New TV/DVD

[the guvnor]

hi guys.
Prob a silly question , but me and electrics do not mix !!!

I have recently bought a tv for my bongo.......normal tv to plug in mains when on site. I have set it up and found it has a 12v power cable plugging into a 240v adaptor. Does this mean I could in effect not use the adaptor and plug the tv into the ciggy lighter ??

Be a result if i can !!!!!

Cheers guys

[munroman]

Indeed you should be able to do this, just be sure if it is the starter battery powering it that you leave enough in the battery to start the Bongo!

[francophile1947]

I tend to use mine on 12V all the time - just don't run the engine whilst watching it, as I'm not sure the TV will like 14V

[Alison01326]

I tend to use mine on 12V all the time - just don't run the engine whilst watching it, as I'm not sure the TV will like 14V

We use our portable DVD player on 12 volt whilst driving along. Doesn't appear to have done it any harm. Should we just use it on battery then? Don't know about these things.

[g8dhe]

If a portable device is designed to use the supply from a car (i.e. it came fitted with a Cigar plug) then it will probably be perfectly OK. However lots of devices actually run on 12 volts and use a mains supply which will drop and regulate the supply to exactly 12 volts, if the set didn't come with a supplied cigar lighter lead then you need to be wary of just connecting it to such a lead.

A car 12 volt supply is ONLY nominally 12 volts it will range from 10 volts to 14.5 volts as an average value and can have some seriously powerful spikes with a lot of energy in them. Plenty of devices won't like average voltages much in excess of 12 volts, they probably won't do anything nasty but might not have a very long life as they may be over heating. Very few devices will put up with the typical voltage spikes that will appear from time to time it is these that will probably cause a device to fail with no warning at all.

[francophile1947]

If a portable device is designed to use the supply from a car (i.e. it came fitted with a Cigar plug) then it will probably be perfectly OK. However lots of devices actually run on 12 volts and use a mains supply which will drop and regulate the supply to exactly 12 volts, if the set didn't come with a supplied cigar lighter lead then you need to be wary of just connecting it to such a lead.

Mine is a normal 19" domestic TV/DVD with a transformer in the supply lead, that's why I don't risk it

[Darkstar]

If a portable device is designed to use the supply from a car (i.e. it came fitted with a Cigar plug) then it will probably be perfectly OK. However lots of devices actually run on 12 volts and use a mains supply which will drop and regulate the supply to exactly 12 volts, if the set didn't come with a supplied cigar lighter lead then you need to be wary of just connecting it to such a lead.

i use a regulated dc to dc variable converter, had no probs yet, just need to make sure you plug adapters right way,

http://www.mellorautoelectrical.co.uk/C ... utput.html


just make sure you get polarity right, usually tip is positive.

[Rhinoman]

A car 12 volt supply is ONLY nominally 12 volts it will range from 10 volts to 14.5 volts as an average value and can have some seriously powerful spikes with a lot of energy in them. Plenty of devices won't like average voltages much in excess of 12 volts, they probably won't do anything nasty but might not have a very long life as they may be over heating. Very few devices will put up with the typical voltage spikes that will appear from time to time it is these that will probably cause a device to fail with no warning at all.

Thats very true, when we design automotive components they have to withstand spikes of around 200V and have immunity from surges of around 60V. Unless its designed for a car supply then don't use it with the engine running.
You can probbaly use a universal car laptop converter to run a dvd or similar, that would be more efficient than a 240V inverter. I use one very similar to the one linked to by Darkstar.

[francophile1947]

You can probbaly use a universal car laptop converter to run a dvd or similar, that would be more efficient than a 240V inverter.

It certainly is better than using an inverter Never had any problems using my laptop with the converter, but it often wouldn't work with a 150W inverter, especially if the laptop's battery was low.