be an approximate figure for the maxiumum voltage on charge from the enigine so should be OK for a nominal 12v TV. Perhaps you need to up the voltage from a low battery, but again my TV will work down to about 10v without problems, and at 10v it's about time for a charge. Of course if you are running a 40" plasma screen thats a whole new ballgame! Geoff Then you are one of the lucky ones. Many 12V TVS don't have voltage regulation built in and rely on the power "brick" to give a regulated 12volt output. These types of set can be irreparably damaged by plugging them in to the vehicle's 12Volt system, therefore it is generally considered safer to err on the side of caution and use a regulator. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Our new TV didnt like it and took a quiet expensive huff over it, about £100 if I remember correctly. We have a voltage regulator now of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Does this happen only to 12v LCD TVs? Our is a 15" LCD TV/DVD mains only and we run it through a 300 watt inverter when not on EHU. Should we be taking any precautions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Randonneur - 2008-08-06 8:57 AM Does this happen only to 12v LCD TVs? Our is a 15" LCD TV/DVD mains only and we run it through a 300 watt inverter when not on EHU. Should we be taking any precautions? There will usually be a transformer inside the set, this saves having unsightly ac-dc converters next to the telly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Then you are one of the lucky ones. Many 12V TVS don't have voltage regulation built in and rely on the power "brick" to give a regulated 12volt output. These types of set can be irreparably damaged by plugging them in to the vehicle's 12Volt system, therefore it is generally considered safer to err on the side of caution and use a regulator. D. Hi Dave, sorry to but in, my t.v has a regulator (power brick) would it be possible to take the 3 pin plug/lead our and use a 12 volt plug/lead and run it straight from the 12 volt socket? pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 breakaleg - 2008-08-06 3:30 PM Then you are one of the lucky ones. Many 12V TVS don't have voltage regulation built in and rely on the power "brick" to give a regulated 12volt output. These types of set can be irreparably damaged by plugging them in to the vehicle's 12Volt system, therefore it is generally considered safer to err on the side of caution and use a regulator. D. Hi Dave, sorry to but in, my t.v has a regulator (power brick) would it be possible to take the 3 pin plug/lead our and use a 12 volt plug/lead and run it straight from the 12 volt socket? pete Errr no, the "power brick" is a mains to dc transformer/converter unit not a DC to DC converter. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 ahh, thats why the posting is called all bright sparks! obviously i'm not. This is why i always ask before i do, thanks for putting me right. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 No problem Pete, its always best to ask if you don't know, even I ask questions sometimes and I've even been known to read the instructions before now :D :D ! D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Thanks everybody, especially Dave! I'll have to make a decision and sort it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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