12v tv on hookup (1 Viewer)

walnut

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I have used the search but couldn't find the answer.

I have a 20in TV that runs of 12volts direct or mains using an external psu.
When on hookup is it better to use the motorhomes 12v connection or use tv's psu plugged in to 240v socket?
When on hookup are the 12v sockets supplied by the battery, battery charger or other?
 

dave newell

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As long as your battery charger/PSU is switched on then when on hookup you can run your TV from either. If plugged directly into 240V socket then obviously its running directly from EHU, if plugged into 12V socket then TV takes power from battery which is then replenished by charger/PSU, result=TV works from either source with no significant difference. Personally I'd always run it from 12V (assuming it is designed for leisure vehicle use and has voltage stabilisation built in, if not then use a stabiliser from amperor) and then you don't need to carry the PSU.

D.
 

AuldCodger

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Have always run on 12v, see no point in changing back and forth.
If you are on ehu does it matter where the the power is coming from?
Someone will be along very soon to tell me why.
:thumb:

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hilldweller

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When on hookup are the 12v sockets supplied by the battery, battery charger or other?

That would depend on your van.

Our cab sockets are on the starter battery and switched with ignition, our hab sockets on the leisure battery. Both batteries are charged on hookup. It's a Burstner.

You could be completely different - what make is it ?
 

pappajohn

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12v sockets are powered by the battery which is charged from ther charger when on hookup.

some chargers can be used as a power suppy without a battery in circuit so in that case the sockets will be charger powered.

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walnut

walnut

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Thanks for the advice, the van is a Bessacar e495.
Been out in the van for a couple of nights too give it an airing.
I have 2 x leisures that I took out of the van in October, after a couple of hours on hook up the charger had dropped from 14.4v to 13.8 and was only pumping in 0.35Amps, batteries must be fully charged.

Every time we have been out before the batteries must of been flat because it would take days to charge them, control panel would show 14.4v aprox 3amps running into batteries.

When putting the van in storage, from now on I will take the 40amp battery fuse out to stop batteries getting drained.

Will try the TV on 12v next time and see which way the control panel says the current is running. Hopefully it will show 0.35amp plus the TV drain say 3amps.
 

wireman

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Ours is run from the leisure batteries on 12v even on EH and I think its a good idea since batteries last a lot longer if they are used and recharged regulary rather than the usual use em till nearley flat and recharge cycle; hence our getting a solar panel to do the job in the summer.
 

Terry

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Can't remember ;)
try this to explain
terry

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  • SIMPLE GUIDE TO 12 VOLT LCD TV FOR MOTORHOMES.doc
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scotjimland

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Ours is run from the leisure batteries on 12v even on EH and I think its a good idea since batteries last a lot longer if they are used and recharged regulary rather than the usual use em till nearley flat and recharge cycle; hence our getting a solar panel to do the job in the summer.

Sorry, but I have to disagree about using and recharging.

Exercising doesn't improve life, a battery depreciates with every cycle, keeping it fully charged and not using will maximise it's life .. preferably with multi-stage intelligent charger.

I agree that using it till it's almost dead will end it's life prematurely .. may even kill it, to maximise the life of a battery it should never be discharged more than 50% .. see chart for voltages.
A solar panel will indeed aid to maintain the battery provided it has a proper charge controller .


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hilldweller

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If you have something to say Brian I'd love to hear , always willing to learn

.. I'm not a mind reader
========================
I think its a good idea since batteries last a lot longer if they are used and recharged regulary rather than the usual use em till nearley flat and recharge cycle; hence our getting a solar panel to do the job in the summer.
========================

If you had extended your red text you might have noticed you have just said what Tony said.

Simples.
 

scotjimland

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========================
I think its a good idea since batteries last a lot longer if they are used and recharged regulary rather than the usual use em till nearley flat and recharge cycle; hence our getting a solar panel to do the job in the summer.
========================

If you had extended your red text you might have noticed you have just said what Tony said.

Simples.

Indeed, but it was with reference to using a TV on 12v , or any other 12v appliance, Is it not better to use the mains ( if possible) rather than to cycle the battery .. ?

That's my opinion .. and what I've always practised , my batteries are six years old ( el cheapo FLAs ) and still performing well, and they were in constant use for three years , so I must be doing something right, but then again I do have a proper 70A Victron charger and a Honda genny to keep them in tip top shape..
 

hilldweller

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Indeed, but it was with reference to using a TV on 12v , or any other 12v appliance, Is it not better to use the mains ( if possible) rather than to cycle the battery .. ?

I think we all close together here. Tony is saying don't deep discharge and you are saying don't discharge. When it comes to hook up and a TV load this will be supplied by the charger anyway, the battery won't dip measurably.

My batteries are six and a bit. I can't understand why folk seem to be replacing them at 2 years, just neglect I guess aided and abetted by CANBUS drainage.

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walnut

walnut

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So it's probably best not to drain the batteries while on hook up.
Keeping the batteries fully charged prolongs their life.
The question now is when on hookup do the batteries supply the 12v power or the battery charger?
Technician at Discover leisure said it was better to use 12v supply all the time.

Next time I'm in the van I will check the control panel at see which way the current is running.

I think a solar panel is a must, keeps the batteries charged while in storage, not lucky enough to be able to keep my van at home.

Thanks for the help.
 
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walnut

walnut

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My batteries are six and a bit. I can't understand why folk seem to be replacing them at 2 years, just neglect I guess aided and abetted by CANBUS drainage.

I think this is because the leisure batteries are being drained when the Van is not in use.
Discover fitted a gas detector straight across the leisure battery on my Van, 2 wks in storage and my batteries where flat.

