12v power lead (1 Viewer)

markymark

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We have a telly in the van which we only watch when we are hooked up to the mains. It has a 3 pin mains plug wich goes to a converter box and comes out at 12V and plugs into the telly.
If we wanted to watch it using the lesiure battery where would we get a 12v lead with the 2 pin prongs on to plug into the socket?

Is there an adapater to convert 3 pin plugs into the caravan 12v 2 prong types
 

pappajohn

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try maplins for the TV plug.

the lead is easy to make up with wire from a motoring shop and the two pin plug can be bought from any caravan shop.

when you say the two pin plug i assume you mean the one that goes in the wall socket.....one larger pin and one smaller one.?

i dont understand why you would want a converter from the 240v 3 pin plug to a 12v 2 pin plug
 
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pappajohn

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to do the job safely you should use one of <<these>>

some folks dont agree but i wouldnt use my TV without one.

it may be ÂŁ40 but LCD TVs dont like much over 12v and will blow if a higher voltage is applied like when you first switch off the engine or have a solar panel. the battery may be at 14v,ish for a short while.

only snag is the cigar plug has the fuse inbuilt so you would need to fit an inline fuse if you change the plug to a two pin.

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markymark

markymark

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Yes the socket in the wall is described as a caravan 12v socket on maplins site, but couldnt find any plugs to go in it. They both appeared to be flat and of the same size. Will do as you say and ask a caravan place what they think.
 

pappajohn

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they do appear the same size but one is maybe 1mm smaller in width than the other so you cant plug it in the 'wrong' way round and have 12v were it should be earth (0v)

what make/model is the TV ?

i can maybe find the correct plug for the TV end.
 
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derekfaeberwick

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to do the job safely you should use one of <<these>>

some folks dont agree but i wouldnt use my TV without one.

it may be ÂŁ40 but LCD TVs dont like much over 12v and will blow if a higher voltage is applied like when you first switch off the engine or have a solar panel. the battery may be at 14v,ish for a short while.

only snag is the cigar plug has the fuse inbuilt so you would need to fit an inline fuse if you change the plug to a two pin.

Two pin to cigarette socket from caravan shop is the way to go. :thumb:
 
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markymark

markymark

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I would need either a 2 pin lead or a ciggy lead, some sort of converter from 3 to 2 pin plug even better, will see what caravan place has to offer.

Thanks for advise, any brain waves please drop me a line
Cheers
 
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pappajohn

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I would need either a 2 pin lead or a ciggy lead, some sort of converter from 3 to 2 pin plug even better, will see what caravan place has to offer.

Thanks for advise, any brain waves please drop me a line
Cheers

i think i know where youre coming from with the converter.

if using on 12v you dont need the transformer (black) box......just plug the new lead straight into the 12v wall socket and the other end into the TV socket.
one wire with a plug on each end , NO BLACK BOX.

the TV runs on 12v so the transformer (black) box is only to convert 240v to 12v when using mains

this is the caravan plug you need....Link Removed

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gazznsam

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i'll just agree with what pappajohn said earlier about not running the tv directly off the battery, get one of those 12 volt power bricks, takes from 10 to 18 volts in, along with all the noise, hash and ripple on the line, and outputs exactly 12.3 volts of pure clean power, electronicaly protected and so on.

i have one i bought at a motorhome show about 5 years ago, i run all my entertianment equipment on it (handles upto 8 amps)

reason to use one, modern TV's are all built to a price, and the components in them are rated for the voltage they run on and hardly any more, the problem with the lcd tv's when run directly on a battery is the invertor for the cold cathode tube blacklight, that is the biggest power draw in the tv, and the power supply is running near it's limits normaly due to using the cheapest components they can get away with, all the components are specced to take 12.3 volts and hardly a few millivolts more,

so what happens is people cut the lead coming from the mains power brick, put a fag lighter plug on the end, and pat them selves on the back for saving 40 quid on a power conditioner,
they use the tv in the van when off shore power, and all is well, then one day they get a site with shore power, the charger is in boost mode putting upto 14.8 volts into the battery to charge it properly, and the Tv gets that 14.8 volts too, or they start the engine and a noisey spikey 14 + volts goes to the Tv,

