An alternative to a 12V television

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by Shearwater

We decided to go the 120v TV route. I picked up an LG 24" smart TV and a 120v to 12v inverter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works like a charm, when we have shore power, it's a 120v TV and when we don't it works just fine with the inverter. We do pay attention to the battery drain though. No solar at night when we watch TV. We also just download whatever streaming show or movie we want to watch, no antenna or cable.

I'm looking to go the other way. I asked my computer person to order me a new computer finally, Have a 10+ yr old 17" HP, still using Wind 7! I told her I needed it be able to run off of 12 volt, for boondocking in the trailer. Nope. She says HP doesn't make one(Have a 12 volt cord for the old one?) At this point can't use the new one, except for on the battery & go find a restaurant to plug in. Some one showed me, 12 volt DC TO 120 AC thing that worked. I need to know WHAT it was? And where to get one.



Now that read WHAT link you put up, THAT is it. 12 volt TO 120 Volt.

[Viajante]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Does the transformer list the output voltage?

As far as watching TV in the trailer goes, I'm a news junkie. I'll always watch the news if it's available.

Also, a lot depends on the type of weather that you use your trailer in. Cold crappy dark night. We'll be watching a movie we've downloaded.

Ron

Transformer output is 12v. I use the TV to show occasional dvd while boondocking. The little dvd player runs on 5v, which is the output of a phone charger. So connecting TV to trailer system and dvd player to phone charger via usb gets away from an inverter and keeps things simple.

Internet search is mixed, with some consensus that 10.5 to 15v is ok because 12v accessories are developed from automotive applications that run on a range of voltage around 12.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

For those unfamiliar with the HDHomerun-- it retransmits the TV signal over your local wifi. So if you want to, you can sit outside with the laptop and watch TV. Even worse, there is an HDHomerun app for tablets/phones, so you can lie in bed and watch TV on your cellphone if you want. Spouses everywhere will thank me for this info.

You have local wifi in your trailer? Best I can do is use a hotspot from my cell phone, which uses up cell data.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

I almost put a tv in my 19, Then I realized it would not get reception in most places I travel and when it did there would be nothing worth watching. I got a new laptop and bought a solid-state hard drive with 1000 movies on it on Esty . Its will fit in palm of my hand and if I sitting in bad weather I can watch a movie. I do charge the laptop in the day with inverter.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Viajante

I also have an Insignia that runs on a wall plug with it's 12v adapter. For simplicity I'd like to wire the TV power plug directly to the trailers 12v system, bypassing the wall plug. My question is, the trailer usually has power between 12.4 v and 13.7. Will the TV work with the higher voltage?

Thanks.

This is the post that I was referring to. I looked on the transformer for my spare and it does list an output of 12V. It's worked just fine on the trailer nominal 12V.

Ron

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

You have local wifi in your trailer? Best I can do is use a hotspot from my cell phone, which uses up cell data.

I have used a Hotspot for my internet for like 15 yrs. For I just was spending extended periods at different places. Main big house, Spec house I rented & moved into winters & shut big house down, My parents, once my Mother came down with ALZ. Then started building a house in NC, as the drive from upstate NY to Naples Fl, was KILLING me in a F250! So now is handy for traveling. I don't download movies & such.

[kernwig]

Originally Posted by Chasing Trials

I told her I needed it be able to run off of 12 volt, for boondocking in the trailer. Nope. She says HP doesn't make one(Have a 12 volt cord for the old one?)

Find a computer that can charge off of USB-C, and add a QC3 USB (Quick Charge) port off of your camper battery. (All MacBooks the last few years can charge via USB-C, but you like Windows.) The computer will still drain faster than it will charge, but unless you are using it 8+ hours a day, just leave it plugged in when not in use and the laptop battery will top off while idle.

It also helps to pay attention to the energy draw of the laptop. A lower power fanless (passive cooling) laptop will charge back up faster than a big "pro" computer.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by Chasing Trials

I have used a Hotspot for my internet for like 15 yrs. For I just was spending extended periods at different places. Main big house, Spec house I rented & moved into winters & shut big house down, My parents, once my Mother came down with ALZ. Then started building a house in NC, as the drive from upstate NY to Naples Fl, was KILLING me in a F250! So now is handy for traveling. I don't download movies & such.

My monthly hotspot time with my previous carrier was very little, with no option for an upgrade. So while on the road I checked into T-mobile, again as I was once a former Sprint customer but left when T-mobile was having transitional problems. The unlimited plan I have has been running fine, and I didn’t run out of hotspot time. If in case I did need more hotspot they will sell you a separate hotspot device dedicated to only hotspot.
Do remember after each use with your hotspot to go to your phone settings and turn off your hotspot access, so you’re not wasting time on it.

One more thing they sold me was a IPad that comes with it’s own separate line so you’re on line all you want as long as you have cell service in the area. It’s a previous generation but is handling everything I need, Netflix all of it working fine. It was $100 plus $20 monthly, watch and do internet all you want.

If you were to go this way ask about current special promotions they may be having. I had a few extras, I’m all apple but I’m sure they do the same with android products…

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

You have local wifi in your trailer? Best I can do is use a hotspot from my cell phone, which uses up cell data.

I have a Pepwave, which is a hotspot with Ethernet ports. I have a data plan with Verizon that gives me 50 GB of data per month on the Pepwave and another 15 GB (I think) on my iPhone plus phone service for about $110 / mo. It's plenty of data in any case.

The Pepwave gives me a local wifi network. It also connects via Ethernet to the HDHomerun. That's how the TV stations from the HDHomerun get onto my local wifi.

The Pepwave also connects to a small Ethernet switch. My MacBook Air connects to the switch as well. That's it so far, but I intend to add a Raspberry Pi or other small computer to this mini-Ethernet network.

[Carmel Clown]

A little off track here, we didn’t get the tv but had ETI run the cable for it in case we changed our minds. Can I use that cable connection for an outside antenna or a cell booster?

[Ron in BC]

Can't see why you couldn't use if for an outside TV antenna but my brand of cell booster has a different size cable.

Ron

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Carmel Clown

A little off track here, we didn’t get the tv but had ETI run the cable for it in case we changed our minds. Can I use that cable connection for an outside antenna or a cell booster?

that cable port is fine for a UHF/VHF TV antenna but won't work for cell boosters, they are completely different technology and frequency