Now thinking of fitting a battery cut off key so I can easily disconnect them.
 

wireman

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My batteries have stuff wired directly accross them too. BUT the van gets used at least three times a week on journeys long enough to replenish the batteries on eof which is now 5 years old (added the other (and yes its a matching one) last year to give us a bit more time before we need to top up with a EHU. Won't use a genny because they kill the Calira charger unit supplied on thye Knaus as does too much time spent on a EHU to be honest. We tend to move every day or two at most so the 170 amps we have in theory (85 in practise) lasts us a long while and once the solar panel goes on I shall rest even easier.

Actually I am a great beleiver that excersising the batteries adds to their useful life span. I have fitted brand new batteries to motorcycles that were in use regulary and had no problems till we fitted a cheap battery tender which promptly killed them. I am not talking about regulary taking them to 40% of their capacity but just using them correctly with a flow of electrons through them that is hopefully balanced i.e power in = power out.

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kennygd

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EHU CONFUSED ! Being brand new to all this, and old, well 64 anyway, when plugged in to EHU is the power going straight to the leisure batteries to keep them topped up and everything still working at 12V in the van or when plugged in to the EHU is everything in the van switched over to 230/240V, I am not picking up my Arapaho until March so I need to get as much information as possible and everyone has been great.
Thanks
Kennygd:thumb:
 

oldun

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There are two problems with 12V.

With the charger on the voltage will be around 14V. Most 12V units can cope with this voltage but a few may not. The very expensive TV etc made specially for the leisure industry will cope OK. Other cheaper units may not but I have never heard of any actually failing.

With the charger off and the battery low there may be insufficient voltage to run the unit.
 

wireman

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My unit feeds the 240v via a charger to the batteries and everything continues to run off 12v supplied by the batterie.


Charger will only give 14v to a discharged battery, it will be around 13.5 volts whilst keeping bthem topped up.

Why would the charger be off when you are conected to 240v EHU?


Lets be clear here. 12v systems are only nominally 12v and very rarley if ever run at 12v since at that point your batteries would be dead and beyond redemption (if measured under no load). A healthy 12v battery will measure 12.75 to 12.9 volts under no load when fully charged and this is also the float charge (voltage) needed to maintain it (disregarding amps for a moment). Any charger should not deliver more than 14.7 volts at any time. Any equipment made for 12v use should have been designed to operate within this range i.e. 11.5 to 14.7 volts at the very least and if it hasn't then don't buy it because it is unsafe to use.

A battery under load but no charge will run at various voltages depending on how much capacity it has left in it and most 12v equipment will still run happily at the point where you start to kill your battery because they are consuming amps NOT volts. Volts drive the amps; hence the reason why some well designed 12v equipment will work from 10v right up to 16 volts.

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Terry

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EHU CONFUSED ! Being brand new to all this, and old, well 64 anyway, when plugged in to EHU is the power going straight to the leisure batteries to keep them topped up and everything still working at 12V in the van or when plugged in to the EHU is everything in the van switched over to 230/240V, I am not picking up my Arapaho until March so I need to get as much information as possible and everyone has been great.
Thanks
Kennygd:thumb:
Hi kennygd, to put it in simple terms for you :thumb:
12v is supplied by your leisure battery / battery's to run almost everything in your van
Lots will run off a combination of gas or Diesel and 12v ( hot water,heating and fridge )
Most fridges are 3 way meaning they will run on 240v when on electric hook up ( ehu ) gas when not on ehu and 12v when the engine is running ( travelling from place to place )
On most vans the L/Batts will be charged by the van engine while running (along side the fridge ) then when parked up with the ehu plugged in this will go through a battery charger to keep them charged :thumb: also when on ehu you will have a couple of lights and 240v sockets giving you the choice of which power you want to use :thumb: see clear as mud ::bigsmile:
terry
 

pappajohn

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following wiremans excellent explaination......now a simpler one.

any socket you can plug a domestic three pin plug into will only work on hookup or genny.
everything else will be 12v even on hookup......except the fridge, cooker and heating/water heater...and possible a couple of 230v lights. all my lights are 12v.
 

Terry

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following wiremans excellent explaination......now a simpler one.

any socket you can plug a domestic three pin plug into will only work on hookup or genny.
everything else will be 12v even on hookup......except the fridge, cooker and heating/water heater...and possible a couple of 230v lights. all my lights are 12v.[/I]

:ROFLMAO: What else is left then ? :ROFLMAO:
terry
 

pappajohn

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:ROFLMAO: What else is left then ? :ROFLMAO:
terry

dont you have any 230v sockets then ?....i have four !

fridge and water heater/heating are permenantly wired (at least mine are) and the cookers on gas :thumb:

perhaps i should have said....anything that CAN run on 230v COULD be used on H/U......everything else will still be 12v on H/U :thumb:

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Terry

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:thumb: Only four John, I have 6 doubles plus 2 x 240v lights,water heater / heating, fridge and cooker all wired permanently :ROFLMAO::thumb:--- self builders like to have plenty and keep it simple :ROFLMAO: :thumb:
terry
 

pappajohn

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:thumb: Only four John, I have 6 doubles plus 2 x 240v lights,water heater / heating, fridge and cooker all wired permanently :ROFLMAO::thumb:--- self builders like to have plenty and keep it simple :ROFLMAO: :thumb:
terry

i NOW have four.....swift only fitted two at factory :Sad:

they may even have only fitted one as the other looks out of place.

Tv and sat is 12v so only the kettle, ramoska and microwave are on 230v plugs....plus her hair stuff.
 

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