the backlight inverter overheats and goes pop, and you get a black screen, the picture is still there, but can't be seen as it's got no light source now,
some TV's backlight invertors go pop the first time they get overvoltage, some take a fair while of abuse before they finaly go, and yes some tv's do seem to last forever on overvoltage, but as the price of lcd tv's keeps dropping, so the parts in them have to be cheaper,

try to take the tv back for warrenty repair, and as soon as they see the overloaded and blown components in the backlight invertor section, they'll reject the claim, as they are wise to the caravanners/motorhomers/boaters who run them directly off the battery nowadays,

Older TV's and electrical items like laptops, dvd players etc could take the extra power of a charging battery, as they used components that had a nice tollerance of the voltage, this was because back then they used transformer based power supplies, in which the output would fluctuate with the input fluctuations,

but nowadays with switched mode psu's, they can guarentee to get an exact voltage out of it at all times, if the input is 90 or 250 volts, it'll always be 12.3 volts out (that's the most common lcd TV input voltage)

the 12 volt power conditioner is 40 quid, but how much is a new tv? and when you buy a new tv in a few years time, you keep the power conitioner to run that, and you can power a sky box (if you have a pace javelin 12 volt box) dvd player etc off it too and be safe in the knowlage it'll not add noise that amps can pick up, and keep the items running within spec.
 

Kon tiki

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Good explanation :thumb: I have run my cheap Tesco TV direct from the battery but only if the voltage was below 13 volts but appreciate it is risking blowing it but it's a few years old & the remote no longer works. Keep toying with the idea of getting a proper 12 volt TV or going the route of the voltage stabilizer then looking for a cheap TV. I have noticed that there are more of the small TV's that don't have the seperate power supply now & the 240 volt cable connects to the TV so not making it possible to use 12 volts :Blush:
 

New Rover

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So, to get this straight;
To run the TV from the leisure battery supply, I would need to make up a lead using a 2 pin Caravan type plug to a cigarette lighter socket, then buy the appropriate Amperor stabiliser/regulator (with a possible adapter) utilising its cigarette plug to the TV plug.
If I want to run the TV from the vehicle battery then I would just use the Amperor cable but with an extension cable because of increased distance (TV at ear of van).
Would there be any large voltage drop in extension cable or would it cope?

gazznsam, could you tell me where to buy the item that has an 8 Amp capability?

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runrig

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Hi
We have a box & lead that stops the power surging into your tv, we no longer need it, so if it is what pappajohn is talking about please let us know, Mick knows more about it than me, but hes still at work.

Sheila (runrig)
 
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markymark

markymark

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i think i know where youre coming from with the converter.

if using on 12v you dont need the transformer (black) box......just plug the new lead straight into the 12v wall socket and the other end into the TV socket.
one wire with a plug on each end , NO BLACK BOX.

the TV runs on 12v so the transformer (black) box is only to convert 240v to 12v when using mains

this is the caravan plug you need....Link Removed



Thanks papajohn i didnt see that plug there:thumb: It had been a long day:ROFLMAO:
 
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sinbad1

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Seems to be some confusion

Perhaps a simple way of looking at this

the supply can be via cigarette lighter /caravan plug /direct to the battery,etc

the imput plug to the tv will need to be matched to the input socket on the tv (polarity needs to be checked)


simple way not recommended(voltage variation no fuse protection)

battery +....................................................... tv 12v
-................................................................... imput

better(voltage variation fuse prtected)

battery +..........inline fuse................................. tv 12v
-..................................................................... imput

recomended(voltage protection fuse protected)

battery + .........inline fuse.........voltage reg............... tv 12v
- .............................................unit ........................ imput


Regards

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New Rover

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I've already made up a lead to run Tv from 12v Skt in van.
To add protection for 12V regulation, I have to buy pappajohn's recommended piece of kit.
Unfortunately these come with a cigarette plug/skt configuration. Now it is no hardship to remove said cigarette plug/skt and attach the 2 pin plug to fit existing skt in van. The only problem is by removing the cigarette lighter plug/skt you invalidate any warranty you have for the regulator in the first place.
Hence my idea of leaving the piece of kit as is, and making up a 2 pin plug to cigarette plug/skt to fit to regulator connection.
 

