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zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:44 pm
by bexleyboy
Hello

Is it possible to run a 15” LCD TV off the leisure battery via the zig unit with out hooking up to the mains, do I need some sort of power inverter.

Is this a silly question?

Sorry I looked through all the threads

Thanks

Paul

Re: zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:49 pm
by francophile1947
I run 15"TV/DVD straight from the cigar lighter socket with no problems. I think most are 12v anyway - they have a transformer in the power line, to reduce the 230v to 12v.

Re: zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:14 pm
by bexleyboy
Thanks John

so does the plug socket in the van only work when hooked up

and do i need one of these to get the TV working through the cigar lighter
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=12968

and will it work without the engine running

does the cigar lighter run off the leisure or car battery

Paul :oops:

Re: zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:23 pm
by MountainGoat
The Cigar lighter works off the main battery but a lot of us have had it, together with the internal lights and electric blinds, transfered to work off the leisure battery.

Tony

Re: zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:24 pm
by francophile1947
I just use one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IN-CAR-CIGAR-LIGH ... 240%3A1318 and it works fine without the engine running.
Sorry, no idea about the rest of your queries - I haven't got a zig unit but I've wired my sockets to work from the leisure battery.

Re: zig unit & leisure battery

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:13 am
by apole
Hi,

You can run things like a small TV or an inverter, the inverter has to be able to provide enough power though, and you will find it's best to connect the inverter via properly rated cables to the battery direct (fused of course) as the cig lighters can only really handle up to 150W at 240 volts.

Overall though this will be far less efficient that using a TV that can run direct off 12v, using an inverter will be less efficient and you'll use more power up in the process.

Also remember that an inverter really needs a way of switching on and off the supply as it takes a little power all the time, whether in use or not.

I've seen a fairly well specced flat panel 15" TV in sainsburys off all places for around £79 that can run direct off 12v and has other inputs for DVD etc.

TV's in bongos are very popular so there will be many options open to you.