pappajohn

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I've already made up a lead to run Tv from 12v Skt in van.
To add protection for 12V regulation, I have to buy pappajohn's recommended piece of kit.
Unfortunately these come with a cigarette plug/skt configuration. Now it is no hardship to remove said cigarette plug/skt and attach the 2 pin plug to fit existing skt in van. The only problem is by removing the cigarette lighter plug/skt you invalidate any warranty you have for the regulator in the first place.
Hence my idea of leaving the piece of kit as is, and making up a 2 pin plug to cigarette plug/skt to fit to regulator connection.

not only the warranty......you will remove the fuse protection as well. its in the plug.:Doh:
2 pin to cig lighter skt is the best route but not very pretty.:Sad:

there are other regulators about but i have the amperor and would recommend it.:thumb:
 

pappajohn

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So, to get this straight;
To run the TV from the leisure battery supply, I would need to make up a lead using a 2 pin Caravan type plug to a cigarette lighter socket, then buy the appropriate Amperor stabiliser/regulator (with a possible adapter) utilising its cigarette plug to the TV plug.
If I want to run the TV from the vehicle battery then I would just use the Amperor cable but with an extension cable because of increased distance (TV at ear of van).
Would there be any large voltage drop in extension cable or would it cope?

gazznsam, could you tell me where to buy the item that has an 8 Amp capability?

from what i can find on the amperor website it will run fine on 10v to 16v input so an extension lead from the front to back should be ok providing the wire gauge isnt too small.

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pappajohn

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youre welcome :thumb:

just one point.....when the battery voltage drops to 10v the stabiliser turns itself off so you dont flatten the battery totally.
there again...at 10v you've probably killed the battery anyway.:cry:

mine has only once turn off due to undervoltage and we are TV addicts.
TVs turned on when we wake and if we're in the van the TV is on.:Blush:
 

gazznsam

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gazznsam, could you tell me where to buy the item that has an 8 Amp capability?

i'm trying to remember the make, but seem to have had a brain fart,

i remember i bought it at a motorhome show when i first built the kampenwagen, so that'd be 2004, the stand sold 'solutions' to problems like this (blowing lcd TV's. running things off 12 volts etc) i bought my 12 volt laptop psu from them too, but that dosent have their name on it (it may have done onetime, but stickers wear off or get eaten by the rats)

darn, what's their name, it's not roadpro, argghhh... they sold from a gazebo branded with their company name on it, and had racks of 12 volt power supplies for different things.

the unit is burried at the back of my TV cabinet, and to get at it means taking off the whole front, disconnecting the sat box as the lead is tight from the dish, if no one can think of the name of this co, i'll do that and hope theres a name on the 12 volt power conditioner.


first thing i did when i got mine was to cut the fag lighter plug off it, i hate those things, rated for 10 amps, but melt if you draw over 4 for any length of time, i use the DIN plugs, which are mini versions of the fag lighter socket and plug, but where the fag lighter plug is a friction fit by the earth terminals, the DIN socket grips the live terminal of the plug as well as the earth grips, so it's a good solid connection (they are used on BMW motorbikes, boats etc,

i asked the bloke at the stand when i bought my Tv psu and again when i got the laptop one about changing the plug, and was told no problem, they agreed the fag lighter plug wasnt ideal, but it the one most people want so they can plug it into the dash fag socket.
was told warrenty would be honoured except for reverse polarity dammage, but both my psu's are reverse polarity protected,

as for the fuse, the power sockets in my van are all fused at the main distribution board, but it'd not be hard to put an in-line fuse if you really need one, the psu is protected internaly with a poly fuse i believe, so it's just the bit of cable between the plug and brick.

for extension cables, personaly i'd run a permanent wire to a new socket near the Tv, putting the antenna socket there too, but if you cant'dont want to do that, then a 12 volt extension lead is all you can do, just make sure it's made of decent cable, you need at least 20 amp wire for any length over a couple of meters for the load a lcd tv will pull,

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